Backstory:
The details are irrelevant (fascinating as to how this native Chicagoan-but-transplanted-to-Buffalo person with no industry experience got involved, but not relevant to this C/NC) - but somehow I found myself roped into the current Joy Division reissue campaign (out currently in the UK, 10/30/07 in the US on Rhino). I mastered - from the original taper's master cassettes - the live CDs in the Closer and Still CD sets. I submitted ready-to-release product to Warners UK, the surviving band members loved it, we were all set.

Come July (Warners had had this material for about 6 months from me) we hear "test pressing" CD-Rs. Our mastered material was sent to the Arctic Monkeys mastering house (seriously, this facility is one of the main loudness war violators) by Warners for "improvement" and, frankly, there's zero improvement from the submitted versions. Complaints were lodged but to no avail, and they were released as scheduled.

While I did get a credit in the final releases for Closer and Still ("Mastering by Drew Crumbaugh ... Final re-mastering by Jon Davis at Alchemy"), and I still feel greatly honored for being involved, it's almost embarrassing to have my name associated with the final product. The live discs for Closer and Still are **not** improved by Warners' actions, in fact what we submitted sounds absolutely stellar.

Summary version:
Joy Division CDs are being reissued on Warners/Rhino with bonus CDs as I type. Stellar bonus material, already mastered for release, was given to Warners to use with their full cooperation, yet they saw fit to muck with it and IMHO compromise it. I guess the final versions aren't "bad" per se, they're just not what I'd in a million years consider "great".

I guess having lived with this particular material for over a year (that's how long it's been in the works) it's particularly galling to me, and while what other people have said about the live material while not having heard the submitted version is all good, it's still annoying as fuck.

BTW - the packaging is stellar. Never in a million years would one think these reissues (deluxe 2cd digipaks with full restored artwork) are a product of a major label. And the album sides themselves sound fine, it's a miracle THEY weren't sent to Arctic Monkeyland for obliteration. Rant being said, highly suggested fans pick up these. And the vinyl reissues are stellar as well, only indication these are Rhino/Warners is a **tiny** Rhino logo on the vinyl label - NO Warners/Rhino label copy on the sleeves and in fact you'd NEVER know these aren't the Factory originals if not for the tiny Rhino logo on the label....

I read that post and I'm not sure I understand...

what exactly did they do? What sounds different in the released compared to submitted?

Welcome to the club.

Hexpane, I think they increased the volume to make it sound more "modern." As a result the dynamics will be lost, as well as audio clarity.

Sounds like CRAP to me.

Hexpane wrote:I read that post and I'm not sure I understand...

what exactly did they do? What sounds different in the released compared to submitted?

Compressed/limited, and re-EQ'ed to the point it distorts in places...

I'll try to post samples.

Commiserations. That must be a right fucker.

Perhaps the added volume and brightness will make Joy Division fans less morose.

Every cloud, silver lining, all that crap...

Samples were here, but I removed the public links to them. Sorry. PM me if you want them.

drew wrote:--------

thoughts?

Thru the anonymous magic of the internet perhaps the complete originally mastered versions could leak out into cyberspace as pleasant fuck you to Warner Brothers. Certainly not insinuating you would have any part in that if in fact it does occur. I doubt it would negatively impact sales greatly so you don’t significantly punish the remaing band members who deserve proper royalties off the reissues.

So Joy Division will sound like Interpol? What else is new?


edit: Seriously, though, it sucks. But I think this is exactly what one would expect from a modern mastering facility oriented to modern fan base. Thanks for the mp3's.


edit: I missed the voting options.. not like my post was very insightful anyway.