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At this point, the main unknown is whether any of the previously available material will be remastered (and if it is, whether there is a noticeable improvement in the sound).
I would very much like to know who did the digital transfers (Mike Hartry?) and the audio restoration (Bill Lacey)? These gentlemen and compilation producer Paul Williams have done excellent remasterings for RCA/BMG in the past.
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Never mind, I just discovered from theseconddisc.com that the whole set has been newly remastered by Mark Wilder, and produced by Didier Deutsch.
Here's a list of all the bonus tracks from RCA and Columbia vaults:
CD 1:
Meglio Stasera (It Had Better Be Tonight) – Fran Jeffries (from the MGM film “The Pink Panther”)
The Pink Panther – James Galway & The National Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Henry Mancini (from James Galway & Henry Mancini: In the Pink (RCA RCD1-5315, 1984)
CD 2:
Breakfast at Tiffany’s – James Galway & The National Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Henry Mancini (from James Galway & Henry Mancini: In the Pink (RCA RCD1-5315, 1984)
Charade – Henry Mancini (from The Mancini Generation, RCA LSP-4689, 1972)
CD 3:
Just for Tonight (Vocal) – Henry Mancini and His Orchestra (rec. 12/61)
Baby Elephant Walk (from James Galway & Henry Mancini: In the Pink, RCA RCD1-5315, 1984)
CD 4:
In the Arms of Love – Andy Williams (from In the Arms of Love, Columbia CS 9333, 1966)
The Second Time Around – Andy Williams (from Moon River and Other Great Movie Themes, Columbia CS 8609, 1962)
CD 5:
Whistling Away the Dark – Henry Mancini (from Mancini Plays the Theme from Love Story, RCA LSP-4466, 1971)
Darling Lili – Johnny Mathis (from Close To You, Columbia C 30210, 1970)
CD 6:
A Bluish Bag – Henry Mancini (from The Mancini Generation, RCA LSP-4689, 1972)
Dreamsville – Lola Albright with orchestra conducted by Henry Mancini (from Dreamsville, Columbia CS 8133, 1959)
CD 7:
Two for the Road – Henry Mancini and His Orchestra (from Six Hours Past Sunset, RCA LSP-4239, 1969)
CD 8:
Pie in the Face Polka (from James Galway & Henry Mancini: In the Pink, RCA RCD1-5315, 1984)
The Sweetheart Tree- Johnny Mathis (from The Sweetheart Tree, Mercury SR 21041, 1965)
Natalie – Henry Mancini (from Six Hours Past Sunset, RCA LSP-4239, 1969)
CD 9 –
Nothing to Lose – Julie Andrews (recorded 1969, previously unreleased)
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I received this in the mail from the UK and listened to some of the discs yesterday.
The discs were pressed in Germany, and the booklet is superb. The box was done with the participation of the Mancini family, with Hank's son Chris involved in the art direction (the dog-and-horn Nipper logo of "His Master's Voice" fame has been removed from all of the RCA covers, except, oddly enough, for the mini covers embossed on the back of the box). The disc mastering was done by Mark Wilder (as mentioned above) and Maria Triana (she worked on remastering some of the recent Gerhardt Classic Film Scores CDs) from Battery Mastering Studios in NY.
The sound quality is very good (I compared it to the 3-disc "Days of Wine and Roses" box set released about 15 years ago, which was also done in cooperation with Mancini's widow and daughters); they seem to sound identical although the Collection is about 2-3 db louder that the "Wine and Roses" set, which is the current trend in the so-called "loudness wars" among engineers.
The tight packaging is excellent and everything fits compactly, the miniature disc covers are slightly laminated inside and outside. You still have to be careful about the discs falling out; I don't know why the covers couldn't have inside paper liners, just like in the old LP days, to prevent the CDs from accidentally slipping out. My copy of the set arrived safely from the UK sealed and in a bubble wrap paper mailer, yet the corners were intact and the set pristine, as if right off the press.
For under $50, p&h included, no tax, no duty, and with the equivalent of 18 soundtrack LPs, plus a dozen or so bonus tracks (the Meglio Stasera is lifted from the DVD), the set is truly a bargain, had it not been for the fact that 17 of these were previously available, mostly from RCA Spain. Had the set been released 15 years ago it would truly have been a bargain.
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How does the audio quality of TWO FOR THE ROAD in the new set compare to the audio quality of the RCA Spain cd of TWO FOR THE ROAD released in 1998?
I'll give it a comparison when I have time, and get back to you in a day or two.
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How does the audio quality of TWO FOR THE ROAD in the new set compare to the audio quality of the RCA Spain cd of TWO FOR THE ROAD released in 1998?
The audio quality of the RCA Spain TWO FOR THE ROAD and the new release sound virtually identical (I compared the opening 30 seconds of several tracks). The new mastering is about 1 or 2 db quieter, and is ever so slightly dryer, leaner (less reverb perhaps). If you were going to buy the new set simply for an upgrade of TWO FOR THE ROAD, I wouldn't bother.
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"What kind of "bump" was it?"
"It was a beump on the head!"
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Posted: |
Dec 30, 2014 - 8:29 PM
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By: |
Bob Bryden
(Member)
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Just to confirm what George Komar posted, he's right on in his assessment of 'Two For the Road'. I'm working my way meticulously through the Mancini box and a/b'ing track by track with the Spanish releases plus the Japanese 'Great Race', the French 'Hatari' and 'Charade' and the Varese 'Who is Killiing...?'. I'm disappointed. I was hoping for a sizeable jump in audio quality from the Spanish releases but it looks like I won't be disposing of them yet. In fact several titles ('Darling Lili' and 'Gunn') fare much better in the Spanish releases. EQ on bass/mid/highs are almost identical on both releases with a few titles having a little more oomph on the new version (I emphasize 'little'). What's clear from some of the shrillness in the high end and the distortion present at times is that, I believe, the source for both the Spanish and new release are the same. I was hoping that there were some pristine American masters which had been sourced for the box. Looks like I'll be looking for the rest of the Japanese releases. I still have two more discs to go (four albums) and then I'll post again. Oh yes, and the track order and titles on 'Oklahoma Crude' are completely botched on the new release. I believe the Spanish track and title order is correct to the vinyl (although I no longer have the vinyl to confirm) but the new release has the titles listed in the same order - only DIFFERENT TRACKS in the wrong places! Also, the Buddha 'Pink Panther' release still has the best audio quality I've heard of any release. Those Euro-2-fers (Camden Deluxe series) sound inferior all round and the two French titles mentioned above are absolutely gorgeous. The Varese 'Who Is Killing...' is a DB or two punchier than the new release. The trouble with 'comps' is that those making them feel obliged to go for a 'uniform sound' so that nothing jumps out jarringly - I don't like this approach. I'd rather have each track or project pristine in it's original approach. It can be very crazy - i.e. on the Mancini box, the disc with 'Gunn' (1968) is coupled with 'Who is Killing...' (1975). 'Gunn' is a tough big band and combo sound while 'Killing' is fully symphonic and the scores were recorded 7 years apart with major changes in sound recording between - so rather than present each album in it's original glory, both are toned down in the interest of flowing together.
On the plus side, because the quality (while almost identical to the Spanish releases) is acceptable this set is still a great deal (at a great price) for anyone who doesn't have any or many of these titles.
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