Differences Between VU Releases/Reissues

[Elvis Plebsley]

SHM Mini Lp CDs vs the Standard CDs ?
According to Olivier?s site the following SHM CDs have been ?remastered?. There are no details of who is responsible, but they certainly sound different to the CDs you can buy in UK shops.

VU ? the SHM CD sounds great to my ears, it has punch, attack and clarity. Outside of a more sympathetic mix of the tracks, this is the way that I?ll listen to the album from now on.

Another VU ? not quite as good as above, but in comparison to the frankly awful standard CD, it?s still quite an improvement. On SHM, Guess I?m Falling Love is rescued from muddy, sludgy, fuzz to something approaching the Chuck Berry on amphetamine glories of the vinyl. If you want it on CD, get the SHM; if you want Guess I?m Falling In Love in best quality, get the vinyl.

Live 1969 ? someone has done a lot of work on this. In some ways they?ve made things better, in some worse. On the SHM quite a chunk of hiss has been removed; it has a thinner sound with some extra clarity at the top end (surprising given the lack of hiss) which gives it a less muddy sound. However, this has been achieved at quite some cost to the bass on the album; some of Doug?s lines are now barely there. Given the nature of these recordings, I suspect that this ?remaster? is something of an EQ job. The SHM has the superior artwork 2 dicks in a gatefold sleeve, rather than the bastardised Vols 1 and 2. In this case I?m happy to have both. For sound, I'll go with the old CD, for art the SHM.

These are my gut reactions to the CDs, I have done some comparisons, but I haven?t spent tons of time A/Bing them.

Velvetfan you have these too, I wonder, do you concur?

As for Raw Power, Iggy?s mix sucks. I prefer the old Bowie CD and much prefer my old vinyl copy.

[schnittstelle]

The differences of the Valentin- and Closet-mix aside. Did anyone find much sonic improvement in any of the releases of the third LP?

[MJG196]

I don't know if I'm hallucinating this, and I'm listening to it right now on ipod (but from a WAV, not MP3), and it sounds less pronounced than it did the first few times I listened, but the piano at the beginning sounds like it slowly fades up over the intro and first verse. Meaning, it starts quiet, and by the end of the first verse, it's as loud as usual. This is also one of my favourite songs on the album, and I noticed it straight away, but I don't know if it's a remix done for the MFSL folk, or whether that's what some original stereo versions would have sounded like if they were completely clean. It is definitely different to the wonderful original mono, though. I'm almost tempted to sub in the PS&S version on my ipod, but haven't decided to yet. Every other song sounds absolutely stunning though, including things like Femme Fatale with just the right amount of distortion, and that 'kick' at the very beginning of Venus In Furs being exactly how it's always been in your mind.

I haven't listened to IWFTM so much in years...

I don't know if I am hallucinating, but it sounded to me like the piano starts loud, then fades slightly into the first verse, then picks up again on the MFSL. It seems to be pretty even on the Deluxe Edition. However, I listened to it so many times, I may have been "tricking" my own ears!

[DavidH]

I now really don't know what to think, but I know that something sounded different when I first listened to it (Waiting on the MFSL CD) - it's a question of whether it's 'better' or 'worse' than the other versions.

[DavidH]

VU ? the SHM CD sounds great to my ears, it has punch, attack and clarity. Outside of a more sympathetic mix of the tracks, this is the way that I?ll listen to the album from now on.

Another VU ? not quite as good as above, but in comparison to the frankly awful standard CD, it?s still quite an improvement. On SHM, Guess I?m Falling Love is rescued from muddy, sludgy, fuzz to something approaching the Chuck Berry on amphetamine glories of the vinyl. If you want it on CD, get the SHM; if you want Guess I?m Falling In Love in best quality, get the vinyl.

I don't understand what it is with the vinyl versions of these albums against the CDs. I remember hearing the Japanese LP of VU under strict laboratory conditions (ie at a party with a beer in hand), and it sounded incredible - so far better than the CD. Another View is an awful CD (the regular one, that is), but I've never heard it on vinyl. I'm going to have to track down these SHMs.

[velvetfan]

http://eil.com/shop/moreinfo.asp?catalo ... -Sun-TEAIS

Unbelievable! I couldn't believe when the new "shm" format came out. But I bought a complete box set anyway. Then there was another format that I don't even remember the name of. I contacted the seller and he said it was similar to "shm" so I finally said, "Enough!" and didn't buy that format. (I think it was Lou solo, not VU). Now I get an email from E.I.L. that now there is this new combo shm/SACD format only playable of SACD players only! Christ, gimme a break! I will not buy; I will not buy;I will not buy;I will not buy........ and the price next June ? 49.99 / US$ 74.49

[MJG196]

http://eil.com/shop/moreinfo.asp?catalo ... -Sun-TEAIS

Unbelievable! I couldn't believe when the new "shm" format came out. But I bought a complete box set anyway. Then there was another format that I don't even remember the name of. I contacted the seller and he said it was similar to "shm" so I finally said, "Enough!" and didn't buy that format. (I think it was Lou solo, not VU). Now I get an email from E.I.L. that now there is this new combo shm/SACD format only playable of SACD players only! Christ, gimme a break! I will not buy; I will not buy;I will not buy;I will not buy........ and the price next June ? 49.99 / US$ 74.49

SACD?! You don't hear about that much anymore. That is a dying format in the US. DVD-Audio "won" the format war in the US, but just barely. Neither has really been accepted by the mainstream. I think people were just sick of buying music on one format then another then another...

Besides, I am not so sure VU&N was meant to be heard in ultra-mega high fidelity!

[iaredatsun]

SHM Mini Lp CDs vs the Standard CDs ?
According to Olivier?s site the following SHM CDs have been ?remastered?. There are no details of who is responsible, but they certainly sound different to the CDs you can buy in UK shops.

I agree SHM and the standard audio CD sound version (VU&N & WLWH) different but I'm not sure that they are remastered. Two reasons:

First I ripped the SHM version of WLWH and listened to it on my iPod. I thought that the title track sounded great and was convinced that it sounded better than the standard version even as mp3! I could a hear a new crunchiness to the rhythm that i hadn't heard before. Then I listened to both the SHM and standard back to back. I couldn't hear any difference! I put it down to the fact that I hadn't really given WHWH a proper spin before with some new phones I was using.

Second ? the SHM of WLWH still credits Bob Ludwig for mastering ? same as standard version and the 'Papersleeve Reissue staff' does not have a re-mastering credit.

I think that they sound better on the hifi ? but I haven't really done a thorough comparison.

[Elvis Plebsley]

As far as VU&N and WLWH, I agree with you, I can't hear any difference between the shm and the Universal remasters. It is VU, Another View and 1969 where a difference can be found.

[iaredatsun]

As far as VU&N and WLWH, I agree with you, I can't hear any difference between the shm and the Universal remasters. It is VU, Another View and 1969 where a difference can be found.

You make me want them. I especially like your description of Guess I'm Falling in Love ? one of my favourite post WLWH pre-3rd Cale tracks.


Is it worth saying how much better Stephanie Says sounds on the 'Velvet Underground Story'. The mix really brings out the idea of that off-centre flat sound that Cale introduced into their work ? especially in the 'off' backing vocals which were de-emaphasised in the 80's version.