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Re: TOMMY Deluxe SACD



> > What format were you listening on, Bruce?  I didn't notice any dramatic
> > increase in bass & drums on regular CD "mode" (which is all I have).
>
> Regular old stereo.  YMB in particular has loud drums,
> Almost to the point of being too loud.

Oh, OK.  I was talking about Disc One, TOMMY proper.  Yeah, now Disc Two
*does* have loud drums & bass on most songs (apart from Pete's demos, of
course).

But, I think a lot of people were expecting some kind of big bass & drum
boost for the actual album & it's just not there.  (At least it isn't for
the normal CD mode & I would suspect for the SACD mode because Pete simply
remastered what was already mixed down in 1969 - that being the first gen-
eration stereo mix down.  Eccentric Mark Leaman will let us know soon how
the SACD mode of the CD sounds - jeez, all these technologies!)

Now, Pete's new 5.1 mix (phew!) *may* have a boosted bass & drum sound be-
cause he actually went back to the *8-track* master & remixed the individ-
ual tracks for 5.1 audio.  (Shockingly, all these formats are contained
on the CDs: regular CD audio, SACD audio, & 5.1 audio.  Hybrid is the
buzz term.)  

Enough!

Listening to the album proper (Disc One), I *do* hear an overall increased
bass *dynamic* on quite a few tracks ("Underture," & "Smash the Mirror" to
name two), but, like I said, I still think I prefer the '96 remaster be-
cause that actually *was* an 8-track remix for normal CD - and that mix,
while maintaining the integrity of the initial '69 mix, sounds fresher,
clearer, bolder, & sharper. (!)  IMO.

> I did notice more on the "new" songs on disc 2.

Right.  Many of the outtakes are raw & don't have that soft, gentle, some-
what muted production that the final product had.

Which got me thinking....  You know, originally in '69, they wanted to go
back & put some more overdubs on TOMMY, especially some more electric
guitar.  But I think part of TOMMY's charm *is* that gentle softness it
has which lends itself to the spiritual, mystical themes on the album.
It's hard to imagine a *studio* TOMMY with a lot of brash electric guitar
layered over it.  That studio softness is a nice juxtaposition to the 
raw abandonment of the *live* versions where the loud brash guitar *is* 
needed to fill in the spaces that inevitably occur for band which is a
3-piece plus singer.

Another thing:  I adore "Sally Simpson."  Just fucking love it.  The acous-
tic guitar, the left-panned muted drums, the bubbly bass, & one of fucking
Daltrey's finest vocal performances.  Listen to his clear diction! (!)
Listen to those intelligent lyrics!  Listen to the lovely story!  Listen to
Daltrey's phrasing on the last verse ("Sixteen stitches put her right....").
How Daltrey builds to that crescendo & allows himself to "let go" on that
final verse.  That's tone, my friend.  That's mood.  That's feel.  That's
fucking brilliant & so fucking powerful.  Fucking Daltrey rules!  I love
"Sally Simpson."

> Someday I'll be able to listen to the 5.1 mix. :)

Yeah, my older brother has a 5.1 set-up & I know a few people who have that
also, but I can't really see myself knocking on someone's door, standing
there holding my TOMMY SACD, saying, "Hi.  I need to use your shit!  Let
me in!"  ;-)


- SCHRADE in Akron

Most institutions demand unqualified faith; but the institution of science
makes skepticism a virtue.
     - Robert Merton, 1962