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Comparing the Who's Next discs



I now have three different Who's Next CD's: (1) the original MCA disc,
which actually wasn't all that bad, (reportedly) being remastered by Steve
Hoffman from what MCA's Andy McKaie claimed in ICE was the original master
(it wasn't, according to various sources, including MFSL); (2) the MCA
Mastersound gold disc, mastered by Glen Meadows from the "original 2-track
analog master" (it's not -- at least according to several audiophile
magazines I've read, which, in their reviews of the Mastersound LP, claim
that the source is a newly-discovered safety copy of the then-pristine
original master tape); and (3) the partially-remixed  MCA expanded reissue.
 I'm far more pleased with the remixing on the original album tracks (if I
recall correctly, Baba O'Riley, Love Ain't for Keeping, My Wife, and
Getting in Tune) than I am with some of the bonus material -- it's quite
faithful to the original mixes, but the bass and drums are a little more
defined and there' s no hiss to speak of.  As for the tracks that weren't
remixed, Bargain and The Song is Over have a lot of hiss -- particularly
compared to the Mastersound disc, which is a bit brighter and virtually
hiss-free.  If I ever get a CD-R, I'll probably compile a new disc with the
remixed tracks from the reissue and the remaining tracks from the
Mastersound CD.  
 
Of course, the questions I'd like answered are (1) what happened to the
original master tapes?; (2) what happened to the other multitracks -- were
they tossed in the Olympic Studios dumpster along with the famous Lifehouse
to Leeds tape? -- and has Astley & Co. given up searching for them?; (3)
did Astley work from the same tapes (on the non-remixed tracks) as Glenn
Meadows?; and (4) why the hell does MCA keep lying about using the original
master tapes?