Many of you who know me, know that I’m a fan of Wishbone Ash. While I have a tendency to favor Wishbone Four (1973) – which was their highest-charting US album – , I do have great love for Argus (1972). So, you might ask? Well, it appears that the UK market will be reissuing Argus in a 2CD Deluxe Edition (why not 180g vinyl LP?) with bonus tracks (see track-list below).
The releasing company is Culture Factory, which is touting a 96k/24-bit remaster. I believe the last time it was remastered was for the SHM-SACD (which I was unimpressed with), and before that, the Martin Turner remaster from 2002.
On July 27, Argus Deluxe Edition will be released in the UK. One of the bonus tracks is the single edit of “No Easy Road”, which is from Wishbone Four (so what’s it doing here, or all of the other editions?). Also, the famed Live In Memphis promo only set is halfway represented here with “The Pilgrim”, and “Phoenix”. The bonus CD adds in eight BBC In Concert session tracks.
Just give me a remastered Argus 180g vinyl LP. I’ll be quite happy for it.
CD1
01. Time Was
02. Sometime World
03. Blowin’ Free
04. The King Will Come
05. Leaf and Stream
06. Warrior
07. Throw Down The Sword
08. No Easy Road (Bonus Track)
09. The Pilgrim – Live (Bonus Track)
10. Phoenix – Live (Bonus Track)
CD2 – BONUS
01. Time Was (1972 BBC in Concert Session)
02. Blowin’ Free (1972 BBC in Concert Session)
03. Warrior (1972 BBC in Concert Session)
04. Throw Down The Sword (1972 BBC In Concert Session)
05. The King Will Come (1972 BBC in Concert Session)
06. Phoenix (1972 BBC in Concert Session)
07. Blowin’ Free (1972 BBC Session)
08. Throw Down The Sword (1972 BBC Session)
the tracks are identical to the 2007 deluxe edition
Beware Culture Factory. Disclaimer: I don’t have any of their stuff but from their own website: Record companies provide us with an audio transfer of the original, analog audio tracks on digital media (CDR – DVD audio, DAT or direct file online transfer). From this transferred audio our studio engineer creates a remastered set of tracks focusing their complete attention in the following areas:
– Sound level
– Frequencies (bass, midrange and treble)
– Hiss (if necessary, hiss is removed from older recordings using the de-noiser)
The steps in our remastering process:
– Transfer the audio tracks to a YAMAHA 03D digital mixing console
– If necessary the signal is passed through a noise reduction processer
– The audio tracks are saved in the format of 96Kz / 24-bit (the gold standard for optimal digital sound) using an Alesis Finalize 96K amp; 24-bit recorder.
– The tracks are then saved to the hard disk in 24-bit Alesis standard.
– Finally the master tracks are burned onto an audio CD in 16-bit format, the standard format that can be read by standard CD players, but the sound has lost none of its fidelity during the remastering process due to the use of the 96K/24bit format.
What you wind up with is a dynamically compressed mess! Their “remaster” of Robert Palmer’s “Secrets” has an overall dynamic range score of 7 (out of 20). The original 1979 LP and the 1990 CD have an overall DR score of 12! Yikes!
I have found that you have to take each CF disc and compare it to the one you already have. There are hits and misses. They definitely record LOUDER and that can be a real turn off. But going back to Argus, the Martin Turner remaster from 2002 is my favourite by far – the deluxe was not near as good in my opinion.