19 Remastered US CD releases (AC/DC) part3
Description
This article is from the AC/DC FAQ, by Phil Rose acdcfaq@yahoo.com with numerous contributions by others.
19 Remastered US CD releases (AC/DC) part3
BACK IN BLACK Atco 92418-2
Release Date: 23/08/94
Sound - Well, I didn't think this one would sound much better than the
Atlantic cd release, but I was wrong! Like FTATR, this cd
comes
screaming out of the speakers. Soundwise, this kicks ass from
beginning to end. It's really hard to believe that this could
sound so much better than the Atlantic cd, but it does! Every-
thing on this disc hits hard, and combined with the great
songs,
it's a real head snapping time! Remastering - Ted Jensen
strikes
again!
Packaging - A re-creation of the album. The front of the insert now
has the lettering in the same scale as it was on the album,
the case back lists the songs. On the inside on the insert,
the
inner sleeve pictures are recreated on 1 1/2 of the 2 pages,
while the other 1/2 page has album credits. The spine is black
with white lettering in the same font as the cover, and the
label is cd label is older Atco, the same as DDDDC.
HIGHWAY TO HELL Atco 92419-2
Release Date: 23/08/94
Sound - There is a full range of improvement in the sound on this cd.
It is not as flat sounding as the Atlantic Highway To Hell
disc. The bottom end has some real punch, and the guitars on
top have a great edge. When Phil kicks in at the beginning
of the title cut...you FEEL it! The bass really pumps along
too. Quite an improvement over the Atlantic cd, thanks to the
remastering skills of Ted Jensen.
Packaging - Another recreation of the album. The back of the cd case
has the song titles and credits, the back of the sleeve insert
has the picture from the album back of the band out on a
foggy night (Night Prowling, perhaps?). The inside of the
insert lists credits, and the cd spine is black with yellow
lettering that matches the cover font.
LET THERE BE ROCK Atco 92445-2
Release Date: 20/09/94
Sound - I looked at the credits for this, and my first thoughts:
"uh-oh, they have given the re-mastering responsibilities to
someone else...it's no longer Ted Jensen, now it's George
Marino?!?! Why mess with a good thing?" As for "Let There Be
Rock", I was convinced that not much could be done to improve
the sound on this disc. But, as on previous releases, I was
wrong. Somehow, the sound is cleaner...but at the same time
the music is just as raw and distorted as you remember LTBR
to be. It really is a better sounding disc. Two specifics:
1) The annoying crackle in the right speaker at the beginning
of 'Overdose' is gone and 2)'Go Down' is now about 20 seconds
longer, and rather than fadeout it ends with some cool riffing
by Angus. A nice surprise. Excellently re-mastered by George
Marino (who also mastered The Razors Edge and LIVE).
Packaging - Very similar to the Atlantic cd. The album front and back
are the cd front and back. A custom lettered spine, black
with red lettering in the same font as the cover. And they
must have had some extra money for this disc, as the spine
sports the AC/DC lightning bolt logo just like the cover.
Why could't they do this on all the remasters? Also, the
cd label is old Atco, like High Voltage, etc.
POWERAGE Atco 92446-2
Release Date: 20/09/94
Sound - This is one I was most looking forward to. Powerage is the
first
AC/DC album I played constantly. This was the one that made me
decide these guys were my favorite band. This disc is now
exceptionally LOUD! That first crash at the beginning of
'Rock 'N' Roll Damnation' comes rocking out of the speakers!
The whole disc sounds great, better than the Atlantic cd,
which somewhat surprised me as I thought the Atlantic disc
sounded good until I heard this. Remastered very well by
George Marino.
Packaging - The big question on the packaging for me was - "Will the
disc include the album back picture, which was not on the
original Atlantic cd?" The answer - a resounding yes! That
great raw picture is on the back of the cd case, and the
back of the insert. The cover is the same, and the inside
of the insert has the credits. The spine is black, with
strangely generic looking white lettering. A nice surprise is
the cd label, which is the red and green Atlantic label that
the album had - a nice touch.
FLICK OF THE SWITCH Atco 92448-2
Release Date: 20/09/94
Sound - There is a subtle, yet noticeable, sound improvement in the
sound on this disc. It definitely has a more open sound, I
always felt the Atlantic cd had a very narrow (for lack of
a better term) sound to it. It really makes this more
fun to listen to, 'Guns For Hire' really kicks in, it sounds
great really LOUD! This is a much better recording than most
people realize, and the improved sound drives that point home.
A much more powerful sound, re-mastered in "sterling" fashion
by George Marino.
Packaging - Another re-creation of the album package. The front cover
is the same as the Atlantic cd, the back of the cd case has
the song list in the same font as the original album back.
The inner sleeve has credits, the spine is black - again with
strangely generic looking lettering. The cd label is an
early 80's Atlantic label, colored red & black.
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