Why doesn't every Queen live album sound as great as Rock Montreal?

ANAGRAMER - The poor syncing you mention I believe was due to taking the audio from one night and mixing it with the video from the other. This can be seen during Killer Queen when Freddie says "guaranteed to blow your mind", the first half of the line Freddie isn't even moving his lips! I remember when the re-releases came out how stunned I was at the sound quality because I was so used to the Montreal gig sounding like the 'We Will Rock You' VHS release.

[QUOTE] [b]Bad Seed wrote:[/b]

Although I'm no fan of the show itself, I think LAWS is the best sounding live release. Brian's guitar sound is awful and Freddie is obviously in poor voice but it has a wonderful clarity not found on any other release. [/QUOTE]

Yup. See above re: loudness war.

Every Queen live album released since has less of a dynamic range, since they're crushed by compression.

Most of the problem, when you get down to it, is the consumer, who insists on listening to music on crap devices with crap speakers or headphones, necessitating a completely butchered master to get anything resembling a decent sound out of tiny phone speakers and the like. There was a time when fairly big, well-sounding speakers were the norm for anyone who liked good music, but that seems to be ancient history now. The loudness war and compression-mania seem to be the industry's attempt to put make-up on the consumer's pig and call it beautiful. So goodbye, dynamics. Goodbye, subtlety, hello uniformity. Everything that's wrong with radio short of annoying DJs has made its way to even the most lovingly crafted albums.

The Real Wizard, re:

>I don't hear concerts from 1974 and 1982. I hear Pro Tools.

This.

I'd refer anyone even remotely interested in live Rock to hunt down the HDTracks 24/96 release of The Who's "Live At Leeds" - never before has an album gone through so many re-releases and editions to finally ended up sounding as if the band is actually there with you in the room.

Actually I think RM doesn't have that great sound quality...

I personally think that the RM lacks energy from performance standpoint as the audience participation is flat. However, drums and guitar work comes through loud and clear. I wish they mixed their albums like that. Many albums, especially from the 80s, have a muffled sound. It seems Flash Gordon was the last album Queen got the sound right.

[QUOTE] [b]dudeofqueen wrote:[/b]

I'd refer anyone even remotely interested in live Rock to hunt down the HDTracks 24/96 release of The Who's "Live At Leeds" - never before has an album gone through so many re-releases and editions to finally ended up sounding as if the band is actually there with you in the room.[/QUOTE]

hmm... well, i wanted to hear what a best-sounding live album should sound like, i'll take your word for it and check it out.

I wasn't that aware of the loudness war before, though listening to albums again now, i can understand why i couldn't appreciate the music when i turn the volume out loud. Case in point: November concert at the Rainbow. At max volume, it felt cluttered for my ears. Guess i'll have to listen to RM to reassess its sound.

Okay... More on sound quality and mix! What do you guys think about the sound/mix of Live Magic (Knebworth parts)

I remember Live Magic having a rather punchy sound, especially the drums. However, it could be dry sounding at times, such as the rock section in Bo Rhap IIRC. I never got to appreciate the album much because of the cuts and omissions. So much so, I used to call LM a big tease.

[QUOTE] [b]dudeofqueen wrote:[/b]

The Real Wizard, re:

>I don't hear concerts from 1974 and 1982. I hear Pro Tools.

This.

I'd refer anyone even remotely interested in live Rock to hunt down the HDTracks 24/96 release of The Who's "Live At Leeds" - never before has an album gone through so many re-releases and editions to finally ended up sounding as if the band is actually there with you in the room.[/QUOTE]

God damn, this is incredible. Thanks for mentioning it. Somehow this one bypassed me.


Check out this site:

http://dr.loudness-war.info/album/list?artist=the%20who

A database of music releases, measuring the loudness war - very useful !

[QUOTE] [b]thomasquinn 32989 wrote:[/b]

Most of the problem, when you get down to it, is the consumer, who insists on listening to music on crap devices with crap speakers or headphones, necessitating a completely butchered master to get anything resembling a decent sound out of tiny phone speakers and the like. There was a time when fairly big, well-sounding speakers were the norm for anyone who liked good music, but that seems to be ancient history now. The loudness war and compression-mania seem to be the industry's attempt to put make-up on the consumer's pig and call it beautiful. So goodbye, dynamics. Goodbye, subtlety, hello uniformity. Everything that's wrong with radio short of annoying DJs has made its way to even the most lovingly crafted albums.[/QUOTE]

Depressingly accurate.

Muse's Black Holes And Revelations is my favourite album of at least the last 15 years, but it sounds like crap - particularly the end of Invincible, where it's a giant brick wall.


http://dr.loudness-war.info/album/list/year?artist=Muse

^ but according to this site, the vinyl is actually a great improvement. Hmm.

[QUOTE] [b]Bad Seed wrote:[/b]

Although I'm no fan of the show itself, I think LAWS is the best sounding live release. Brian's guitar sound is awful and Freddie is obviously in poor voice but it has a wonderful clarity not found on any other release. [/QUOTE]

What is LAWS? I know the answer must be simple but i just couldn´t figure it out for myself :-)

[QUOTE] [b]Mr.QueenFan wrote:[/b]

[QUOTE] [b]Bad Seed wrote:[/b]

Although I'm no fan of the show itself, I think LAWS is the best sounding live release. Brian's guitar sound is awful and Freddie is obviously in poor voice but it has a wonderful clarity not found on any other release. [/QUOTE]

What is LAWS? I know the answer must be simple but i just couldn´t figure it out for myself :-)
[/QUOTE]

Live At Wembley Stadium, of course !

Indeed, it is the best sounding of all the Queen live albums, despite the musical flaws mentioned above.

Live Magic is a close second. I do rather like the sound of the Knebworth tracks - everything pokes through.

By comparison, the "Knebworth mix" of Under Pressure from the Rah mix CD single sounds like crap. The loudness war was already in full vigour by 2000.

[QUOTE] [b]luthorn wrote:[/b]

I personally think that the RM lacks energy from performance standpoint as the audience participation is flat.[/QUOTE]

I bet people wouldn't be saying that if the original We Will Rock You versions didn't have the audience out of the mix almost completely.

I think they sound just fine on RM.

Except, of course, where they're punched in from another show during LOML. That's just inexcusable, blatant revisionist history.

[QUOTE] [b]The Real Wizard wrote:[/b]

Except, of course, where they're punched in from another show during LOML. That's just inexcusable, blatant revisionist history.
[/QUOTE]

...and that raises the question,.. from what other show? It'll be interesting to know what shows were recorded aswell.