New david bowie song / major compilation

One of the things I hate about this is instead of the sticker being on the cellowrap, it's on the actual packaging.

Question: What is the difference between the Ken Scott mix of LOM? and the album version? I already edited my own version that fades out before the phone ring...

 

i don't think the 2CD offers enough over the 3CD. if you stretch for the Japan 1CD option, you'll have five different tracks/edits/mixes to the 3CD (Lady Stardust, Space Oddity (UK single edit - in stereo, though it was only issued in mono at the time), Life On Mars? (album version, also on 2CD), Absolute Beginners (promo edit, also on 2CD), Sue (Or In A Season Of Crime) (radio edit and an uncompressed master, also on 2CD). this leaves just one track unique to the 2CD, the single edit of Young Americans (the 3CD has a new Visconti remix of same).

not in Japan. however, it's part of the design (the font is different on the word "change", hence it "changes" when you remove the booklet). pretentious design nonsense, but that's the way the bowie/barnbrook team seems to like it.

the Scott mix leaves the telephone in (as should you, it adds to the charm and ends with an expletive from Mick Ronson that will have escaped casual listeners for decades). the main differences are more reverb on the Scott mix, lots of compression that brings everything closer together (backing vocals are basically at the same level as the lead), and an aggressive upper mid boost. in short it has nothing to recommend it over the superior original mix.

 

Not much.

A pretty pointless remix IMO.

Mixing - It raises the level of the bass guitar part, lowers the drums.

Mixing and/or mastering - the dynamics of the song have the life completely squashed out of them/everything is at the same volume level.

Don't really know why it was done back in 2003, and don't know why it's being used for the 3-cd version of this comp?

Thankfully, the best digital version I've ever heard of the song is on the 2-disc version!

And I really mean that. Both it and "Oh, You Pretty Things" sound better than I've ever heard them on cd before.

I know its been speculated in the past that they may have lost the master for 'Hunky Dory' at some point (because of how bad every digital version has sounded).

Well, either they've found it, or someone's finally realized there was a problem, because these two tracks have never sounded better IMO!

 

and that would make sense on the 2CD version. but it's also this way on the 3cd/vinyl.

 

huh? you mean the 3CD is a digipak and the vinyl is stickered onto the card sleeve?
EDIT: then the "playfulness" of barnbrook obviously requires the buyer to peel off part of the design to reveal the other font. as a designer myself i quite enjoy these concepts but the collector in me doesn't. as i mentioned, the japanese editions (1 and 2CD) have their stickers on the shrink (thus have had to hang on to those), while the 3CD has a full wraparound obi with the "sticker" printed onto the front artwork. the digipak beneath doesn't have the sticker.

 

For those interested in the design of the 3cd version:

 

the mix was originally done for a Swedish TV documentary on Life On Mars? that included footage of Ken in the studio. a handful of (mostly incomplete) mixes circulate from this "session", mostly Ken revealing details in the mix, thus a "recorder mix", "vocal mix" etc. the final mix was issued last year on the Life On Mars 7" pic disc. i agree, it's a pointless mix and markedly inferior to the LP version.

they are definitely upgrades and thankfully have been spared from heavy limiting. hopefully the full album has been prepared (and mastered a tad quieter than here, pretty please) and we could well have a digital Hunky Dory to savour at last.

 

the 3cd version has 2 traditional jewel disc trays (regular for CD1, slimline double disc for CD2+3) - both are housed in a digipak sleeve. i added pics above.

 

bonus pic:

 

yup, same in japan besides an additional lyric booklet and outer slip/obi. pics here: http://tinyurl.com/kjwtwdl

 

oh btw, it's something to be said for quality control - as i mentioned before, my friends' copy has "Time Will Crawl (MM Mix)" as 4:55 vs the digital edition coming in at 4:20 - my CD has it clocked in at 4:21. SO....color me confused.

 

And that matters because ...?

 

the longer times relates to the original release on iSelect where it was followed by a 30 second silence before "Hang On To Yourself" appeared as a bonus track.

 

Where did you get those 2 jewel cases? those are inside? so no digipacks?

 

I think they slide into pockets on the digipack. The 2nd and 3rd panels, to be exact.

 

ok, new package never seen one of those before. i suppose the first one or maybe the second contains double cd's..

 

Someone upthread said the 2nd one was a slimline that holds cd 2 and cd 3. You can tell from the pic looking at the hinges, actually.

 

When he was on this forum, Ken Scott did mention he was involved in a new edition of Hunky Dory (can't remember whether it was a deluxe), but it has yet to appear.

 

Those hunky dory 2014 remastered tracks sound superb.

I wont be buying this compilation though, i only like Bowie up to the Aladin Sane album and of course his latest album.

 

got the box set version today and the japan version is on the way!

 

special editions of Hunky Dory and Low were due in 2007, and promoted on the Target (store) Strangers When We Meet CDEP. i'm sure we'll get them eventually. the BOWPROMO mixes of the Hunky Dory tracks would provide a nice bonus alone, but this was such a fertile period for Bowie (no let up between HD and Ziggy) that it wouldn't be hard to assemble a formidable bonus disc for HD. as for Low, not so much known in the way of outtakes, but the mythical aborted soundtrack to The Man Who Fell To Earth would be something truly special.

 

just a quick question is it in mastered for itunes ?

 

Thanks so much for your input Karmaman, I think I am going to try and track down the Japan disc.

To make things a bit more confusing it looks like there is another 1 disc set exclusive to Mexico/Argentina that is similar to the Japanese Cd, but trades out Lady Stardust for Golden Years (single edit).

I really am so happy with the sonics on this collection. It was kind of depressing having those poor '99 masters representing the Bowie canon for the last 15 years or so!

 

Bowie lacks interest in combing through the past. It's too bad there isn't someone close to him who's passionate about handling his catalogue. His albums should be handled with the same care as the latest Led Zeppelin remasters. And there's probably a wealth of unheard gems in the vaults.

 

have yet to figure what attraction Lady Stardust has here, it's also on the Japanese Best of Bowie. it wasn't a unique single or anything, whereas Golden Years was.

at risk of overstating my position, i would have liked a little more "air" but by rubbing shoulders with the brickwalled masters from 1993-2013 on this collection, the RCA years have had to be pushed louder than they might have. the pre-RCA years have fared best of all, ironically because they were heavily compressed mono mixes to begin with. EQ-wise i think there are some nice upgrades here and, of course, a smattering of digital debuts.