I knew the new Dead Bees release will have a new mastering and that it will sound better. That's why I molesting Mr Sylvian on Twitter for a CD release, but I guess he's got little to say about it and that company who published the new version seems to be interested only in small vinyl pressings for those with fat wallets.
Oh, I'm not that dirty. Sticking with the original meaning of the word, which comes from Latin molestāre (to annoy).
In this day age, with the sick stuff going on with social media, you might as well be serious. (I was only joking, too.)
One thing I want to say about Brilliant Trees is holy crap, is the Weatherbox version quiet. It's honestly too quiet for its own good.
That's the one Sylvian remaster that sounds much better than the original. I was told that Sylvian went back to the original multitrack tapes and started from scratch. By the time they got to Gone To Earth they found it too much trouble and gave up doing it that way. And it shows. On Gone To Earth, listen to the piano on the remaster of Laughter And Forgetting. Now listen to the Japan for Japan original (and, I suspect, any other early cd version). The remastered piano sounds like it's underwater and warbly. The orig sounds clear and lifelike - as the rest of the 2 cd set does.
Yes and no. Yes, the remaster of Brilliant Trees kills ALL of the old CDs and don't bother with opinions to the contrary. The remaster was done superbly and the new transfer itself just murders that old muffled, thin version we got on CDs. Yes, it took a lot of effort to do the BT remaster, so they stopped doing it that way with the rest. No, the other remasters aren't bad. In fact, they are still an overall improvement over the old versions, especially Beehive. No, the piano on the GtE remaster doesn't sound so bad. The whole CD sounds very good and the remixes are great. Not a bad job in the slightest.
The Brilliant Trees remaster is not a remix. They didn't go back to the multitracks. They may have gone back to original stereo masters, as they were before being copied onto a master reel, which would mean creating a whole new album master reel (or two side reels), with sequencing etc. That can be an ideal starting point for remastering, but it can also be a lot of work. The piano on Laughter and Forgetting doesn't sound underwater & warbly on the remaster. Perhaps you're thinking of another track? BTW, I do prefer the original UK cd of Gone To Earth to the remaster, but not much. They're both good, IMO.
The piano on the first few notes of Nightporter on some CDs sounds a bit off - this is the same on some Japanese pressings of Exorcising Ghosts as well as the remaster. There are also some audible problems on Life Without Buildings on the Tin Drum CD, and it fades earlier than on vinyl or Exorcising Ghosts.
No, not a remix at all. It's the same album, but remastered professionally. They've used a new transfer and it was done much better than in the '80s. I can't even go back to the old CDs after hearing the 2003 remaster of BT. The piano on the GtE remaster is fine.
However - Before the Bullfight is the one track in the entire remastered catalogue with a significantly changed sonic image and relation among the instruments (most specifically, the drums vs the ambient guitars - very hearable as soon as the drums come in). Re-hear that one for yourselves. Maybe it’s a case of an uncredited remix in that lone case - or a radical selective EQing or something of that ilk.
I actually don't have the GtE remaster at hand. I have the old version. I did listen to both last year, however. And I liked both. The old one is warmer, but the new one is much cleaner without any aggressive digital coldness. Plus, the remix tracks are awesome. I need to buy the GtE remaster, actually, but they are out of stock in my country and a special order is way too costly.
Be sure they aren't distorted in any way for I distinctively remember the piano in the GtE re-master and it wasn't as you described.
Hold off from buying, there are a series of reissues on the way later this year (which is why new stock is low on most Japan related albums), no idea of formats or any changes, for CDs there will most likely just be re-presses.
My copy of the original master is one of the best sounding CD's in my collection: David Sylvian - Secrets Of The Beehive
Interesting. I knew about the Japan stuff, but didn't realize it would include Sylvian's solo albums. I highly doubt there will be any kind of an improved mastering involved, though. Besides, I couldn't buy the current release even if I wanted to. I'm broke right now and I'm not even sure if it's going to improve this year.
Paul, assuming these vinyl reissues will just end up being the last 2 Virgin albums? Also, can you push them to re-do the Assemblage CD and get European Son 12" mix by Steve Nye put on it!
Do you mean the John Punter remix? If not, what's better about the Nye? Assemblage (album) - Wikipedia
Everything. I suppose chronologically it doesn't fit on Assemblage as it came out later, as did the rather unique "Life in Tokyo Theme"
The funny thing is, aside from the drum sound the Nye remix of European Son is REALLY close to the original mix the band did before Punter smoothed the edges. I don't know what is happening with the Hansa material although apparently more reissues / remasters are in the works I have no details yet. I got a telling-off for sharing the news about the Virgin albums too early so better just wait and see for the official announcement. What I have heard sounds fantastic though.
Fantastic? I know you can't share details, but can you at least point the direction? Is it packaging or remastering?
