Now that we have heard Walk In Glory we know that he used the 2 Nigs frantic music in the song. It goes so well...so frantic. However we also know that the sound is fantastic. I hope this means a Black Album remaster can happen...

Anything can happen if u believe

Now that we've gotten SOTT remastered (which sounds fantastic, by the way), I would LOVE to hear a "brightened up" remaster of "The Black Album". I've always thought it sounded murky. And I'm talking about the officially sanctioned 1994 CD, not the various boots.

.

And I get that the point was to make a dark, gritty, funk-tastic record. But there's still room for some sonic improvement, I think.

Funny you should bring this up. Yesterday I took the official release off my media player and replaced it with the DJ Foefur remaster. I’ve had it on my computer for ages, but last night I decided to do an A/B test and the difference is night and day. It may not be an official remaster, but it’ll certainly keep me going until we get one.

I would love a Black album remaster

I have no doubt the direction/look/vibe of the era was already in process

So it would be cool to get information from those who worked on songs as well as others in the different areas 'stylist' 'photographers' etc about what was considered for the BA project

GiggityGoo said:

Now that we've gotten SOTT remastered (which sounds fantastic, by the way), I would LOVE to hear a "brightened up" remaster of "The Black Album". I've always thought it sounded murky. And I'm talking about the officially sanctioned 1994 CD, not the various boots.

.

And I get that the point was to make a dark, gritty, funk-tastic record. But there's still room for some sonic improvement, I think.

The official release is all midrange heavy.

LoveGalore said:

i have been described as midrange heavy

lustmealways said:

databank said:

lustmealways said:

i have been described as midrange heavy

My girlfriend sometimes says that I'm brickwalled.

My wife says there are two things about me that annoy her. One is that I don't listen, and the second is some shit I can't remember.

SquirrelMeat said:

databank said:

A Lovesexy/Black Album deluxe would be really cool. I am imagining it in my head now, the 2 CD version can have Lovesexy's front cover and the back could be all black, sort of like a yin/yang set

RODSERLING said:

Neither WB nor Sony own TBA. So I wouldn t hold my breath on it.

Try. See if it helps.

nothing wrong with the sound on it.

some ppl just want everything to sound like it was released yesterday lol.

id like alternate versions though. some good liner notes. were other songs recorded for sheilas bday party?

id also like it released without a big book.

[Edited 10/3/20 3:14am]

I'm not an audiophile in the least. For example, when people complain about the sound quality of the original Sign O' the Times master I have no idea what they're talking about. I think it sounds great.

But with that said, even I can tell the Black Album sounds terrible. Murky is a good word for it. It sounds like it's playing through gauze.

My first copy of it was a bootleg. I assumed it sounded terrible because it was a multi-generations old (i.e. a-copy-of-a-copy-of-a-copy-of-a-copy-of-a-copy).

When it was officially release by Warner Bros. in 1994 I was super excited because I assumed I'd be getting a much better quality version. Imagine my disappointment when I started the CD and it sounded just as murky and muddled as my bootleg.

In fact, the Black Album is the only Prince album that sounds bad (in terms of audio quality) to my admittledly inferior ear.

no idea how this can be described as murky.

murky is something like early rolling stones recordings.

or hendrix 4 track demos.

the black album is fine for an album recorded in the late 80s.

JoeyCococo said:

Now that we have heard Walk In Glory we know that he used the 2 Nigs frantic music in the song. It goes so well...so frantic. However we also know that the sound is fantastic. I hope this means a Black Album remaster can happen...

Yeah, bring it on I say! If they can make that one sound as good as this SOTT remaster I would be a very happy man.

RJOrion said:

RODSERLING said:

Neither WB nor Sony own TBA. So I wouldn t hold my breath on it.

Who does?

leecaldon said:

RODSERLING said:

Neither WB nor Sony own TBA. So I wouldn t hold my breath on it.

Who does?

Neither WB nor Sony own anything. They have distribution deals.

The Estate owns everything, including TBA, but it appears neitehr label has a distribution deal for it. It's up to the Estate to solve this.

funkbabyandthebabysitters said:

no idea how this can be described as murky.

murky is something like early rolling stones recordings.

or hendrix 4 track demos.

the black album is fine for an album recorded in the late 80s.

My longstanding theory is everyone has a problem with the "CD masters" when it's really how they were recorded/produced.

I read a great Hoffman forums audio review where it was like "eh I thought the remaster lacked in certain spots then I put on the originals and realized those spots were already present in every prior release..." I think it's because he liked to push those kickdrums as high as possible in the mix and then actual basslines are low as possible...

"Spooky Electric" won't allow it...

databank said:

paisleypark4 said:

databank said:

Neither WB nor Sony own anything. They have distribution deals.

The Estate owns everything, including TBA, but it appears neitehr label has a distribution deal for it. It's up to the Estate to solve this.

Doesn't make sense as to why it is not streaming either though. It was but got removed for no reason.

IDK whay Tidal removed it. My understanding is that it was only there, right? It was there because Prince put it there. What we'd need to see is a screenshot to see if it said NPG under exclusive licence to WB or just NPG.

I'd assume WB maintained a distribution exclusivity over it as with the rest, but that unlike the rest they didn't have the rights to rerelease it by themselves because the 1994 deal was a one-off deal. But the press release says 12 albums, including QUOTE “Prince” (1979), “Dirty Mind” (1980), “Controversy” (1981), “1999” (1982), “Around the World in a Day” (1985), “Sign ‘O’ The Times” (1987), “Lovesexy” (1988), “Diamonds and Pearls” (1991) and “[Love Symbol]” (1992), and “much more” UNQUOTE.

That's 9, so the last 3 are probably For You, Come and TVOF4S. Where is TBA? Is it part of "much more"?

funkbabyandthebabysitters said:

no idea how this can be described as murky.

murky is something like early rolling stones recordings.

or hendrix 4 track demos.

the black album is fine for an album recorded in the late 80s.

It doesn't sound (on vinyl) like Parade, or SOTT, of Lovesexy. It's all midrange heavy. It doesn't sound anything like a typical late 80's master. But it must have been intentional at the time.

[Edited 10/4/20 8:47am]

WhisperingDandelions said:

ForceofNature said:

A Lovesexy/Black Album deluxe would be really cool. I am imagining it in my head now, the 2 CD version can have Lovesexy's front cover and the back could be all black, sort of like a yin/yang set

I like this idea!