Wow, Moving Pictures. Where do I start?

I don't own the digitally remastered version, but I do agree that Moving Pictures is one of the greatest-sounding albums ever produced. In fact, I do have a few tracks from my regular-mastered version in my test list. Not because they are particularly good for audio testing, but because I listen to that album so much (still) that they have to be in my test tracks as a "baseline".

That album is great on so many levels, I could start a whole separate thread on it. It was the first CD I ever purchased. It was my prerequisite for purchasing a CD player: I wouldn't buy one until I was sure I could get Moving Pictures on CD. It was also the first CD I ripped into MP3 format. I can play every note of that album on the guitar, including simultaneously playing the synthesizer-bass parts (I have bass pedals like they do). Can you tell I'm a fan?

Interestingly enough, the first copy of Moving Pictures that I purchased was one of the flawed ones. Their first pressing of the CD had the first second missing from "Tom Sawyer". That wonderful drum/synth explosion that opens the album had its first second cut off. I exchanged it, via mail with the record company, for a corrected pressing. That's the one I still own.

One thing I use the album for is stereo sanity-check testing. The opening synthesizer chords on "The Camera Eye" alternate between the left and right channels. Any time I work with the speaker or line-level connections, I play that cut to make sure I've got all my channels correct.

Do you have any notes on the comparison between the original pressing and the remaster? What are the differences in the sound quality?


-- Tony Fabris -- Empeg #144 --
Caution: Do not look into laser with remaining good eye.