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Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2011 17:41:03 GMT
I don't. Unfortunately, musicians don't have all the control (or money) that everyone seems to think over their products.
The responsibility for production lies with the record company/production engineers and the end result can be quite different from what the musician heard in the studio.
The sound quality is not as good generally on the mixed down and compressed CD that normally gets put out. Nothing to do with Kate Bush.
I have that album so I'll have a close listen. BTW, don't you think her voice has dropped a bit lower. At the start, it sounds almost male or slowed down!!
OK ... I had a listen and I'm getting a slight 'vibration'/distortion for a short period of time. It sounds like a resonance but is possible the result of slightly too much gain or something wrong with the amount of compression added in order to make it sound fat and loud. Anyway, it is there on my copy too.
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Post by gommer on Nov 25, 2011 18:12:54 GMT
Hi Ian,
You've said that before and I understand what you're saying. But I wonder, who exactly is behind Fish People? I thought it's here own new label, so I would expect she's got control over it.
Cheers, Marc
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Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2011 18:15:45 GMT
Ian,
according to the liner notes, it was produced by Kate, recorded by Del Palmer (one time partner and long time collaborator), and mixed by Stephen W. Tayler (?). It was published by Noble and Brite - her company - so I hear what you are saying about the lack of control some musicians have - but surely not in this case?
Jeff
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Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2011 18:47:10 GMT
A couple of thoughts; As Ian said her voice has become noticeably lower, could there be a definite intention to boost the lower registers to balance her voice, maybe a self conscious effort? I have not yet listened through 'speakers BTW. Then, although released by her "own label", exactly how far does that go? Does she really have 100% control on the finished release? Or does she answer to a master company that she must pass through to get a finished product? Basically what I'm saying is that; is "own label" just increased control with window dressing, rather than total control. I, Mr. Cynical, just can't imagine a record company letting an earner like Kate get away It's certainly not the first CD I've noticed distortion in a particular place(s) or register that was not down to a total loudness-brush. Through headphones the reproduction has not interfered with my enjoyment of the music, though I can understand why people would be less than pleased at a recording that has a very intimate feel and draws you in closely but then reveals flaws. Possibly years of listening to tapes allows me to ignore this kind of thing, until someone points it out
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Post by gommer on Nov 25, 2011 18:55:44 GMT
Just had a short listen.
Indeed, in Lake Tahoe, at 6:02, right before 6:03 there's a brief crackle. It's so short it doesn't bother me though.
But Wild Man bothers me more. It's distorted from beginning to end. I can hear the limiter working. Bass note, volume fades down then fades in again (all in a fraction of a second, but apparent on every bass note).
Is it my AKG-701's that are too revealing or am I just over sensitive to these sort of things?
And her voice has always been 'modded' in some sort of way on many of her albums. Also, she's getting older and the cigarette smoking is taking it's toll over the years i think. She'll never sing Wuthering Heights again, i reckon.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2011 19:24:25 GMT
No Marc. In control in that her name is there but I would say that the engineers are in control of the recorded sound and she's probably not a hi fi type, so she doesn't do quality control.
Frank Zappa controlled his own cd's but the old quality control wasn't always too good there either. Even he thought that.
It sounds to me like there's been some boosting of the levels and someone has just got too close to the top end for the peaks. Amazing that they didn't notice isn't it?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2011 19:25:29 GMT
That's more likely Chris.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2011 19:30:54 GMT
I can as well. Sounds like poor engineering to me. All to make it sound good on the radio and boost sales.
I wonder whether the pitch of these recording has also been lowered to make Kate sound a bit more mellow.
I don't particularly like the tone of her voice and I feel that she covers up many vocal weaknesses by doing eccentric things (rather like Bjork sometimes) where she kind of swoops around and goes into lower growls followed by higher howls!! All done to disguise imo vocal weaknesses. I've heard her live and it's not always very nice.
It sounds as though the pitch has been lowered in order to make her voice sound more mature and slightly more mellow than it is in reality.
On first listen, I'm not over keen. I don't like the repetitiveness of the first song with incessant piano block chords. I wonder whether she had her day way back tbh.
The previous album turned me right off with her singing about a bloody washing machine.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 25, 2011 19:32:14 GMT
Chris, fair enough about control over sound, she might have less than total control, but this just sounds wrong. Surely any company wouldn't want a 'mistake' on the finished product? Marc, I actually quite like her deeper tone, I think it's sexier Jeff
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Post by Deleted on Nov 26, 2011 9:24:01 GMT
My daughter has been driving me bonkers with Enya.
I can't sleep because I keep hearing 'Sail Away' in my head.
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Post by gommer on Nov 26, 2011 10:51:11 GMT
The album seems to be available on HDtracks. Below is a report from it on comuteraudiophile. Again, Wild Man and Snowed in at Wheeler street do not look promising. I'm hesitant to buy it if it's not any better than CD. Submitted by Quadran on Tue, 11/22/2011 - 16:17
Just downloaded. Sounds quite good.
Dynamic range results:
foobar2000 1.1.8 / Dynamic Range Meter 1.1.0 log date: 2011-11-22 21:03:35
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Analyzed: Kate Bush / 50 Words for Snow --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR Peak RMS Duration Track -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DR12 -3.56 dB -20.42 dB 9:47 01-Snowflake DR13 -0.13 dB -18.55 dB 11:08 02-Lake Tahoe DR11 -1.70 dB -18.16 dB 13:32 03-Misty DR15 0.00 dB -17.85 dB 7:17 04-Wild Man DR13 0.00 dB -17.92 dB 8:05 05-Snowed In At Wheeler Street DR13 -2.10 dB -18.35 dB 8:31 06-50 Words for Snow DR12 -4.00 dB -20.73 dB 6:54 07-Among Angels --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of tracks: 7 Official DR value: DR13
Samplerate: 96000 Hz Channels: 2 Bits per sample: 24 Bitrate: 2271 kbps Codec: FLAC
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Post by Deleted on Nov 26, 2011 12:01:41 GMT
I wonder if they have the same distorted peaks. Funnily enough, listening again, the peak is low down maybe upper bass. It seems to have been boosted just a tad too far in that area, I think. Perhaps they were trying to fill the sound out since it's all mainly lower to mid frequencies at that point.
This album has a different 'sound' imo. It's slightly darker with an emphasis on lower sounds and as I said earlier, I think Kate's voice may have been lowered as well. (or else she's mellowed)
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Post by Deleted on Nov 26, 2011 15:19:43 GMT
That's interesting. So the CD production has gone wayward. Therefore, she may not have heard it on the original. That is exactly my experience. What I hear in the making isn't what goes out - the cause of many falling outs, I can tell you!!!
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Post by PinkFloyd on Nov 27, 2011 10:03:04 GMT
Her tits have probably sagged too.... everything goes south when we get older
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Post by Deleted on Nov 27, 2011 11:36:54 GMT
Her tits have probably sagged too.... everything goes south when we get older ;D Now she's gonna be hopping if she reads that!!!
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Post by Deleted on Nov 27, 2011 11:48:11 GMT
She can hop all over me anytime she wants . . .
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Post by Deleted on Nov 27, 2011 14:04:54 GMT
You're such a tart. I'm sure she'd be pleased if she read it and go into the laundry room and start singing 'washing machine' again.....
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Post by Deleted on Nov 27, 2011 17:06:06 GMT
You're such a tart. I'm sure she'd be pleased if she read it and go into the laundry room and start singing 'washing machine' again..... I must admit that track normally gets skipped I'm prepared to forgive her the occasional duffer because of the consistently high quality of the rest of her work, and the fact that she could have just sat back and made "Hounds of Love" again and again but didn't. And even a very commercially successful album like that had a commercial side - Hounds of Love - and a more experimental, radio unfriendly side - The Ninth Wave. So I forgive her the odd failure because she seems to be willing to take chances and try to make different and interesting albums. Jeff
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Post by gommer on Nov 27, 2011 17:35:11 GMT
I don't skip anything on Aerial. And i don't believe 'Washing machine' is about a washing machine, but rather about a bored and stuck-in-routine housewife.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 27, 2011 18:07:57 GMT
I have to admit the first time I heard it I wrote it off as a "filler". Then I actually listened properly to the lyrics which reveal it as a very typical KB type setup. Two ideas, domestic cleanliness and (possibly) lost love/fantasy. The washing machine acting as the metaphorical mixer of the two within a troubled mind... Chalk one up to Kate
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Post by Deleted on Nov 27, 2011 18:09:09 GMT
I don't skip anything on Aerial. And i don't believe 'Washing machine' is about a washing machine, but rather about a bored and stuck-in-routine housewife. Marc, funnily enough that track is probably my least favourite of all her music, and I have tried to get 'into' it but just can't seem to. I even prefer 'Pi' (according to wikipedia she recites pi to 137 decimal places, but does miss out some) better than 'Mrs. Bartolozzi'. At the moment I'm actually thoroughly enjoying all of 50 Words, even the track 50 Words itself - love listening to Stephen Fry's voice on headphones. Now I know the Klingon word for snow. I said at the very beginning of this thread that she's bonkers and this just proves it. I hope she keeps on being bonkers for years and years to come. Jeff
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Post by Deleted on Nov 27, 2011 18:12:17 GMT
Two ideas, domestic cleanliness and (possibly) lost love/fantasy. The washing machine acting as the metaphorical mixer of the two within a troubled mind... Crikey Chris, thats deep I'll have to listen again . . . Jeff
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Post by Deleted on Nov 27, 2011 19:06:35 GMT
Gets deeper than Persil. The first track of this album and she a bloody snowflake!!! She sees trees and fields and so on. I can't get through the whole album in one go. It must be too 'deep' for me!!! In another song, she's going on about footprints in the snow. I suppose that the 'tracks of life?' It's not my thing really. Her and Peter Gabriel get so tied up with word craft, although I think Gabriel is better at it. Sort of pontificating over the nuances of something minute, like a snowflake.....
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Post by Deleted on Nov 27, 2011 19:16:20 GMT
Please be gentle Ian, this is my dream lady we're talking about here, someone I've secretly been in love with for over twenty years
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Post by Deleted on Nov 27, 2011 19:27:57 GMT
I don't think she looks like this any more ! Attachments:
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