It was quite common practice,having a track or two swapped on releases on either side of the pond. In many instances it was just the fact that record companies thought certain tracks wouldn’t resonate with the music fans of the opposite country.
I was forever trawling the import section. A completists nightmare ( or dream😉)
It seems like all I am buying lately are hefty boxes of cherished albums, but this one is so very cherished that I may have to capitulate to its manifold charms. Mayne once I've paid off the Fashiøn "Fabrique De-Luxe" box that recently arrived. lee_elliott59 suggests a "Sound On Sound" box might happen next. The Nelson foundation for my fandom are from "Drastic Plastic" through the sublime "The Love That Whirls." "Sound On Sound" is such a bold statement I don't know how I would resist such an issue.
All the BBD sets have been perfectly executed. Really pleased with how well Cherry Red/Esoteric have handled Bill's work apart from the conspicuous absence of a remastered ''Demonstrations Of Affection' in which the selected tracks included on 'Everyday Practice' sound marvelous.
Here's hoping for a deluxe 'Sound On Sound' box next.
And if the original multi-tracks are available for 'After The Satellite Sings' and 'Perfectly Wired' those would be magnificent to have in 5.1 as well!
Really enjoying digging into Drastic Plastic. Beautifully put together. These box sets are great. I am really hoping "Live! In the Airage" is not passed over for the deluxe treatment. Live music can and should be presented in surround. IMO.
To my mind this package and the previous four are superbly researched and packaged. The new mixes and the various extra tracks are in my opinion welcome but in no way take away from the original experience of having first listened to each album as they were released. The demo recordings are most welcome as they exhibit songs as they were being developed into the wonderful recordings we all remember with such fondness.
Well done all round to those involved and hopefully there will be more such releases to come.
Brilliant. I think the new mixes and the demos are fantastic. The new mix sounds brighter and a bit more "earlier" Be Bop.
One thing. On the CD sleeve holder. It looks like the best version are cut to a master, but on the third inner page, under CD 6, there is a track called 'Telephone Add" What was that?
Since they are not marked with asterisks, I am led to believe that the tracks on disc 4 (A Feeling of Playing) have been released previously. I know four were on the Futurist Manifesto retrospective set, but can find no record of the rest ever being commercially (or otherwise?) available. Any suggestions?
It's released on Spotify, so I'm listening to the whole thing right now. It's 4 hours 46 minutes long, so I had to give it a break, but everything is great. I think the new stereo mix is amazing!
No chance yet to listen to all of the huge amount of material but I have snatched a playthrough of the new stereo mix of Electrical Language. What has been done to this? To me, it has smothering mid/upper bass. Hopefully, the other material is up to scratch; it is all beautifully packaged.
I think the great thing about this latest boxset (other than the usual exceptional new mixes by Stephen Tayler) is getting to hear the original demos. That reminds me of a very telling conversation I had with Ian Nelson (what a nice guy he was!) at a Nelsonica, when I asked him how fully-formed Bill’s demos were and whether they left room for the other musicians to contribute much musically (and indeed whether Bill encouraged this). He said that, though Bill always had a very good idea of what he wanted a piece to sound like, he very much welcomed the other band members’ input, and indeed encouraged them to add their ideas.
I think that, listening to these Drastic Plastic demos, you get a much clearer idea of how much Charlie, Simon and Andy added to Be-Bop (and Ian to the recordings he appeared on). Though Bill was very clearly the main man, the others were a very important part of the sound of the band.
I wonder whether the next boxset will be Red Noise? If so, I’m sure it will again include the demos (which have been in circulation among collectors for many years, albeit in poor quality) and we can do the same comparison of how much the band members were able to put their stamp on the sound (the demos also include two previously unreleased tracks - I think - Waiting For The Night and That Way For Years).
Just listened to the 5.1 mix for the first time and not too sure it adds anything really. Another good package from Esoteric and an enlightening essay from Bill.
It was on this tour I first saw the band and I'm sure I have the original tour programme in the loft, reading the reprint brought back happy memories.
I'm sure Bill is fed up with the focus being put on the past but for me it just takes me back to my teenage years and its great!
As Perfect Monster said, will spend the weekend listening to everything and will give the 5.1 another go to see if improves with additional playing, (possibly at increased volume when the wife is out).
Drastic Plastic box set out of stock at Burning Shed now, seems to have sold out, thought it might, it's terrific.
It was quite common practice,having a track or two swapped on releases on either side of the pond. In many instances it was just the fact that record companies thought certain tracks wouldn’t resonate with the music fans of the opposite country.
I was forever trawling the import section. A completists nightmare ( or dream😉)
Does anyone know why the original UK and US releases were different?
The UK release had "Visions of Endless Hopes" whilst US had "Japan"...
Seven weeks and counting, and I’m in Europe.
Aaaand... still waiting. :(
It seems like all I am buying lately are hefty boxes of cherished albums, but this one is so very cherished that I may have to capitulate to its manifold charms. Mayne once I've paid off the Fashiøn "Fabrique De-Luxe" box that recently arrived. lee_elliott59 suggests a "Sound On Sound" box might happen next. The Nelson foundation for my fandom are from "Drastic Plastic" through the sublime "The Love That Whirls." "Sound On Sound" is such a bold statement I don't know how I would resist such an issue.
Still nothing. :(
All the BBD sets have been perfectly executed. Really pleased with how well Cherry Red/Esoteric have handled Bill's work apart from the conspicuous absence of a remastered ''Demonstrations Of Affection' in which the selected tracks included on 'Everyday Practice' sound marvelous.
Here's hoping for a deluxe 'Sound On Sound' box next.
And if the original multi-tracks are available for 'After The Satellite Sings' and 'Perfectly Wired' those would be magnificent to have in 5.1 as well!
like all the previous be bop box sets superb. but this one is my favourite. !
Just wanted to pop in and give my enthusiastic kudos to this incredible box set of my favorite Be Bop Deluxe album. Love every minute of it!
Really enjoying digging into Drastic Plastic. Beautifully put together. These box sets are great. I am really hoping "Live! In the Airage" is not passed over for the deluxe treatment. Live music can and should be presented in surround. IMO.
Still waiting in Sarf London. Come on Postie, gettcha finger out.
To my mind this package and the previous four are superbly researched and packaged. The new mixes and the various extra tracks are in my opinion welcome but in no way take away from the original experience of having first listened to each album as they were released. The demo recordings are most welcome as they exhibit songs as they were being developed into the wonderful recordings we all remember with such fondness.
Well done all round to those involved and hopefully there will be more such releases to come.
Brilliant. I think the new mixes and the demos are fantastic. The new mix sounds brighter and a bit more "earlier" Be Bop.
One thing. On the CD sleeve holder. It looks like the best version are cut to a master, but on the third inner page, under CD 6, there is a track called 'Telephone Add" What was that?
Since they are not marked with asterisks, I am led to believe that the tracks on disc 4 (A Feeling of Playing) have been released previously. I know four were on the Futurist Manifesto retrospective set, but can find no record of the rest ever being commercially (or otherwise?) available. Any suggestions?
It's released on Spotify, so I'm listening to the whole thing right now. It's 4 hours 46 minutes long, so I had to give it a break, but everything is great. I think the new stereo mix is amazing!
Still listed in the store as a Pre-Order...
No chance yet to listen to all of the huge amount of material but I have snatched a playthrough of the new stereo mix of Electrical Language. What has been done to this? To me, it has smothering mid/upper bass. Hopefully, the other material is up to scratch; it is all beautifully packaged.
I think the great thing about this latest boxset (other than the usual exceptional new mixes by Stephen Tayler) is getting to hear the original demos. That reminds me of a very telling conversation I had with Ian Nelson (what a nice guy he was!) at a Nelsonica, when I asked him how fully-formed Bill’s demos were and whether they left room for the other musicians to contribute much musically (and indeed whether Bill encouraged this). He said that, though Bill always had a very good idea of what he wanted a piece to sound like, he very much welcomed the other band members’ input, and indeed encouraged them to add their ideas.
I think that, listening to these Drastic Plastic demos, you get a much clearer idea of how much Charlie, Simon and Andy added to Be-Bop (and Ian to the recordings he appeared on). Though Bill was very clearly the main man, the others were a very important part of the sound of the band.
I wonder whether the next boxset will be Red Noise? If so, I’m sure it will again include the demos (which have been in circulation among collectors for many years, albeit in poor quality) and we can do the same comparison of how much the band members were able to put their stamp on the sound (the demos also include two previously unreleased tracks - I think - Waiting For The Night and That Way For Years).
Just listened to the 5.1 mix for the first time and not too sure it adds anything really. Another good package from Esoteric and an enlightening essay from Bill.
It was on this tour I first saw the band and I'm sure I have the original tour programme in the loft, reading the reprint brought back happy memories.
I'm sure Bill is fed up with the focus being put on the past but for me it just takes me back to my teenage years and its great!
As Perfect Monster said, will spend the weekend listening to everything and will give the 5.1 another go to see if improves with additional playing, (possibly at increased volume when the wife is out).