Jethro Tull 'Benefit' - New Steve Wilson stereo and 5.1 remixes*

That was a month ago. I had no way of knowing that post was off topic. I searched for the appropriate thread.

 

Story of my life. I ignored this album for 44 years, now I can't file it away !

 

It's really incredible, one of the best music purchases I've made. The US and UK flat transfers were the icing on the cake. Sounds incredible overall but what magnificent genius this album is. Gave me an entirely new appreciation for it.

 

I saw a copy of the vinyl discounted from $24 to $18. If I had only waited a year I could have saved $6.

 

You& me both.

 

Yeah, I bought both pressings of the LP, and they do sound fantastic. Then again, I think all of SW's work sounds best in conjunction with the warmth of vinyl.

 

Finally caught up on this thread. I got the deluxe set late last year and have immersed myself in it since then. It is just wonderful. I had never heard this album before, although, of course, I knew the US Teacher well, and it has become my favourite Tull album. It has a unique mood - touches of acoustic, touches of blues, touches of flute, touches of rock, touches of prog...but it doesn't commit to any of them in the way that, in my opinion, the two earlier albums and the subsequent albums do. I think the songwriting is much more sophisticated than Stand Up and, while I think IA became a better songwriter on Aqualung, there is a charm and beauty to many of the Benefit songs that I think isn't as obvious on Aqualung.

I suppose I'm not in a great position to compare SW's work with the earlier mix as I don't know it well. I certainly found the remix to be so lively and engaging whereas the original mix on the DVD is a bit dull and uninteresting. I don't think I'm too biased - I actually prefer the Warchild original mix to SW's remix. Here, though, it just makes so much sense. In 5.1...well...it is nothing less than transcendent. This album is perfect for a surround presentation - it isn't full of gimmicks and is very organic and the 5.1 adds so much air and motion to the music that it feels alive. It makes perfect sense - it isn't forced or token. This must be one of SW's best so far.

Now, a few questions if I may:
- The booklet says Play In Time was recorded in January. To me it sounds like it was done earlier than that and I think it's CB who says in the booklet that there were many attempts to get it right. The Ministry Of Information website says it was recorded on 1 September '69. What do we know about this track? Was it a leftover from earlier sessions and overdubbed? Was it an older song that they attempted again in January? If there is a weak track on the album, for me, it is this one. I
- Am I right in thinking that there are now three official Sweet Dream stereo mixes - original '69 mix, unreleased until the deluxe set, the LITP remix and SW's modern remix?
- Was the US Teacher recorded at Reprise's behest? Did the group attempt it again due to being unhappy with the UK version? It was recorded just after the UK version was released so I would assume it was the former, or a similar reason.

 

At least four, there's also the 1993 remix on the 25th anniversary boxset.

I think it was re-arranged in order to be more likeable to the US market.

 

Same here. My friend's older brother's. To Cry You A Song rocks me to the core.

 

Another one I need to track down. I wonder which one most people prefer.

The US Teacher is definitely more "singly". I have a lot of time for the UK version but, despite being an A-side with Witch's Promise, I think it sounds like a B-side or album track that they didn't perfect first time around. Second time around, it's a classic.

 

I love Teacher so much I can't decide which version I like best. The melody is just so beautiful. I'm even more in love with Witches Promise, but there's only one version of that.

Tull would soon get bigger and go on to do more great albums (and even one additional unreleased one: Château, which is utterly fantastic to my ears), but Benefit was already a serious highlight.

 

I have always MUCH preferred the original US album version - the one with the flute and which is less guitar-heavy.

However I had some fun watching this, Ian on a Les Paul and Clive playing "unmatched grip" style...

 

I have always had the feeling that it ("Teacher") was the same backing track and even vocals on both version. Anyone can pinpoint me a difference?

 

Different backing track. On the UK Clive plays ride cymbal on the verses, on the US he plays hi hat, to name one difference.

 

FYI: This was posted on www.musictap.net site:

"On May 26, Rhino and Parlophone will offer the Steven Wilson remix of Aqualung by Jethro Tull, on both a standard issue CD (all by its lonesome), and a vinyl LP edition. Also planned for CD only release is the Steven Wilson remix of Benefit, by Jethro Tull."

To me, the real news here is the last part: the CD only release of Steven Wilson's remixes of Benefit. I never actually picked up the deluxe edition. It stayed fairly expensive (~$20.00 w/ shipping), and I don't do 5.1. But I did want Wilson's remix, having been favorably impressed by Wilson's remix of Aqualung. So this may be way for some of us to pick up Wilson's remix of Benefit for less.

 

As someone who bought the Aqualung boxset just for the vinyl and the book (and subsequently sold off the rest of the discs), this stereo mix sounds much better on the LP. Maybe it's because Peter Mew didn't master it, but to me, this is my definitive go-to pressing of Aqualung on vinyl. It beats my Porky UK.

 

A pity they were unable to locate the master tapes for The Witches Promise. I reckon if they do manage to track the tapes down in the future they oughta release the song as a Hi-Res download or else create a Living in the Past remix compilation. Mind you if SW gets to remix Stand Up that too would be a bonus.

Having more learned of the 2008 DE of This Was, would it be viable for doing another remix so soon for that album? Guess there will still be a 5.1 mix by SW though. Maybe Peter Mew's mix can still be included on the DVD as a bonus. I'm going to track down the DE now that I know of it.

 

If they were releasing a stand alone 5.1 Aqualung Blu-ray, I'd be doing handstands.

 

1000% correct.

 

Having bought Benefit back in 1970, I played it so much, that the mix then, is the sound of that album for me- SW's remix is great, but I prefer the Teacher version with flute. Play in Time is probably the only song I regarded as a filler. My question is why the original mix is so flat and narrow when back then there was some really great sounding albums around..maybe someone had blocked ears in the original mixdowns?

 

They have the master tape, they can't find the session tape.

 

This Was was recorded on 4-track, and Steven has expressed concerns regarding a viable surround mix out of it. Although it is technically possible, he felt a bit constrained by the 8 tracks of Benefit (same as Stand Up), so I think the excellent Mew stereo remix is the best we're going to get, especially so soon after that last attempt.

 

Yeah I don't think it will matter too much then. How about a quadraphonic mix? Would that be enough (is a 4.1 mix possible)? Either way I'm satisfied with Peter Mew's remix anyway.

If we can get something out of Stand Up like SW did with Benefit, then that would be enough methinks. I also noticed how on the DE that some of those bonus tracks ended up on Benefit. Maybe Jakko Jakcsyk can remix the live Carnegie Hall disc too. Again, too soon after the recent DE but Stand Up still needs to be remixed whenever.

 

Yeah, even 4-track is enough for a 5.1 mix, as it is not just "1 track per channel"; you mix spatially, in 3D if you will: you are not stuck with the fixed channel positions.

 

Aqualung is the one that needs some touch-up the most. The 5.1 mix had some digital glitches that were not corrected, it was issued inside cutaway pockets in an LP (a most bone-headed packaging) that resulted in damage to some discs. While we're waiting for "Too Old...", this would be a most welcome interim re-release in a package of the same motif as the ones that came after, with corrected discs.
It will sell, Ian.