Miles Davis: The Bootleg Series, volume 2

[ShowsOn]

I received my copy in Australia from Amazon Germany yesterday. It shipped on the 25th, so it took just 9 days to arrive.

Yes it does have an ugly German video classification sticker on the bottom left corner, but it is a removable sticker. You can remove it quite easily without damaging the cover.

The DVD is in NTSC and region free. My guess is they did it in NTSC to avoid the need for any pitch correction because PAL video runs 4% faster. The picture quality is really nice!

SInce most of Disc 1 of Bootleg #2 was out before in the Japanese only cd (mispelled "Festiva Juan Pins") which I have, I plan to compare the sound to the new box. Has anyone done that?

I've got that CD. The Bootleg 2 version has a much drier sound with better separation between the instruments. The Japanese CD has a lot of reverb added, and everything seems shifted to the left a bit as if the tape wasn't aligned properly. There is also a lot more high frequency on the Japanese version which I think is annoying because of the cymbal crashes. I prefer the bootleg version, it is more detailed, better base, and doesn't have the irritating high frequencies. It is also dead centre rather than everything seeming to be slightly left of centre.

I'll post some samples alter.

[medjuck]

I received my copy in Australia from Amazon Germany yesterday. It shipped on the 25th, so it took just 9 days to arrive.

Yes it does have an ugly German video classification sticker on the bottom left corner, but it is a removable sticker. You can remove it quite easily without damaging the cover.

The DVD is in NTSC and region free. My guess is they did it in NTSC to avoid the need for any pitch correction because PAL video runs 4% faster. The picture quality is really nice!

SInce most of Disc 1 of Bootleg #2 was out before in the Japanese only cd (mispelled "Festiva Juan Pins") which I have, I plan to compare the sound to the new box. Has anyone done that?

I've got that CD. The Bootleg 2 version has a much drier sound with better separation between the instruments. The Japanese CD has a lot of reverb added, and everything seems shifted to the left a bit as if the tape wasn't aligned properly. There is also a lot more high frequency on the Japanese version which I think is annoying because of the cymbal crashes. I prefer the bootleg version, it is more detailed, better base, and doesn't have the irritating high frequencies. It is also dead centre rather than everything seeming to be slightly left of centre.

I'll post some samples alter.

It is on mono isn't it?

[ShowsOn]

I received my copy in Australia from Amazon Germany yesterday. It shipped on the 25th, so it took just 9 days to arrive.

Yes it does have an ugly German video classification sticker on the bottom left corner, but it is a removable sticker. You can remove it quite easily without damaging the cover.

The DVD is in NTSC and region free. My guess is they did it in NTSC to avoid the need for any pitch correction because PAL video runs 4% faster. The picture quality is really nice!

SInce most of Disc 1 of Bootleg #2 was out before in the Japanese only cd (mispelled "Festiva Juan Pins") which I have, I plan to compare the sound to the new box. Has anyone done that?

I've got that CD. The Bootleg 2 version has a much drier sound with better separation between the instruments. The Japanese CD has a lot of reverb added, and everything seems shifted to the left a bit as if the tape wasn't aligned properly. There is also a lot more high frequency on the Japanese version which I think is annoying because of the cymbal crashes. I prefer the bootleg version, it is more detailed, better base, and doesn't have the irritating high frequencies. It is also dead centre rather than everything seeming to be slightly left of centre.

I'll post some samples alter.

It is on mono isn't it?

To me the Japanese version sounds like it is a mono tape that has been transferred on a stereo playback head that wasn't perfectly aligned. This means the left channel is slightly louder than the right channel, even though it is the same actual signal on each channel. Listen carefully to the instruments, they are all in a line, but that line sits slightly to the left because the left channel is louder.

Listen to the crowd at the start, it clearly comes from the left channel more than the right even though this is a mono recording simply because of the way the tape was transferred.

The new box version is perfect mono - dead centre - suggesting it was transferred using a mono playback head and has a completely dry sound - no added reverb. I think there is also some processing on the Bootleg box version to reduce some of the worst distortion.

Now the Japanese version has a lot of reverb added, and the reverb is kind of stereo, there seems to be more on the left channel than the right channel because it is louder. This creates a pseudo stereo effect, kind of like "Duophonic" even though it is a mono recording.

Here is sample with the Japanese CD first and the Bootleg Series 2 CD second.:

Directions:

http://min.us/lwsV1JKwAiuNA

Miles Runs to Voodoo Down:

http://min.us/lJ6SdVBDKc58L

(The added reverb on the Japanese CD is really obvious on this clip, the trumpet has like a constant echo behind it which just makes the distortion even louder).

Milestones:

http://min.us/lbcBo5syvVAdZh

Footprints:

http://min.us/ldEN7SjkV6qZl

'Round Midnight:

http://min.us/ljZtcfMGtYmtM

Clearly very different sounding CDs, as to which one is 'better' I'll let you all decide.

Edited February 5, 2013 by ShowsOn

[JohnS]

I have both, to my ears the new version is preferable

[CJ Shearn]

I agree the new Vol. 2 boxset version sounds way better than the sample clip you posted from the Japanese version, I think it's a rare case of me preferring an American domestic version over a Japanese CD, although all of Sony's Mark Wilder mastered Miles discs since the late 90's have been pretty nice. The added reverb sounds REALLY strange, like it's a studio recording with crowd noise added. I bet the Hoffman board prefers that though

Edited February 5, 2013 by CJ Shearn

[ShowsOn]

I agree the new Vol. 2 boxset version sounds way better than the sample clip you posted from the Japanese version, I think it's a rare case of me preferring an American domestic version over a Japanese CD, although all of Sony's Mark Wilder mastered Miles discs since the late 90's have been pretty nice. The added reverb sounds REALLY strange, like it's a studio recording with crowd noise added. I bet the Hoffman board prefers that though

The Hoffman board tends to be pretty anti-reverb I think in part because their host is anti-reverb. Sometimes reverb can be OK, but there is a HEAP of reverb on the Japanese CD, I think in an attempt to create a pseudo stereo effect.

The Bootleg 2 CD is dry as a bone in comparison.

I'm adding more comparison clips to the above post as I go.

Edited February 5, 2013 by ShowsOn

[CJ Shearn]

Dry with the Antibes shows at least. The Stockholm concert on disc 3 has natural reverb from the hall. And you are right about the Hoffman forums, I am not registered there (nor want to be) I just read posts there.

[jazzbo]

Still awaiting my copy from Deutchland. Soon I hope!

[JSngry]

You'll be getting the sticker, then?

[mjzee]

I ordered mine from Amazon UK, but in the same order as a title with a release date of Feb 25 (Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin Outtakes), so they'll ship the whole order then. I'll receive it in early March. *sigh*

[J.A.W.]

I ordered mine from Amazon UK, but in the same order as a title with a release date of Feb 25 (Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin Outtakes), so they'll ship the whole order then. I'll receive it in early March. *sigh*

You are aware that that Dylan CD is not official? It's a European grey-label release, see this lengthy thread on the Hoffman board, from post #158 onwards: http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/bob-dylan-freewheelins-outtakes-cd-sony-copyright-issues.305047/page-7

[GA Russell]

I have an annual tradition of opening up a Miles album every Feb. 15.

My set is promised for Feb. 13, so as long as it arrives by the 15th, I'll be good to go.

[PHILLYQ]

Got mine today from Amazon.de and I'm listening to the first disc. There's such a flow to the music and they bounce from tune to tune effortlessly(or so it sounds, I know there's tremendous effort involved), like one brain with five bodies. Jack DeJohnette is KILLIN'!!!

[mjzee]

I ordered mine from Amazon UK, but in the same order as a title with a release date of Feb 25 (Bob Dylan - The Freewheelin Outtakes), so they'll ship the whole order then. I'll receive it in early March. *sigh*

You are aware that that Dylan CD is not official? It's a European grey-label release, see this lengthy thread on the Hoffman board, from post #158 onwards: http://forums.steveh...s.305047/page-7

I guessed that. I'm hoping it's taken from the recent limited-edition release.

[David Ayers]

Well, this set is certainly of interest to those of us who have followed the Miles discography to any degree, even as non-fans. That said, I don't find this music so very important - drummer trying too hard, Miles comfortable, some rambling, none of the palette of sounds we associate with soon-to-come LPs. Not being hypercritical, just saying this stuff doesn't loom that large for me. Glad to have it though.

[ShowsOn]

You'll be getting the sticker, then?

The sticker is very easy to remove.

[JSngry]

I'd like one of those stickers for my collection.

[skeith]

Watched the DVD last night and loved it ...no distortion whatsoever... the venue is a bit weird though ... the band seems to be at the bottom of a pit....

Also listened to disc 3 the stockholm concert... appears to have the best sound of the cds and while I was apprehensive that Corea's switch to acoustic piano was going to sound wrong for that material ... it was great to hear him on acoustic piano and gave a whole different dimension to those tunes and that band.... not better just different.

[Clunky]

Just got mine. Initial comments as above and add that I like the package as a whole but the liner-note-poster is cheap and a very poor idea.

Edited February 7, 2013 by Clunky

[JETman]

Just got mine. Initial comments as above and add that I like the package as a whole but the liner-note-poster is cheap and a very poor idea.

The poster was a necessary reaction to all who whined about the booklet in volume 1 not having a home. Blame them!

Sony could have made a larger, more lavish package which would fit a nice, thick booklet. But then, all y'all would be complaining about the price. It's sort of like those who niggle about the ECM boxed sets or Mosaic Selects not having pictures of the included albums. Can't please everybody all of the time, ya know. Btw, Eicher has now included pics of all 4 album covers included in the new DeJohnette box. But I'm betting there will be those who will whine that they're in black and white!

[king ubu]

The poster was a necessary reaction to all who whined about the booklet in volume 1 not having a home. Blame them!

Bullshit

[JETman]

The poster was a necessary reaction to all who whined about the booklet in volume 1 not having a home. Blame them!

Bullshit

No business makes money by putting small bullshit issues to a poll for nerdy little music fans.

Don't call bullshit unless you've got a reasonable, cost-effective solution in mind. Otherwise you can refer yourself to one of Joe Henderson's Milestone album titles.

[JSngry]

Black Miracle?

[king ubu]

the tetragonisation of crap, probably - sorry, but there's really no need to put liners on the back of a poster in order to put that - fold to the size of a regular CD booklet - into a slot that holds a booklet ...

[JSngry]

The Kicker?