I've been a huge Steely Dan fan most of my life. I had all the LPs. Then all the crappy MCA '80s-era CDs (with the "Other Titles Available From MCA" packaging). And finally the "Citizen Steely Dan" box set, which sounded much better than the original CDs. Of course, I kept the original CDs because the box set splits up a few albums over the four discs, but they really sound mediocre.

Can anyone tell me if the remastered individual CDs are a significant upgrade over the box set? The allmusic review of the box set claims it's the same remastering, but I thought they had been re-remastered several years later. I'm happy with the box set, but I'd be willing to buy them again if the sound is greatly improved.

Also, does anyone know if there was more than one reissue campaign? What year should I look for if I decide to upgrade? Thanks.

Rich K

I like the remasters. I also like the boxed set, which I found ever-so-slightly warmer than the remasters, but the "golden ears" at the SH forums seem to feel that noise reduction was used on the boxed set. I don't hear it.

The liner notes on the remasters are worth the price of admission alone.

I really prefer, however, the SACD Hybrid of Gaucho. The redbook CD layer sounds better than any other mastering I've ever heard on CD. "Brickwall" Bob Ludwig returned to classic form on this remaster.

Wow, the liner notes are THAT good on the remasters? Did they include lyrics & musician credits as well?

Also, is there only one set of remasters. If so, what year were they completed?

I'll be on the lookout for the Gaucho SACD, even though I don't have an SACD player. Since all of Donald Fagen's albums have been re-released as 5.1 DVD-A's (I have The Nightfly and Morph The Cat, so I've held off on buying the MVI box set), maybe one of these days they'll do DVD-A's for the Dan catalog.

Thanks.

The ones out now were done in 1999-2000 by Roger Nichols at Digital Atomics, FLA.

The SACD Hybrid of Gaucho was done around 2003 by Bub Ludwig @ Gateway Mastering, ME

The mastering of the Citizen Steely Dan boxed set is by Glenn Meadows @ Masterfonics, TN, done in 1993...AFTER the first round of Nichols remasters. So they're not the same.

The liner notes on the remasters don't include any more musician credits than usual...some are still vague...but Don + Walt wrote intricate stories about the making of (or events occurring around the making of) each album. They're written somewhat cryptically, not unlike their lyrics, but are fun reads.

So it's possible that I could end up with the first round of remasters if I buy any used copies, right? I would have to buy new ones from, say, Amazon, to be sure I'm getting the '99/'00 versions?

By the way, the DVD-A I have of The Nightfly is the stand-alone version from about 5-6 years ago. How is the MVI box set of the three Fagen albums? Is there any improvement in the 5.1 mixes as compared to the existing DVD-A's?

Safe bet.



The 5.1 mixes on the MVIs are the same as the ones on the DVD-As.

Is Gaucho the only one that came out as an SACD hybrid?

I believe so, Geff.