Just how does Eric Labson keep his job?

[jillfoster]

I just purchased "Ultimate collection" by Atlantic Starr, and I got to say, it's one of the worst sounding CD's I've ever come across. I was attempting to get a collection that has BOTH " Always", and "Masterpiece" on it, and this seemed like the only one. But apprently this hack of an engineer has totally ruined all these great songs. I have never heard such a loud and brittle mess in my entire life! All of the ethereal atmosphere of their songs is just non existent in this collection. Suggestions? Am I going to have to go to the vinyl to hear these songs sound proper? I know one thing for sure... I will always check mastering engineers before I purchase again, and will not go NEAR anyhting done by him. He's CD poison.

[soulster]

Wow! Another SDF'er becoming an audiophile! I think I kind of like you after all!

I've been wondering about Erik Labson for over a decade. He screws up the initial run for "The Best Of Rufus & Chaka" by mastering a mangled tape of "Once You Get Started" which caused MCA to issue a fix. Then, he screwed up the song "Keeper Of The Castle" on the "Ultimate Four Tops" CD, and now this.

The way it was explained to me is that Labson wasn't even alive in the 70s when those songs came out. That also suggests to me that he doesn't even know the music he works on. I know mastering engineers are asked to work on all kinds of music, but shouldn't the engineer be familiar with it before he or she works on it?

As for the sound being loud and brittle, that's the way CDs are done today. All they want is LOUD, and attempts to get louder sound involves compromises, like sacrificing the "air" and space, and playing with the EQ. The music can't breathe. I understand the desire of making a louder CD, but these guys are going overboard with what is commonly referred to as "brickwalling".

Those Ultimate CDs came out in the year 2000, or so, but I haven't seen Labson's name on a CD since. The more recent CD I have of Atlantic Starr was the 20th Century Masters Millenium Collection done by Elliot Federman. It still loud, but it does sound a bit better.

[jillfoster]

How young he got to be? "Masterpiece" was 1992, I bought the cassette single, and back in 87, I also bought the single for "Always", and they sounded nothing like this CD, and they all say "Single version" in the jewel case. I think it depends on the kind of music it is, when you get into later 80's music with electronic drums and the production style, the intense compression seems to marr these records even more than usual. I find it mind boggling that between 1987 and 2000, there were NO Atlantic Starr compilation CD's. I think my best bet is to get the original CD album releases from 1987/1992, etc. and just burn my own greatest hits disc.

[soulster]

Good luck. I'm trying to find the original A&M Classics by LTD. It is the only decent-sounding CD of that band out there. Otherwise, you have to go back to the 70s vinyl. I recently did a vinyl transfer of the 1976 album and it sounds better than anything on CD. Period.