I have all the re-mastered 1999 HDCDs.Will the new "The complete studio recordings 1972-1982"be a better quality recordings than the former re-mastered 1999 HDCDs,or will the deluxe be the best quality.I take it the B sides and various versions of songs are Re-mastered.

To the best of my knowledge all of the original eight albums were recorded on analog tape. Maybe the transfers used for the "complete" box set will be better than what was done back in 199, but there only so much that can be done with what the analog tapes provide.

My guess is that there will be some difference between the 1999 reissues a and the 2012 reissues, but that you'll have to be a true "audiophile" with a high-end sound system to really notice the differences.

As far as I know all tracks including the bonus tracks have been taken back to its original form. Audio 2012 flat transfers from the original analogue master tapes, ensuring the audio sounds truer to its original LP sound.

Is that good or bad?? I don't know. I suppose it depends on how you look at it. If you are looking for the analouge authenticity in the digital world then this is what you will get on this box set. The 1999 re-masters may be enhanced for them to sound as good as they could with the technology of 1999.

To answer an earlier question about the DVD audio hi resolution version that were originally intended to be included in this box set.

As far as I know there had to be some sacrifices made to maintain the quality of the packaging etc without increasing the cost price of the box set. The decision was made to remove the Hi -res discs as they are for a different market. To get the most from these you would have to have the right hi-fi equipment etc and therefore these versions would only appeal to a specialist market. I am sure may see a release eventually on their own to that specialist market. This decision was also why the original release date was changed to the nearest Monday to the original release date of Virginia Plain (4th August 1972)

J.O'B.

Understood re the removal of the hi-rez DVDs but why did they not think of that earlier?

If it's true now it was true then or had they not worked out the details when they initially planned to include them?

There are quite a few people on Amazon saying they only ordered this set because of the DVD-audios.

Some of them have paid already and they feel they have been badly messed around by the record company who have changed their mind at the last moment as to what is included in the box set.

So how many copies of the Complete Box Set will actually be sold? Will it only appeal to die-hard Roxy fans (who already have almost all the music in the box set in their collections)? Or will it be able to find a broader audience of hip 20 or 30-Somethings who will find this to be a great opportunity to "get it all" in one fell swoop and be able to explore deep album cuts left out of the plethora of Roxy reissues?

I dunno what will happen, but I sense that the young hipster crowd may well want something a bit more interesting than what the box set is serving up (something more akin to what is in the offing for individual album deluxe reissues). What will be interesting to see is if "Complete" makes it into the Top 100 Official British Album Chart. Here's a link to the Aug 4 album chart and what is interesting is that the bottom half of the chart (#50-100) features plenty of greatest hits albums from old school classic rockers, etc (e.g. Fleetwood Mac, Bon Jovi Springsteen, Guns & Roses, Stone Roses, UB40, Neil Young).

http://www.officialcharts.com/albums-chart/

So will the Roxy set generate enough sales to make the chart? If it does, then the record company's strategy will probably prove successful in monetary terms. But if it doesn't, then it may well be that, in a few months it will be possible to pick up the box set at a significant discount (not dissimilar to what happened with Olympia after it quickly faded from the charts). We'll have to see what happens...

At the time of posting, the set is at #81 in Amazon's "pop" chart and #8 in the "Box set" chart- not sure how that translates to full national sales, but there clearly is a market for this.

Bob:
Based upon the Amazon numbers, The Roxy Box Set should make it into the Top 100 Album Chart. And if things go well for the band and a "buzz" catches on then maybe it can stay there for a few weeks or more. Or maybe everybody who wants the Boxset will buy it the first week out and then sales will quickly taper off. It could go either way...

DCJ,

what the buzz? tell me what's a-happening!

"where's my Off?"

In today's jpc charts (a German top internet retailer) Roxy's complete studio recordings have entered at no. 3, right behind Muddy Waters & The Rolling Stones and Little Feat, but in front of Mike Oldfield, Bob Dylan and CSN & Y. Ain't that good news from Germany ? Seems that we Germans have Roxy Music still on our radars ...

I am curious as to what condition the original master tapes are in in order to facilitate this new mastering. I'm thankful that I managed to locate quality vinyl versions of most of the tracks that matter to me, but inclusion of 24/96 would have deepened my interest.

Unless they are available separately at a later date.

Evidently Germany has great taste.