![Queen - Somebody To Love [2024 Restoration] @queenliverarities](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/saQZanWO7Ec/maxresdefault.jpg)
Uploaded December 2024 | Updated September 2026, 34 minutes ago
Happy 48th Birthday to A Day At The Races!!! 🙌 I feel like I say this every time, but I'm 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, I'm unsure when or how the next installment will be presented 😬 I've got a couple nearly ready to go (one in particular just needs a comparison video whipped up). But if I'm still struggling too much for time after a while, it'd 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:
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLssfigxPi5vTMqZKBKxFh7-
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 - youtu.be/KZca62jaJBU
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
Happy 48th Birthday to A Day At The Races!!! 🙌 I feel like I say this every time, but I'm 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, I'm unsure when or how the next installment will be presented 😬 I've got a couple nearly ready to go (one in particular just needs a comparison video whipped up). But if I'm still struggling too much for time after a while, it'd 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:
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLssfigxPi5vTMqZKBKxFh7-
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 - youtu.be/KZca62jaJBU
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 - Somebody To Love [2024 Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/saQZanWO7Ec/mqdefault.jpg "Queen - Somebody To Love [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 - In The Closet [2025 Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/seI2RDYnWH4/mqdefault.jpg "Michael Jackson - In The Closet [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 - Tie Your Mother Down [2024 Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/t8Warqb3weA/mqdefault.jpg "Queen - Tie Your Mother Down [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")
![Queen - Bicycle Race [2024 Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/tArlz7xUw04/mqdefault.jpg "Queen - Bicycle Race [2024 Restoration]
Its finally time!!! 🚲🚲🚲 Sorry to keep you waiting on this one. Really excited to get this out! Ill leave it to the comparison video to go into detail on everything that went into it, but trust me, it was A LOT of work! The most of any installment so far:
https://youtu.be/KZca62jaJBU
Truth be told, I started work on this installment exactly 1 year ago, and its been on and off since then while working around life and making sure deadlines were met for the other installments. The day I decided to take this album on, I quickly realized a few days wouldnt be nearly enough time to whip it up 😅 Id say its one of the biggest tests of patience Ive ever assigned myself.
Now, if only the end result was an indication of how much work was involved. Sadly, I dont think thatll be the case, as this album isnt exactly known for having stellar sound. On the other hand though, the idea that you likely wont notice anything out of the ordinary may just be the best case scenario for me. Again, check out the comparison video to understand what Im talking about. The raw source I opted to use for this album wouldve given you every reason to notice something out of the ordinary...
While this album doesnt exactly qualify as an audiophiles masterpiece, the finished project has finally made me understand why owners of the original UK vinyl rave about this album so much. If you have a good sound system on hand, oh boy, youre in for an experience! Not a polite mix in the slightest, but its full of character, the use of stereo trickery is quite something, and the bass and kick drum certainly makes their presence felt!!!
That experience is no longer exclusive to those who own the UK 1st pressing LP. For the first time ever, we can all enjoy it the way its supposed to sound, in digital form 🙌 Hope you all have fun with this one 🙂
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")
![Queen - Live in Newcastle (December 4th, 1979) [2025 UPGRADE & REMASTER]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/tKSfotgnzqU/mqdefault.jpg "Queen - Live in Newcastle (December 4th, 1979) [2025 UPGRADE & REMASTER]
Queen - Live at City Hall, Newcastle, UK (04/12/1979)
*2025 UPGRADE & REMASTER*
The most PERFECT and fitting time of year to receive such a monumental upgrade to whats known as Freddies greatest Queen show 🙌 This came seemingly out of the blue. Graciously shared by user bertiestapesbox on the Guitars101 forum, who aquired it via tape-trading in early 1980. This sounds much closer to the master than anything weve heard before! If Bertie is reading this, myself and the rest of the community cannot thank you enough!! This HAS to be a true A- rating now (at the very least) 👌
I feel the need to throw this in here to make some things clear. Our ol buddy Miles is patiently waiting for a (hopefully even better) re-transfer of the tape, as this one has been transferred noticeably hot (meaning dynamics arent quite reaching their full potential, and quieter parts of the show are just about as high in the mix as the rest). Hes put his hand up to work his magic on this tape once a new transfer is taken care of.
I could not wait potentially months (or years) for something to come of this 😳 I needed to appreciate this upgrade immediately, so the work Ive done here today is somewhat out of impatience. I know Im not the only one who feels this way 😏 A circulating upgrade to this level is destined to spread like wildfire, whether Im involved or not (Im surprised its not already on YouTube), so I feel at complete ease putting this out.
This remaster addresses general concerns with the tape. The dynamics were restored as far as I could manage. The raw transfer runs very slow, with varying speeds upon each tape flip. One simple speed correction across the whole thing wasnt going to cut it. I navigated through the whole show, adjusting the speed as needed. TYMD and SHA had a bit more fluctuation than normal, so extra care was given to those tracks. As per usual, EQ work, azimuth alignments and a spectral de-noise brings the experience up another notch. This is another instance where the end of the show had a brighter EQ than the beginning, so I approached it the same way I approached San Diego 1980. Two different EQ jobs, and I did one huge crossfade to blend the two together 🙂
Plenty of further potential remains with this tape. Youll likely encounter an occasional dropout across the left and right channels. The high frequencies show the slightest bit more strength on a certain channel at various parts of the recording. The whole tape could benefit with being set to true mono after things like this are looked at. No doubt theres more areas Im not mentioning. After all, we only caught wind of this upgrade 24 hours ago!!
Miles, if youre reading this, I hope you dont feel like Im stepping on your toes here. The entire potential of this tape will require much more than an evenings work to reach, but this is as far as Ill be taking it 🙂 Looking forward to hearing what you come up with, re-transfer or not. P.S. while you wait, FINISH DUBLIN, LONG BEACH AND HAMMY 🤣😉 Much love 🙏
1. Introduction - 0:00
2. Jailhouse Rock - 1:11
3. We Will Rock You (Fast) - 2:51
4. Let Me Entertain You - 5:57
5. Somebody To Love - 8:56
6. Mustapha - 16:05
7. Death On Two Legs - 18:36
8. Killer Queen - 21:51
9. I’m In Love With My Car - 23:46
10. Get Down, Make Love - 25:49
11. You’re My Best Friend - 31:09
12. Save Me - 34:05
13. Now I’m Here - 38:08
14. Don’t Stop Me Now - 46:19
15. Spread Your Wings - 50:54
16. Love Of My Life [Cut] - 57:18
17. ‘39 - 1:00:13
18. Keep Yourself Alive - 1:03:55
19. Drum And Tympani Solo - 1:06:25
20. Guitar Solo - 1:09:56
21. Liar - 1:14:52
22. Crazy Little Thing Called Love - 1:22:51
23. Bohemian Rhapsody - 1:27:11
24. Tie Your Mother Down - 1:32:36
25. Sheer Heart Attack - 1:36:32
26. We Will Rock You - 1:40:03
27. We Are The Champions - 1:42:25
28. God Save The Queen - 1:45:46
DOWNLOAD LINK:
Out of respect for Miles future plans, I have no intentions of sharing this losslessly. If circumstances change (ie a massive delay with Miles future project, or you send me death threats etc), theres a small chance I could change my mind down the line 👍")
![Michael Jackson - Privacy [2025 Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/tLml2b13BQk/mqdefault.jpg "Michael Jackson - Privacy [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")
![Queen - Jealousy [2024 Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/tRpNEZCeZVk/mqdefault.jpg "Queen - Jealousy [2024 Restoration]
Its finally time!!! 🚲🚲🚲 Sorry to keep you waiting on this one. Really excited to get this out! Ill leave it to the comparison video to go into detail on everything that went into it, but trust me, it was A LOT of work! The most of any installment so far:
https://youtu.be/KZca62jaJBU
Truth be told, I started work on this installment exactly 1 year ago, and its been on and off since then while working around life and making sure deadlines were met for the other installments. The day I decided to take this album on, I quickly realized a few days wouldnt be nearly enough time to whip it up 😅 Id say its one of the biggest tests of patience Ive ever assigned myself.
Now, if only the end result was an indication of how much work was involved. Sadly, I dont think thatll be the case, as this album isnt exactly known for having stellar sound. On the other hand though, the idea that you likely wont notice anything out of the ordinary may just be the best case scenario for me. Again, check out the comparison video to understand what Im talking about. The raw source I opted to use for this album wouldve given you every reason to notice something out of the ordinary...
While this album doesnt exactly qualify as an audiophiles masterpiece, the finished project has finally made me understand why owners of the original UK vinyl rave about this album so much. If you have a good sound system on hand, oh boy, youre in for an experience! Not a polite mix in the slightest, but its full of character, the use of stereo trickery is quite something, and the bass and kick drum certainly makes their presence felt!!!
That experience is no longer exclusive to those who own the UK 1st pressing LP. For the first time ever, we can all enjoy it the way its supposed to sound, in digital form 🙌 Hope you all have fun with this one 🙂
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 - Shes Out Of My Life [2026 Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/tYIyx7b3VHw/mqdefault.jpg "Michael Jackson - Shes Out Of My Life [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 - Give In To Me [2025 Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/tz-p6lYjHzM/mqdefault.jpg "Michael Jackson - Give In To 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 - The Prophets Song [2024 Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/u3L1j75_krI/mqdefault.jpg "Queen - The Prophets Song [2024 Restoration]
A Night At The Opera is now 49 years old 😱🦢 Ive been immensely excited to share this installment with you! Its one of the rare occasions where 3 different editions are on offer, simply because were spoiled for choice when it comes to the amount of great-sounding releases the albums had over the years.
Despite the amount of awesome releases, every single digital version has left plenty to be desired in the high end. A problem most vintage pressings never had. I feel like a broken record saying this, but if your ears have never been graced with one of the LPs replicated for the restoration, this may very well offer a new experience for you 🙌 Youll find the album was recorded quite a bit better than digital copies make it out to be...
I urge you to check out the comparisons video below which covers each edition in depth, but the one featured in these uploads is the DCC (vinyl) edition!
https://youtu.be/zfgkTPPIayQ
DOWNLOAD FOLDER:
linktr.ee/qlrvault
Full album YouTube playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLs4lG5hkTFuZ8AHo-7xTwRX
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
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 - White Man [2024 Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/uKAptWriPLU/mqdefault.jpg "Queen - White Man [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 - Thriller [2024 Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/uX0KMjJhUuA/mqdefault.jpg "Michael Jackson - Thriller [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")
