Captain Beefheart Box Set Sun Zoom Spark: 1970 to 1972 (out 11/11/14)

I've listened to Decals twice and I didn't wince once. Yes, it's pretty weird, but recognisably Beefheartian to these ears anyway. Whereas Trout Mask I've just never been able to grasp. And I've tried. A friend of mine recommended tackling it 10 songs at a time. Maybe one day I'll take another shot at it. It's good to hear from other posters owning up to being out-weirded by certain Beefheart material

 

Just a heads-up that the vinyl set is currently £33 on Amazon UK. I was waiting for the separate releases to get Clear Spot and Decals but it seems rude not to at that price.

 

It's funny as I find Decals much more challenging a listen, except for a few tracks. Trout Mask is a lump, but it works well one side at a time (whatever the medium), and sounds to me like a true work of production, and I like Zappa's production. Always entertaining at the very least...

 

I have the CD box set of this but am considering getting the vinyl version if it sounds better - has anyone done a direct comparison?
Thanks
Clive

 

So it looks like a hi-res did happen -- but only at 24/44? Anyone get it?

 

Perhaps including live recordings

Clear Spot 1973 Tour
Tour Crew T-Shirt

Warner Brothers Records Present
Captain Beefheart Clear Spot
USA, Canada And UK Tour 1973



2nd Jan To 7th Jan West Hollywood USA
The Troubadour

23rd Feb Upper Darby, Philadelphia USA
The Tower Theater

24th Feb New York USA
The Town Hall

25th Feb Boston USA
The Orpheum Theatre

28th Feb New York USA
Green Hall

2nd And 3rd Mar Vancouver Canada
Commodore Ballroom

6th Mar To 11 Mar Denver USA
Ebbets Field

17th Mar El Paso USA
El Paso Civic Center

23rd Mar San Francisco USA
Winterland Ballroom

5 Apr Manchester UK

7th Apr Liverpool UK

9th And 10th Apr Birmingham UK

12th Apr Sheffield UK

13 Apr Glascow UK

14th Apr Edinburgh UK

17th And 18th Apr London UK

21st Apr Bristol UK

22nd Apr Stevenage UK

25th Apr Bradford UK

26th Apr Wolverhampton UK

27th Apr Preston UK

28th Apr Newcastle Upon Tyne UK

30th Apr Nottingham UK

1st May Leicester UK

2nd May Leeds UK

3rd May Oxford UK

4th May Coventry UK

5th May Southampton UK

7th May Colchester UK

8th May Canterbury UK

 

Hm... I heard it when I was still a teenager and was fascinated from the outset just by the name and cover. I think you just have to acclimatise yourself to Trout Mask. Give it time. Let it unfold. You have to want to, though. But maybe it's one of those few albums that still retains it's sense weirdness even after all years of familiarity. I think there's a handful of songs that are more immediately beautiful than others. Those are probably the key.

For what it's worth I think Decals is more obviously prettier but I prefer the vocal-less version.

 

Is the 1989/1991 CD of Decals, the one to get? How does it compare with the UK Reprise LP?

 

So these aren't AAA? This link says the masters were cut to hi rez files first: Vinyl Asylum »

"Was it AAA or had it been digitized along the way? I later learned they are remastered form hi rez files taken from the masters."

 

I dreamed about Don last night. He was there. It was weird. I sang "Bluejeans and Moonbeams" to him out of respect. I think I mixed up the lyrics but he showed his approval any way. Therefore, I will now order the Rhino "Clear Spot" and "Spotlight Kid" CDs (even though I already have the 2-fer) to thank him for visiting me last night. It's the least that I can do.

 

Don't let Don pressure you. I heard that he's always doing that – popping up in people's dreams to try and trick them to buy another copy of one of his records.

The Rhino CD of Clear Spot does sound nice, though – much nicer than that two-fer, that I also own.

 

I'm so fond of the two-fer that I never bought the latest remaster.

 

I've resurrected this thread just to say that Amazon UK currently have the vinyl set at £21.99. It is about double that for the CD.
I've pulled the trigger on the vinyl at that price.

 

That's a good price. I forget how much I paid for it but it was significantly more than that for sure.

I just listened to Clear Spot the other night...great record.

 

Package arrived a couple of hours ago. Only played Spotlight Kid so far. Awesome sound. Don's voice just bursts out the speakers - like he's in the room with me. Can't wait to play the others over the next few days.

 

Glad I saw this thread - 4 LP set is £21.99 at Amazon UK again.

 

Thanks! Just ordered!

 

You made the right choice. The "Sun Zoom Spark" box is just the same tapes with lousy "Rhinophonic" mastering applied. Reccommendations are best ignored.

 

In your humble opinion.

 

The remasters are the same tapes as the Enigma/two-fer but with compression and an upper midrange boost applied. They do not sound "better". You are just hearing effects of the heavy-handed mastering, so they sound more "punchy". The vinyl is cut from digital versions of these same files. Worthless, IMO. But more power to you.

 

I thought the 4-disc box got good reviews for sound quality.

I have to confess I bought the box, and I opened it to take a quick look inside, but other things arrived, and I've never gotten around to spinning any of the music.

 

That's subjective, surely. I've never read anyone describing these are brickwalled (something you're not claiming either, tbf). Perhaps the music benefited from a "midrange boost"? Either way, it's easy to avoid buying.

 

It seems this set has gotten mixed reviews, but since the price was right (24 GBP, postpaid to Norway), I decided to order it. I hope it sounds OK, even though originals might have been a better choice for these titles.

 

Of course it's subjective. Willy says they do not sound "better". That's his opinion. In mine, they do.

 

Rhino always boosts the upper midrange to make their masterings more obnoxious and in-your-face. Add a hefty dose of compression to that and you've got a real ear-bleeder.