Buttmunker

The sound quality on this live box set is very poor, and is in great need of a "reissue." This is an important box set for the following reasons:

#1 - its great
#2 - it was only the fourth album in historyto debut at Number One on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart in 1986.
#3 - it stayed at Number One for seven weeks, which was really a spectacular accomplishment considering the cost of the box-set.

Will Columbia invest the money necessary to reissue this set, you think?

***
FYI, here is the listing of album's debuting at the top of the album chart:

01: Captain Fantastic & The Brown Dirt Cowboy by Elton John (1975)

02: Rock of the Westies by Elton John (1975)

03: Songs In The Key of Life by Stevie Wonder (1976)

04: Bruce Springsteen Live 1975-1985 by Bruce Springsteen (1986)

atlantamoi

I remember getting in a yelling match over the phone with a Columbia representative because I wouldn't program that album for Auburn's campus radio station. Hey, I love Bruce (actually going tonight! woo hoo), but it didn't fit with the alt-rock we were playing.

Anyway, I don't own the CD set. The audio quality is that bad?

Buttmunker

Let's put it this way: if you play Dancing In The Dark from his Greatest Hits album (1995), then play The Promised Land from Live 1975-1985, it would sound like a whisper.

cungar

There's only so much you can do to clean up old muddy concert recordings. There's SO MUCH available Springsteen bootleg material in all ranges of quality it seems like better stuff is easily attainable.

I remember being in college in 1982 and a roommate who had about 300 Springsteen bootleg tapes. And Bruce had only been around 10 years at that point.

Hollowgen

yeah, it's really unfortunate that the CD sounds so awful. the vinyl record set sounds quite good to me. there are soooooo many bruce recordings on CD that are in desperate need of a remastering.

aintnosin

This year I'm hoping for a 30th anniversay release of "Darkness on the Edge of Town."

Superdaddy

Bruce Springsteen remasters for all of his pre-1990's output are the Holy Grail for many of his fans, but I'm among those who's beginning to make peace with the fact that they probably won't happen. Born to Run, of course, has been redone, and I'm also crossing fingers that Darkness will appear this year. The River sounds weak in its current incarnation, as does 1975-85 as has been mentioned. I'd settle if they'd just upgrade those three additional albums and be done with it.

Having relistened to his other albums of this period, I honestly don't think they sound THAT bad (although that doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement, and I'd snap up everything up to and including Tunnel of Love in a heartbeat). Even the CD of Nebraska is better than I expected (and may not ever get beyond that, considering it comes from such low-fi source material). I guess I'm just rationalizing here...

Seeing this thread gave me great nostalgia for the original relase of 1975-85. Does anyone else remember how insanely rabid the fans were for a live album that was not a bootleg in those days? People were buying out record stores' initial shipments of this within hours, or buying multiple copies, or buying CDs even if they didn't own a CD player yet. My sister bought this as a gift for me, and the store she got it from didn't have their copies in yet when they opened on release day. She had to pick it up later...and had fans who didn't get one eyeing her as if they were going to steal it!

Incidentally, that first copy was the cassette version, and I ended up taking it back since my tape deck attempted to eat it for lunch, and did the same for a second copy. I eventually settled for the vinyl, and later got the CD.

Corleone316

Darkness is pretty much confirmed to be out by the end of the year. Bruce and co. have both hinted at it.

BITUSA sounds great to me actually, but Tunnel of Love and definently The River, which sounds ugh..need a remaster.

But for Live 75-85, I highly doubt Columbia will remaster and re-release it again.

aintnosin

I know, but I'll trully believe it when I see it.

The River is currently my oldest CD. It was actually the album that prompted me to buy a CD player back in the 80s, after I wore out my fifth vinyl or cassette copy. I decided enough was enough and plunked down nearly $300 for my first CD player and a copy of The River.

I'd be more interested in releases of more complete shows from that period. I'd love a Winterland or Roxy CD to accompany the Darkness release.

Corleone316

That would be very cool indeed like Hammersmith Odeon in 1975 for the BTR boxset. I hope they do something like that.

Superdaddy

Loved the Hammersmith show included with the Born to Run remastered set. I would jump all over a Darkness set along the same lines.

aintnosin

The big question is where there any concerts filmed for the Darkness tour. There have been two videos released from a concert in Phoenix ("Rosalita" and "Badlands") but I don't remember if the entire concert was filmed.

There are complete recordings of several concerts, especially Roxy and Winterland, so we could definitely get a live CD out of this, if not a DVD.

Corleone316

Passaic was filmed. But the video wouldn't look right on DVD.

And some of the Roxy show is on Live 75-85. Great stuff.

nothingfails

I am surprised they haven't released more Bruce remasters. Nebraska could definately benefit. When I have my iPod on shuffle and a Nebraska track comes on, it's barely audible

aintnosin

Believe it or not, the first Japanese CD release of Nebraska came from a different master tape that was much more dynamic than the U.S. version. It was quickly pulled and that disk is extremely rare these days. It cost me $50 more than 15 years ago.

I wonder what my copy would fetch on ebay...