That Time They Made Dark Side of the Moon New Coke

(... a warning to my guitar lesson students: if you bring this subject up be prepared for a whorling vortex of invective against this release.  I have not listened beyond the first 4 bars of "Breathe"; there is no point.  My vexation by this has ruined my day, and is probably only matched by my opinions about the abominations known as "Star Wars Episodes VII, VII and IX")

Gahr.  Someone decided to "make better" what is probably the closest to a perfect record that has ever been made?

It's of course, much louder.  Which in the 21st century means "better".

In doing this, they've changed the nature of the way the volume peaks change, and the way the low end sounds dynamically, and the tonal balance shifts around as the compression messes with it.

The way the volume peaks from the screaming intro is faster now. *The rate of which that occurs - which I presume came from Alan Parson's hand - is now different*.

The bass doesn't decay correctly.  The quarter notes previously poked out and then faded PERFECTLY.  IMO, this is one of the most important Pink Floyd signatures.  I remember that as a kid hearing it, *in my memory* it's a significant effect: boom BOOM baboom BOOooomm BOOM BOOM booboom...

Now it's just BOOM BOOM BOO BOOOOOMMM BOOMMM...

Ahrgh.

Likewise, the guitar strums are squashed down.  Despite the overall level being louder, the initial attack character of the guitar is gone.  The opening Em add9 is the OPENING SIGNATURE TO THE ALBUM.  It washes into the track.

 Now you have to "squint" as you listen to hear it at the start.  

And because of the overall level now being a completely different LUFS value, the entire vibe has been affected.  The pulse (ironic) of the low end is different.  The bass has to throb, the guitar has to have a "tinkly" effect - and level balanced to the bass (which it no longer is thanks to limiting/compression).  

 THE ADSR CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS RECORD IS SACRED.   

 I'm sure a lot of Monet paintings could be "made better" by color correcting sky tones, making the reds pop out more, maybe make some of the orientation more 16:9 friendly.  

Ahrgh.   #Ihatethe21stcentury.