Post by pobbard on Aug 13, 2010 13:03:36 GMT
(cross-posted from IMWAN at www.imwan.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=65308)
I finally picked-up the 801 LIVE reissue. I found it new for just under $30, and it appears to be signed by Phil Manzanera.
I think the rehearsal disc is pretty fascinating. The sound (mono, rough) is only decent, but the renditions are noticeably different, with more improvisation, a few mistakes, etc. Really enjoyable and very listenable.
The booklet and package are beautifully done. Lots of photos and reminiscences from the band members.
Alas, the first disc is still screwed-up -- a major flaw in a package designed to celebrate the concert captured on that disc! The premature fade on "Third Uncle" has been corrected, but the problems with the two bonus tracks in the middle of the disc ("Golden Hours" and "Fat Lady") have not. Well, to be more specific, it sounds like the volume of the two tracks has been boosted, but the dynamics are still very different than the rest of the disc. The original 10 tracks have a highly compressed, FM-ready sound. The two bonus tracks have much broader dynamics -- very quiet at parts, loud at others -- which is (in general) a good thing but here results in a very uneven listening experience. It's still not possible to listen to the entire disc 1 without reaching for the volume on your stereo/headset/etc. at least twice during the disc. Very frustrating. This could have easily been corrected, either by:
1. Applying the same compression to the 2 bonus tracks that was applied to the original 10 tracks -- e.g., so that a ballad like "Golden Hours" had the same application of compression that "Rongwrong", another ballad, has -- or
2. Remixing the entire disc to remove the compression on the original 10 tracks.
My best guess is that they just dropped in the two bonus tracks without remixing the original 10 tracks -- a suspicion further aroused by some clumsy editing of the audience before, after, and even between the two bonus tracks -- and decided not to compress them for whatever reason.
Perhaps, like the flawed 1999 release, no-one bothered to listen to the entirety of disc 1 before their production run. Considering fans complained about this same issue back in 1999 on Manzanera.com, you'd think they would have taken more care this time, which leads me to another theory: Phil Manzanera doesn't like the compression on the original 10 tracks and wanted to preserve the dynamic range of the bonus tracks. But, if that were the case, you'd think they'd respond to fan complaints with an explanation.
Which leads me to my next theory: The person in charge of producing this expanded disc is hard-of-hearing. Or just doesn't care. Too bad.
801 LIVE is a great live record, but for most fans the original 10 track CD is the best way to hear it.
(Any audio engineers out there want to try to help me correct this problem for my own listening pleasure? I've been tinkering with "Compression" in Audacity with mixed results...)
I finally picked-up the 801 LIVE reissue. I found it new for just under $30, and it appears to be signed by Phil Manzanera.
I think the rehearsal disc is pretty fascinating. The sound (mono, rough) is only decent, but the renditions are noticeably different, with more improvisation, a few mistakes, etc. Really enjoyable and very listenable.
The booklet and package are beautifully done. Lots of photos and reminiscences from the band members.
Alas, the first disc is still screwed-up -- a major flaw in a package designed to celebrate the concert captured on that disc! The premature fade on "Third Uncle" has been corrected, but the problems with the two bonus tracks in the middle of the disc ("Golden Hours" and "Fat Lady") have not. Well, to be more specific, it sounds like the volume of the two tracks has been boosted, but the dynamics are still very different than the rest of the disc. The original 10 tracks have a highly compressed, FM-ready sound. The two bonus tracks have much broader dynamics -- very quiet at parts, loud at others -- which is (in general) a good thing but here results in a very uneven listening experience. It's still not possible to listen to the entire disc 1 without reaching for the volume on your stereo/headset/etc. at least twice during the disc. Very frustrating. This could have easily been corrected, either by:
1. Applying the same compression to the 2 bonus tracks that was applied to the original 10 tracks -- e.g., so that a ballad like "Golden Hours" had the same application of compression that "Rongwrong", another ballad, has -- or
2. Remixing the entire disc to remove the compression on the original 10 tracks.
My best guess is that they just dropped in the two bonus tracks without remixing the original 10 tracks -- a suspicion further aroused by some clumsy editing of the audience before, after, and even between the two bonus tracks -- and decided not to compress them for whatever reason.
Perhaps, like the flawed 1999 release, no-one bothered to listen to the entirety of disc 1 before their production run. Considering fans complained about this same issue back in 1999 on Manzanera.com, you'd think they would have taken more care this time, which leads me to another theory: Phil Manzanera doesn't like the compression on the original 10 tracks and wanted to preserve the dynamic range of the bonus tracks. But, if that were the case, you'd think they'd respond to fan complaints with an explanation.
Which leads me to my next theory: The person in charge of producing this expanded disc is hard-of-hearing. Or just doesn't care. Too bad.
801 LIVE is a great live record, but for most fans the original 10 track CD is the best way to hear it.
(Any audio engineers out there want to try to help me correct this problem for my own listening pleasure? I've been tinkering with "Compression" in Audacity with mixed results...)