capoetc Posted November 29, 2011 Share Posted November 29, 2011 Does anyone have anything to report regarding the new Sectors (1, 2, 3) sets from the Rush Mercury label albums? Just curious if the remasters are significantly better than past remasters. Price seems a tad high at $49.95 each too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ak2112 Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 I do not have them myself, but I've heard there have been issues with the Farewell to Kings DVD-A version of Closer to the Heart and some issues with other tracks here and there. Personally, I wont be getting these unless they release the DVD-A versions as stand-alone albums. I'm VERY disappointed with the bands decision to release these latest remasters in this way. I think its just another cash grab and BTW, the band DID have a hand in this release. The whole thing was terribly thought out and from what I understand, they are mastered even louder than the sonically horrible 97 remasters, which I didnt even think was possible. Yep, I'm passing on this one. Bad move boys!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielmclark Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 QUOTE (ak2112 @ Nov 30 2011, 12:48 AM) I do not have them myself, but I've heard there have been issues with the Farewell to Kings DVD-A version of Closer to the Heart and some issues with other tracks here and there. Personally, I wont be getting these unless they release the DVD-A versions as stand-alone albums. I'm VERY disappointed with the bands decision to release these latest remasters in this way. I think its just another cash grab and BTW, the band DID have a hand in this release. The whole thing was terribly thought out and from what I understand, they are mastered even louder than the sonically horrible 97 remasters, which I didnt even think was possible. Yep, I'm passing on this one. Bad move boys!! Do you have some links to reviews posted by people that have heard and/or tested them that say the remasters are louder than the 97's? I'm not being harsh or sarcastic, I'm just wondering because you're the first person I've seen so far that say that the remasters are louder than the 97's. As for the band having a hand in it, Mercury owns the back catalog. They call the shots. If they band was involved, it was only to make sure the remasters weren't screwed up. But they have zero say in whether or not a compilation is released. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonboy71 Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 QUOTE (danielmclark @ Nov 30 2011, 10:53 AM) QUOTE (ak2112 @ Nov 30 2011, 12:48 AM) I do not have them myself, but I've heard there have been issues with the Farewell to Kings DVD-A version of Closer to the Heart and some issues with other tracks here and there. Personally, I wont be getting these unless they release the DVD-A versions as stand-alone albums. I'm VERY disappointed with the bands decision to release these latest remasters in this way. I think its just another cash grab and BTW, the band DID have a hand in this release. The whole thing was terribly thought out and from what I understand, they are mastered even louder than the sonically horrible 97 remasters, which I didnt even think was possible. Yep, I'm passing on this one. Bad move boys!! Do you have some links to reviews posted by people that have heard and/or tested them that say the remasters are louder than the 97's? I'm not being harsh or sarcastic, I'm just wondering because you're the first person I've seen so far that say that the remasters are louder than the 97's. As for the band having a hand in it, Mercury owns the back catalog. They call the shots. If they band was involved, it was only to make sure the remasters weren't screwed up. But they have zero say in whether or not a compilation is released. http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=264983 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
upstateNYfan Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 QUOTE (ak2112 @ Nov 30 2011, 01:48 AM) I do not have them myself, but I've heard there have been issues with the Farewell to Kings DVD-A version of Closer to the Heart and some issues with other tracks here and there. Personally, I wont be getting these unless they release the DVD-A versions as stand-alone albums. I'm VERY disappointed with the bands decision to release these latest remasters in this way. I think its just another cash grab and BTW, the band DID have a hand in this release. The whole thing was terribly thought out and from what I understand, they are mastered even louder than the sonically horrible 97 remasters, which I didnt even think was possible. Yep, I'm passing on this one. Bad move boys!! Why is it a bad move? They are entitled to sell their music as they wish. If you don't support the decision, simply don't buy it. Sectors do not diminish artistic integrity one iota. Technology allows a lot of marketing opportunities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Todem Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 (edited) I went ahead and bought the entire set. I love the packaging, it is a nice looking box-set and I am sure the sound quality is very strong. The 5.1 of Signals has my toes tingling. I like to collect all of Rush's releases....even though I own all the US Atomic, 97 remasters, Atlantic remasters and all the Mobile Fidelity gold discs and vinyl I still wanted to get this. I don't think there is anything wrong in it. I was very pleased with the Moving Pictures hi res remaster. In fact I loved it. So it is only natural I would want FBN, AFTK and Signals in this same format. And I get fresh newly remastered versions of Rush's best work. Let's not fool ourselves...Sectors 2 and 3 is the definitive Rush. Really pumped to get this today as my Amazon box should be on my doorstep when I get home. I will chime back in once I give every sector a full listen front to back as well as the Hi Res 5.1 copies. Edited November 30, 2011 by Todem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron2112 Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 QUOTE (ak2112 @ Nov 30 2011, 01:48 AM) from what I understand, they are mastered even louder than the sonically horrible 97 remasters, which I didnt even think was possible. You heard wrong. If anything, the FBN remaster is a bit quieter than the '97 remaster. I got Sector 1 yesterday, and there is indeed discernable imporovement with this new batch. It's as if a layer of murk has been wiped away. The drums in particular sound crisper, but there is also better separation on the bass end. Not a huge, dramatic difference, but in a side-by-side, I definitely hear improvement here. Peace, Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Todem Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 A lot of the feedback I have seen has been the Signals remaster and 5.1 is superb. Also that Geddy's bass and Neils drums are crisper. And Alex's guitars are even better. I am really looking forward to Sectors 2 and three as well as 2112. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
upstateNYfan Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 Thinking I should order them today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drbirdsong Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 First of all the packaging is A+. Reproducing 12 inch album art as 5 inch CD art is a good idea, but only if you have a magnifying glass. The stroke of genius here is the included booklet with liner notes, lyrics and new photographs. The design of the boxes and how they fit together is just excellent. I have the work from the first fifteen years/albums in one place. I don't think I'll ever need to buy them again. These along with the gold CDs I have are enough. As for the sound... I don't think I have ever enjoyed the debut album as much as I did today. Finding My Way starts with the guitar waaaaaaaaay over to the left and then it pans to the middle and fills up the right side and I just got a chill like I was a teenager. Before And After has never sounded better. I have to agree with the person who said that it sounds like a sheen of gauze has been wiped off. The bass break in Working Man sounds like you are standing next to Geddy. My 97 remasters are already gone and I got the other two sets. As for the problems with Fly By Night... If you read the reviews on Amazon.com you will notice that some folks don't have the dropout problem. I must be one of the lucky ones or maybe it is my CD player, but it plays straight through with no problems at all. By-Tor And The Snow Dog is just stunning. I can't wait to get to All The World's A Stage. I'll be listening to the whole thing over the next few days and if it is as good as the first two albums I may attain a higher state of consciousness. Warmer sound, fatter bass, crisper drums. I think that the improved sound with the awesome packaging makes this set well worth it. I honestly didn't think that Mercury would ever do something this good. I take back all my bitching. Applying for renewed fanboy status and don't care who knows it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subdivisor Posted November 30, 2011 Share Posted November 30, 2011 im almost through sector 3...the sound is really clean with lots of seperation...all the effects (neil's triggers, bass pedals, etc...) are much more up front, there are definetly some sounds that i am hearing for the first time that were pushed back on the originals...i feel like i can really hear the boys finesse with thier instruments...also, a lot more bottom end on ASOH, PW, and HYF...i have not got to signals yet and im in the process of moving so my 5.1 system is in boxes ...cant wait for sectors 1 and 2 for xmas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Todem Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 As expected they arrived today. The first thing I did was pop in Signals in 5.1 Jaw dropping. The only tune I did not like and it is like hearing a new mix was The Weapon. I prefer the Mofi mix much more. Alex's guitars on the 5.1 are insane. You will hear things you never heard before. Also alternate vocal takes abound. Really a new album in 5.1. It was worth the price alone. Tomorrow I will dig into various albums in my car and report back. I have a high end Bose in the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCM Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 All this talk makes me want to jump right over to Amazon and buy these up. Are they really that much better or is it the excitement of new stuff talking? (remember, I want them anyways, I will eventually buy them, just looking for a little extra push to drop the cash) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron2112 Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 QUOTE (MCM @ Nov 30 2011, 08:39 PM) All this talk makes me want to jump right over to Amazon and buy these up. Are they really that much better or is it the excitement of new stuff talking? (remember, I want them anyways, I will eventually buy them, just looking for a little extra push to drop the cash) The CDs are a definite improvement. Whether it's enough of an improvement to justify ~ $9 per disc is up to you. To me, the 5.1 versions themselves are worth the price. The better-sounding albums are gravy. Peace, Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielmclark Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 QUOTE (Ron2112 @ Dec 1 2011, 12:30 PM) The CDs are a definite improvement. Whether it's enough of an improvement to justify ~ $9 per disc is up to you. That's the big question, isn't it? If I had a little more disposable income right now, I'd buy all three in a heartbeat. As much as some people are put off by having to pay about $50 per sector, let's remember that it works about to about $9-10 per album, and that's dirt cheap these days. The only way you get better for a physical CD is buying used - and these are brand new with A+ packaging and they've just been remastered with 3 of them in 5.1... they could probably justify selling them for $75-80 each, to be honest. There are some stores that sell the single CDs (of the previously released stuff, I mean) for $15 or more. From a strictly dollars-and-cents standpoint, the box sets are a good deal, IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjtull Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 QUOTE (danielmclark @ Dec 1 2011, 02:31 PM) QUOTE (Ron2112 @ Dec 1 2011, 12:30 PM) The CDs are a definite improvement. Whether it's enough of an improvement to justify ~ $9 per disc is up to you. That's the big question, isn't it? If I had a little more disposable income right now, I'd buy all three in a heartbeat. As much as some people are put off by having to pay about $50 per sector, let's remember that it works about to about $9-10 per album, and that's dirt cheap these days. The only way you get better for a physical CD is buying used - and these are brand new with A+ packaging and they've just been remastered with 3 of them in 5.1... they could probably justify selling them for $75-80 each, to be honest. There are some stores that sell the single CDs (of the previously released stuff, I mean) for $15 or more. From a strictly dollars-and-cents standpoint, the box sets are a good deal, IMO. Sure, they are a great buy...if you don't already own the original CDs, the MFSL gold discs, and the 97 remasters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron2112 Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 QUOTE (tjtull @ Dec 1 2011, 02:46 PM) Sure, they are a great buy...if you don't already own the original CDs, the MFSL gold discs, and the 97 remasters. Or even if you do. Throw in the original vinyl and cassette releases in my case. But it's Rush....I still want the best possible sounding release of each record. Peace, Ron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjtull Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 QUOTE (Ron2112 @ Dec 1 2011, 03:51 PM) QUOTE (tjtull @ Dec 1 2011, 02:46 PM) Sure, they are a great buy...if you don't already own the original CDs, the MFSL gold discs, and the 97 remasters. Or even if you do. Throw in the original vinyl and cassette releases in my case. But it's Rush....I still want the best possible sounding release of each record. Peace, Ron I suppose. As for me, the only real draw are the 5.1 discs. I'd love to have them! Now, if they had one for each album, I'd buy the sets...no question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danielmclark Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tjtull Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Todem Posted December 1, 2011 Share Posted December 1, 2011 (edited) Ok so today on my morning drive I decided to pop in my second favorite Rush album of all time. Hemispheres. This is a marked improvement over the 97 remaster in every way. First off Alex's guitar are crystal clear, and I noticed the bass really popped. Hemispheres always to this day had that bad stock of tape. The hiss will always be there. But I can say with confidence this is the definitive master of that amazing album. I also snuck in a listen of side one of 2112 (was feeling in an epic Rush mood today) and it was dazzling. Very warm would be my thoughts. Keep in mind I do own the US Atomic, MFSL Gold and 97 remaster. This one is my new favorite. The vocals sound magnificent as well as Geddys bass and Neils kick and toms. Side two will be heard on my way home. In recap so far: Signals 5.1 - just jaw dropping. A new way to enjoy this top 5 Rush album. The Weapon was a let down IMO as the alternate takes and such and a totally different feel to the bridge/solo section was not my cup of tea compared to the MFSL version. However Subdivisions, The Analog Kid, Chemistry and Losing It are the true stand out tracks. Digital Man was wierd...can't put my finger on it...maybe it was the clarity and new found brightness of Alex's guitar work that threw me off, you can literally hear his picking and fret work to a tee on the 5.1 remix and master. I need to listen to it again to fully digest the new surround sounscape of this amazing tune. Hemispheres - Awesome. Powerful, clear and the best sounding version to date IMO. Every track is a killer on this remaster. La Villa is amazing BTW. 2112 - Warm, warm, warm. Best way I can describe it. Tomorrow: AFTK 5.1 Power Windows Edited December 1, 2011 by Todem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MCM Posted December 2, 2011 Share Posted December 2, 2011 QUOTE (Ron2112 @ Dec 1 2011, 01:30 PM) QUOTE (MCM @ Nov 30 2011, 08:39 PM) All this talk makes me want to jump right over to Amazon and buy these up. Are they really that much better or is it the excitement of new stuff talking? (remember, I want them anyways, I will eventually buy them, just looking for a little extra push to drop the cash) The CDs are a definite improvement. Whether it's enough of an improvement to justify ~ $9 per disc is up to you. To me, the 5.1 versions themselves are worth the price. The better-sounding albums are gravy. Peace, Ron I hadn't really done the math, $9 a disc? I'm now all over that. Time to clear a spot on the shelf for my new discs! I'm very interested to hear what everyone has to say about the AFtK 5.1; keep the reviews and comments coming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fordgt99 Posted December 2, 2011 Share Posted December 2, 2011 Most of the reviews are what I expected. It sounds like there's a slight improvement over the 97 remasters. I think I'll stick with what I have for now. For those asking, all 5.1 versions are suppose to be available online for purchase soon. That was mentioned in a post on thedigitalbits.com site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
third hand grace Posted December 2, 2011 Share Posted December 2, 2011 My original LP and cassette of Hemispheres had a smaller pause at @ 4:24 (right before I bring truth and understanding) than the Remaster if I remember correctly. DOES the SECTORS Hemispheres have that long pause? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghostworks Posted December 2, 2011 Share Posted December 2, 2011 I'll be staying far, far away from these until the multiple errors are fixed most notably: > audible dropouts in the Fly By Night disc > a botched 5.1 mix of AFTK (especially noticeable on Cygnus and CTTH) > HYF errors Time Stand Still Two Simmons pad hits at 1 Min 38 Sec (like he plays it live) Mission Strings on second chorus Tai Shan Wind chimes during intro High Water "Elephant" guitar sound at 4 Min 37 Sec etc etc more seem to crop up every day (there's mention now that Signals has problems) and if all of this seems like nitpicking, there's also been official acknowledgment of the errors: Hi there, thanks for your email! We are very aware of the problems and are currently working on rectifying the situation with fans who have already bought the product. Please stay tuned for updates on the Rush Facebook and Website for more info in the next day or so, on the topic of replacement discs. Thank you, SRO-Anthem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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