New VHS Version Sound Review
The Icon
"RHPS".
I was skeptical about this "stereo process from the original mono sound
stems" business. I grew up in an era when numerous mono records were
released in horrendous "rechanneled stereo". (That includes some early
Beatles cuts which had been recorded in true stereo!) Also, for a decade
we've dealt with the Chace Surround Stereo version of "Rocky" with all its
errors.
Well, when I got home I disinterred my 25-year-old Suprex stereophones,
rammed that tape into a VCR, and powered up the stereo. Here is my
intelligent overall opinion of the sound:
HOLY FUCKING SHIT!!!
Pardon my French, but the new soundtrack is simply that great!
For the benefit of those of you with flash photog -- excuse me, those of you
who are audio/videophiles, the equipment I used to review the tape is as
follows: RCA model VR618HF VHS Hi-Fi VCR; RCA F20570WN stereo TV; Pioneer
VSX-454 Dolby Pro-Logic reciever; and those Suprex phones (the labels fell
off years ago, so I don't know the model number). For comparison purposes I
used a good bootleg of the 1980s Japanese video, played on a Panasonic
PV-8660 Hi-Fi VCR run through the input jacks of the RCA VCR. I used the
heavy old Suprex headphones because of their over-the-ear design, which
isolates me from room noises almost completely...I wanted to hear EVERYTHING,
and I heard quite a lot that I'd never noticed before! Besides, today's
plastic toys can't hold a candle to the great old Suprex and Koss
stereophones.
Okay...it's Star Time! I'm going to point out some of the differences
between the new version and the original mono mix. Some of this might be
nit-picking...so sue me.
"There's a Light": Percussion added to final seconds; last note fades
abruptly.
"Time Warp": Vocals on chorus STILL the soundtrack CD version, instead of
the correct version dominated by O'Brien. Otherwise, everything is okay; no
problems with Chuckie's cut-ins.
"Sweet T.": Bass'n'drum intro starts a few seconds EARLY! In the original
version it fades up while Brad is saying "...keep a grip on yourself...";
here, it starts cold as Janet says "Let's get out of here." (I double and
triple checked this against the mono version!)
Creation scene: The drumbeats in the new version are audible long after they
fade out in other releases; they're also far more prominent.
"Sword": FANTASTIC true stereo...I couldn't believe my ears! You sure they
didn't lift the music from the "Sing It!" CD (which I don't have)?
"Make/Man": Freezer alarm beeps begin one-half second early.
"Patootie": This song had the most problems. Eddie's "WHOO" is STILL a tad
late, not as bad as the 1990 version. The first sax solo is undermixed and
barely audible. The "plucky" guitar under the second verse ("My head used to
swim...") has an annoying echo not in the original. On second chorus,
background vocals start on the FIRST "Hot patootie" instead of the second.
During the ramp ride, Eddie is nearly inaudible.
"Planet Schmanet": Bass on the intro starts immediately, not after Riff
tells Mags to "SHUT UP!". Random hi-hat cymbal shots throughout song are
mixed WAY up. Vocals on "Hot Dog" part slightly undermixed; keyboards
prominent. Otherwise, another great job similar to "Sword".
"Don't Dream It": Fanfare is noticeably distorted (it overloaded the hi-fi
audio on all three of my VHS units). Listen very closely as Frank sings "As
it clung..." - you can barely hear a DIFFERENT vocal in the right channel!
Riff & Mags' flashback: music of "Time Warp" obviously flown in from
soundtrack CD.
"Superheroes": Answer to the obvious question is OH, HELL YEAH!!! It's
complete, and with great stereo sound.
"SF-DF Reprise": for some reason, this plays at a noticeably lower pitch than
normal, about 1.5 percent slower. (I used the soundtrack CD in a
pitch-controlled Technics player to make that measurement.) Or maybe the
Japanese video ran fast at that point; it didn't anywhere else.
"Time Warp Reprise" (end titles): NOT the sax-dominated instrumental version
from the original and 1990 releases, but a shortened take of the earlier
"TW", without vocals.
The VIDEO quality is excellent throughout. However, the picture does become
a bit jumpy during Chuckie's pre-"Floor Show" bit. I hear this is on the DVD
as well.
I could be a bitch and shave points off this video for the minor problems.
However, I'm not a bitch, and the general outstanding sound here overshadows
the glitches. All the vocals are correct, all the sound effects are present
and in the right places, and "Superheroes" is where it belongs. So I give
this baby a "10" with flying fishnets. Go out and buy this tape (or DVD)
RIGHT THE HELL NOW.
Can't wait to hear the Dolby 5.1 version.
Like I said: HOLY FUCKING SHIT!!!
--Randy Brown/Transexual Misfits
http://www.rockycast.net/transexualmisfits
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
MinerWerks
<Hardcor...@webtv.net> wrote:
Great review!! Especially for detail oriented freaks like myself...
As may or may not be well known, the engineers from Chace Productions
tracked down as much discrete multi-channel material to do this mix as
possible. I recently spoke with the DVD's producer, David Britten
Prior. Look for an interview in Crazed Imaginations very soon!
> As promised, here is my review of the soundtrack of the new VHS tape of
> "RHPS".
...
> "There's a Light": Percussion added to final seconds; last note fades
> abruptly.
When I first heard this, I knew it had been done right! They used the
right backing vocals for the chorus (though they're a little hard to
hear), and it sounds like Brad and Janet's parts blend much better. I
checked the end of the song against the mono on the DVD, and it seemed
pretty close to what they originally did, but you are right - it goes
out fast.
If you REALLY want to be nit-picky, you could note that they didn't
emulate the volume jump on Riff-Raff's verse which got louder on the
cut to the close-up.
> "Time Warp": Vocals on chorus STILL the soundtrack CD version, instead of
> the correct version dominated by O'Brien. Otherwise, everything is okay; no
> problems with Chuckie's cut-ins.
I listened REALLY close, and I think the other parts are in there, just
overpowered by the "soundtrack" vocals.
Oh, and it sounded to me like Janet's gasp while fainting was now gone.
> "Sweet T.": Bass'n'drum intro starts a few seconds EARLY! In the original
> version it fades up while Brad is saying "...keep a grip on yourself...";
> here, it starts cold as Janet says "Let's get out of here." (I double and
> triple checked this against the mono version!)
They also left in Frank singing "Transylvania" upon his exit.
> "Sword": FANTASTIC true stereo...I couldn't believe my ears! You sure they
> didn't lift the music from the "Sing It!" CD (which I don't have)?
This is all from discrete stereo tracks! The vocals may not be from the
original studio tapes, though. I have to track down a definitive answer
to this.
> "Patootie": This song had the most problems. Eddie's "WHOO" is STILL a tad
> late, not as bad as the 1990 version. The first sax solo is undermixed and
> barely audible. The "plucky" guitar under the second verse ("My head used to
> swim...") has an annoying echo not in the original. On second chorus,
> background vocals start on the FIRST "Hot patootie" instead of the second.
> During the ramp ride, Eddie is nearly inaudible.
I noticed Eddie's vocal at the end being nearly inaudible, but I like
the music mix on this. On almost all the songs, the vocals have echo.
Not too distracting to me, but noticible.
> Riff & Mags' flashback: music of "Time Warp" obviously flown in from
> soundtrack CD.
This surprised me a lot, it just wasn't a clean edit.
> "Time Warp Reprise" (end titles): NOT the sax-dominated instrumental version
> from the original and 1990 releases, but a shortened take of the earlier
> "TW", without vocals.
This is another one that I'm going to get a definitive answer on, BUT,
I'd make a strong bet that the studio recordings for the saxophone
version couldn't be found, so it couldn't be remixed in stereo.
> I could be a bitch and shave points off this video for the minor problems.
> However, I'm not a bitch, and the general outstanding sound here overshadows
> the glitches.
I agree. I'm not trying to be a bitch. They did a FABULOUS job.
Recreating the proper sound mix in stereo is a HARD job, and I doubt
they would be able to do it PERFECT, due to restrictions on budget,
time and materials.
= Derek Miner =
MinerWerks
Oh, a couple other small details I forgot to mention...
At the end of "Time Warp," the sound quickly crossfades back to "mono."
I would bet, again, that this is due to that ending is not present on
the original studio recordings.
And for anyone who feels like the "UK edit" of the film has been
treated as somewhat of an orphan, or a lesser child, by Fox, here's
your last laugh on them:
Play the "US" version of the film and you'll notice that to eliminate
the verses of "Superheroes," they merely jump rather abruptly over
those sections, with a VERY noticible (and very bad) accompanying audio
edit!
At least on the older mix, they smoothed the audio transition out...
= Derek Miner =
dmi...@gte.net