Version 3 of 5 (1 having the least audible bass guitar, 5 being the most audible) Pick whichever one you like best.
Here they are, the definitive, final, and proper custom remasters of the complete And Justice for All album, with varied levels of bass guitar to suit the preferences of the listener.
Check out this podcast I edit, give them a thumbs up and subscribe
00:00:00 Blackened
00:06:43 ...And Justice for All
00:16:28 Eye of The Beholder
00:22:54 One
00:30:20 The Shortest Straw
00:36:55 Harvester of Sorrow
00:42:40 The Frayed Ends of Sanity
00:50:24 To Live is To Die
01:00:13 Dyers Eve
I fixed the frequencies of the bass guitar as not to clash with the frequencies of the other guitars. By this I mean that James is playing in the bass guitar frequency already, and to make Jason fit, his sound can't fit where James is occupying the same space. By cutting the low end and boosting the mids, I made Jason fit in the area where the guitars are scooped. The result is a much less muddy version than ANY of the other remasterings out there, which all sound to my ear as if someone just layed their own bass track on top of the original recording and called it a day. The result is that you end up with a sound that isn't as flat or thin, but still retains the feel of what both Kirk and James were going for with their tone.
I used a rip of the original vinyl for the base of the tracks and EQed them in several passes to bring out the thud on the bass drum as opposed to the much maligned clicking.
Jason's bass masters were used for Blackened, And Justice For All, One, The Shortest Straw & Dyer's Eve. My original remixes were well recieved over the last couple years but I kept getting messages that for some people they thought the bass was mixed perfectly, but too loud, or too quiet for some, (a few even noticed I let them get out of tempo... dammit) and I've been asked many times about the missing tracks... So here is my response. I re-remixed all of it.
The \"other\" tracks are from an anonymous source who simply told me to \"Use these.\" I do not know where they originated... but I am sure they are not Jason's tracks, rather, studio quality covers, most likely played to tab. If the actual players can be found I will give them the credit for their playing. The \"cover\" bass tracks had to be heavily edited for tempo and tone and in many cases I had to go in between many notes to cut them out and paste them where they should go. Some tracks were clean and others used distortion, which was also a clue... I am guessing it was at least two different bass players who recorded these... SO, If I used your work, please let me know so others may know you helped me perfect this album.
I claim no copyright ownership of the song, and seek no monetary gain from this remaster. This is not meant to replace the original, (which if you are listening to this, then I assume you have a legit copy of the original) This is simply an alternative version of the song, the direction of which I hope the band itself pays attention to when they undoubtedly decide to remaster the album.themselves. Until they do... this is the best that can be done with it. All credit is due to Metallica for the music, lyrics and cover art.
