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Get2Me
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  • Register:10/04/2008 03:09:21

Date Posted:12/03/2015 03:25:27Copy HTML

Dear Chip,

I was recently alerted to a troubling review for George Melachrino's Christmas Joy that was posted on Amazon.com. It reads:

-----

How do you kill Living Stereo? Ask the murderess, Maria Triana of Battery Studios..., December 1, 2015
By RF
This review is from: Christmas Joy (Audio CD)

What Ms. Triana has perpetrated on George Melachorino's fine "Christmas Joy" is nothing less than first degree murder. What takes all the life out of this heretofore Living Stereo triumph is the absolutely over-the-top, heavy handed, amateurish compression that Ms.Triana inaptly used to remaster this album. And if that wasn't enough, the death blow comes from a huge dose of artificially accentuated treble that turns the sheen of beautiful strings into unlistenable fingernails grating across a chalkboard.

Reading Ms.Triana's credits shows she is way out of her element. High audio compression has become all the rage with the current crop of soulless studio engineers, and Ms. Triana used that approach on this music, which is wholly different than what she is used to remastering. Her bio states that she has "a unique musical sensibility" and "a keen ear for detail." Her "unique musical sensibility" and "keen ear" was most definitely left at home when she "remastered" this album.

A good remastering first "does no harm." And second, allows the beauty of the music to speak for itself, not try to turn it into something it was never meant to be. There is a reason that people have been complaining so much about this CD that amazon has removed it for sale exactly when it should be selling the most: there is no market for Living Stereo that's been murdered.

PS I may be the lone dissenter, so far, but if you buy this audio train wreck, you will hear what I hear.

-----

This sounds more like a beef with Maria Triana than the George Melachrino Christmas Joy Real Gone Music reissue CD. Although both are pretty heavily lambasted! I have yet to listen to my copy in full, but what I did sample sounded fine to my ears. Nothing is glaringly wrong or botched with the reissue as far as I can tell.

Since you worked closely with Gordon Anderson in getting Christmas Joy released on CD, I'm curious to hear your thoughts on this matter - especially since it looks like the extremely negative review got the CD pulled from Amazon.com. That will REALLY hurt the sales figures for this album and not bode well for future Christmas LP on CD reissues. That makes me angry! Sigh.

All the best,
Peter
bgart Share to: Facebook Twitter MSN linkedin google yahoo #1
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Re:George Melachrino's 'Christmas Joy' Real Gone Music Reissue CD 'Under Review' By Amazon.com?

Date Posted:12/03/2015 05:51:52Copy HTML

I noticed tonight that the Melachrino cd was pulled by Amazon for review and someone wrote a scathing review, mentioning the remastering has been poorly done. Any idea about this, Chip? 
Christmas Music Guru Share to: Facebook Twitter MSN linkedin google yahoo #2
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  • Register:09/07/2005 11:04:22

Re:George Melachrino's 'Christmas Joy' Real Gone Music Reissue CD 'Under Review' By Amazon.com?

Date Posted:12/04/2015 07:35:31Copy HTML


Yes Peter and Ben, I am aware of this. I have informed Gordon about it and he is taking steps to address it with Amazon and get the CD reinstated. And Peter, you echoed exactly what I said to Gordon: that there is more behind this scathing review than just this guy's supposed dissatisfaction with the CD, and that it sounds more like a personal vendetta against Maria (Triana) than anything else.

I am totally perplexed and bewildered by this guy's scathing criticism of the remastering job, and quite angered and deeply saddened by his brutal attack on Maria. I didn't want her to even know about this, but I did call her to let her know as I felt she should be aware that there is possibly somebody out there who has issues with her, which is totally preposterous knowing what a wonderful person she is. Maria has done a first-rate job with everything she has remastered for Real Gone Music. So this attack on her clearly seems to be personally motivated, which, again, is why I'm so angered by this.

In addition, I am also very angry with Amazon for their ill-advised and hasty decision to suspend sales of the CD based on one lousy, stinking scathing review, which, parenthetically, is totally unfounded. Gordon and I have gotten nothing but positive feedback from folks around the country on this year's Christmas CD releases. So this guy is the proverbial "lone wolf." In fact, of the seven reviews of the CD on Amazon so far, all are 5 Star (five reviews) and 4 Star (one review). The only other review is the 1 Star review by this imbecile.

And lastly, please be advised that after this matter is resolved and everybody has read my comments about its resolution, I will more than likely remove this thread from the board so as not to perpetuate this guy's vitriolic words and give them a scintilla more attention than they rightfully deserve.

Oh, and Peter, no need to worry about this incident affecting neither sales of the CD, nor the release of future classic Christmas LPs on CD. In fact, Gordon has already asked me for my Top recommendations for release in 2016, and I obliged with a formal proposal of what I referred to as my "Sweet 16" recommendations for 2016!

So relax; all is well in Real Gone Music land.


Lawrence F. "Chip" Arcuri Owner/Webmaster | The Yule Log.com
Get2Me Share to: Facebook Twitter MSN linkedin google yahoo #3
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Re:George Melachrino's 'Christmas Joy' Real Gone Music Reissue CD 'Under Review' By Amazon.com?

Date Posted:12/04/2015 02:31:34Copy HTML

Thanks for clearing the air on this matter, Chip. I appreciate you sharing your thoughts and am THRILLED to hear that the future of Christmas LP on CD reissues is a positive one, at least in terms of Real Gone Music.

This year's crop of releases truly offered something for everyone and I appreciate the diversity in the title selection. Being a fan of mid-century Christmas albums, I'm especially grateful to have the George Melachrino and The Three Suns albums as part of my proper collection. That the John Gary, Bobby Vinton, Johnny Mathis, Living Voices, etc. discs got released was just icing on the cake! And who doesn't love a rich, buttercream frosting?

Here's hoping that next year Real Gone Music does right by finally reissuing The Jack Jones Christmas Album in its entirety thus bringing it into the lives of Christmas music fans everywhere. Those who know how good it is can experience it anew and those who've never heard it can wonder where it's been all these years! The album is a lost-to-time classic, for sure!

Thanks again for all your efforts, Chip. My Christmas-loving heart thanks you a million times over. Keep up the great work!
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Re:George Melachrino's 'Christmas Joy' Real Gone Music Reissue CD 'Under Review' By Amazon.com?

Date Posted:12/04/2015 08:30:55Copy HTML


You're very welcome, Peter; it's my pleasure.

By the way, I just got word from Gordon that the reason Amazon suspended sales of the George Melachrino CD was not that single nasty review. The reason was that the shipment to Amazon was tainted with cracked jewel cases, and Gordon is now working to resolve the issue.

So it had absolutely nothing to do with integrity and quality of the CD recording and the remastering job that Maria (Triana) did which was outstanding!


That guy on Amazon is obviously a charlatan.


Lawrence F. "Chip" Arcuri Owner/Webmaster | The Yule Log.com
rsteven Share to: Facebook Twitter MSN linkedin google yahoo #5
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Re:George Melachrino's 'Christmas Joy' Real Gone Music Reissue CD 'Under Review' By Amazon.com?

Date Posted:12/04/2015 09:13:17Copy HTML



Hello Chip,

I just want to tell you how ridiculous I think this guy is regarding Maria Triana and her stellar remastering job on the George Melachrino Christmas Joy CD! This guy either has an obvious hearing problem or a personal beef with Ms. Triana that has no place in a public form on Amazon.  

I got my copy of this great CD from Amazon directly and I can testify that the sound and remastering is absolutely terrific.  In fact, I would say that this and her previous work on Percy Faith's Twofer that featured Hallelujah as well as her work on Frank DeVol's The Old Sweet Songs Of Christmas are three of the most pristine and beautifully remastered albums from these time periods I have ever heard.

 I am a stickler for sound when it comes to my music and my lady is always telling me I can hear and appreciate nuances in the sonic's of CD's that she cannot hear.  I remember how bad some of the mastering was in the early days of the CD before engineers got use to the digital realm as opposed to analog.  Many albums had to be remastered later, some even several times with vast improvement and richness.

I am disgusted that anyone with Ms. Triana's obvious musical gift would come under fire as I consider someone with her ability and attention to detail something to behold and revere!  Please pass on to her how greatly her talent is appreciated by music lovers all over the world.  I will be posting a critical comment to rebute his review on Amazon shortly.

Thanks, Chip, for guarding over our National Christmas Music Treasure and the people that help preserve it!

Best Regards,

Steve
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Re:George Melachrino's 'Christmas Joy' Real Gone Music Reissue CD 'Under Review' By Amazon.com?

Date Posted:12/05/2015 12:25:33Copy HTML


Thanks for the kind words of support, Steve; and earlier today I posted a rebuttal on Amazon myself (click here).


Lawrence F. "Chip" Arcuri Owner/Webmaster | The Yule Log.com
johnnyelectron Share to: Facebook Twitter MSN linkedin google yahoo #7
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Re:George Melachrino's 'Christmas Joy' Real Gone Music Reissue CD 'Under Review' By Amazon.com?

Date Posted:12/15/2015 05:46:09Copy HTML

Maria Triana is one of the few people that I would allow to touch the master tapes from the stereo version of Percy Faith's Music of Christmas, should that ever get the chance to be properly remastered for CD release!
Christmas Music Guru Share to: Facebook Twitter MSN linkedin google yahoo #8
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Re:George Melachrino's 'Christmas Joy' Real Gone Music Reissue CD 'Under Review' By Amazon.com?

Date Posted:12/15/2015 09:30:35Copy HTML


Maria did an absolute masterful job on Percy's original 1954
mono version of Music Of Christmas, as well as an equally masterful job on his 1958 LP Hallelujah, and if it's ever possible to get the greatest album of them all -- the 1959 stereo re-recording of Music Of Christmas (the King of the hill, Top of the heap  #1 album of all-time in my Top 500) released through Real Gone Music, you can be sure as hell that I will make certain Maria gets the assignment for the remastering.






Lawrence F. "Chip" Arcuri Owner/Webmaster | The Yule Log.com
rsteven Share to: Facebook Twitter MSN linkedin google yahoo #9
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Re:George Melachrino's 'Christmas Joy' Real Gone Music Reissue CD 'Under Review' By Amazon.com?

Date Posted:12/16/2015 04:23:02Copy HTML



Hello Chip,

I could not agree with you more, Chip, about the greatness of Maria Triana's mastering skills especially on the Music Of Christmas Twofer I mentioned in the previous post.  It is my absolute greatest Christmas Wish that Maria is allowed a crack at the Holy Grail of all Christmas Albums, the great Music Of Christmas featuring the incomparable arranging talents of Mr. Percy Faith.

I daydream about the sonic clarity and richness she could bring to that amazing masterpiece that she has delivered on her previous efforts. The Frank DeVol Old Sweet Songs Of Christmas Album remaster was a revelation.  Chip, I know you will do everything humanly possible to make this dream come true one day!

Best Regards,

Steve
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