The Velvet Forum

Any improvements when compared to the Live '69 CD's? I assume they were mastered again for this release. Also, how does the original mix of Stephaine Says compare to the VU mix? Less or different reverb? Stephaine Says was one of the few remixes on VU and Another View that I didn't mind...

Chris

Less reverb on "Stephanie Says," and louder backing vocals. I prefer it.

Just heard the original Stephanie Says mix and it really is better than the VU mix. Better low end, less reverb and Cale viola is higher in the mix, more of a rounded sound, etc.. I'm pleasantly surprised..

Chris M wrote:Just heard the original Stephanie Says mix

Yesterday I finally found the time to grab a copy of Gold and I am pleasantly surprised to find that both mixes are substantially different to their VU counterparts.

"Temptation Inside Your Heart" -- Lou's vocals sound drier and more immediate; Sterling's guitar (left channel) and the backing vocal commentaries are much louder.

"Stephanie Says" -- Here Lou's vocals are drier and more immediate as well, they leap out far more than in the homogenised VU version. John's viola is much louder, as are the backing vocals, which are far less ...glossy than on VU. You can easily tell John and Sterling apart, and this is the only point where I find the VU version more attractive: Sterling rightly had little faith in their harmony singing and in this case I am glad Bill Levenson had them ostensibly put through a vocal harmonizer for VU...

As for the 1969 tracks that this post originally was about, they sound a bit more hissy and louder, the latter prob. to bring them in line with the rest of the stuff and the former possibly because they did not use (or used less) compression this time around?

He he, Arjan you say "out of tune" in the nicest possible way.

Elvis Plebsley wrote:He he, Arjan you say "out of tune" in the nicest possible way.

We try I don't mind out-of-tune singing, Lou isn't pitch-perfect all of the time either, it's just that here it's a bit too clear...

"I don't mind out-of-tune singing, Lou isn't pitch-perfect all of the time either, it's just that here it's a bit too clear"

I agree with you. The original mix isn't helped by those backing vocals

Rob

Disagree. Love the original mixes. If you want pretty, go listen to Barry Manilow. .
As for the "1969" cuts, from what I've read, the original was mastered from acetates they'd made from the original tapes (which they then ditched), so there's only so much that can possibly be done (well, I guess they could go to "End of Cole Ave." for those cuts, and improve them quite a bit).

Well, they could purcahse the multitracks for the Matrix stuff. That would help!