Original Cds vs Remasters

alive90

Hi Everyone,
I'm a new 10c member and have always loved the music of Peral Jam. However, there is one question that I cannot seem to find a clear answear for on the internet. What sounds better, the original cds for the first three albums or the remasters. I own all 3 remasters on cd ,the Ten SDE and the original lps of Vs/Vitalogy (still looking for Ten). Is it worth picking up the original cd issues? Thanks!

NewJPage

the remasters are brickwalled pretty bad. I was never a fan of the original mix on ten, but it does have more dynamic range. plus you can probably find a copy online for less than a dollar pretty easily, so go for it.

erocshifty

i lke the sound of the originals for vs. & vitalogy. i like the remastered ten, the remix is okay, but that album has maaannny memories. it made it sound new to me again. i still bought the boxsets, but the originals are so cheap. they're getting harder to find in stores, nowadays. i used to see tons of used pearl jam stuff, not so much anymore. you can find cheap copies at amazon. i bought a bunch of old a.i.c. , nirvana & soundgarden brand new & the cds were like 5-7 bucks. i do have a copy of the old one, too. the japanese alive e.p. is cool too. it has alive (video version), evenflow (remix-video), wash & dirty frank. it's a great find. the original wash & dirty frank are killer! there are copies of ten with those on it, but they're probably a little more

jason_94

erocshifty wrote:

i do have a copy of the old one, too. the japanese alive e.p. is cool too. it has alive (video version), evenflow (remix-video), wash & dirty frank. it's a great find. the original wash & dirty frank are killer! there are copies of ten with those on it, but they're probably a little more

I have that 4 song "single" or "EP" also. I got it back on ...... February 20, 1992. I just looked at it and it still has the time stamped Record Exchange sticker on it with the $12 price written on it. I played the shit out of that disc back in the day! Oh, the memories.........

I have the burned mp3 version in my vehicle now and still listen occasionaly.


Oh yeah, I almost forgot, ..... Welcome to the club!

Lost In Ohio

So there's actually THREE versions of Ten? Interesting.

Original
"Cleaned up and digitally restored"
Remix


Which one is Vs/Vitalogy?

Edited out goof.

boyo79

Lost In Ohio wrote:

So there's actually THREE versions of Ten and Vs? Interesting.

Original
"Cleaned up and digitally restored"
Remix


Which one is Vs/Vitalogy?

I think Vs & Vitalogy were only remastered whereas Ten was remastered and remixed

danny

original!

GD124635

Im a big fan of the remix! Still love the OG's though.

HeavyHands

alive90 wrote:

Hi Everyone,
I'm a new 10c member and have always loved the music of Peral Jam. However, there is one question that I cannot seem to find a clear answear for on the internet. What sounds better, the original cds for the first three albums or the remasters. I own all 3 remasters on cd ,the Ten SDE and the original lps of Vs/Vitalogy (still looking for Ten). Is it worth picking up the original cd issues? Thanks!

The "quality" of the sound you hear has completely subjective roots. The answer to your question of "Which version of an album sounds 'better' " depends entirely upon which one sounds better to you. In other words, if you conduct a blind test of the audio and decide that you like one more than the other, then that is the one that is subjectively "better."

As I see it, I have deep affection for the original mix and master of all three albums because that is how I've listened to them for 18-20 years. They are comfortable to listen to because I know them inside and out. Listening to the remasters for Ten, Vs., and Vitalogy - and also the Ten Redux - is more like an intellectual exercise for me. I am conscious of the fact that the re-releases are inherently different than the original versions so I find myself listening for the differences between what I'm hearing and what I remember from the past 18-20 years instead of just listening to the music. I want to dissect the re-releases to discover new details of my past history with these albums.

Whenever I come to a moment where there is an enhancement/alteration of my expectation of what those albums sound like, I find that it kind of shatters the illusion of focus for me and pulls me out of the listening experience. Like when DVDs were new and I'd be engrossed in watching a movie and all of a sudden a "multi-angle view" icon would pop up on the screen. The presence of something like that is slightly distracting, but also stirs an inevitable curiosity in me to explore that alteration in detail. "What was done?" "Why was it done?" "Does it make the consumptive experience better?" My attentions become divided. Ultimately, I figured out how to turn those icon views off so as to not distract my focus. Similarly, I more regularly listen to the original albums. I've found that I (generally speaking) prefer the originals for the dynamic range, and the re-releases for the extra songs.

As an aside, If I'm making a mix for my mp3 player, I'm more apt to include the remasters because their volume levels are more in line with PJ's more current releases and there is less of a volume shock when the playlist moves from one song to another.

The great thing is that, no matter what, you're listening to a great band play great songs. Happy listening.

alive90

Thanks for the feedback! I just bought an original ten cd and I think it has better dynamic range. I'll have to look into that ep.

LikeAnOcean

I like the remasters much better. They have a crisper, less muddy sound. I can hear the individual instruments better.. Anyone who says else wise is just holding on to nostalgia.