Saga remasters

[Brian]

How do the first three sound? The first remasters from a few years back were not so good. Also how does the new vinal soun for the first three lps? Thanks!

[JKL2000]

How do the first three sound? The first remasters from a few years back were not so good. Also how does the new vinal soun for the first three lps? Thanks!

When they released those previous remasters, did they include the first three albums? I picked up a lot of the others, but I never saw the first three. I figured: different label holds the rights or something. Actually, not sure I even realized those were remastered, because I'd never owned the ones I bought then.

[Rael]

Aren't the remasters about 20 years old now? Did they remaster them again? I'm not seeing any new vinyl for the first three albums on Discogs. And even so, they would probably just be digitally mastered. I don't know how hard they are to come by in WI, but here in the northeast, original vinyl isn't hard to find and it's usually really cheap. Got all mine in Canada several years ago for probably $5 a piece.

[Soerin]

Apparently there's a new reissue campaign for 2021: https://saga-reissues.com/ which includes both vinyl and CD. Remasters were done before in 2002 and were issued on the Steamhammer label, including the first three:
Saga
Images At Twilight
Silent Knight

In my opinion these 2002 remasters were done quite well, no added compression or EQ boosting. As such, they don't sound drastically different compared to the original CDs but regarding the first three albums there's a bit more clarity and bass with the biggest improvement on Images at Twilight. For those familiar with the vinyl, the 2002 Silent Knight remaster has a slightly different mix of Don't Be Late, missing the hi-hat intro and starting directly with the keyboard arpeggio. The early 1987 Bonaire CD also has this different version. The early Polydor CD does have the same mix as the vinyl.

[dropforge]

^I agree. The remasters sound good.

We also got the rarities CD Phase 1, with more material from the late '70s. That's the only way to own some non-album tracks, like the eight-minute "Hangman" and the alternate take of "Mouse in a Maze" (IMO, better than the one on Images at Twilight).

saga_phase1-lg.jpg

[Top Cat]

The only news I've read about the remasters is from the Saga Facebook page when they announced the reissues, and it was like pulling teeth from an elephant.
Even this site offers little info, which is surprising and a bit annoying when you're trying to get people to spend a lot of money to replace their Saga collection.
https://saga-reissues.com/ The reissues site only describes them as exquisitely remastered.

one Facebook person asked for more details and this is what was shared.
Saga Facebook answered:

Re-mastered at Chameleon Studios Hamburg with Eike Freese

Whether this is just recycling of the earlier remasters which most people said were brickwalled or not I don't know.

[LASERCD]

There is no mention of the new batch of CDs being remastered - only the vinyl.

[Top Cat]

There is no mention of the new batch of CDs being remastered - only the vinyl.

Ken, I don't know who is in charge of promotion and/or the website, or if it's a language issue, but everything about this is confusing!

The top of the page reads: In 2021, earMUSIC will tribute SAGA's legacy with an excellent reissue series, including their essential material from 1978 to 2007. Released as high-quality CD Digipak Edition as well as 1LP Gatefold Edition on 180g Virgin Vinyl, these beautifully recreated and enhanced SAGA reissues are must-haves in any fan's SAGA collection.
The photos of the vinyl show the CD with the vinyl...does this mean if you buy the vinyl the cd is included? does this mean this is just to show what the cd reissue looks like?

ok, I went back and studied the photos, and it looks like the digipack cd is separate from the vinyl, and is there to show both versions available.
Topcat declares this mystery solved. lol

[LASERCD]

Ken, I don't know who is in charge of promotion and/or the website, or if it's a language issue, but everything about this is confusing!

The top of the page reads: In 2021, earMUSIC will tribute SAGA's legacy with an excellent reissue series, including their essential material from 1978 to 2007. Released as high-quality CD Digipak Edition as well as 1LP Gatefold Edition on 180g Virgin Vinyl, these beautifully recreated and enhanced SAGA reissues are must-haves in any fan's SAGA collection.
The photos of the vinyl show the CD with the vinyl...does this mean if you buy the vinyl the cd is included? does this mean this is just to show what the cd reissue looks like?

Personally I think they are being vague on purpose. The vinyl is just the vinyl and they specifically say they are remastered. Remastered from what? They don't say. One would think that if they are going back to source tapes and creating a new master for replication it would be for both vinyl and CD. I suspect that the new CDs are the old CDs with new liner notes in a digipak.

[Top Cat]

I was fortunate 6 or 7 years ago when I got back into vinyl, to find a guy on ebay selling his mint Saga collection on vinyl.
We listened to Saga(the first album) on Friday and it sounds wonderful, as is the others, all the way up to Behaviour, so I'm good.
I will be picking up Gen13 on vinyl, if the reviews on the remastering are positive.

You're right, it is vague, especially the Digipack version, with words of reissue and remastered being intermingled in the description.

[Brian]

Ken, so for the fan who may also be an audiophile, the vinyl is the way to go?

[JKL2000]

For those familiar with the vinyl, the 2002 Silent Knight remaster has a slightly different mix of Don't Be Late, missing the hi-hat intro and starting directly with the keyboard arpeggio. The early 1987 Bonaire CD also has this different version. The early Polydor CD does have the same mix as the vinyl.

Wow, that means I've never heard the "original" mix of Don't Be Late! Unless that's what's on Spotify. I have the Bonaire CD.

[LASERCD]

Ken, so for the fan who may also be an audiophile, the vinyl is the way to go?

Since I’m a snobbish audiophile, my personal choice in general would be vinyl. I have not heard these new Saga vinyl pressings. I don’t know what source was used to cut the vinyl. If I was going to roll the dice on the new Saga on CD or vinyl I would opt for the vinyl.

Again speaking broadly, I can’t think of a rock CD where the newer, remastered edition sounded better than the original. Typically they are crushed to death.

[everyday]

I don't really care about the audio quality as most of my listening these days is on my Sony Discman (retro or what!)! What I would like is bonus tracks!

[Top Cat]

I don't really care about the audio quality as most of my listening these days is on my Sony Discman (retro or what!)! What I would like is bonus tracks!

now I've heard everything...you don't care about audio quality, then why bother listening to music?..invest in a sound machine, white noise is wonderful!

[dropforge]

I don't really care about the audio quality as most of my listening these days is on my Sony Discman (retro or what!)! What I would like is bonus tracks!

The only way to do that, really, is to track down a copy of Phase 1.

[everyday]

The only way to do that, really, is to track down a copy of Phase 1.

I do have that - but as always you think there must be more.

[everyday]

now I've heard everything...you don't care about audio quality, then why bother listening to music?..invest in a sound machine, white noise is wonderful!

I mean I'm not a 'snobbish audiophile'!

[dropforge]

I do have that - but as always you think there must be more.

You'd think, but maybe that's the other thing they have in common with Rush, along with being Canadian.

[GuitarGeek]

For those familiar with the vinyl, the 2002 Silent Knight remaster has a slightly different mix of Don't Be Late, missing the hi-hat intro and starting directly with the keyboard arpeggio. The early 1987 Bonaire CD also has this different version. The early Polydor CD does have the same mix as the vinyl.

My copy of Silent Knight came in one of those "Five Original Albums" box, which at the time, seemed to be the only way to get most of the early albums at a reasonable price. I'd have to go back and listen and see which version of Don't Be Late I got. I think my starts with the high hat before the synth comes in, but maybe not.

[zeprogmeister]

When the previous remasters were released, I realized they didn't sound as good due to the compression, and rebought the original cd versions. Don't know about these new versions, but if there's no info it's probably just the previous ones in new packaging.

[Top Cat]

When the previous remasters were released, I realized they didn't sound as good due to the compression, and rebought the original cd versions. Don't know about these new versions, but if there's no info it's probably just the previous ones in new packaging.

You or someone else might be able to help if you bought the last remasters.
Saga Facebook had many questions regarding the remasters, and they finally responded with the following information: Re-mastered at Chameleon Studios Hamburg with Eike Freese.
The previous remasters should state who remastered them and where, so if someone will look at those, we might know whether this is new.
It's my suspicion they are new remasters, at least for the vinyl.

[progmatist]

I own all the early albums on the original vinyl, and they still sound great. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[Soerin]

The previous remasters should state who remastered them and where, so if someone will look at those, we might know whether this is new.

I only have the first 6 albums from the 2002/2003 remasters. The first three don't have any remastering credits. 'Worlds Apart', 'In Transit' and 'Heads or Tales' list drummer Steve Negus as the remastering engineer. This would suggest that the new batch set for 2021, which mentions engineer Eike Freese from Chameleon Studios, are new remasters.

[JKL2000]

I'd be interested to do an A/B with these new remastered CDs of the first three albums and the Bonaire CDs (not sure what label[s] released the next couple of albums I have on CD ). It'd be nice to think they have detail or dynamics I couldn't hear before, but I don't really want to buy these again.