The CDs 'Diana' and 'Diana Deluxe Edition' compared

Preface:
Diana Ross attended a CHIC concert, was the sound of the group very pleased and then contacted their creative minds Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards to explore cooperation. Result was the album 'Diana', published in May 1980 and up to this day about 9 million copies (and not "only" 6 million times, as recently wrote falsely elsewhere) has sold.

About the history has already been written a lot and is known therefore that Diana Ross was the (first) results are not achieved because sounded the work as a Chic album, in which "somewhere in the background even Diana Ross sings" , Encourages the singer was in their negative assessment by the influential New York disc jockey Frankie Crocker, which they did play for the first draft of the album to review. His verdict: "(...) releasing the album in its original state would even lead to the end of her career (...)".

Since Diana's Motown-RECORDS paid the recordings and Diana Ross meanwhile made sure that she always "the last word" had their albums, they instructed her close friend, the sound engineer Russ Terrana (he had since the Supremes single 'You Keep mixed Me Hangin 'On' all recordings of Diana Ross and mastered) the analog master tapes remix, where Diana's voice was in front of the instruments and placed centrally between the two stereo channels.

This album was actually released in 1980 and - contrary to the usual practice - not promoted by a pre-single release. Radio stations and DJs rather got the whole album and were free in playing those songs that they liked best. Soon the title 'Upside Down' noted as the Fetzer for the dancefloors out, followed by 'I'm Coming Out', which struck in the gay and lesbian community with power and Diana Ross made to the LGBT icon, the up has remained today.

The two CD versions of the album:

'Diana' was released as a single CD (Motown / Polygram 530927-2) in 1998 (the legendary Motown label had become - after a further sale - MCA passed into the hands of multinationals 'Polygram') and was designed by polygrams former Star-sound engineer Kevin Reeves remastered in 24-bit processes. Result: Although very present, powerful but also extremely loud, almost "overdriven" because compressed, which leads to the known disadvantages, such Klipping and dynamics * Loss. Keyword: 'loudness war', read on Wikipedia (* the dynamics Loss sound by compressing softly Make eventually swallowed almost as loud as the loudest passages, which can lead to an unpleasant "tone sauce," the details).

'Diana' was then 2001, the 'Universal Music Group', which had in the meantime the competitors 'Polygram' bought, equipped as a luxurious and opulent double-CD (Motown / Universal 0602498604410/0602498604427), under the title 'Diana Deluxe Edition' one more time on CD released (the div. CD Pre-release, among others in the '2 All Time Great Classic Albums' series and as a standard single-CD are technically sound confidently negligible). Besides interesting bonus additions, like the rough draft of the album in the Rodgers-Edwards version and several 12-inch mixes on CD 2, this double CD but also an entirely different philosophy when it comes to 24-bit provides remastering than the aforementioned Kevin Reeves-work. Universal Music commissioned his own chief engineer Suha Gur with the remastering and had a completely different conception of the original album, as his (now also working at Universal) colleague Reeves: The Sound of Suha Gur-mix is ​​significantly softer, yet very detailed and voluminous, so probably something for sinfully expensive high-end equipment, as for the MP3-usual audience.

Besides the two songs' Upside Down 'and' I'm Coming Out 'were' My Old Piano "and" Friend to Friend "to other fan favorites. The first draft of 'Friend to Friend "(Track 11 on CD1) in this case represents an interesting alternative to the then published version.

The bonus tracks on CD2 I find particularly interesting, the alternative version of 'Love Hangover' (from the album 'Diana Ross' aka "The Black Album"), in the long, but completely different remixed version, also the longer version of 'Your Love Is So Good For Me' (from the album 'Baby It's Me'), the 12inch Mix the two combined songs 'No One Gets The Prize / The Boss' (from the album 'The Boss') and the great 12inch Mix the largest Supremes hits, as Medley (I had previously only VINYL) had the once mixed two DJs from San Francisco for the dance floor. This remix medley was finally "ennobled" and officially taken over by Motown.

Review:
I own the album in multiple versions (including in the original US 180 gram vinyl pressing) and hear the two discussed above CD versions depending on the mood differently like. But ultimately it is up to each listener own devices, whose mixing he preferred. And to drive it on the tip :-) - RHINO icon Bill Inglot, the Singles 'Upside Down' and 'I'm Coming Out' for RHINO CD-series 'The Disco Years' previously mixed completely different, much more "dry" (clear) and probably "purist"; some "sound freaks" keep Inglots stereo versions therefore for the final mixes of the two songs and my "so they have to sound".

Afterword:
That Diana Ross vaulting with this album to international super-star and other world hits such as the duet with Lionel Richie 'Endless Love', a (then record-breaking) record contract over $ 20m - sponsored by RCA Records - could not resist , is known. That she returned after a seven year absence to Motown and here among other things, again with Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards (Album 'Workin' Overtime ') worked together, is perhaps not as present, since this album flopped.

PS (whose music probably pretty much the smartest and most sophisticated, had what disco ever to offer) as large CHIC fan I have the early death of Bernard Edwards very sorry, but am looking forward to that Nile Rodgers, along with the new formation CHIC CHIC another album will release in June 2015. That I all CHIC albums (in their "definitive" CD version), as super-sounding stereo Japan possess CDs is natural for me, especially as later re-releases on CD unfortunately often presented a miserable sound that these jewels of pop Music now truly do not deserve.

Therefore, my additional tip if it should be the CHIC-original albums on CD, then try the possible Japan-versions get:
'Chic' (CD AmCy-116, Japan)
'C'est Chic' (CD AmCy-117, Japan)
'Chic Risque' (CD AmCy-118, Japan)
'Chic Real People' (CD AmCy-178, Japan)
'Chic Believer' (CD AmCy-181, Japan)
'Chic Take It Off' (CD AmCy-179, Japan)
'Tongue In Chic' (CD AmCy-180, Japan)
'Chic-ism' (Warner Bros. 9 26394-2 CD, USA)