In 1995, The Who's Who's Next was remastered from secondary masters by Jon Astley. This remastering brought new life to a 25 year old album, making it sound almost as modern as anything issued that year, to these ears. Many of the Who-faithful decried this as being "too bright," "too harsh," and a number of other creative, but definitely not-suitable-for-family-viewing terms - it sounded too modern, maybe? I, however, loved it, and place it highly among my favorite remasters (and just plain favorite albums of all time.) So when I heard that yet another remaster of Who's Next was on the way, this time in the form a Deluxe Edition, I was a bit skeptical. Would it be "improved" to me, or would it be "improved" to them - the Who-ites who bitterly complained about the previous issue, and therefore be a step backward to me?
The answer was revealed yesterday, when the Deluxe arrived in stores packed with 100 minutes of live material not available on the original issue, and an entire disc of live material not on the 1995 remaster. I chose to wait until my drive home from work, where I could put this issue to the test in the Unproductivity Mobile Sound Lab (UMSL) - my roaming stereo-on-wheels, where I do a large part of my listening. I chose UMSL instead of Unproductivity Headquarters (UHQ - my house) because, well, I don't even have a home stereo, and instead of Unproductivity Remote (UR - work) because it's just not condusive to intense listening. No, within the confines of UMSL, I can safely turn up the stereo and endanger scores of other drivers as I mind more the music than the road.
I won't really bother to review the music - if you haven't heard Who's Next, you owe it to yourself to hear one of the few albums in my collection that is worth the hype it has had heaped on it. What I will say is that Who-files should be happy - this remaster feels both warmer and somehow more crisp than the previous issue. I can find no fault in this new mix. What was in the previous issue has been improved upon, but it's obvious that there is a much more spacious soundstage present in this issue. Drums reflect the cavernous room they were recorded in, vocals vibrate as if they're right there next to you (one moment in "Bargain," where Pete Townshend takes over lead, seems to almost float in mid-air,) guitars have a more immediate, sharp insistence, while John Entwistle's bass bobs and weaves more clearly in the backgroun (always a good thing - Entwistle being one of the most fascinating bassists I've ever heard.) The live material is rough - these takes are some of the earliest representations of the Who's Next material before it had the edges smoothed off and kinks worked out.
Article comments
1 - Eric Olsen
I totally dig this one Tom.
2 - Tom Johnson
Thanks, Eric. I've been out of the review-loop for a couple weeks, but this one revved up my motor enough that I leapt at the opportunity. I may not post often, but I try to make it worth the while for everyone when I do. :-)
3 - Eric Olsen
Good man, thanks.
4 - Jim Carruthers
Great, I already have this on the 95 version, how many more times do they expect me to buy this album? Couldn't you have got it right THE FIRST TIME!
It's like the Elvis Costello catalogue, how many times do you expect me to buy your first 10 albums? Just let me know, and I'll buy them on the last cycle.
5 - The Theory
i should get this. sometime.
peace.
6 - Tom Johnson
Jim: In general, I agree. But this remaster is different, if you care about sound quality. It truly does sound better than the previous one. The source used for the '95 remaster was not the master but a secondary. Like I said, it doesn't seem like much of a difference, but it really is - if you're a sound-quality geek like me.
7 - Jim Carruthers
Tom, I am in agreenance about the sound quality (hey, good enough for Fred, good enough for me), but if the industry could just give me some foreward notice about bigger, better, faster and whatnot.
It just really pisses me off that Universal expects me to buy the same record over and over with incremental improvements.
That said, sigh, I'll probably have to go out and get this because it is such a good record.
8 - Tom Johnson
They should offer a deal whereby you turn in your '95 remaster for a better deal on the '03 Deluxe, you know, kind of like pro-rating batteries and tires.
9 - Chris Harwood
Tom:
Thanks for your comments. I have been listening carefully myself to the new release, even some side-by-side comparisons (home stereo, Sony studio monitor headphones). The sound quality is much warmer, less separation and more "punch." As with the "My Generation" and "...Leeds" deluxe editions the additional material is a real bonus as well (at least for Who fans and audiophile nuts like me).
I was wondering if you've noticed the differences in track lengths between the new edition and the 1995 edition. On "Baba O'Reilly," for example, the opening synth sequence is longer in the 1995 edition - the patterns have additional motivic fragments interspersed. Do you have any knowledge why the 1995 issue, if pulled from a secondary source, would have additional meterial? If anything, I'd expect it to have less. Unfortunately, I am out of reach of my original LP, which I would hope would further inform me about the sequence of the original version.
Just wait, everyone, until CDs fall off the map and a new "concrete" format takes over -- we'll be buying all these albums again and again, I suppose...
10 - Tom Johnson
Chris: I read last night that the 1995 issue came from a master that had 8 seconds (8 measures maybe?) or so of extra synth. This version came from the true master, which did not have that additional material. It is kind of odd that a secondary master would have extra stuff.
I'm sure it'll only be a few years before we're all buying SACD versions of all of this stuff . . . again . . . and then again when something else is invented after that . . .
11 - Chris Clark
The re-re-re-rerelease of greatest hits in "new and improved" formats simply soaks the most dedicated fans for music they've already memorized.
12 - Tom
Chris: I guess if you want to put it in the most simplistic terms, yes. The fact that they are indeed truly "new and improved" negates that, however. Hearing startling sonic differences, to me, makes it worthwhile re-buying something. And really, look at it this way: the remaster of Who's Next came out in 1995. This Deluxe Edition came out in 2003 - 8 years later. If $15 or so dollars you spent in 1995 weren't worth it for 8 years of music, then there's no need to replace it with a better version. Me, I think a $15 investment for 8 years of use is pretty good, and I'll gladly re-up for an improved dose. In contrast, I won't be buying the remaster for Dark Side Of The Moon - I heard it and I'm not convinced the new mix is startlingly new enough for me to pay for another copy of it. It just sounds louder to me in general, and I'm pretty picky (and also lacking the SACD equipment with which to enjoy the new surround-sound mix.) I'm also not a huge fan of DSotM, either (Animals - now THAT is a classic Floyd album to me!) But I can easily say that Who's Next is most definitely one of the best albums I've ever heard in my entire life. Regardless of how many times I've heard it, I will likely always enjoy listening to it. I can justify spending a little extra on that once every so many years.