Wings “Wild Life – Unreleased DCC 24K Gold Disk” [No Label GZS-7142]
Mumbo / Bip Bop / Love Is Strange / Wild Life / Some People Never Know / I Am Your Singer / Bip Bop Link / Tomorrow / Dear Friend / Mumbo Link – Bonus Tracks – Another Day / Oh Woman, Oh Why / Mary had A Little Lamb / Little Woman Love (56:48)
The gold CD has become renowned as the connoisseurs choice of listening medium. Generally mastered in the studio by audio-masterer extrodinare Steve Hoffman, these CDs became the ‘gold’ standard for audiophiles worth their salt and were packaged in cut out covers highlighting the uniqueness and possible novelty of the disk.
There were multiple classic albums releases under the DCC banner, exalting the virtues of the 24 carat plated disk and the boost it could give your listening experience without having to upgrade your system to a multi – thousand dollar extravaganza. In recent years, with changes to technology, the gold disk seems to have been consigned to experience and the second hand store.
This no label release presents to us a uniquely mastered disk that wasn’t actually issued in this form to the original catalogue. Even Steve Hoffman himself seems to be glad that the CD master didn’t darken his name by being released because, as some of the internet will attest to, the sound of the original recording does itself no justice. There is certainly no love lost on the Peter Mew remaster from 1993 which, while it sounds alright my my ears, is deeper in the bass and slightly murkier than this DCC remaster where the instruments have a lot more space to leap around in. “Bip Bop” for instance sounds beautifully atmospheric, Linda’s asides are much easier to hear. “Love Is Strange” sounds crisper, wider even.
The other changes to the 1993 remaster are the bonus tracks “Give Ireland Back To The Irish” and “Mama’s Little Girl” are given the flick for “Another Day” and “Oh Woman, Oh Why” ( See, much better already! ) I can’t hear much difference in “Another Day” but “Oh Woman .. ” sounds quite drastic and claustrophobic in this reincarnation. Macca’s vocals are smudged a little, hidden below the bass but there’s still a force behind it all that’s apparent.
“Little Woman Love” sounds like a live take and is given a polished energy that is lacking again on the afore mentioned Mew disk.
I’d very certainly recommend this disk over my 1993 remaster although I’ll leave the rest of you to fight it out over the previous releases (Which I hasten to add, I don’t own)
The cover is a splendid mock up of the DCC styled covers, a double sided single slip cover gives a little choice as to the cover you prefer while the back of the tray features a film still thats new to me.
While it’s a little misleading with the title – this isn’t a gold disk but a silver one, in it’s place is a very nice picture disk instead A very positive addition to your McCartney collection.
