Piper 2007 Remaster... how it compares (not safe for dialup)

[Demolition Man]

Here's a few screencaps of the waveforms from a few tracks from the new remaster of Piper compared to other versions out there. Enjoy.

"Lucifer Sam" mono mix

1997 EMI Mono CD - Mastered By Chris Blair


2007 Capitol Mono CD - Mastered By James Guthree


2007 My Remaster (Source = 1997 EMI Mono CD)

[Demolition Man]

"See Emily Play"

1992 Early Singles (Doug Sax master)


2001 Echoes (James Guthree master)


2007 Piper Bonus CD (James Guthree master)

[olzen]

The Loudness War is one of the most stupid things ever. What's the fucking point? At least, Guthrie's mono mix isn't as painfully distorted as Blair's. That old waveform is really painful to look at! How does the stereo mix fare?

[Demolition Man]

"Astronomy Dominie" - thanks to zobalob from Steve Hoffman's forums.

1994 Doug Sax Master


2007 James Guthree Master


I haven't listened to the stereo CD yet so I can't comment.

[Keith Jordan]

The new mix sounds beautiful and everything has been placed nicely in the mix and the sounds are a lot clearer. The overcompressed original release sounds good, but the new one is so much better! It is quite painful to see the chart for the originals!! haha Thanks for sharing!

[Demolition Man]

The new Guthree master on "Piper" itself is still a bit too loud for my tastes. Still far better than the 1997 Chris Blair botchjob that's for sure.

[Chris Moise]

The new mix sounds beautiful and everything has been placed nicely in the mix and the sounds are a lot clearer. The overcompressed original release sounds good, but the new one is so much better! It is quite painful to see the chart for the originals!! haha Thanks for sharing!

It's not a new mix, just a different mastering. The only iteration of Piper that can be described as "overcompressed" is the 1997 30th Anniversary mono edition.

[Keith Jordan]

Sounds like a different mix in parts. Mmm. Perhaps they did destroy the 1997 version to the point they made it sound like it had a different mix!

[my breakfast.]

They made the first mono CD too damn loud on the mix, and its clipping by the looks of things.

[Chris Moise]

Sounds like a different mix in parts. Mmm. Perhaps they did destroy the 1997 version to the point they made it sound like it had a different mix!

It's the same mix. There are only 2 Piper mixes. 1967 mono and 1967 stereo. You're right though, the new version of the mono mix is a huge sonic upgrade over the 1997 version..

[ESLAFTK2112]

I didn't know that PF had little to do with the 1997 PatGoD mono remaster save the artwork. I heard the original mono from vinyl and realized the 1997 mono PatGoD's version of Flaming was missing several seconds. Chris Blair, may he RIP, was the same guy who remastered the Genesis catalog in 1994. James Guthrie was busy remastering the 1975-87 catalog of PF's during 1997 for their release in the US market as PF were on EMI in Europe and Columbia/Sony for the US. The Columbia remasters from 1997 trumped the 1994 EMI issues (in 2000, the Columbia remasters were re-released with the EMI repackage jobs by Capitol).