James Posted March 29, 2014 Share Posted March 29, 2014 ..any opinions at all re: the new CD. I can´t get it for a while as I "fired" my forwarding store and need to hook up with another. I will soon. But tell us what you guys think?...I especially want to hear how "My Girl" sounds. And the song "Boats Against The Current"? And the rest. Come on, let´s hear it! :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted March 29, 2014 Author Share Posted March 29, 2014 Come on, "I Wanna Hear It From Your Lips"..! ( hey, I learned from the best: Ira!! ) James 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LobsterLvr Posted March 29, 2014 Share Posted March 29, 2014 James, I've now had the chance to listen to most songs severals times (mostly via the CD player in my car). I've also compared some of the new remastered versions to older CD's. There's definitely a difference. I found "My Girl", "Last Night", "Change of Heart" and "It Hurts Too Much" to be noticably better. Probably because they have the greatest varitety of distinctively different instruments and voices in them (that's a guess). In every song I'm hearing things I never heard before. And Eric's voice has never sounded better (except in person, of course). The only negative comment I have is, for some reason "Nowhere To Hide" sounds unchanged...even a bit muddier...but perfection is consuming and it seems...well, you know. Hope you get your copy soon. It's worth the wait. Dave 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Ellen Posted March 29, 2014 Share Posted March 29, 2014 Hi James, I posted this in an earlier thread, so I just cc'd here for ya again...it's my view so you already know it's totally biased...in a very good way. I listened to Starting Over again today in my car and it's AMAZING. I know that's not a music industry term but neither is "soggy." As something I read when E's first solo came out and I'll repeat here as well: ERIC CARMEN WILL STUN YOU... Posted 26 March 2014 - 01:21 PM The first major time E made my heart beat very fast and skip I was 15... On my first listen through the whole remastered cd set today it was a kind of deja vu. What a first delicious afternoon of listening it was for me!! On my home Bose system "GTM" and "GATW" were exciting beyond any words I could muster, "Boats" gave me some tears, "My Girl" was something thrilling I couldn't have anticipated, though I heard it would be great, "TR&R" forever changed the way I view the world, and when I listened to "BNY" again, it soothed me with loving tenderness. Then there were all songs and points in-between. Even though I'll always be a true "Tonight" girl, "Ecstasy" live almost made me change my mind - almost. Can't wait to start all over again with another listening session. Did I mention in another thread...I LOVE the artwork selections...and that sweet muse of mine. Cayenne 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raspbernie Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 Better in every way. I need every Eric Carmen album remastered in exactly the same way this package was produced and I need it now! Bernie 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Carmen Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 When I became the "default producer" of the "Boats" album, I had never really produced an album before. I didn't know a lot about microphones, except that I never liked the way my voice sounded through the mics that were set up for me by the various engineers I had worked with. I suspect most, or all, of "Raspberries'" stuff was sung through a Neumann U87, which, circa 1972, was the transistor version that replaced the U47 and U67, which were "tube" mics. The U87 wasn't a bad mic, but it didn't have the smooth warm low end of a U47 or a U67. The U87 seemed to accentuate the high-mid frequencies, so I never much liked it for my voice. During the recording of "Boats" the engineer set up a mic ( it might have been an AKG ) that seemed to REALLY accentuate the high frequencies, and seemed devoid of any warmth, so, rookie that I was, I repositioned the mic so it was much lower, and I sang over the top of it, attempting to get more low end. Unfortunately, it made the vocals sound kind of dull, and sometimes even a bit "muddy." I'm sure Mark Wilder did everything he could to try to find the right frequency to add back in to bring out some clarity, but if the frequency just wasn't there, that would simply be adding it to something else that WAS ( like the strings, perhaps ). It wasn't until my first session with Val Garay, that I got to experience my voice through an old Neumann tube U67. That was the mic Val used to record Linda Ronstadt. The only vocal I hadn't sung was "Run Away", so, before we started mixing, we decided to get a good vocal track for that song. Val set up the mic, gave me Linda's headphones ( those headphones subsequently were labeled "Ronstadt/ Carmen" because Linda and I were apparently the only singers who didn't throw them on the floor when we were done singing. No one else was allowed to use them. ) and he ran the track. Val was out in the control room and I was in the vocal booth, and I thought he was just running the track to get levels and eq's set. When I started to sing my voice sounded so good through that mic that I sang the track all the way through. There was all the warmth I had been missing from all the transistor mics. When the vocal was done, Val stopped the tape and I asked him if he wanted to try "taking one." He looked over his shoulder at me, in the vocal booth, and said " Come on in. That was the take!" Val had put the tape machine into "record" unbeknownst to me. I went in and listened, and that was it. One take, start to finish. Done. That is the difference the right mic can make. So, any "muddiness" on the "Boats" vocals is purely my fault. But listen to "Run Away" and you will hear the difference. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Ellen Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 E, I enjoy your presence and your input so much. What you're speaking of are technical details many of us here probably don't realize exist. If I heard muddiness on Boats, I didn't even know it - so beautiful - again not a music industry term. M.E. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 Eric, when Mark Wilder remastered "Boats", what, if anything, did he do with the Aphex aural exciter that was used in the original mix of "Boats"? I really can't hear it on "Essential". The vocals sound clearer, which makes me think the aural exciter was subdued or eliminated. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted March 30, 2014 Author Share Posted March 30, 2014 I know what an aural exciter is. I really do. I saw one once (selling as a promotional item) at the cash register of our neighborhood Adult Bookstore. It was on sale - 50% off!!.. :-) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Ellen Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 What does the AE actually do? (Good guess James!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LobsterLvr Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 Thanks for insight, Eric. Even if the mics weren't right all those years ago...the final results are still amazing. As is Mark's remastering. Dave 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 oops--by the time I get around to commenting on a post, it seems the topic has changed. Lol! So, I downloaded my copy from iTunes and it is just wonderful!!! It sounds so lush and rich and full-bodied over my car's sound-system. I can't wait to listen to it on my Denali's surround. I'm hearing things I've never heard before!! Love it!!! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana Countryman Posted April 2, 2014 Share Posted April 2, 2014 James -- (in particular) --- you asked about opinions about the sound quality of the CD, so I'll give mine.... I'm a HUGE fan of Eric's first solo album in particular, so I wasn anxious to hear the remastered tracks from it. Not to hurt Eric's or Mark Wilder's feelings, but to my ears I just don't hear an immense difference between the 1992 Rhino solo album and the new mixes of those same solo tracks. Slight differences, but not too remarkable. I spent quite a bit of time "A/B'ing" the two discs, comparing the two. I found the differences on one of my favorites: "My Girl" pretty minimal. So....I have this friend who has a studio, and I spent time with him this afternoon. He has pretty good ears, and has remastered albums before. Just for fun, he worked on "My Girl", using the Rhino CD. I'm really amazed at what he did. THIS is the "My Girl" I wanted to hear on the "Essential" CD. The percussion is now more noticeable, the French Horns now have more "bite" to them, the electric bass isn't nearly quite as muddy, and is now more present, and the background vocals aren't nearly as buried in the mix. I'm really impressed! My friend definitely has "EARS"! See what you think....:https://app.box.com/s/sm484bau6nf49dwwqrra 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duane Posted April 2, 2014 Share Posted April 2, 2014 So, any "muddiness" on the "Boats" vocals is purely my fault. Today I Learned (TIL)...."muddiness" is a musical term that must mean perfection. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk Posted April 2, 2014 Share Posted April 2, 2014 I think a lot of what any of us 'hears' has a lot to do with our equipment- amps, speakers, headphones, equalizers, etc...I rarely listen to any recording that I haven't first tailored to the particular needs of my speakers or headphones, not to mention my listening preferences, which, for me, usually means an EQ curve that resembles a boomerang (sitting up like the letter "U"). I like the mix your friend made. I like the original mix. I really like the mix on "Essential". It all has do with how a particular remaster (or mix) responds to my inputs- adjusting the frequencies- to achieve a final sound that is pleasing to my ears. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Ellen Posted April 2, 2014 Share Posted April 2, 2014 Kirk, So, "an EQ curve that resembles a boomerang" HA! My technical experitse amounts to putting the cd into my Bose...sounds so good to me in any case. And guys...still waiting on...what is an AE? Cayenne 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk Posted April 2, 2014 Share Posted April 2, 2014 This: A true groundbreaker, the original Aural Exciter was highly regarded for its ability to increase and enhance presence, brightness, and vibrancy on vocal and instrumental tracks alike. It was even credited as a "session player" on best-selling albums by the likes of Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt and James Taylor, engineered by Val Garay, who worked closely with us on the development of the plugin. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paperdoll82 Posted April 2, 2014 Share Posted April 2, 2014 I think a lot of what any of us 'hears' has a lot to do with our equipment- amps, speakers, headphones, equalizers, etc...I rarely listen to any recording that I haven't first tailored to the particular needs of my speakers or headphones, not to mention my listening preferences, which, for me, usually means an EQ curve that resembles a boomerang (sitting up like the letter "U"). I like the mix your friend made. I like the original mix. I really like the mix on "Essential". It all has do with how a particular remaster (or mix) responds to my inputs- adjusting the frequencies- to achieve a final sound that is pleasing to my ears. Agreed. I listened to it for the first time yesterday through my "emergency" earbuds, and WOW! It's great through my car speakers and my work headphones, but the quality though the earbuds was astounding. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paperdoll82 Posted April 2, 2014 Share Posted April 2, 2014 Kirk, So, "an EQ curve that resembles a boomerang" HA! My technical experitse amounts to putting the cd into my Bose...sounds so good to me in any case. And guys...still waiting on...what is an AE? Cayenne Cayenne: I'm kind of glad the experts know, and I'll leave it to them. I view it like a light switch: I don't know WHAT makes the light work, but it's wonderful that it does. Cheryl 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roundmoonwoman Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Wow. "Essential" is a hot dream-come-true. If you don't have it, get it. I've ordered extras to give away to my friends. I keep one disc in my car and one at home. That way, I can be scattered, covered and smothered (as they say at the Waffle House) by the essence of EC. Wherever I am. Have to say, didn't expect to be so overwhelmed by my first listen to this new "Boats." I, too, got tears, Cayennegirl. All the memories and meaning that had lain quietly touching that song, rose up and down and through me. In 1977, my first love Michael and I broke up, painfully, at the end of college. For months I played "Boats". . .over and over and over and over. But the story truly began back in 1974. I had already found EC in 1972, so I was set up beautifully to have a soft place for piano-playing singer-songwriters. So here I go, falling in love with this brilliant young college man named Michael. One day he took me to the music department on campus, to a sound-proof room with a piano in the middle of it. I was invited to sit by him on the bench. Then he started playing and singing songs to me. That he had written for me. About me. I remember thinking: Oh, no. Don't do this to me. You are melting my heart, and it -- I -- may never recover. And. . .how in the world can I, a silly dufus of a college girl, be the inspiration for love songs? Forward back to 1977. Michael moved to LA to be near the music and show business scenes. I moved to GA, cried and played "Boats." Separate oceans, literally. It was 1990 when Michael called to tell me he was dying of AIDS, and had only a few months to live. He wanted to fly over to see me and say good-bye. That would be the final instance that this man would melt my heart. No songs this time, but we felt the poetry of the moment. He was 35. "Boats" is a piece of my life and my love, captured in a song. Somehow, holding both the sweetness and the sadness. Tenderly. For me. Over time. I am grateful to Eric for this gift. For his gift. I am forever changed. As many of us have come to be. By the unstoppable weaving of EC's extraordinary music into the living of our ordinary lives. Well. That's my "Boats" story. And I'm sticking to it. Or maybe, it's sticking to me. 8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sawalker45 Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 As a simple accountant, not musical at all, this is simply the most beautiful music I have ever listened to. It just takes me away. The long version of ABM.....love it. Boats...magical.... I could go on and on because I feel this way for each song. That is my review and I am sticking to it! E, keep doing what you do! Sherrie 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Ellen Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 RMW, Thanks so much for sharing such a tender, personal and difficult story. A guy with a piano can definitely melt a heart and keep a heart close...even over oceans of time. Cayenne 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roundmoonwoman Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Ah, Cayenne, I really appreciate your kind words. And you are so right. RMW 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bmfc1 Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 It's hard for me to find anything better about "BATC", "Nowhere To Hide" and "Love Is All That Matters" because I've loved those songs for decades and thought that each was already perfect. The standouts in terms of "improvement" are "Sunrise", "Last Night" (specifically the chorus), and "It Hurts Too Much." All three deserved to become hits but I'm glad that we can hear them anew on this collection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dana Countryman Posted April 5, 2014 Share Posted April 5, 2014 James -- (in particular) --- you asked about opinions about the sound quality of the CD, so I'll give mine.... I'm a HUGE fan of Eric's first solo album in particular, so I wasn anxious to hear the remastered tracks from it. Not to hurt Eric's or Mark Wilder's feelings, but to my ears I just don't hear an immense difference between the 1992 Rhino solo album and the new mixes of those same solo tracks. Slight differences, but not too remarkable. I spent quite a bit of time "A/B'ing" the two discs, comparing the two. I found the differences on one of my favorites: "My Girl" pretty minimal. So....I have this friend who has a studio, and I spent time with him this afternoon. He has pretty good ears, and has remastered albums before. Just for fun, he worked on "My Girl", using the Rhino CD. I'm really amazed at what he did. THIS is the "My Girl" I wanted to hear on the "Essential" CD. The percussion is now more noticeable, the French Horns now have more "bite" to them, the electric bass isn't nearly quite as muddy, and is now more present, and the background vocals aren't nearly as buried in the mix. I'm really impressed! My friend definitely has "EARS"! See what you think....:https://app.box.com/s/sm484bau6nf49dwwqrra I took that file down, since nobody seemed that interested, and I don't want to get in trouble with anyone, anyhow, anywhere.... I don't need Clive breathing down my neck! However, we are going tackle remastering the ENTIRE solo album, just for fun. My dream to hear the album at it's best fidelity is about to come true! Next up, "Last Night". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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