The album heavily utilized the Synclavier digital synthesizer, early Fairlight CMI samplers, and SSL mixing consoles.
Here is a deep-dive analysis of both pressings to help you decide which version belongs in your high-fidelity library. The Contenders: A Quick Overview Metric / Attribute 1985 Original CD (Island Records) 2015 Remastered Edition (Universal) High (Average DR12 – DR14) Low to Medium (Average DR7 – DR9) Peak Volumes Conservative, highly transactional Hard-limited, normalized to 0dB Soundstage Deep, wide, 3D instrument separation Forward, aggressive, narrow Bass Response Natural, punchy, dynamic Boosted, thick, slightly muddy Best For Audiophile setups, high volume listening Car stereos, casual Bluetooth listening Why the 1985 Original FLAC is Highly Revered grace jones slave to the rhythm 1985 2015 flac better
: Critics of the 2015 remaster point out that it is much more compressed in terms of dynamic range. While the original 1985 CD has a high DR of approximately 14 or 15, the 2015 version drops to as low as DR 6 or 8. While the original 1985 CD has a high