Iceman's all mattering review of the new New Jersey

Good review! I'd have to listen again closely, but are you sure that the vocal takes on Judgement day etc. are different than the previously leaked versions? I'm not so sure, I think it just sounds different because we now hear all those little nuances that were missing due to the poor transfer or in the old mix before...

Also on Full Moon High, I find the bass a little distracting and way too high in the mix, especially in the chorus. As someone who knows his sound engineering, wouldn't you agree or do you like it that way and would've done the same? Agree about the guitar and backing vocals though, they're too low in the mix in some songs/at some points...

Could be, I haven't listened to the back to back, but I remember the vocals being stronger. But the better fidelity might reveal the flaws better as well.

Now that I listen to it on better speakers (the review was done with headphones), yeah, bass could be a little lower, and guitars louder. But the bass is the only instrument doing anything interesting, so I think that's the reason Obie's mixed it so high. But then again, bass is easy to lower with the tone controls if you want. But yeah, I'd put it a little lower and bring the guitars and backing vocals up.

Ice

Glad you agree Though I haven't tried, what bothers me is not the amount of bass in terms of sound, but that the bass line is so audible. I'm not so sure if I can tone that down, but I'll give it a shot...

It's not out here until tomorrow but I got lucky and Amazon delivered mine today. I will spend the evening wallowing in this and probably doing some comparisons.

Thanks for the review, good read. A few things, if that's ok?

OK..

- Boys are back.. Doesn't sound remixed to me, just sounds louder, which I assumed comes from the fact it's been remastered..?

- Love is war.. What new pre-chorus? I've listened to it a few times and It sounds like it always has, to me anyway?

- Lets make it baby.. You mentioned that there's no 'Suck My..' in this version and tbh, I'd never even noticed it before in the original bootleg version, Went back and listened and sure enough there it was.. Anyway, had another listen to the deluxe version and it is still there, just lower, almost hidden in the mix (At around the 5.22 mark iirc)

Thanks again for posting the review. Reading the above back, it sounds like i'm picking holes in it, but i'm really not!

To me it sound like the guitars are lower in the mix than before. But I only had the cassette version of Stairway, so it might be that.

This is the released single version. I prefer the leaked demo. This: http://youtu.be/QkcDLQ5O4Yk

I need to listen to it again.

Ice

I thought that "The Boys are Back in Town" sounded the same as well. I have the Stairway/Highway CD and a louder version is on Disc 2 of Cross Road: Deluxe Sound and Vision.

Still, great review.

It's on YouTube now

Thanks, Someone has said to me that the keys also sound higher in the mix on 'Boys Are Back..', I'm not convinced though!

I see what you mean about 'Love Is War' now, I assumed you were saying it was different to the previously released b-side version. Sorry about that.

Thanks again