Re: Katechism XXXVI.7.xi

[keving%gaffa@sgi.com (Kevin Gurney)]

[ Talk of sound quality ]

An even better indication of my personal disapointment with the sound
quality of TSW is the fact that when I hear a track from TSW on the radio,
it almost *always* sounds flatter, fainter, and muddier than the
songs on either side of it. It sounded this way a week before its 
release when KITS started pre-viewing it, so don't even bother to suggest 
that the radio station's copy of TSW is just worn-out. Also, many of the dj's 
at KITS are big Kate fans also, so if the track is on a cart (very common 
practice) and the quality of the cart were bad (it does happen) I'm sure 
they would have had a new cart made by now. Maybe the cart (if it's even
on a cart) sounds so bad because the source (the cd) sounds bad.

So whether or not TSW sounds better compared to TD or HoL is immaterial. What
matters is that tracks on TSW, when compared to tracks by other artists, 
display a noticably worse sound quality. This has nothing to do with "artistic
intent" either, unless Kate wants my radio to sound like the cheesy AM box
like I had in my 1970 Ford station wagon! 

(In case anyone is wondering, I'm not particularly fond of over-punched
bass lines and equalization that looks like a steep parabola.)

I don't care whose "fault" it is, but I hope she gets it right for the
next album, cuz it's downright embarrassing to hear such truly wonderful 
material (yes, even "Reaching Out"!) displayed in such a less-than-adequate 
manner.
----
"Is it hot in here?"
keving@gaffa.wpd.sgi.com