Mothership

[BlackandGold]

I was considering purchasing the complete studio recordings however now I am more confused than ever. I already own the remastered 4 disk set from 1990, and several of the studio albums on cd ( have no idea if they are remastered or not). Not to mention all of the albums on vinyl.

I wasn't planning on purchasing Mothership since I don't want another greatest hits album, I want all of the studio recordings on cd.

Sooo....Does it make better sense to purchase the existing complete studio recordings, wait for the complete remastered set that is anticipated to be available in 2008, or just fill in the gaps with the cd's I already have?

[mrkelp]

I was considering purchasing the complete studio recordings however now I am more confused than ever. I already own the remastered 4 disk set from 1990, and several of the studio albums on cd ( have no idea if they are remastered or not). Not to mention all of the albums on vinyl.

I wasn't planning on purchasing Mothership since I don't want another greatest hits album, I want all of the studio recordings on cd.

Sooo....Does it make better sense to purchase the existing complete studio recordings, wait for the complete remastered set that is anticipated to be available in 2008, or just fill in the gaps with the cd's I already have?

It seems like buying Zep CD's is like buying computers, it's up to date for a while, then it's hopelessly out of style. (Bad wording, but, it's late "in the evening", sorry)

[kirchzep27]

There is no big deal...-page/plant/jones put this material out now, either buy it and listen to it or don't. I would rather hear the albums in a different light if their released like that for the digital age, you can always go back and listen to 90 remasters or vinyl records.

[Del Zeppnile]

I find it unfortunate that a band that practically wrote the book on 'album oriented' releases has released yet another 'best of' compilation.

I listened to Mothership and found it way too compressed. Mostly made for a generation of iPod users and people who can stand listening to internet streams and sattelite broadcasts. An entire generation of Zep fans who probably don't even own a turntable or have much less even heard a vinyl recording.

Very sad.

[SteveAJones]

I wonder if the -never/before/heard- sounds we tend to hear on new remasters are REALLY there or are they only a figment of our MUSICAL imagination! Would anyone here recommend Mothership to any LZ newbie who does not have any remasters of the band?

Rob

The differences are there; Kevin Shirley has confessed to tweaking and editing.

I got started with the first and second albums and I'm glad I did because I

could really appreciate how the band evolved from '68 to '80. Having said that,

today's newbies got to start somewhere and obviously the band believe that

Mothership is a good choice.

[Laughter]

if you ask me it's just a corporate move.

[guitarmy]

I find it unfortunate that a band that practically wrote the book on 'album oriented' releases has released yet another 'best of' compilation.

I listened to Mothership and found it way too compressed. Mostly made for a generation of iPod users and people who can stand listening to internet streams and sattelite broadcasts. An entire generation of Zep fans who probably don't even own a turntable or have much less even heard a vinyl recording.

Very sad.

Sad? How is that?

So you're going to fault these people for being born in an era in which turntables and vinyl records are out of date?

I think the format that the young crowd listens on is hardly a problem. It's only an issue for you because you've obviously experienced something else.

Well these kids haven't, and so it's not an issue to them.

The real issue is the crap that they listen to.

I'm not talking about the stereotypical rant about how young people listen to crap; I'm talking about it being crap because it isn't put together well and the only thing thought out is how much money a company can make by signing an artist.

So yeah, with Led Zeppelin's current "new" releases, the positive fact is that these new people will have more immediate access to quality material.

God forbid it should inspire any of them to write/develop quality music!

God forbid them to enjoy it!

Rock isn't going to survive by shunning the new generations of people being introduced to this stuff for the first time.

These people should be encouraged, and who cares how much money it makes Led Zeppelin or Atlantic or whoever gets the money.

Rock is dying, especially the guitar driven rock that Led Zeppelin is famous for. The world needs a wake-up call and that's what I think these recent releases are really about.

The timing is perfect, and if the world pays attention on December 10th then maybe there is hope for Rock and Roll.

Edited November 25, 2007 by guitarmy

[condemned]

I think the mix on this compilation was catered more towards those like you rather than the people who will run crying and screaming to their record players to play their Japanese pressings of the Zeppelin albums (not to say that's a bad thing, I do it too).

The mix is the same. They just compressed the shit out of it in order to raise the volume to ridiculous levels.

[marvindj]

maybe this has been mentioned before, but its Sunday and i'm a lazy beggar. However is anyone else of the opinion that whilst the packaging looks great, its actually ruining the discs themselves. Getting them in and out of the very tight storage is scratching and scraping the discs. I've actually taken mine out permanently, ripped the discs to my PC(therein lies compression issues) and put the discs into paper covers. Otherwise they are going to get ruined. my disc 2 was marked as soon as i took off the wrapper and the DVD wont even play in my PC, although its fine on my standard player.

Anyone else have same problem?

[kirchzep27]

The packaging does take alittle while to get used to. The paper is glossy on the back side and a flat surface on the front, so you have to put the discs in the right way and they shouldnt get scratched. Also those paper hinges loosen up a bit after awhile and its easier to get the discs out of the sleeves. On -tsrts i put the booklet back in spine down, because it wasnt fitting back in, wide ways.

[Laute]

sorry if i'm going to repeat something, i didnt read all replies...

what do you think about the forthcoming vinyl edition of MOTHERSHIP...?? worth waiting/buying??

[Darth Zoso]

maybe this has been mentioned before, but its Sunday and i'm a lazy beggar. However is anyone else of the opinion that whilst the packaging looks great, its actually ruining the discs themselves. Getting them in and out of the very tight storage is scratching and scraping the discs. I've actually taken mine out permanently, ripped the discs to my PC(therein lies compression issues) and put the discs into paper covers. Otherwise they are going to get ruined. my disc 2 was marked as soon as i took off the wrapper and the DVD wont even play in my PC, although its fine on my standard player.

Anyone else have same problem?

My discs work in all of my players BUT yes, the packaging is nice but not very disc friendly. We will probably get a lot of surface scratches but nothing that will make the discs skip. Did anyone purchase the "regular" version? I love that heavy duty jewel case and artwork they are using. The industry should switch to these jewel cases. How does the inside of these jewel cases look?

[desirezep]

I have loved zeppelin nearly all my life, and have collected everything zeppelin released,so yes I am getting Mothership and the DVD fro christmas according to my daughters.............

[GetTheLedOut]

My discs work in all of my players BUT yes, the packaging is nice but not very disc friendly. We will probably get a lot of surface scratches but nothing that will make the discs skip. Did anyone purchase the "regular" version? I love that heavy duty jewel case and artwork they are using. The industry should switch to these jewel cases. How does the inside of these jewel cases look?

I know exactly which cases you're referring to. Not all the basic 2 CD versions of the album were in the "heavy duty" cases, though. The cases look kind of funny, but from the inside they protect the discs just as well as the regular jewel cases.

[Darth Zoso]

I know exactly which cases you're referring to. Not all the basic 2 CD versions of the album were in the "heavy duty" cases, though. The cases look kind of funny, but from the inside they protect the discs just as well as the regular jewel cases.

Does anyone have pics of the "jewel case" version and its contents?

[zero]

I don't mean to sound nasty, but I personally think that this Mothership is pointless. Even though it can be justified, I have always had a reeally hard time understanding why they even did those first remasters, when Zep was all about wanting people to hear each album in their proper order, thus were reluctant to release singles, and all that. So yet ANOTHER remaster really boggles my mind. Money grab? I don't know, I can't say that. But I won't be buying it. TSRTS, on the other hand... hells yeah!!

endless " hits" repackaging is for promotion and to keep the material out there for new people. for example, every time a greatest hits package is released copies are sent out to radio stations which in turn spin it. also adverts are plastered everywhere for new releases and carts with the product are placed in the middle of music stores for the passing eye of new people. the whole point is keeping your brand "out there" and on the front burner. not so much to trick people who already have 10 different pressings of the same material.

if someone already owns the songs it's their fault if they rebuy it again. as far as remasters go. you're not going to find better remastered sound on cd than the 1990's remasters. if you want better buy the vinyl reissues.

Edited November 26, 2007 by zero

[euro]

endless " hits" repackaging is for promotion and to keep the material out there for new people. for example, every time a greatest hits package is released copies are sent out to radio stations which in turn spin it. also adverts are plastered everywhere for new releases and carts with the product are placed in the middle of music stores for the passing eye of new people. the whole point is keeping your brand "out there" and on the front burner. not so much to trick people who already have 10 different pressings of the same material.

if someone already owns the songs it's their fault if they rebuy it again. as far as remasters go. you're not going to find better remastered sound on cd than the 1990's remasters. if you want better buy the vinyl reissues.

Then again it is not like you have to break the bank if you do buy mothership.At worst you throw away like $12.00

Edited November 26, 2007 by euro

[rockthing]

Interesting information.

Thanks everyone.

I only recently started using my ipod.

I actually find the extra volume on HTWWW to be a little annoying when I experiment

with the shuffle setting. I have to turn it down some since I've already set the volume to

an appropriate level for my ears.

I was a bit disappointed by the Early Days/Latter Days releases, but bought Latter Days

while traveling in Beijing just because it had all the song titles translated into Chinese.

I got the 4disk box set. Had to have the unreleased tunes.

I still haven't got the 'best of the rest' box set, despite the unreleased song.

I was not overly excited about the release of Mothership, but

on the other hand, as some have already said, a nice compilation is a good start

for new fans.

My first Zeppelin purchase was TSRTS soundtrack after seeing the movie in the mid-80s.

Then I said to myself, well, Whole Lotta Love, Heartbreaker and Moby Dick are amazing tunes,

so my next cassette was LZ-II. Simple as that.

(imagine my surprise, however to find no Boogie Chillun interlude in WLL!)

So having this kind of compilation will be a good start for many.

It shouldn't be knocked too hard, I think.

[Electrophile]

I bought it, simply because I lost my copy of Early Days/Latter Days. Otherwise I wouldn't have. I love the packaging......very stark.

[SIBLY]

Got my free Mothership this morning and it sounds fabulous. It does leap from the speakers at you.

The average fan listening on an average system will love it amd not notice some of the technical stuff mentioned in this thread.

Get out and buy it, it'll rock your socks off!

[ludwig]

Look, new techniques don't always mean that the remixes will sound better.

In a lot of cases they can though. Personally, I think you have to take them as separate entities. Certainly when I listened to Mothership on MP3 on my wee portable player, I noticed a difference, and I can't honestly say that it wasn't for the worst. I think the new mixing has added a freshness to the sound (or maybe I was just imagining it!!).

As for the folk that think that audio has been lost? Get real!!!!!

Do you know anyhting about compression in any forms? the very nature of compression is that it gets rid of the stuff you don't want to hear, and adds a boost to what you do want to hear! (I'm not saying however that is how it works in a phyiscs sense but that's what it seems like to your ears). Even before you get to the stage of actually doing a mix of a track compressors are used all over the shop even on old vintage albums. Some of the most expensive vintage audio gear arer compresors for god sake!!!

the ultimate question is whether you think it SOUNDS good, not if there's bits missing etc etc.

I haven't however got my dirty mitts on the mothership CD yet to give it the once over at home with my awesome Sony headphones to see what REALLY has been done to it, but my initial thoughts are quite positive. Without doubt I picked up on stuff happening in No Quarter that I didn't notice before. I think it's added something to it for sure. (Even though some people think it's taken something away!!!) Lol.

What I want to know is when is the whole shebang being released with these new rerubs!!!

I want to hear IMTOD and the like given this treatment!!!

Edited November 30, 2007 by ludwig

[euro]

Sounds Great

And they are practically giving it away

[gperkins151]

I just compared Ramble On on another thread (94 remaster and Mothership). Here's what I hear:

Ok, I just compared the first 2 minutes of Ramble On.

Results:

Mothership sounds too loud (am I too old?) and too tinny, especially when the song kicks in for the chorus. It seems like you get closer to the music, but I am doubtful if that comes at a cost.

The 94 Remaster - Sounds much more natural, still plenty of kick IMO and I can't say I ever thought that the remastered levels were too low, in fact they seem pushed to distortion. I guess that's the sound Jimmy wanted. It just took me awhile to get used to and now I love it, though I certainly don't listen in the same way that I listen to my Pink Floyd CDs.

Will compare another song soon and I look forward to other people's ideas.

[Diego]

Well, I bought it and, in my case, there's just one problem: "The Ocean" is listed in the DVD but it's not there. Everything else (except the cutting of Moby Dick and Dazed & Confused)

[kirchzep27]

I like the flow of -the song reamains the same into -over the hills... sounds good.