Scott Dolan

That's the spirit!

No, it doesn't. The rest of your post is well taken, but this is simply false. Their playback capability is different, but the mix remains the same no matter what.

That's cool, brother. I appreciate your insight and explanation of your hobby. You just need to be aware of how statements like this: ...come across. And I have no intention of "trashing" all of the RVG discs. I just haven't been happy with most of the ones I've heard. And no, no system exists that will make that final product sound any better. The final mix is exactly what the name implies. Final.

And I'm with J.A.W. that if you have to go through all of that... Also, what Mr. Bresnahan is saying is also true. Running audio through flat settings isn't going to be any different than "fine tuning" it through tone controls/EQ. It may sound "better" to your ears, but the finished product remains the same no matter what you think you may be doing with it. On higher end systems, tone controls shouldn't even be a concern. EQ's were designed to mask inefficiencies in lower quality audio products, IMO. Truly transparent mid-to-high end systems should reproduce music perfectly (to their ability) while bypassing any and all tone controls. Either way, based upon what I've been reading here, most folks (myself included) seem to be reacting more to your audio snobbery more than anything else. You're not more fortunate, that's just something you need to tell yourself to as a form of justification. And we're not less fortunate. Besides, these 42 year old ears of mine really don't care as much anymore. They are perfectly content listening to mp3's on an iPod with mid-level ear buds as they were when I used to listen to my buddy's tube amp (can't recall the maker) with Martin Logan electrostatic speakers. Hell, I even run my lower-end Harman Kardon/Polk Audio/Velodyne main system on bypass. And it sounds rather good. Hey Kevin, you should post a link to that site that was started by all those cats that were banned from that one producer's message board (for not properly kissing his ass, of course). Can't recall the names, but their site was a hoot!

Well, that missing dynamic range is essentially the same thing. Something that simply isn't there.

Jazzbo, can your system also restore the missing data from an mp3 and return it to a full .wav file?

Oy... Thanks for being so understanding.

And his PMRC hearing was classic!

Point of Departure would be mine. ALA is correct about first gen cd pressings, though. Just listen to the original 80's releases of The Beatles catalog.

The only one I recall not sounding that way, that I own, is Sonny's Night at the Village Vanguard.

The Negative Dialectics of Poodle Play from Ben Watson might be the most fun I've ever had reading the written word. As quirky, thought-provoking, and WTF?!-inducing as Frank himself. I personally dug Frank's honesty and humor. I didn't find his personality reprehensible in the slightest. Probably because it's far too similar to my own.

Ugh... The RVG's are incredibly thin and brittle. I'm no sonic snob by any stretch of the imagination, but the RVG's I have are rather irritating.

Should have nothing to do with varying qualities. It has to do with the original mix of the music you're listening to. If you're not familiar with the "Loudness Wars" I'd encourage you to read up on it. Producers left a lot more headroom in their mixes up until the late 80's/early 90's when every artist and producer wanted their song to be the loudest one on the radio.

I take it most of the folks commenting in this thread are musicians?

The Closer You Are is one of his most beautiful songs. Even my wife likes it, and she hates everything Zappa. Sinister Footwear is good, but it would have been nice to hear more Zappa and a little less Vai on the album. And without any perceptible provocation I suddenly have the urge to hear his tune ending solo from Come From Nowhere...

Thing-Fish has its moments, mostly due to Ike Willis himself. I don't love it, or hate it. You Are What You Is was my first Zappa album, so that may be why it holds a special place in my heart. JCB belting out Harder Than Your Husband remains one of my faves in the Zappa universe. I also share your overall distaste with the sound of the '84 band. Too much synth, and Wackerman's electronic drums. That said, my favorite front line is White/Zappa/Willis. And his solos from that tour are fantastic. The one from Advanced Romance (YCTOSA Vol. 3) is one of his very best, IMO. And once again, I think Fire And Chains, Heavy Duty Judy, and the solos from Outside Now, Hot Plate Heaven At The Green Hotel, and Cruisin' For Burgers from the '88 tour are among his best. Not that every solo he played from that tour was better than the 19xx tour.

It's OK, but I have to really want to listen to it. I much prefer hearing him play guitar to programming a machine. I even prefer the version of G-spot Tornado that was performed by Ensemble Modern.

I'd demand my money back!!!

Not, IMO. I've actually gone almost strictly to digital (AAC and Apple Lossless mostly), and the main reason is that digital formats are far superior to what they were a decade ago, and I've really reached a more minimalist stage in my life. That rack of nearly 1,000 cds just doesn't excite me anymore. I will still buy boxsets on cd, as the last cds I purchased (a couple of years ago) was the Bill Evans complete Village Vanguard set. Outside of that, give me digital and save me space.

My point being that it simply was his weakest era. Tinseltown Rebellion isn't very good, The Man From Utopia, Baby Snakes, Perfect Stranger, Jazz From Hell, are really weak albums. Ship Arriving Too Late To Save a Drowning Witch and You Are What You Is are really strong, But Them Or Us is spotty. Meets The Mothers of Prevention has the outstanding What's New In Baltimore, and the very good I Don't Even Care, but aside from that is just another synclavier throwaway album... When compared with what he was writing and playing from the late 60's up to that point it's pretty difficult to not note the weakness. And I've never heard anyone that felt his playing on the '88 tour was anything less than brilliant. To each there own, of course.

For the life of me I still don't understand why they leave the stems on the sport peppers in the commercials and advertising. I would think that would completely turn people off who have never tried a Chicago dog before.

Great thread!!! I either owned, played, or was familiar with everything mentioned there. My very first game was the one that had a periscope you looked through and you used it to shoot little missiles up at boats passing along the water's surface. Can't recall the name at all. Aunt and uncle had a pong console. First console was the incomparable Atari 2600 with the most horrendous Pac Man knock off of all time... Ah, good times. Mappy...

Oh, inappropriate Rod Stewart currently being suppressed. But yeh, way too many logic holes in this story.

I'd argue that list could be tweaked and made slightly better, but not too loudly. Top shelf, all.

Wow! Excellent titles! Centipede, Burgertime, Tempest, Joust...!!!