Ziggy Stardust 40th anniversary remaster

[ForeverAutumn]

I seldom buy remasters of CDs that I already own but I read enough good reviews of this remaster to convince me that it might be worth buying. The reviews were right.

As many of you know I give this album credit for changing my life. This was my first real rock album. It changed the way that I listened to music and it started a 35+ year love affair with David Bowie.

My current version of the CD is the Ryko release (with a bunch of crappy, but interesting, bonus tracks that sound like they were recorded in someone’s garage). I’ve always thought that it sounded a little tinny and hollow...almost like listening on a transistor radio. The new remaster sounds great in comparison. The tinny, hollow sound is gone and the instruments sound much fuller. The volume level is also much better. The old CD was so quiet that I had to turn the volume way up to hear it. The remaster is set at more normal levels. I no longer have to crank the dial just to hear it which means that I can actually listen to it at louder volumes.

I don’t know enough about this stuff to give you any sort of technical analysis. I can just say that if you’re a fan of this album but never really like the sound of the previous CDs, the 40th anniversary remaster might be worth the money to you.

[Davey]

Yea, I've heard the new LP version and it does sound good. I still have a preference for other versions, but that's just taste. The LP also comes with hi rez DVD. I've only heard samples of the CD and it does sound good, and isn't mastered too bad, a little louder than it needed to be (some added compression, around 3dB more than the original RCA CD), but not bad at all by today's standards. The DVD stereo tracks seem to be the same somewhat compressed master as the CD, just in 24-96.

Bowie lovers with BBC4 access apparently had it pretty good last night ...
"David Bowie and the Story of Ziggy Stardust" (a new documentary narrated by Jarvis Cocker), followed by "The Genius Of David Bowie" (an hour of BBC archive footage) then the Pennebaker film "Ziggy Stardust & The Spiders From Mars" and finally "David Bowie At The BBC" (the 2000 concert from the BBC Radio Theatre) ...

BBC Four - David Bowie and the Story of Ziggy Stardust

[nobody]

I haven't seen this new version, but this thread is gonna make me hafta pull out my old version when I get home.

[Smokey]

My current version of the CD is the Ryko release (with a bunch of crappy, but interesting, bonus tracks that sound like they were recorded in someone’s garage). I’ve always thought that it sounded a little tinny and hollow...almost like listening on a transistor radio. The new remaster sounds great in comparison. The tinny, hollow sound is gone and the instruments sound much fuller. The volume level is also much better. The old CD was so quiet that I had to turn the volume way up to hear it. The remaster is set at more normal levels. I no longer have to crank the dial just to hear it which means that I can actually listen to it at louder volumes.

I don’t know enough about this stuff to give you any sort of technical analysis. I can just say that if you’re a fan of this album but never really like the sound of the previous CDs, the 40th anniversary remaster might be worth the money to you.

I also have Ryko disc version (bought in early 90's) and always thought the fidelity was excellent. If the new 40th anniversary remaster sound so much better, may have to check it out. Heroes is also another excellent album.

Thanks.

[unleasHell]

I have the ryko version and find it very close to the original LP sound, I'll keep it, but I am upgrading my Bob Marly CD's...!