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crapfromthepast
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| Posted: 09 August 2013 at 7:10pm | IP Logged
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The 45 cuts off the first 8 beats of the LP version, and fades the LP version early. The compilations out there are pretty evenly split between the 45 and LP versions.
LP version
The first version of the song to appear on CD was on Toto IV. There are quite a few different masterings of the first batch of Toto IV CDs, and I don't know about differences among them. I do know that the sound quality is pretty well regarded for some (all?) of the early '80s Toto IV CDs.
The LP version also appeared on Past To Present (1990), which was mastered by Doug Sax and sounds very nice. I think Past used new analog transfers. The same analog transfer is also used on Simitar's Love Rocks 5: After Midnight (1998).
The first compilation to feature the LP version was Risky Business' 2-CD Read The Hits (1994). I'd bet that the mastering on Read is a digital clone of one of the Toto IV masterings, but I can't confirm. The tail of the fade is about 3 seconds longer on Read than on Past To Present, and the sound quality is comparable. Given a choice, I'd go with Read, just for the longer fade.
There are a few collections that are digital clones of Read The Hits:- Realm's 3-CD Greatest Hits Of The '80s Vol. 1 (1995; differently EQ'd digital clone)
- Sony's Living In The '80s (1995; digitally identical)
- Madacy's Rock On 1982 Vol. 2 (2005; different EQ and extreme amount of compression added - avoid)
My choice for the LP version: Risky Business' Read The Hits (1994).
45 version
Quite a few "false start" masterings of the 45 version, before Bill Inglot got it right.
It first appeared on Realm's Gold And Platinum Vol. 1 (1986), where it fades early and sounds really, really terrible. Avoid. Actually, most of the tracks on this CD are early fades. Avoid the whole disc.
The 45 version next appeared on Warner Special Products' 2-CD Love Songs (1988). Here, it sounds good but not great. The fade is longer than on Gold And Platinum but it still a second or two too short. The same analog transfer is used on Razor & Tie's 2-CD Awesome '80s (1994; mastered by Steve Hoffman, but sounds exactly like Love Songs).
CBS's Rock Of The 80's (1988) also fades a bit early, and also sounds pretty bad.
Finally, Bill Inglot got to use low-generation source tapes for Rhino's Billboard Top Hits 1982 (1992). Here, it sounds superb, and seems to have the right length for the fade, which is a few seconds longer than all of the above. There are digital clones of Billboard on:- Time-Life's Sounds Of The Eighties Vol. 5 1982 (1994; differently-EQ'd digital clone)
- Time-Life's 2-CD Body Talk Vol. 1 Forever Yours (1996; differently EQ'd digital clone)
- Time-Life's 2-CD Classic Soft Rock Vol. 4 More Than A Feeling (2006; differently EQ'd digital clone)
I think Priority's Eighties Gr. Rock Hits Vol. 1 Passion And Power (1992) uses the same analog transfer as Billboard, but it's too loud and clips a lot - avoid.
Sony's 2-CD Pop Music: Modern Era (1999) seems to have a newly-created edit of the LP version, which is surprisingly dynamic and un-compressed. I prefer the EQ on Billboard.
EMI Australia's 5-CD Pop Complete (1999) sounds really, really, really, really bad. The tape generation is so high, it sounds like it was from a cassette.
Swaitek's 50-CD promo set The A List Disc 14 actually sounds OK, with no obvious noise reduction artifacts.
My choice for the 45 version: Rhino's Billboard Top Hits 1982 (1992). You really can't go wrong with these Billboard discs.
Edited by crapfromthepast on 09 August 2013 at 7:17pm
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Todd Ireland
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| Posted: 10 August 2013 at 11:42pm | IP Logged
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I love these sound quality reviews, Ron! Back in the late '80s, I had an original CD pressing of Toto IV on Columbia but I seem to recall being annoyed by what I perceived to be very low audio levels on that disc (especially on softer tracks like "I Won't Hold You Back"). I eventually replaced it with the now long out-of-print Toto IV gold CD release on Columbia/Legacy 64423 and I like the sound quality on this CD much better.
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crapfromthepast
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| Posted: 11 August 2013 at 9:01am | IP Logged
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Glad you're getting something useful out of my write-ups.
I'm always happy to share what I've found.
The material on Toto IV was recorded very, very
well. "Africa" was featured on one of CBS's early demo
discs. That gold CD must sound spectacular!
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musicmanatl
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| Posted: 11 August 2013 at 12:23pm | IP Logged
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I love these track analyses as well. They are so helpful. Todd, it's so funny that you mention your issue with the original CD release of "Toto IV". I felt the same way! Does anyone have the 2008 re-release? Is the sound quality improved?
Frank
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Topic: Toto - Rosanna
