Miles' Bitches Brew

[shadowhillway]

This is my Bitches Brew effects review, comparing some aspects of the 1998 boxed set re-creation with the original as heard on the 1996 Japanese Master Sound.

It's a bit delayed getting out due to the editing involved. I'm hoping it will reverberate with folks here. Maybe someone will echo my findings. Feedback is appreciated.

http://www.shadowhillway.net/bbfx/

Edited September 12, 2010 by shadowhillway

[CJ Shearn]

The Mastersound edition seems like it'd be excellent!

[Cliff Englewood]

This is my Bitches Brew effects review, comparing some aspects of the 1998 boxed set re-creation with the original as heard on the 1996 Japanese Master Sound.

It's a bit delayed getting out due to the editing involved. I'm hoping it will reverberate with folks here. Maybe someone will echo my findings. Feedback is appreciated.

http://www.shadowhillway.net/bbfx/

Wow, very nice piece of work there, I haven't gone into it in detail but you seem to have hit the nail on the head there. As anyone who has the 2 Editions knows, the differences aren't huge yet they are somehow significant in terms of the overall listening experience, the Master Sound mix is just easier and more pleasent to listen to, IMHO anyway.

Keep up the good work, we expect you to compare and contrast the rest of the album for us and have it on our desk by five o'clock on Friday or else you're fired. :g

[ShowsOn]

I don't understand why the 40th Anniversary version that costs $80+ couldn't include BOTH the re-mix and the best sounding version of the original mix! Hey, they could just make a digital clone of the Master Sound version if that is the best original mix version possible.

I guess they could just be keeping the original mix for the 50th Anniversary...

[Big Al]

This is my Bitches Brew effects review, comparing some aspects of the 1998 boxed set re-creation with the original as heard on the 1996 Japanese Master Sound.

It's a bit delayed getting out due to the editing involved. I'm hoping it will reverberate with folks here. Maybe someone will echo my findings. Feedback is appreciated.

http://www.shadowhillway.net/bbfx/

Very enlightening, to say the least!

I'll very likely pick up this new edition, not having this album in any form any more. (Had the remaster, made my own single-disc mix, thought I should trade that in for the box, didn't care for the box and sold it, never got around to replacing the 2-CD set)

Whattya wanna bet that as soon as I buy the new re-master/re-mix, I'll find the original vinyl?

[bertrand]

I just saw that you can buy a Miles at Tanglewood gig (8/18/70) at Wolfgang's vault. Is this the same show that will be included in the mega-box? Anything else in the mega-box of interest?

Bertrand.

[CJ Shearn]

Wow, I know there were aesthetic differences they wanted to make in the remix, and they did not have devices such as the Teo 1 available to them, but I still like the remix though.

[B. Clugston]

This is my Bitches Brew effects review, comparing some aspects of the 1998 boxed set re-creation with the original as heard on the 1996 Japanese Master Sound.

It's a bit delayed getting out due to the editing involved. I'm hoping it will reverberate with folks here. Maybe someone will echo my findings. Feedback is appreciated.

http://www.shadowhillway.net/bbfx/

Wow indeed! You've perfectly illustrated what has bugged me about the 1998 remaster. I agree the effects are a huge part of that record.

The one song that really shines through in the 1998 remaster is "Spanish Key." Unfortunately, that's the point in the CD that is now covered in glue thanks to that botched boxed set.

[Cliff Englewood]

I just saw that you can buy a Miles at Tanglewood gig (8/18/70) at Wolfgang's vault. Is this the same show that will be included in the mega-box? Anything else in the mega-box of interest?

Bertrand.

It doesn't really look like there is, according to Amazon anyway, the blurb states;

Product Description

This super-deluxe edition celebrates one of the most remarkable albums in Miles Davis s career and jazz history in general. Originally released in 1970, Bitches Brew became Davis s first gold album. This anniversary 4-disc package offers the original album on CD plus an audiophile vinyl pressing on 2 LPs; previously unissued material including extensive live performances of much of the same music including a DVD of the entire Copenhagen performance from November 4, 1969. Also included is a 48-page 12x12 book, memorabilia envelope, and large fold out poster.

However here's a nice clip from Tanglewood to tide you over, :cool: , they sound really good. Here's another one that's pretty cool too.

BTW, I see you commented on the bonus tracks, are they really that good/interesting, it's just I've been listening to Bitches Brew a lot over the last few days and finding it a lot more groovy than before, but I always loved the tune "John McLaughlin", is the new/second version an improvemnt?

Edited September 15, 2010 by Cliff Englewood

[CJ Shearn]

Any word if the box is the original mix? doesn't seem so from the track timings.

[Claude]

No, as discussed above, it's the remix.

Here's a summary someone made on the Steve Hoffman forum:

1987 Columbia Jazz Masterpieces: Macero mix (bad copy)

1998 Japanese Mastersound: Macero mix

1998 Complete BB Sessions: Wilder remix

2006 Japanese Original Jackets: Wilder remix

2010 Complete Columbia Albums Box: Macero mix

2010 Legacy Edition: Wilder remix

The upcoming vinyl reissue is supposed to be based on the Macero mix.

Edited September 15, 2010 by Claude

[skeith]

No, as discussed above, it's the remix.

Here's a summary someone made on the Steve Hoffman forum:

1987 Columbia Jazz Masterpieces: Macero mix (bad copy)

1998 Japanese Mastersound: Macero mix

1998 Complete BB Sessions: Wilder remix

2006 Japanese Original Jackets: Wilder remix

2010 Complete Columbia Albums Box: Macero mix

2010 Legacy Edition: Wilder remix

The upcoming vinyl reissue is supposed to be based on the Macero mix.

Interesting, my Japanese Mastersound DSD edition is a year 2000 edition.

[J.A.W.]

No, as discussed above, it's the remix.

Here's a summary someone made on the Steve Hoffman forum:

1987 Columbia Jazz Masterpieces: Macero mix (bad copy)

1998 Japanese Mastersound: Macero mix

1998 Complete BB Sessions: Wilder remix

2006 Japanese Original Jackets: Wilder remix

2010 Complete Columbia Albums Box: Macero mix

2010 Legacy Edition: Wilder remix

The upcoming vinyl reissue is supposed to be based on the Macero mix.

Interesting, my Japanese Mastersound DSD edition is a year 2000 edition.

As far as I know all CD versions after the 1998 Japanese Mastersound use the Wilder remix, with the exception of the 2009 (not 2010) Complete Columbia Albums Collection box.

[CJ Shearn]

That's a shame. Well the Legacy Edition with the DVD was a good buy after all

[B. Clugston]

No, as discussed above, it's the remix.

Here's a summary someone made on the Steve Hoffman forum:

1987 Columbia Jazz Masterpieces: Macero mix (bad copy)

1998 Japanese Mastersound: Macero mix

1998 Complete BB Sessions: Wilder remix

2006 Japanese Original Jackets: Wilder remix

2010 Complete Columbia Albums Box: Macero mix

2010 Legacy Edition: Wilder remix

The upcoming vinyl reissue is supposed to be based on the Macero mix.

Maybe the Hoff can do his own remix on 45 rpm. The title track would be on Sides 3, 4 and 5.

[Big Al]

Question from Mr. Obvious: if the Japanese Mastersound is the Macero mix, what tapes did they use? Did they use the tapes used to make the original LP (i.e. the mix-down tapes), or did they take the time to faithfully re-create the Macero mix using the original masters?

[Cliff Englewood]

Question from Mr. Obvious: if the Japanese Mastersound is the Macero mix, what tapes did they use? Did they use the tapes used to make the original LP (i.e. the mix-down tapes), or did they take the time to faithfully re-create the Macero mix using the original masters?

That's actually a very good question, how did they do it?, they must have had access to the original master tapes or a copy of them. :unsure:

[Claude]

Well, if they wanted to recreate the Macero mix from the original unmixed tapes, it would be a re-mix, not the Macero mix. Wilder tried to reproduce the Macero mix as well, but that's a difficult task, so differences exist.

It could be that a copy of the LP master tape was used, which can be in better shape than the original. Many japanese reissues are made from first-generation analogue copies of the master tapes, that were treated with better care than the real master tape.

Edited September 20, 2010 by J.A.W.

[Big Al]

Interesting. Thanks, Claude!

Knowing, that, I now feel that much better about getting the new edition, but not ever giving up on my search for the vinyl (which has as much to do with watching the red Columbia label spin around as it does for listening to the music)!

[Chuck Nessa]

No reason not to use Teo's lp masters for cd reissue.

[ShowsOn]

It's possible that the new LPs were made from the original LP cutting master, i.e. a tape that is equalised for LP cutting and that is a generation down from the actual master tape.

It's possible Legacy is just saving the original mix for ANOTHER CD reissue, perhaps the 50th Anniversary.

[skeith]

They were playing the Tanglewood concert from the big box in J&R today. It sounded real good - torture.

[jazzbo]

That Tanglewood concert BURNS. Sounds pretty good too.

Jarrett really made a contribution to the music in this band. I think if Jarrett had continued on with "electric" keyboards some great music might have been made.

[skeith]

That Tanglewood concert BURNS. Sounds pretty good too.

Jarrett really made a contribution to the music in this band. I think if Jarrett had continued on with "electric" keyboards some great music might have been made.

Lon,

Do you know if this concert will be available outside of the big box?

[jazzbo]

I don't know any more about it than you do. . . . I would hope so, I would hope that many of the concerts see official light of day, but I have heard nothing to indicate that, and I don't have an "in" of any kind to any part of the music industry, let alone Columbia/Sony.