![Queen - The Hero [2024 Restoration] @queenliverarities](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/EiIXZYSv1EA/maxresdefault.jpg)
Uploaded December 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
JUST in time for the New Year!!! Our final "2024" installment of the Restoration project, an album that recently had its 44th anniversary, the Flash Gordon soundtrack ⚡
Have had this one basically finished for a good chunk of the year. All that needed doing was the tracking, which I finally completed last night! Spared no expense (time-wise) to make sure it was no less accurate than any other CD release 🙂
This is another one of those cases where NO digital releases to this point have done this album justice. Even in its best form (the original UK vinyl pressing), it's not an amazing sounding album tbh, it certainly makes for a more pleasurable listening experience either way 👍
Not only do the tracks have that little more "oomph", but there's actually moments where detail in the high end is audible now 😉 I know this isn't everyone's favourite album, but at least in my case, it's converted me from not being keen to listen at all, to actually being somewhat willing every so often 😅
Wishing you all the best New Year imaginable 🎆🎇 Looking forward to completing this series hopefully early into 2025, and maybe sharing additional bits and pieces here and there as the year goes on 😁
DOWNLOAD FOLDER:
linktr.ee/qlrvault
Full album YouTube playlist:
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLs2RD7XsSgbZSHuvKv7p3Ku
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
JUST in time for the New Year!!! Our final "2024" installment of the Restoration project, an album that recently had its 44th anniversary, the Flash Gordon soundtrack ⚡
Have had this one basically finished for a good chunk of the year. All that needed doing was the tracking, which I finally completed last night! Spared no expense (time-wise) to make sure it was no less accurate than any other CD release 🙂
This is another one of those cases where NO digital releases to this point have done this album justice. Even in its best form (the original UK vinyl pressing), it's not an amazing sounding album tbh, it certainly makes for a more pleasurable listening experience either way 👍
Not only do the tracks have that little more "oomph", but there's actually moments where detail in the high end is audible now 😉 I know this isn't everyone's favourite album, but at least in my case, it's converted me from not being keen to listen at all, to actually being somewhat willing every so often 😅
Wishing you all the best New Year imaginable 🎆🎇 Looking forward to completing this series hopefully early into 2025, and maybe sharing additional bits and pieces here and there as the year goes on 😁
DOWNLOAD FOLDER:
linktr.ee/qlrvault
Full album YouTube playlist:
youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLs2RD7XsSgbZSHuvKv7p3Ku
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 - The Hero [2024 Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/EiIXZYSv1EA/mqdefault.jpg "Queen - The Hero [2024 Restoration]
JUST in time for the New Year!!! Our final 2024 installment of the Restoration project, an album that recently had its 44th anniversary, the Flash Gordon soundtrack ⚡
Have had this one basically finished for a good chunk of the year. All that needed doing was the tracking, which I finally completed last night! Spared no expense (time-wise) to make sure it was no less accurate than any other CD release 🙂
This is another one of those cases where NO digital releases to this point have done this album justice. Even in its best form (the original UK vinyl pressing), its not an amazing sounding album tbh, it certainly makes for a more pleasurable listening experience either way 👍
Not only do the tracks have that little more oomph, but theres actually moments where detail in the high end is audible now 😉 I know this isnt everyones favourite album, but at least in my case, its converted me from not being keen to listen at all, to actually being somewhat willing every so often 😅
Wishing you all the best New Year imaginable 🎆🎇 Looking forward to completing this series hopefully early into 2025, and maybe sharing additional bits and pieces here and there as the year goes on 😁
DOWNLOAD FOLDER:
linktr.ee/qlrvault
Full album YouTube playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLs2RD7XsSgbZSHuvKv7p3Ku
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 - My Life Has Been Saved [2025 Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Etq4HepZhHc/mqdefault.jpg "Queen - My Life Has Been Saved [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 - Remember The Time [2025 Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/FfsCRahDDm0/mqdefault.jpg "Michael Jackson - Remember The Time [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")
![Michael Jackson - Carousel [2024 Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/FgwifhJJ3xM/mqdefault.jpg "Michael Jackson - Carousel [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")
![Queen - Its Late [2024 Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/G4TlLb3Q45s/mqdefault.jpg "Queen - Its Late [2024 Restoration]
Happy 47th Anniversary to Queens sixth studio album, News Of The World 📰🤖
As far as clarity goes, of all Queens albums, this one most definitely has the most potential, and I think thats on full display here! Like most other installments of the project so far, thats thanks to the influence from the 1985 Complete Works box-set (which youll find out more about on the comparisons video).
Now, wed previously encountered an issue with harsh high frequencies on Queen I, to where I felt I had no choice but to step in and turn them down a little. I think the argument can be made that (depending on your sound system), Freddies esses may be a little taxing the ears at certain points here too. Unlike the Queen I issue however, this is a very accurate reflection on how the Complete Works LP actually sounded, so I felt less inclined to take liberties here.
Instead, Im offering up two slightly different versions of the Restoration to hopefully suit your preferences. Theres this one, which remains very true to the enhancements offered on the 1985 LP. And an alternative, where (just like Queen I) the high end has only been recovered half-way 🙂 Id be curious to hear which version you end up leaning towards...
DOWNLOAD FOLDER:
linktr.ee/qlrvault
Full album YouTube playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLufqKQL1cSh1NWuoUr0Itm4
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
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 - All Dead, All Dead [2024 Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/G6EfTTcrX0Q/mqdefault.jpg "Queen - All Dead, All Dead [2024 Restoration]
Happy 47th Anniversary to Queens sixth studio album, News Of The World 📰🤖
As far as clarity goes, of all Queens albums, this one most definitely has the most potential, and I think thats on full display here! Like most other installments of the project so far, thats thanks to the influence from the 1985 Complete Works box-set (which youll find out more about on the comparisons video).
Now, wed previously encountered an issue with harsh high frequencies on Queen I, to where I felt I had no choice but to step in and turn them down a little. I think the argument can be made that (depending on your sound system), Freddies esses may be a little taxing the ears at certain points here too. Unlike the Queen I issue however, this is a very accurate reflection on how the Complete Works LP actually sounded, so I felt less inclined to take liberties here.
Instead, Im offering up two slightly different versions of the Restoration to hopefully suit your preferences. Theres this one, which remains very true to the enhancements offered on the 1985 LP. And an alternative, where (just like Queen I) the high end has only been recovered half-way 🙂 Id be curious to hear which version you end up leaning towards...
DOWNLOAD FOLDER:
linktr.ee/qlrvault
Full album YouTube playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLufqKQL1cSh1NWuoUr0Itm4
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
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 Vienna (May 13th, 1982) [2025 REMASTER]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/GLt66kmER5k/mqdefault.jpg "Queen - Live in Vienna (May 13th, 1982) [2025 REMASTER]
Queen - Live at Stadthalle, Vienna, Austria (13/05/1982)
*2025 REMASTER*
As promised, to accompany the 1st night, weve got a remaster for night 2 in Vienna on the Hot Space tour 🙌 Some would argue the performance here was EVEN BETTER! Overall, I may have to agree. At the very least, it stands out due to the setlist alterations. The biggest change was the introduction of Body Language, and its the first of only two times theyd play it on the European leg.
The original tape had quite a bit more hiss than the previous nights tape, so its safe to say its at least one further generation away from the master. Despite that, I think the result Ive gotten out of this sounds on par (and better in a lot of areas) than night 1s raw tape (pre-remaster). That tape was already rated A, so in theory, this should now be an A too. But would be curious to know your thoughts 🙂
This was a far more straight forward remaster in comparison, since there werent any alternate sources to consider. The extra tape hiss meant I couldnt quite uncover as many of the high frequencies as night 1. But in this case, it actually made my job easier. While theres still a considerable amount of high end, it wasnt as susceptible to sounding harsh. So the final result was reached rather quickly!
1. Flash - 0:00
2. The Hero - 2:25
3. Action This Day - 4:15
4. Play The Game - 9:05
5. Staying Power - 14:09
6. Somebody To Love - 18:15
7. Now Im Here - 25:49
8. Dragon Attack - 30:09
9. Now Im Here (Reprise) - 33:10
10. Love Of My Life - 34:38
11. Save Me - 38:55
12. Body Language - 42:59
13. Get Down, Make Love - 47:10
14. Guitar Solo - 51:28
15. Under Pressure - 57:39
16. Fat Bottomed Girls - 1:01:43
17. Crazy Little Thing Called Love - 1:07:08
18. Bohemian Rhapsody - 1:11:22
19. Tie Your Mother Down - 1:17:14
20. Another One Bites The Dust - 1:22:48
21. Sheer Heart Attack - 1:26:36
22. We Will Rock You - 1:30:45
23. We Are The Champions - 1:33:01
24. God Save The Queen - 1:36:27
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)...")
![Freddie Mercury - She Blows Hot & Cold [2025 Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/GdrH6v46XXA/mqdefault.jpg "Freddie Mercury - She Blows Hot & Cold [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 - Sleeping On The Sidewalk [2024 Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Ham83adm0yQ/mqdefault.jpg "Queen - Sleeping On The Sidewalk [2024 Restoration]
Happy 47th Anniversary to Queens sixth studio album, News Of The World 📰🤖
As far as clarity goes, of all Queens albums, this one most definitely has the most potential, and I think thats on full display here! Like most other installments of the project so far, thats thanks to the influence from the 1985 Complete Works box-set (which youll find out more about on the comparisons video).
Now, wed previously encountered an issue with harsh high frequencies on Queen I, to where I felt I had no choice but to step in and turn them down a little. I think the argument can be made that (depending on your sound system), Freddies esses may be a little taxing the ears at certain points here too. Unlike the Queen I issue however, this is a very accurate reflection on how the Complete Works LP actually sounded, so I felt less inclined to take liberties here.
Instead, Im offering up two slightly different versions of the Restoration to hopefully suit your preferences. Theres this one, which remains very true to the enhancements offered on the 1985 LP. And an alternative, where (just like Queen I) the high end has only been recovered half-way 🙂 Id be curious to hear which version you end up leaning towards...
DOWNLOAD FOLDER:
linktr.ee/qlrvault
Full album YouTube playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLufqKQL1cSh1NWuoUr0Itm4
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
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 - Stop All The Fighting [2025 Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/HdSTeNuvh7I/mqdefault.jpg "Freddie Mercury - Stop All The Fighting [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 - Spread Your Wings [2024 Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/I-coo1UXOKY/mqdefault.jpg "Queen - Spread Your Wings [2024 Restoration]
Happy 47th Anniversary to Queens sixth studio album, News Of The World 📰🤖
As far as clarity goes, of all Queens albums, this one most definitely has the most potential, and I think thats on full display here! Like most other installments of the project so far, thats thanks to the influence from the 1985 Complete Works box-set (which youll find out more about on the comparisons video).
Now, wed previously encountered an issue with harsh high frequencies on Queen I, to where I felt I had no choice but to step in and turn them down a little. I think the argument can be made that (depending on your sound system), Freddies esses may be a little taxing the ears at certain points here too. Unlike the Queen I issue however, this is a very accurate reflection on how the Complete Works LP actually sounded, so I felt less inclined to take liberties here.
Instead, Im offering up two slightly different versions of the Restoration to hopefully suit your preferences. Theres this one, which remains very true to the enhancements offered on the 1985 LP. And an alternative, where (just like Queen I) the high end has only been recovered half-way 🙂 Id be curious to hear which version you end up leaning towards...
DOWNLOAD FOLDER:
linktr.ee/qlrvault
Full album YouTube playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLOvYtqeUuiLufqKQL1cSh1NWuoUr0Itm4
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
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 - Rock With You [2026 Restoration]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/I5sf1geacNc/mqdefault.jpg "Michael Jackson - Rock With 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")
