I love vintage Leon (Shelter People particularly) and "in the day" never had the live album (did see him in 73). So recently bought the Leon Live vinyl from a bin somewhere, excited. It is a terrible mix just like you said.

Leon Live was remastered in 1996 a few years after the original CD version came out. I don't know how much of a difference the sound is because I don't have the original CD version. I think the 1996 release is ok, but could be better.

The Van Hagar albums could all use a good remaster as those sound really thin on CD.

I have stated before, I would love someone to go in and remix/remaster/rerecord a lot of Steve Winwood's solo work. The songs are there, but the 80's production kills it for me.

Some of Gregg Allman & Dickey Betts' solo work could use a polishing. I'm thinking of Pattern Disruptive, and Gregg Allman Tour as being the ones that jump out at me.

I guessing Prince's catalog will get a new shine over the next few years. Apparently when he got his masters back from Warner in his most recent deal, part of the deal was to remaster and do deluxe editions of his back catalog.

As long as the remastering is done well, I'm all for it. However there are many instances where they have butchered the sound just to make it louder.

Close to the Edge

Masters of Reality

For anyone unaware yet, MFSL is where to find incredible remasters, they have done real magic with the ABB catalog :

http://www.mofi.com/

Allman Brothers Band albums that need remastering:
First Album 1969 to include demos
Win, Lose Or Draw 1975
Enlightened Rogues 1979
Dreams Box set 1989

Gregg Allman albums that need remastering:
I'm No Angel 1987
Just Before The Bullets Fly 1988

Charlie Daniels Band albums that need remastering:
Charlie Daniels' first album 1970
Te John Grease And Wolfman needs to be repackaged to replicate the original album. The reissue on Wounded Bird records sounds fine, but the packaging stinks!
Honey In The Rock: Same as above (it is packaged as Uneasy Rider on Wounded Bird Records)
Way Down Yonder: Same as above (it is packaged as Whiskey on Wounded Bird Records)
Fire On The Mountain - 1974
Saddle Tramp - 1976
High Lonesome - 1976
Full Moon - 1980
Windows 1982
Me And The Boys - 1984

I'm sure there are others that do, but these are what comes to mind.

Black Sabbath Live Evil needs it in a big way.

Tommy Bolin's solo discs.

Also, James Gang Live In Concert.

Hasn't Teaser been remastered/remixed several times in recent years?

Miles Davis's Kind of Blue - Columbia Masterpiece Addition or whatever the current available edition of the last 15 of 20 years has been.

Miles' trumpet is so much more prominent than the other instruments that your choice is either hear Miles and almost no one else or turn it up to hear the band and deal with miles being twice as loud as the rest. Not a good mix for one of the most soothing albums of all time.

War Eagle RK, they did tweak or 're-tweak "Teaser," but IMHO it needs another run through. It may be my ears or my stereo, but it doesn't sound like the LP.

Most of the older crowd at least, like me, know of older records that just never got remastered for whatever reason. You know, great records that kind of slipped through the cracks over time.
People got talking about Leon Russell recently in the TTB thread that I started. And that got me on a mental subject that's been on my mind for quite some time:

For me anyway, Leon Russell's "Leon Live" is one of the greatest rock and roll records ever recorded. Originally released on vinyl as a "double album", to my knowledge it's an entire Leon show recorded at The Long Beach Arena which I believe is now a defunct venue. Year recorded if I'm not mistaken was 1972.

[Edited on 5/2/2016 by robslob]

The Long Beach Arena is still alive and well. They don't have concerts there like they used to back in the day. If that show was from 1972, I may have been there. Had seats in the nose bleed section but had a great time.

Leon Live was remastered in 1996 a few years after the original CD version came out. I don't know how much of a difference the sound is because I don't have the original CD version. I think the 1996 release is ok, but could be better.

As long as the remastering is done well, I'm all for it. However there are many instances where they have butchered the sound just to make it louder.

The vinyl 3-LP set still sounds good on my stereo -- live ones like it, Welcome to the Canteen, Live At Leeds, early Tucker, some others -- to my ears they're Supposed to have that raw raunchy concert sound -- BOA's Raunch n Rolll Live for instance -- produced by Tom Dowd & a real live feel

IMO remastering is unnecessary for the most part, especially now that they're talking about remastering Prince's entire catalog -- that amounts to a money grab IMO, he wouldn't have released anything that didn't sound just right

the 20th-anniversary D&the Ds 3-CD box set reissue from 1990 included good liner-note info on its remastering process -- a minimalist approach was taken -- same the YDLM/Soul Serenade on the ABB Dreams box from around the same time -- all it says is, "remixed by...."so and so -- as you said it can be overdone/unnecessary, esp on studio albums

the original remix on Ludlow Garage, also from the early 90s, was about the best they could do given the source tape -- no big difference jumps out at me, thankfully -- pretty much the same Capricorn's CD release, w/the then-cutting edge 22-bit remaster process, of Beginnings....only if I really listen

[Edited on 5/3/2016 by Stephen]

Some of Gregg Allman & Dickey Betts' solo work could use a polishing. I'm thinking of Pattern Disruptive, and Gregg Allman Tour as being the ones that jump out at me.

Not sure what versions you have, but the 2001 remaster of The Gregg Allman Tour (and Highway Call) sounds pretty good to my ears. If you have the 1990s polydor, it's worth upgrading.

The 1970s Great Southern albums do sound pretty soft, not a lot of separation in the mix.

Probably not many fans on here, but Husker Du's entire catalog sounds pretty bad on CD.

Cowboy Junkies?

Dreams Box set 1989

Huh. Really? Why do you think that? I feel that release is great. And I have it on vinyl, CD & cassette (that one took me a long time to find ).

Agreed Lee, I love that release too & have the 6-LP version -- didn't really post that too clearly -- the more minimalist the remastering approach, the better I like I guess -- still the Dreams version of YDLM/Soul Serenade didn't sound too much better than my cassette boot 😮 😮

hearing BO play on Little Martha for the first time was very amazing -- nice mix of stuff on the Dreams box

Close to the Edge

I'm quite enjoying the Steven Wilson remaster/remix. The clarity is stunning.

http://soundbard.com/total-5-1-mass-retain-steven-wilson-on-mixing-yes-close-to-the-edge-in-surround-sound/

Blooby

[Edited on 5/3/2016 by Blooby]

I thought Adele's newest effort was mixed badly. At least the copy my wife downloaded.

Probably not many fans on here, but Husker Du's entire catalog sounds pretty bad on CD. 
 

Loooooove Hüsker Dü!... but yes a major remastering job is needed.

Probably not many fans on here, but Husker Du's entire catalog sounds pretty bad on CD. 
 

Loooooove Hüsker Dü!... but yes a major remastering job is needed.

Good call! Love their wall of sound. That's the Minneapolis sound to these ears.

Steely Dan Can't buy a Thrill
Return to Forever Where Have I know you Before
Rare Earth Live
All in either SACD or DVD Audio

Dave Mason's Certified Live

A truly great live album made almost unlistenable by an never-updated analog-to-CD conversion that's shrill and thin. Sad!

i might be in the minority here but there's some great 60's mono albums that i would love to see remastered and re-released including some of the early stones and kinks albums and the first 2 doors records.

As long as the remastering is done well, I'm all for it. However there are many instances where they have butchered the sound just to make it louder.

yes indeed.... using modern compression techniques they can amp up bass, muddy middle, and amp highs and make it "punchy" (ie louder).

The education I found fascinating was the rules they use for broadcast and subsequently in how they remix old stuff. If I understand it correctly, there is only so much db window to operate in and under. Has a max. All producers want their stuff to be HEARD on radio, So they maximize the window. Crescendo's are great in the old listening world. But in this window world, they mean the main body may be reduced to allow dramatic range. You want a big fat bass and a big punchy high end. But you really want thick loud all the way through, so "dynamics" are kinda bad.

In my analog prehistoric world, I find vinyl mixes, if inferior, are most often guilty of weak bass. Rarely bad highs. And (most of the time) the old analog had great middle range stuff. I like to do a simple EQ add of some lower end when the sound bugs me when taping off vinyl if the mix is real bad. But this is also where I am a big fan of using my caveman equalizer on all vinyl playback, and I take the couple seconds to adjust if needed on each play. Standard EQ setting is always added lower end. So to me, the need for vast remixing should usually instead be minor correction, not making it sound like todays standard model.

here are a few mentioned here that have been redone by MFSL, never heard a clunker from these guys, and I have the ABB first record remastered by MFSL, and it is stellar, as are all the ABB records they have worked on:

ABB first record

Miles Davis - Kind of Blue

Cowboy Junkies - Whites Off Earth Now!