A Night at the Opera - Remaster Review

How can you better perfection ? In fact you can't !
And probably this is the reason for the big surprise with "A Night at the Opera". 
In this case I compared it with the 30th anniversary Edition of EMI. 

And: It's absolutely identic !!! The Island Remaster is "bit by bit" identic to the 30th anniversary remaster.

So there is absolutely no reason to buy this one again - except for maybe the bonus tracks.
And sadly what is supposed to be the most important or best Queen album has the most unimportant bonus tracks. 
Fans will already have the retake of "Keep yourself alive", the live version of "Love of my Life" is from Live Killers, three stripped down tracks from the album are pretty pointless. Leaving "39" from Earls Court 77 the only recording of interest.  But it's not really essential, quite close to the Live Killers-version. 

As I said before, these remasters are just made to replace the slowly disappearing EMI versions. So they are no "new product", they are just replacements and especially this album is the best example.

P.S.: I'm looking forward to reviews of this album, where people pretend to hear new details or bigger seperation....or whatever...;-)

It's not a surprise really, the same album - the same engineer. I don't think he will make it better five years later :)
Also we see that QPL/Island to make this reissue camapign as cheap as possible...

And can you clarify is there any differences in booklet artwork between Island 2011 and EMI 2005 version? Thank you.

Thank you for your reviews!

I think I'm not buying the remasters after all. The bonus tracks will eventually be available somewhere on the internet.

And can you clarify is there any differences in booklet artwork between Island 2011 and EMI 2005 version? Thank you.
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The pictures are the same. Although the new version shows them in a different running order and some of them in smaller size, as the new booklet uses two further pages for information without having more pages added.

In the new liner notes, is there new, specific information about the Long Lost Re-Take of KYA? What I mean is, does it describe the session in 1975? The studio used? The engineers and producer (I'd assume Mike Stone and RTB)? An exact recording date?

I'm hoping it clarifies the confusion about exactly when the LLRT was recorded, since I'm divided as to whether to believe it was put down in 1972 during the Queen 1 sessions or as a one-off in 1975 between SHA and Opera. If it can definitively establish one or the other, it would go far to broadening our collective knowledge.

The liner notes do not give any information about the recording of this track. The only "new" information is, that for the first time they used a "computer assisted mix system" which in the end completely failed. Later in the additional production notes you find "Bonus Track 1:  Produced by Queen and Roy Thomas Baker. Engineered by Gary Lyons".

That's all there is...don't blame the messenger....

I blame YOU, Soundfreak! 

Ha ha, just kidding...

Thanks for the update. Gary Lyons engineered KYA LLRT? Interesting. He was one of the engineers on Opera, as well.

Very disappointing that they used the 2005 for this, as to my ears, it's atrocious, way too loud, my ears almost bleed when I listen to this release. DCC release is just so far superior it's embarrassing to Ludwig.

The tape box for the Long and Short versions of the Retake at the Stormtroopers Exhibition had a date of 2/7/75 (D/M/Y).

smilebrian : Very disappointing that they used the 2005 for this, as to my ears, it's atrocious, way too loud, my ears almost bleed when I listen to this release.

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Are you sure we are really talking about the same version? The 2005 remaster from the EMI box with the DVD  has all the dynamics intact, there is no visible nor audible limiting of the louder parts. Compressed loud tracks look completely different in the graphics.

GinjaNinja wrote: The tape box for the Long and Short versions of the Retake at the Stormtroopers Exhibition had a date of 2/7/75 (D/M/Y).

*****

Thanks, Ninja. 

July 2nd, 1975 would place it after the SHA tour ended in May, 1975, before the KYA re-issue single (July, 1975, assuming the single wasn't released on the 1st or 2nd), and before the Opera sessions started (August, 1975). Add to that, the presence of Gary Lyons as engineer, as he was also on Opera, and I think we might have to definitively say the Long Lost Re-Take was without a doubt recorded on or just before July 2nd, 1975 (that could be the mastering or mixing date).

Soundfreak wrote: smilebrian : Very disappointing that they used the 2005 for this, as to my ears, it's atrocious, way too loud, my ears almost bleed when I listen to this release.

Reply: I've  got a volume control on my Hi Fi

Soundfreak, yes, I'm talking about the same release.

I don't look at sound on my computer, so couldn't tell you about waveforms etc.

Have you listened to the DCC release?
The Ludwig remaster is much brighter, and the dynamic range definitely sounds compressed in comparison.

The DCC is superior in every single aspect in my opinion. It's the absolute definitive release (and even better on vinyl).
Instruments sound natural, dynamics are far broader, Freddie's vocals just sound more right.

The Ludwig to me, is just way too overblown. If you like that style, then sure, the 2005 may suit. 
The DCC is just so natural and has that wonderful analogue feeling that I just love.
It's really night and day in difference to me.

It's a crying shame that Hoffman didn't do the catalogue.

I do not have that DCC version, so I cannot comment. But I have no doubt, that it's good. 

I am quite happy with the 30th anniversary remaster, I had the Hollywood version before and to me it's an improvement. 

But - there is no such thing as a "Ludwig remaster" as you write. The new one is exactly the same as the 30th anniversary version. And in those liner notes I can't find the name Ludwig at all.
Strangely the new booklet makes it look like a Ludwig remaster, I guess that was a mistake in communication.

Inside back cover:

"Mastered by Bob Ludwig, Gateway Mastering Studios, Portland ME."

Here is part of the press release from Brian's page, dated 14 November, 2005:

"A landmark release, this special edition features both the new CD and DVD formats of the album completely restored from original analogue tapes and digitally re-mastered by Bob Ludwig......"

Agree that the Ludwig 2005 is superior over the Hollywood, everything is superior over the Hollywood!
Track down the DCC version (it's hard to find for sensible money unfortunately) for the definitive version (CD & Vinyl).