Sometimes I can't understand why some shows are rated "EX" by reviewers...

Jeez i'm listening to CD 2 of 4DF's remastered Open Sessions. Better than the original release but still an awful audience recording

I'm not blaming anyone, it is what it is... but i find it hard to listen to these kind of recordings nowadays

I have downloaded things (usually not Prince) that have an EX+ rating, and found them to be VG+ at best.

It works the other way too, some VG+ or EX ratings I have found to be more like EX+.

I have found that in general, I agree with most sound quality ratings.

I guess it's all down to personal preference, the sound quality ratings are there as a guide, not as a definitive thing imo.

I rarely agree with people's assessments of audience recordings and, thus, I don't really collect them anymore. Here and there, I will check something out that gets a lot of buzz, but I just seem to be disappointed more often than not. I don't like audience recordings that aren't nigh-perfect (think The Park).

[Edited 5/9/11 11:53am]

[Edited 5/9/11 11:57am]

Probs seding msgs here on the org:

Try again:

I agree Spinlight - I often d/load audience recordings to get a flavour for new arrangements for songs. Reserve 'keeps' status to likes of BOC, First Avenue '84 - From The Soundboard etc

Ex still doesn't mean perfect quality. I have heard ex fan recordings and they still sucked to my trained ears...lol

Ex just means it sounds perfect for what it is.

2freaky4church1 said:

Ex still doesn't mean perfect quality. I have heard ex fan recordings and they still sucked to my trained ears...lol

Ex just means it sounds perfect for what it is.

Ex = Excellent

There's nothing excellent about many of the shows supposedly rated "EX"...

Exactly what I said.

EX used to mean SOUNDBOARD.

Spinlight said:

2freaky4church1 said:

Ex still doesn't mean perfect quality. I have heard ex fan recordings and they still sucked to my trained ears...lol

Ex just means it sounds perfect for what it is.

Ex = Excellent

There's nothing excellent about many of the shows supposedly rated "EX"...

I totally agree!

2freaky4church1 said:

Exactly what I said.

Lay off the rocks.

Spinlight said:

I rarely agree with people's assessments of audience recordings and, thus, I don't really collect them anymore. Here and there, I will check something out that gets a lot of buzz, but I just seem to be disappointed more often than not. I don't like audience recordings that aren't nigh-perfect (think The Park).

I'm the same way. It's been a long time since I've been able to listen to most auidence recordings.

I think audience recordings are an acquired taste. I remember the first time I heard an audience recording (which was rated as EX), and I thought "how in the hell can people listen to this stuff??". Since I have a strong appetite for live material, though, I learned to like and appreciate them. That said, I still don't bother with recordings rated below VG+.

Kara said:

I think audience recordings are an acquired taste. I remember the first time I heard an audience recording (which was rated as EX), and I thought "how in the hell can people listen to this stuff??". Since I have a strong appetite for live material, though, I learned to like and appreciate them. That said, I still don't bother with recordings rated below VG+.

Agree. Whilst todays boots are so much better than some of the crap I used to hunt down from record fairs and markets years ago, I just cannot do audience recordings anymore. Especially when throughout the show you can hear them same guy shouting out "Woah! - Go Prince - You Da Man" etc etc

It's soundboard or nothing for me these days.

AUD EX

and

SBD EX

are 2 different things

TrevorAyer said:

AUD EX

and

SBD EX

are 2 different things

LOL, that may be the case but there are still audience recordings simply listed "Ex" because the publishers trump up the quality.

Can't tell ya how many of the 20TEN shows got labeled "ex" and they sound shitty. But this goes for any tour, any performance. If it is labeled excellent, it better fuckin be excellent.

TrevorAyer said:

AUD EX

and

SBD EX

are 2 different things

I remember when an audience recording could only be listed as VG. Only soundboards seemed to hit that EX (or studio outtakes at full frequency).

Now with some of these really good portable recorders and the sometimes perfect sound at a live concert sweetspot, there are some very good audience recordings that even preserve the stereo spacing of the show.