![Queen - Mustapha [2024 Restoration] @queenliverarities](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/2-KNMUCw4u0/maxresdefault.jpg)
Uploaded September 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
A little sneak peek for the next installment of the 2024 Restoration project, Jazz 🚲🚲🚲
Huge thank you for your patience! It's been well over a month since we reached 4K subs, so this is starting to get overdue 😅 The full installment will be out in exactly one week's time 👍
I don't expect you to understand from this video alone just how much work went into this album, but it's been the most time-consuming one by a long shot! Many more details to come, including the comparisons video, which will surely be our most loaded one yet 😅
Let's just say, only one (master) source for this album exists without some level of compression or extensive limiting, and bringing it to an acceptable level for the project has taken a monumental effort...
Comparisons video:
youtu.be/KZca62jaJBU
DOWNLOAD FOLDER:
linktr.ee/qlrvault
Full album YouTube playlist:
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLvjT585SW8sPUIIq6nlhAgw
The 2024/25 Restoration Collection:
Sheer Heart Attack - youtu.be/YWuGgZHHvII
Innuendo - youtu.be/iF537EjjzcM
The Works - youtu.be/iiq9A1XseL4
Queen II - youtu.be/K1mFRRLRy_c
Hot Space - youtu.be/7AuAEfxuuV8
A Kind Of Magic - youtu.be/0wnsVmHaWnE
The Game - youtu.be/5hCZ4xylu_4
Queen - youtu.be/JHy1XXVdkWM
▶ Jazz
News Of The World - youtu.be/psxYh1Ne5J4
A Night At The Opera - youtu.be/zfgkTPPIayQ
A Day At The Races - youtu.be/OyNTCm0VPPM
The Miracle - youtu.be/SVPwF7H2eyg
Flash Gordon - youtu.be/fonQaYLQbNc
Made In Heaven - youtu.be/XnpWAvblUc4
A little sneak peek for the next installment of the 2024 Restoration project, Jazz 🚲🚲🚲
Huge thank you for your patience! It's been well over a month since we reached 4K subs, so this is starting to get overdue 😅 The full installment will be out in exactly one week's time 👍
I don't expect you to understand from this video alone just how much work went into this album, but it's been the most time-consuming one by a long shot! Many more details to come, including the comparisons video, which will surely be our most loaded one yet 😅
Let's just say, only one (master) source for this album exists without some level of compression or extensive limiting, and bringing it to an acceptable level for the project has taken a monumental effort...
Comparisons video:
youtu.be/KZca62jaJBU
DOWNLOAD FOLDER:
linktr.ee/qlrvault
Full album YouTube playlist:
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLvjT585SW8sPUIIq6nlhAgw
The 2024/25 Restoration Collection:
Sheer Heart Attack - youtu.be/YWuGgZHHvII
Innuendo - youtu.be/iF537EjjzcM
The Works - youtu.be/iiq9A1XseL4
Queen II - youtu.be/K1mFRRLRy_c
Hot Space - youtu.be/7AuAEfxuuV8
A Kind Of Magic - youtu.be/0wnsVmHaWnE
The Game - youtu.be/5hCZ4xylu_4
Queen - youtu.be/JHy1XXVdkWM
▶ Jazz
News Of The World - youtu.be/psxYh1Ne5J4
A Night At The Opera - youtu.be/zfgkTPPIayQ
A Day At The Races - youtu.be/OyNTCm0VPPM
The Miracle - youtu.be/SVPwF7H2eyg
Flash Gordon - youtu.be/fonQaYLQbNc
Made In Heaven - youtu.be/XnpWAvblUc4
![Queen - Mustapha [2024 Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/2-KNMUCw4u0/mqdefault.jpg "Queen - Mustapha [2024 Restoration]
A little sneak peek for the next installment of the 2024 Restoration project, Jazz 🚲🚲🚲
Huge thank you for your patience! Its been well over a month since we reached 4K subs, so this is starting to get overdue 😅 The full installment will be out in exactly one weeks time 👍
I dont expect you to understand from this video alone just how much work went into this album, but its been the most time-consuming one by a long shot! Many more details to come, including the comparisons video, which will surely be our most loaded one yet 😅
Lets just say, only one (master) source for this album exists without some level of compression or extensive limiting, and bringing it to an acceptable level for the project has taken a monumental effort...
Comparisons video:
https://youtu.be/KZca62jaJBU
DOWNLOAD FOLDER:
linktr.ee/qlrvault
Full album YouTube playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLvjT585SW8sPUIIq6nlhAgw
The 2024/25 Restoration Collection:
Sheer Heart Attack - https://youtu.be/YWuGgZHHvII
Innuendo - https://youtu.be/iF537EjjzcM
The Works - https://youtu.be/iiq9A1XseL4
Queen II - https://youtu.be/K1mFRRLRy_c
Hot Space - https://youtu.be/7AuAEfxuuV8
A Kind Of Magic - https://youtu.be/0wnsVmHaWnE
The Game - https://youtu.be/5hCZ4xylu_4
Queen - https://youtu.be/JHy1XXVdkWM
▶ Jazz
News Of The World - https://youtu.be/psxYh1Ne5J4
A Night At The Opera - https://youtu.be/zfgkTPPIayQ
A Day At The Races - https://youtu.be/OyNTCm0VPPM
The Miracle - https://youtu.be/SVPwF7H2eyg
Flash Gordon - https://youtu.be/fonQaYLQbNc
Made In Heaven - https://youtu.be/XnpWAvblUc4")
![Michael Jackson - Beat It [2024 Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/2FFOTg24LKI/mqdefault.jpg "Michael Jackson - Beat It [2024 Restoration]
Thanks to your votes in the community tab, the 2024 Restoration project is no longer exclusive to Queen! Happy 42nd anniversary to none other than the biggest selling album in the history of the world, THRILLER 🦇🧟♂️
To any MJ fans who may be here for the first time, WELCOME! The intention of this project is to find the albums best digital source(s), undo all previous remastering work and restore the music to exactly how the artist originally intended to sound! In this case, the USA 1st LP release was our measuring stick, which to this day is still considered by many to be the best-sounding version of Thriller.
No comparisons video this time around sadly! Sharing this installment was a very last minute decision, but the differences shouldnt be too difficult to detect vs existing digital versions of the album. Im sure we all have our preferred ways of listening to this one already 😉 If anyones unfamiliar on what the project entails, Id recommend checking out one of the comparisons Ive done for Queen to give you a more in-depth look on the process...
Now, a huge hinderance on most digital releases is severely-squashed dynamics. I set out to find the most reversible source to work with, and theres really only a small handful of options I could find without these issues. The original 1983 CD wouldve been a good option, but that release wasnt sourced directly from the masters. To maximize the cleanliness of the sound, I deemed the recent MFSL SACD from 2022 to be our best option here. The fade-ins/outs for each track were already perfect, and any other volume fluctuations between this release and the original were fairly minimal, therefore pretty easy to adjust.
The main component requiring attention was obviously the EQ. It varied between songs, so I couldnt just do an overall adjustment to the whole album in this case. Either way, tending to each track individually to match them up with the LP wasnt a huge hassle in the end. The MFSL source was a real treat to work with, as they made a conscious effort to keep most elements as pure as possible. After the EQ was taken are of, were already done!
To conclude, none of the Michael Jackson albums released in his lifetime are in as desperate need of a digital restoration as Queen (for example). Each of his albums seems to have at least one decent digital version out there! I think Bernie Grundman did a great job remastering this album in 2001 (he mastered the original LP also)! But its the aforementioned brick-walled dynamics holding it back, something which was likely beyond his control. This 2024 Restoration rights those wrongs, and gives Bernies work the justice it deserves! Really excited to be able to bring that same glorious USA vinyl sound over to digital for everyone else to enjoy 🙂
The Queen 2024/25 Restoration Collection:
Sheer Heart Attack - https://youtu.be/YWuGgZHHvII
Innuendo - https://youtu.be/iF537EjjzcM
The Works - https://youtu.be/iiq9A1XseL4
Queen II - https://youtu.be/K1mFRRLRy_c
Hot Space - https://youtu.be/7AuAEfxuuV8
A Kind Of Magic - https://youtu.be/0wnsVmHaWnE
The Game - https://youtu.be/5hCZ4xylu_4
Queen - https://youtu.be/JHy1XXVdkWM
Jazz - https://youtu.be/KZca62jaJBU
News Of The World - https://youtu.be/psxYh1Ne5J4
A Night At The Opera - https://youtu.be/zfgkTPPIayQ
A Day At The Races - https://youtu.be/OyNTCm0VPPM
The Miracle - https://youtu.be/SVPwF7H2eyg
Flash Gordon - https://youtu.be/fonQaYLQbNc
Made In Heaven - https://youtu.be/XnpWAvblUc4")
![Michael Jackson - Someone Put Your Hand Out [2025 Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/2meKva9ALOo/mqdefault.jpg "Michael Jackson - Someone Put Your Hand Out [2025 Restoration]
Were back with the full installment of the 2025 Restoration project for Michael Jacksons Dangerous album 😃 Its unlike me to fast-track something like this, but in response to the dissatisfying reviews for the brand-new Mo-fi/MFSL release from just over a week ago, I felt an extreme sense of urgency to right those wrongs for folks who invested their hard-earned money into the SACD and LP.
To anyone who may be here for the first time, welcome! The intention of this project is to find the albums best digital source(s), undo any & all previous remastering work and restore the music to exactly how the artist originally intended it to sound!
Using the very same sources as the new SACD for the base, its been gratifying to discover just how great they really are to work with 🙌 In terms of dynamics, certain tracks are a big step up to what we had previously. And upon reverting the mastering to how the original CD and LPs were presented, the result is pure bliss 👌
Working closely on each track individually was a necessity here, as the EQ balance and normalization on each channel varied in a multitude of ways. Additionally, the overall speed for each track was adjusted slightly, edging them closer to the original CD. Some (mostly) minor volume fluctuations during some tracks were present, so these instances were also addressed. Safe to assume most of these differences were simply due to the fresh analogue sources...
One of the major drawbacks I discovered with these new sources, the spacing between the tracks (which is usually 100% faithful with Mofi/MFSL releases) was way off on this one. They were all positioned much closer together, and wee bits of tape at the beginning and end of each track were trimmed shorter as a result. With some careful and seamless merging via the original CD, this has been corrected. Each track now flows along exactly as theyre supposed to 🙂 Additionally, I still deemed the original CD as the superior source for the full intro of Will You Be There 👍
Im extremely grateful towards Mofi for releases like these. While their mastering choices can be divisive at times, theyre non-destructive and the sources themselves are usually top notch 🙏 For those who feel as though they didnt get their moneys worth with the new release, I sincerely hope this 2025 Restoration is more along the lines of what you were clamoring for 👊
Check out the other MJ albums apart of the Restoration project 👀⬇
Thriller - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLu-EQLp8hCCAtvka1rODGuu
Invincible - https://youtu.be/CeFle3bHlAQ
Off The Wall - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLtUdnaFqs_rTyaZU25RlM_M")
![Queen - Breakthru [2024 Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/3lVfPaqBx3c/mqdefault.jpg "Queen - Breakthru [2024 Restoration]
Its a Christmas Miracle 😉 Just in time for the big day! The Miracle gets the special treatment before I have to start calling them 2025 Restorations 😅
Ill be straight forward in saying, if youre expecting as drastic of a result as some of those early albums, this might not be the installment for you. It may very well be the least drastic, but still absolutely a worthwhile addition 👍
The original CD for this album did a pretty darn good job at representing these tracks in an accurate light, in comparison to the original (UK) vinyl that is. Its mainly just the difference in depth were addressing here, along a few extra bits and pieces here and there...
And the result edges closer to the kind of balance heard on The Miracle Sessions CD from a couple years back, as well as the 5.1 remixes from the GVH2 DVD 👌
The schedule issues Im facing wont be changing anytime soon, so cant guarantee when the next installment is coming. Of course Im hoping itll be sooner rather than later, but who knows 🤷♂️ Anyways, Merry Christmas, and if I dont see you before then, Happy New Year 🙂
DOWNLOAD FOLDER:
linktr.ee/qlrvault
Full album YouTube playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLs7GQpxL6JMiAnjS5j680vC
The 2024/25 Restoration Collection:
Sheer Heart Attack - https://youtu.be/YWuGgZHHvII
Innuendo - https://youtu.be/iF537EjjzcM
The Works - https://youtu.be/iiq9A1XseL4
Queen II - https://youtu.be/K1mFRRLRy_c
Hot Space - https://youtu.be/7AuAEfxuuV8
A Kind Of Magic - https://youtu.be/0wnsVmHaWnE
The Game - https://youtu.be/5hCZ4xylu_4
Queen - https://youtu.be/JHy1XXVdkWM
Jazz - https://youtu.be/KZca62jaJBU
News Of The World - https://youtu.be/psxYh1Ne5J4
A Night At The Opera - https://youtu.be/zfgkTPPIayQ
A Day At The Races - https://youtu.be/OyNTCm0VPPM
▶ The Miracle - https://youtu.be/SVPwF7H2eyg
Flash Gordon - https://youtu.be/fonQaYLQbNc
Made In Heaven - https://youtu.be/XnpWAvblUc4")
![Queen - The Millionaire Waltz [2024 Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/3oYSdUPnDiA/mqdefault.jpg "Queen - The Millionaire Waltz [2024 Restoration]
Happy 48th Birthday to A Day At The Races!!! 🙌 I feel like I say this every time, but Im really excited to share this installment with you 😃
Two different editions are up for grabs yet again! One based on the original 1976 UK vinyl pressing, and the other based on a release potentially even more treasured, the 1999 EMI Millennium (AAA) vinyl!
Like the DCC edition of ANATO, the Millennium pressing is believed to be a closer reflection of the actual master tapes. And I will say, some of the tracks on this edition have similarities to the MFSL CD. Just not quite as bright and carries a more consistently natural sound through-out. It really is a stunning pressing, and displays just how great of a recording this album is!
As mentioned in the comparisons video, due to significant time constraints, Im unsure when or how the next installment will be presented 😬 Ive got a couple nearly ready to go (one in particular just needs a comparison video whipped up). But if Im still struggling too much for time after a while, itd be unfair to keep the whole installment waiting, so I may end up pushing it forward without the comparison video. Will keep you updated though 🙂
DOWNLOAD FOLDER:
linktr.ee/qlrvault
Full album YouTube playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLssfigxPi5vTMqZKBKxFh7-
The 2024/25 Restoration Collection:
Sheer Heart Attack - https://youtu.be/YWuGgZHHvII
Innuendo - https://youtu.be/iF537EjjzcM
The Works - https://youtu.be/iiq9A1XseL4
Queen II - https://youtu.be/K1mFRRLRy_c
Hot Space - https://youtu.be/7AuAEfxuuV8
A Kind Of Magic - https://youtu.be/0wnsVmHaWnE
The Game - https://youtu.be/5hCZ4xylu_4
Queen - https://youtu.be/JHy1XXVdkWM
Jazz - https://youtu.be/KZca62jaJBU
News Of The World - https://youtu.be/psxYh1Ne5J4
A Night At The Opera - https://youtu.be/zfgkTPPIayQ
▶ A Day At The Races - https://youtu.be/OyNTCm0VPPM
The Miracle - https://youtu.be/SVPwF7H2eyg
Flash Gordon - https://youtu.be/fonQaYLQbNc
Made In Heaven - https://youtu.be/XnpWAvblUc4")
![Michael Jackson - Why You Wanna Trip On Me [2025 Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/3yLJdVSdbZU/mqdefault.jpg "Michael Jackson - Why You Wanna Trip On Me [2025 Restoration]
Were back with the full installment of the 2025 Restoration project for Michael Jacksons Dangerous album 😃 Its unlike me to fast-track something like this, but in response to the dissatisfying reviews for the brand-new Mo-fi/MFSL release from just over a week ago, I felt an extreme sense of urgency to right those wrongs for folks who invested their hard-earned money into the SACD and LP.
To anyone who may be here for the first time, welcome! The intention of this project is to find the albums best digital source(s), undo any & all previous remastering work and restore the music to exactly how the artist originally intended it to sound!
Using the very same sources as the new SACD for the base, its been gratifying to discover just how great they really are to work with 🙌 In terms of dynamics, certain tracks are a big step up to what we had previously. And upon reverting the mastering to how the original CD and LPs were presented, the result is pure bliss 👌
Working closely on each track individually was a necessity here, as the EQ balance and normalization on each channel varied in a multitude of ways. Additionally, the overall speed for each track was adjusted slightly, edging them closer to the original CD. Some (mostly) minor volume fluctuations during some tracks were present, so these instances were also addressed. Safe to assume most of these differences were simply due to the fresh analogue sources...
One of the major drawbacks I discovered with these new sources, the spacing between the tracks (which is usually 100% faithful with Mofi/MFSL releases) was way off on this one. They were all positioned much closer together, and wee bits of tape at the beginning and end of each track were trimmed shorter as a result. With some careful and seamless merging via the original CD, this has been corrected. Each track now flows along exactly as theyre supposed to 🙂 Additionally, I still deemed the original CD as the superior source for the full intro of Will You Be There 👍
Im extremely grateful towards Mofi for releases like these. While their mastering choices can be divisive at times, theyre non-destructive and the sources themselves are usually top notch 🙏 For those who feel as though they didnt get their moneys worth with the new release, I sincerely hope this 2025 Restoration is more along the lines of what you were clamoring for 👊
Check out the other MJ albums apart of the Restoration project 👀⬇
Thriller - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLu-EQLp8hCCAtvka1rODGuu
Invincible - https://youtu.be/CeFle3bHlAQ
Off The Wall - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLtUdnaFqs_rTyaZU25RlM_M")
![Queen - Too Much Love Will Kill You [2025 Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/494vlgxlVSw/mqdefault.jpg "Queen - Too Much Love Will Kill You [2025 Restoration]
Its here! Our 15th and FINAL installment of the 2024/25 Restoration project 🙌 How fitting that we end on this note 🙏
Firstly, this installment would not be possible without the help of CMI ☝ Immense thanks to him for supplying the artwork used on the LP releases, as well as two bonus alternate (and very rare) withdrawn mixes 🤫 I put out the proverbial bat signal, and he was literally there in minutes with the necessary assets. What an absolute legend 👌
Ive grown even more appreciation for this album throughout the process. What a beautifully-crafted body of work by Roger, John and Brian to honour their dear friend ❤
In many ways, this was one of the most straight-forward installments to complete, but some significant steps were still necessary to get it across the finish line. Couldnt be happier with the result 🙂
The comparisons video goes into an insane amount of detail so I highly recommend you head over there if youd like to learn more about this one: https://youtu.be/XnpWAvblUc4
DOWNLOAD FOLDER:
linktr.ee/qlrvault
Full album YouTube playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLs4b5wvIaEg7gfrfFRONlwn
The 2024/25 Restoration Collection:
Sheer Heart Attack - https://youtu.be/YWuGgZHHvII
Innuendo - https://youtu.be/iF537EjjzcM
The Works - https://youtu.be/iiq9A1XseL4
Queen II - https://youtu.be/K1mFRRLRy_c
Hot Space - https://youtu.be/7AuAEfxuuV8
A Kind Of Magic - https://youtu.be/0wnsVmHaWnE
The Game - https://youtu.be/5hCZ4xylu_4
Queen - https://youtu.be/JHy1XXVdkWM
Jazz - https://youtu.be/KZca62jaJBU
News Of The World - https://youtu.be/psxYh1Ne5J4
A Night At The Opera - https://youtu.be/zfgkTPPIayQ
A Day At The Races - https://youtu.be/OyNTCm0VPPM
The Miracle - https://youtu.be/SVPwF7H2eyg
Flash Gordon - https://youtu.be/fonQaYLQbNc
▶ Made In Heaven")
![Michael Jackson - I Just Cant Stop Loving You [2026 Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/4AgJjFcP7uQ/mqdefault.jpg "Michael Jackson - I Just Cant Stop Loving You [2026 Restoration]
Following Brad Sundbergs new Vinyl Battle series on YouTube, Ive been inspired to fast-track a restoration for this 1st portion of Michael Jacksons HIStory album, as a sort of companion piece 😃
At the time of writing, Brad (one of Michaels former engineers) has compared vinyl releases for two tracks - The Way You Make Me Feel and Man In The Mirror. On both occasions, the original HIStory vinyl has been his winner, with the original Bad vinyl coming in 2nd place. Thats mammoth praise 🤯
I must admit, until a week or two ago, Id never given HIStory Begins a fair shot in terms of sound quality. This is because compression and limiting handcuffs the digital releases, making it harder for me to appreciate it in that aspect. But as the story usually goes, the original vinyl release wasnt a victim of the same hinderances. If you own that LP, huge congrats 🎉 Thats a very rare piece! But for most of us who dont, this is where the restoration project comes into play 👀
Fortunately, thanks to the MoFi releases of Off The Wall, Thriller and Dangerous, we now have perfect, dynamic digital sources for ALL versions of the tracks featured on HIStory Begins! For Bad, the initial CD releases from the late 80s/early 90s were already unhindered to start with, so no need for a MoFi release 🙌
With the correct versions chosen, the work was more straight-forward than any other MJ album Ive tackled to this point! A teeny bit of volume fluctuations needed to be addressed during a few tracks, but other than that, all I needed to do was EQ the left and right channels of each track to mirror Bruce Swedien & Bernie Grundmans remastering for HIStory.
For this initial stage, I matched the EQ with the tracks from the CD, and waited til the very end to implement the EQ curve from the vinyl release across the whole album. I tend to trust this method more (depending on where I can source my vinyl rips). Inner groove distortion can occasionally affect the EQ curve for tracks near the end of a side. Referencing the CD first will ensure a 100% authentic result across every track 🙂
Track-spacing is also an important step I often forget to mention on these restorations. I made sure the gap between each track was as close to the actual release as possible 👍 On this occasion, my source for the vinyl rip is the same as our Invincible, Dangerous and Blood On The Dance Floor restorations, so Id already undergone all the steps to ensuring weve landed on an accurate (flat) EQ curve 👌
Can happily report this 2026 Restoration has a healthy DR value of 13, vs the original CD which sits at a 9 🔥
I must say, with the installment completed, I couldnt agree any more with Brads assessments 😱 This is one of VERY few remastered releases Ive ever encountered where the tracks actually benefit (IMO). As Brad recalls in his episodes regarding those two Bad tracks, he and the team were 7-8 years older and more experienced by the time they reached HIStory, and mastering preferences can change in that time. Every track has a super deliberate balance between the lows, mids and highs 👏👏
According to Brad, the initial remastering was done in-house by Bruce, before sending it off to Bernie. Lets not forget, these two guys had been on every MJ project from Off The Wall onwards! It could not have been in better hands 🙏 This is without a doubt the most carefully-curated MJ hit collection therell ever be. Michael and his team were apart of every single step, from the track-selection to the very end...
If these restorations are your cup of tea, youll likely be into Brads series too! He breaks everything down thoroughly, from both the listeners point of view, and the actual process he and Bruce underwent during the making of said releases, such as the original mastering stages and critically approving/rejecting test pressings. Intriguing stuff! Heres his page: @inthestudiowithmj
Check out the full album playlist here ⬇
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLtNCg8ybZJL2gkIkjkzHKTa")
![Michael Jackson - Unbreakable [2025 Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/4StFH1wluBg/mqdefault.jpg "Michael Jackson - Unbreakable [2025 Restoration]
The 2025 Restoration project lives on!!! This is only our 2nd installment to feature a Michael Jackson album, following on from Thriller last year: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLu-EQLp8hCCAtvka1rODGuu
To anyone who may be here for the first time, welcome! The intention of this project is to find the albums best digital source(s), undo any & all previous remastering work and restore the music to exactly how the artist originally intended it to sound!
With the Invincible album, its without question that the original CD release had its drawbacks (soundwise). Issues which directly reflect the time period the album was conceived. And more importantly, issues which tend to hamper our overall experience with this album.
The digital mastering techniques implemented during the late 90s into the early 00s were often very harmful to the music. Excessive brick-walling, unnecessary noise reduction and odd EQ choices intended to suit car stereos and such. Unfortunately, this album was a victim of most, if not all of these traits.
However, the vinyl releases (ignoring the 2018 picture disc) werent restricted to such standards, resulting in a much more pleasurable listening experience overall! Using techniques outlined in the COMPARISON VIDEO (https://youtu.be/CeFle3bHlAQ), Ive set out to bring those positive traits over to the existing digital version for an even cleaner sound 🙂
The RESULT? Everything sounds much more MJ-like 🙌 Weve uncovered details that went practically unheard on the original! Overflowing with soul and life, it no longer feels separate from everything else hes released 👌 If youre one of those whove been unimpressed with Invincible based on the existing versions, you NEED to hear it in this state!!! And if youre already a fan of Invincible, you still NEED to hear it in this state!!! 🔥
To me, THIS form of the album feels more like a continuation of the vision they had for Dangerous, with the benefit of the more modern and mature influences 10 years on. If you listen to the original 1991 CD pressing of Dangerous (which has a similar sonic balance) and then the 2025 Restoration of Invincible, Im sure youll see what I mean...
Full album YouTube playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLtznCouj9EJhyoAWXp37WYI
The Queen 2024/25 Restoration Collection:
Sheer Heart Attack - https://youtu.be/YWuGgZHHvII
Innuendo - https://youtu.be/iF537EjjzcM
The Works - https://youtu.be/iiq9A1XseL4
Queen II - https://youtu.be/K1mFRRLRy_c
Hot Space - https://youtu.be/7AuAEfxuuV8
A Kind Of Magic - https://youtu.be/0wnsVmHaWnE
The Game - https://youtu.be/5hCZ4xylu_4
Queen - https://youtu.be/JHy1XXVdkWM
Jazz - https://youtu.be/KZca62jaJBU
News Of The World - https://youtu.be/psxYh1Ne5J4
A Night At The Opera - https://youtu.be/zfgkTPPIayQ
A Day At The Races - https://youtu.be/OyNTCm0VPPM
The Miracle - https://youtu.be/SVPwF7H2eyg
Flash Gordon - https://youtu.be/fonQaYLQbNc
Made In Heaven - https://youtu.be/XnpWAvblUc4")
![Michael Jackson - The Lost Children [2025 Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/4ar836zIpSw/mqdefault.jpg "Michael Jackson - The Lost Children [2025 Restoration]
The 2025 Restoration project lives on!!! This is only our 2nd installment to feature a Michael Jackson album, following on from Thriller last year: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLu-EQLp8hCCAtvka1rODGuu
To anyone who may be here for the first time, welcome! The intention of this project is to find the albums best digital source(s), undo any & all previous remastering work and restore the music to exactly how the artist originally intended it to sound!
With the Invincible album, its without question that the original CD release had its drawbacks (soundwise). Issues which directly reflect the time period the album was conceived. And more importantly, issues which tend to hamper our overall experience with this album.
The digital mastering techniques implemented during the late 90s into the early 00s were often very harmful to the music. Excessive brick-walling, unnecessary noise reduction and odd EQ choices intended to suit car stereos and such. Unfortunately, this album was a victim of most, if not all of these traits.
However, the vinyl releases (ignoring the 2018 picture disc) werent restricted to such standards, resulting in a much more pleasurable listening experience overall! Using techniques outlined in the COMPARISON VIDEO (https://youtu.be/CeFle3bHlAQ), Ive set out to bring those positive traits over to the existing digital version for an even cleaner sound 🙂
The RESULT? Everything sounds much more MJ-like 🙌 Weve uncovered details that went practically unheard on the original! Overflowing with soul and life, it no longer feels separate from everything else hes released 👌 If youre one of those whove been unimpressed with Invincible based on the existing versions, you NEED to hear it in this state!!! And if youre already a fan of Invincible, you still NEED to hear it in this state!!! 🔥
To me, THIS form of the album feels more like a continuation of the vision they had for Dangerous, with the benefit of the more modern and mature influences 10 years on. If you listen to the original 1991 CD pressing of Dangerous (which has a similar sonic balance) and then the 2025 Restoration of Invincible, Im sure youll see what I mean...
Full album YouTube playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLtznCouj9EJhyoAWXp37WYI
The Queen 2024/25 Restoration Collection:
Sheer Heart Attack - https://youtu.be/YWuGgZHHvII
Innuendo - https://youtu.be/iF537EjjzcM
The Works - https://youtu.be/iiq9A1XseL4
Queen II - https://youtu.be/K1mFRRLRy_c
Hot Space - https://youtu.be/7AuAEfxuuV8
A Kind Of Magic - https://youtu.be/0wnsVmHaWnE
The Game - https://youtu.be/5hCZ4xylu_4
Queen - https://youtu.be/JHy1XXVdkWM
Jazz - https://youtu.be/KZca62jaJBU
News Of The World - https://youtu.be/psxYh1Ne5J4
A Night At The Opera - https://youtu.be/zfgkTPPIayQ
A Day At The Races - https://youtu.be/OyNTCm0VPPM
The Miracle - https://youtu.be/SVPwF7H2eyg
Flash Gordon - https://youtu.be/fonQaYLQbNc
Made In Heaven - https://youtu.be/XnpWAvblUc4")
![Freddie Mercury - Living On My Own [2025 Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/4cs2PAP2Hes/mqdefault.jpg "Freddie Mercury - Living On My Own [2025 Restoration]
Months and months removed from the last one, were finally back with another Queen-related installment of the 2025 Restoration project 😃
Truth be told, I began work on this album well over two years ago, and its been in a near-complete state ever since then. Fast forward to now, Ive finally acquired the final piece of the puzzle needed in order to finish it! Of all things, the missing piece was a more reliable source of Stop All The Fighting, via a variation of the 1993 Great Pretender CD single 💪
Like the majority of Queen albums weve covered on the project, Mr. Bad Guy in digital form has always suffered. The original 1985 CD was solid, but came with similar hinderances to the likes of The Works, AKOM and Innuendo CDs. In turn, the early vinyl releases have always been considered the superior way of listening to this album. In this particular instance, Ive based the Restoration on the original USA pressing 🙌 Using the original 1985 CD as the base source, it was a breeze to work with! Basically, only the EQ needed adjusting.
Id go as far as saying its a night and day difference, and in my opinion, it suggests the 2019 Remix wasnt as warranted as it was made out to be. But Ill leave that up to you to decide 👀
Additionally, the Extra Tracks folder comes loaded with the extended versions which accompanied the original 12 singles. The 2000 Solo Collection box is our only current digital source for these tracks.
Being 100% honest, I knew the box set had Peter Mews finger prints all over it before I even looked at the credits 🤷 At least around that time period, he had at least three signature mastering techniques, and unfortunately, I could only fully reverse one of them 😢 The two I couldnt do anything about were compression and noise reduction (not all tracks were affected by the latter thankfully). Lucky for us, the obnoxious EQ patterns COULD be undone. For those who arent aware, hed always boost the upper bass and upper mids/lower treble areas, leaving the lower mids sucked away of any life.
Before the 2025 Restoration, I was never able to listen to the extended versions all the way through. To my ears at least, they sounded SOOOO bad 😖 But now theyre restored, I can listen to them no problem and finally appreciate just how fun some of them are 🤘
The way I reversed those EQ patterns accurately was simple. By measuring the original Mr. Bad Guy CD up against the one Peter Mew remastered for the box set, cancelling out the differences and applying those same changes to the extended versions. From there, I implemented the same adjustments I used on the main album to match the vinyl pressing. Easy as that. No offense to Mr. Mew, but this is how cut and paste his mastering techniques were at the time. In terms of this project, HE was the only real Bad Guy 😉 (Im being tongue-in-cheek obviously, no hard feelings towards the man)...
No comparisons video sadly! Its a struggle to find the time to make one to an acceptable standard at this time. But anyways, hope you enjoy 😁
DOWNLOAD FOLDER:
linktr.ee/qlrvault (clickable link can be found in the comments)
Full album YouTube playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLts8S9EmF3maGYLFYqC7jHQ
The Queen 2024/25 Restoration Collection:
Sheer Heart Attack - https://youtu.be/YWuGgZHHvII
Innuendo - https://youtu.be/iF537EjjzcM
The Works - https://youtu.be/iiq9A1XseL4
Queen II - https://youtu.be/K1mFRRLRy_c
Hot Space - https://youtu.be/7AuAEfxuuV8
A Kind Of Magic - https://youtu.be/0wnsVmHaWnE
The Game - https://youtu.be/5hCZ4xylu_4
Queen - https://youtu.be/JHy1XXVdkWM
Jazz - https://youtu.be/KZca62jaJBU
News Of The World - https://youtu.be/psxYh1Ne5J4
A Night At The Opera - https://youtu.be/zfgkTPPIayQ
A Day At The Races - https://youtu.be/OyNTCm0VPPM
The Miracle - https://youtu.be/SVPwF7H2eyg
Flash Gordon - https://youtu.be/fonQaYLQbNc
Made In Heaven - https://youtu.be/XnpWAvblUc4")
![Queen - Live in Montreal (November 24th, 1981) [2025 REMASTER]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/4n7cSGJ1MEk/mqdefault.jpg "Queen - Live in Montreal (November 24th, 1981) [2025 REMASTER]
Queen - Live at the Montreal Forum, Montreal, Quebec, Canada (24/11/1981)
*2025 REMASTER*
Check out this short for a comparison with before and after:
https://youtube.com/shorts/XutrmDGV9P4
This was the show Id originally slated to put out on the anniversary date, but for obvious reasons, pivoted at the last second and went in the direction we did. But better late than never!! This remaster acts as a nice little breather, considering the potential on the tape was nowhere near the level of the last few Ive completed. But nevertheless, I still feel enough detail has been uncovered here to deem this a worthwhile share 🙂
Id go as far as saying this tape is an essential listen, as it offers a number of performances which didnt end up being featured on the official release of Rock Montreal (most of which sound undoubtedly better than the performances they opted to include). Im sure a lot of the decisions for the release were based purely on visuals and camera angles. As we know from the stories, the 1st night wasnt quite as smooth as the 2nd in that regard. But on that note, even the performances which DO feature on the release are still worthy listens here, as we get to hear them free of overdubs 🙌
Performances aside, something this audience recording captures much better than the official release was the atmosphere! Youd assume the Montreal crowd was dead and uninterested, but this recording says otherwise! Can only imagine what it mustve felt like being there 🤯
Talking more about the tape, the fixes Ive made are mostly the general things. Speed correcting, Azimuth, EQ and Level matching. One area I felt compelled to work on more carefully was Somebody To Love. The right channel loses a lot of detail from the guitar solo onwards, so I opted to make it mono from 2kHz upwards during the affected area. This isnt a seamless fix, as switching from stereo to mono in any capacity will be jarring, but its a lot better than it was 👍
1. Intro - 0:00
2. We Will Rock You (Fast) - 0:30
3. Let Me Entertain You - 3:36
4. Play The Game - 6:35
5. Somebody To Love - 10:41
6. Killer Queen - 18:20
7. Im In Love With My Car - 20:21
8. Get Down, Make Love - 22:25
9. Save Me - 28:32
10. Now Im Here [cut] - 32:56
11. Under Pressure - 37:33
12. Keep Yourself Alive - 41:15
13. Drum And Tympani Solo - 43:47
14. Guitar Solo - 46:09
15. Flash - 53:14
16. The Hero - 55:15
17. Crazy Little Thing Called Love - 57:06
18. Bohemian Rhapsody - 1:01:28
19. Tie Your Mother Down - 1:06:55
20. Another One Bites The Dust - 1:11:37
21. Sheer Heart Attack - 1:15:49
22. Jailhouse Rock - 1:19:55
23. We Will Rock You - 1:22:08
24. We Are The Champions - 1:24:11
25. God Save The Queen - 1:27:33
DISCLAIMER:
Regarding this and the other remasters yet to be featured, Ive made a concerted effort to keep a reasonable balance between the time/effort being spent and the actual payoff. Using this show as an example, I couldve potentially spent so many more hours/days/weeks finding and obsessing over any other miniscule artifact which could be present, but at a cost too significant to be deemed worthwhile. Time that could (and has) been spent focusing on a wide range of different shows to share with you over the remainder of 2025 instead 😃
In more simple terms, Ill never claim these live remasters are 100% perfect. But if I can reach 90%+ within a reasonable timeframe and is a noticeable improvement, I absolutely feel its a worthwhile addition to the community. And hey! If any of you feel strongly enough about a certain show and have the urge to add your own final touches, youre more than welcome (with credit of course) 👍
DOWNLOAD LINK:
Can be found in the comments section (Im unable to share links on YouTube directly at the moment)...")
