Black Sabbath - Vol. 4 Super Deluxe Edition (with some Steven Wilson mixes) Feb 12th, 2021

[Tres Discrete]

Wasn't impressed with the remastered stereo in the Paranoid box - it was heavily compressed. I don't expect much from the remaster here.

As for the rest, it might be interesting - at around half the price! Right now it's at £25 a CD. At that rate, there's no way I'm in.

$59.98 pre-order on the Rhino US site...not sure how that would work out for you with shipping or if Rhino has a UK site...best of luck

 

[Clint Eastwood]

2 things I never thought I would see in the same sentence..Black Sabbath and Steven Wilson...in my optimistic world this opens up everything...bands I never thought might employ him are now on my imaginary table..this is as far from the prog world as you can get as someone on here always says...HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL

 

[GOS]

2 things I never thought I would see in the same sentence..Black Sabbath and Steven Wilson...in my optimistic world this opens up everything...bands I never thought might employ him are now on my imaginary table..this is as far from the prog world as you can get as someone on here always says...HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL

I have to say the first thing that popped into my head....

That is a big no shit bro.

 

[knifeman]

I thought that Paranoid remaster was an insulting volume war special as well. It turns out Black Sabbath is very challenging to collect for best fidelity copies! There's a multi album set on HDTracks in 24/96 that might be the very worst bludgeoned volume war hash I've heard. Steer clear of that too. There are a collection of two disc CD releases with the 2nd CD of bonus material. Volume war nastiness!

Am I surprised the multitracks are missing? Hardly. Still sucks to hear about it in this context (SW on board and all). FUCK! You know?

Sabbath Bloody Sabbath would be a treat all right. Steve Wilson is already familiar with mixing Rick Wakeman.

I'll take everything from s/t to Sabotage please and thank you!

Agreed. I wasn't overly impressed with the Rhino Black Box set of years ago, from a fidelity standpoint. I also have the Castle releases of Paranoid and Master of Reality. I'll have to listen to these again, but I remember preferring these to the box set. Too bad the multi-tracks couldn't be located for this, as it's probably my favorite Sabbath record. Hopefully, they can be found for some of the other albums. I'll take anything up to and including Sabbath Bloody Sabbath.

 

[marpow]

2 things I never thought I would see in the same sentence..Black Sabbath and Steven Wilson...in my optimistic world this opens up everything...bands I never thought might employ him are now on my imaginary table..this is as far from the prog world as you can get as someone on here always says...HOPE SPRINGS ETERNAL

Which brings me to the question, and I ask this based on previous posts on this thread about lousy sound possibly with this release.
The fact that Steven Wilson is remixing this in stereo, does that not insure that this will be the best version ever of Vol 4?
It does not seem reasonable to assume this will be a shitty version.
I am going on a pre order assumption that this will be the best version.
I don't own a turntable, but if I did I certainly wouldn't hesitate on buying the LP package.

 

[GOS]

Which brings me to the question, and I ask this based on previous posts on this thread about lousy sound possibly with this release.
The fact that Steven Wilson is remixing this in stereo, does that not insure that this will be the best version ever of Vol 4?
It does not seem reasonable to assume this will be a shitty version.
I am going on a pre order assumption that this will be the best version.
I don't own a turntable, but if I did I certainly wouldn't hesitate on buying the LP package.

Wilson is not remixing the original album. Only the alternate takes, per se. I think

 

[knifeman]

Which brings me to the question, and I ask this based on previous posts on this thread about lousy sound possibly with this release.
The fact that Steven Wilson is remixing this in stereo, does that not insure that this will be the best version ever of Vol 4?
It does not seem reasonable to assume this will be a shitty version.
I am going on a pre order assumption that this will be the best version.
I don't own a turntable, but if I did I certainly wouldn't hesitate on buying the LP package.

I'm not getting that from his Facebook post. Unless I'm missing something, the original album will only be remastered.

 

[GOS]

And......

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHN OSBOURNE! Long live the wild man....

 

[timbre4]

Wilson is not remixing the original album. Only the alternate takes, per se. I think

I believe that's the best description of what's happening here. While SW doesn't have the multi-tracks to actually remix the actual album (that would be amazing) he has agreed to assist with the other bits to put them in good shape for this ambitious package. Don't forget his skills as an archivist - just look at all the extra tracks he pulls together from what he's presented with on catalog projects like Jethro Tull. This seems like a similar task.

 

[LuvMyQuad]

I'm not getting that from his Facebook post. Unless I'm missing something, the original album will only be remastered.

And that re-mastering will likely not be done by Wilson.

 

[Sal1950]

Yup, and we wonder why the tapes are missing...

I got stoned and I lost them. LOL
Sorry all, if there's no multich mixes I'll keep my wallet closed on this one. I got way more Sabbath than I need already.

 

[MoB1]

From Steven Wilson’s Instagram page...

[...]The tapes for the actual album could not be located for remixing, but several session reels were found.

 

[Plan9]

I am just speaking for myself, but I read a lot of threads and various releases come out, or are in pre order mode as in this Black Sabbath, I notice sometimes the music gets slammed for not having whatever, low DR values, poor mastering, brickwalled, etc, which I respect the poster saying what they want, but it would be nice to hear, what is good.
Does the poster have any experience with a good release, CD, LP, what year, etc?
It would be nice for someone like me who has not listened to every version of everything.
Heck, I have listened to quite a few MP3's from my phone and still had a blast.

Best-sounding versions of this album in digital so far are either the 2009 CD remaster, or the 2012 SHM-SACD (single layer only) from Japan.

Avoid the so-called 2004 "Black Box" and 2012/2016 remasters.

 

[marpow]

Best-sounding versions of this album in digital so far are either the 2009 CD remaster, or the 2012 SHM-SACD (single layer only) from Japan.

Avoid the so-called 2004 "Black Box" and 2012/2016 remasters.

Awesome, thank you.

 

[mlrocker]

I'll wait for AI to figure out how to isolate every instrument from any album. That should be shortly considering AI news lately...

 

[J. PUPSTER]

I'll wait for AI to figure out how to isolate every instrument from any album. That should be shortly considering AI news lately...

OK, which AI news, yeah I guess we are talking Ozzy here?

 

[marpow]

The SHM SACD's of the Black Sabbath's as I already knew are out of print, but just for the hell of it I thought lets try to find one. They are evoparated, gone, I think I found one on Discogs for $199.00. It is rare for any release to be not for sale. Got to wait for the grand Kids to find these and they sell them for a buck.
I was able to find a 2009 Vol 4 CD for $13.00, got that, it will be fun to compare to what I have and the upcoming box set.

 

[Plan9]

The SHM SACD's of the Black Sabbath's as I already knew are out of print, but just for the hell of it I thought lets try to find one. They are evoparated, gone, I think I found one on Discogs for $199.00. It is rare for any release to be not for sale. Got to wait for the grand Kids to find these and they sell them for a buck.
I was able to find a 2009 Vol 4 CD for $13.00, got that, it will be fun to compare to what I have and the upcoming box set.

Yeah sadly the Sabbath SHM-SACDs which are mostly the best versions, were very limited one-off pressings.
But the 2009 remasters are close! especially Master Of Reality if you haven't got it.

 

[H.A.L.]

Best-sounding versions of this album in digital so far are either the 2009 CD remaster, or the 2012 SHM-SACD (single layer only) from Japan.

Avoid the so-called 2004 "Black Box" and 2012/2016 remasters.

I'll definitely vouch for the Japanese SHM-SACD! Awesome. I should get the MOR one, too, but as I recall, even the vinyl original was sludgy at best.

 

[Clint Eastwood]

Seeing Steven working on this release makes me day dream about his golden touch on the Led Zep catalog...of course someone would have to kidnap Jimmy Page for this to work