Steven Wilson works on the material that is given to him to remix by the record company and/or Ian Anderson.
yeah, that's an issue for me on Songs from the Wood too, actually -- some of the keyboard sounds are not so cool, and in a way that I don't think a remix could redress.
Side note: since I don't have Stand Up yet, am I right in just avoiding the current 2cd+dvd Collectors Edition in favor of the SW reworking?
I hadn't seen this thread, but I now see on the first page that Wilson is not going to be doing any of the 80's stuff? What a drag. They're not bad records, really. Even if the production is cruddy.... which a remix would improve! Even a barebones stereo remix would be fantastic, barring 5.1, though I think the synth albums would make for a fun 5.1 mix.
A and Broadsword are great albums (altough some of the out-takes of the latter were better than some of tracks that ended up on the album!), but i don't know how remixing could make that clumsy sounding drum machine on Under Wraps or Crest of a Knave sound any better.
I would just replace the drum machines with real drums -- something that would likely be a case of too much effort for too little return. I did this for a couple of tracks on UW and it sounds OK but part of the "charm" of those two records are the cold, harsh soundscapes and synths. Something like "European Legacy" would probably sound a little funny with all the synth blips and blops on top of an acoustic drum track. Bottom line, I think the fact that Ian himself did not want the A and Under Wraps albums to be Tull albums in the first place probably is evidence enough that they won't be getting any remixing done. Sucks, but I understand the reasoning.
I'm not a 5.1 fan but I think Broadsword would work very well in 5.1. This album holds a special place in my affections when as a teenage boy in 1982 I went to see Tull headline a festival in Yorkshire. I remember the camp fires burning whilst the haunting keyboard intro of Clasp swirled around. Even now it sends shivers up my spine. Ever since that night, Broadsword has been amongst my very favourite albums, and would definitely make my 'desert island discs'.
In case of "A", it was the management who told Ian Anderson that it should be released as a Tull album. Ian, who had already started to think that the Tull line-up had run it's course, gave it a thought and agreed. In some ways it was logical, since Martin Barre and Dave Pegg played on the album, and Barriemore Barlow had already quit the band at the end of the Stormwatch tour. "Under Wraps" was a different matter: it was a band album, with an idea to do something different. Ian has often said that he likes the songs, but that he regrets using the programmed drums, because he thought they didn't do a very good job on it. At one point it was considered that Doane Perry might record new drums, just to keep him busy for a few weeks. (Unless Ian was just joking, of course!) Anyway, also wonder how many copies the Under Wraps box set would sell, since it was the worst selling Tull album at the time.
Under wraps drums can be fixed. Turn down those high frequencies on the snare and low frequencies on the bass drum
The "drums" on Under Wraps don't bother me as much as Ian's weird vocals on it. Sadly, it was the last album where he had his full voice. (I like "Trop tard cera la cri" yet I don't know what it means )
It will be too late, the cry. . . Maybe "You will cry out but it will be too late!" (Should be "sera" not "cera").
I read years ago somewhere that Ian said he would like to redo the drums on UW. I'm betting we might just see that one day. If Steven Wilson can do it for Up The Downstair why not Under Wraps? A deluxe edition could have both mixes.
Why on earth did we do that? It would have made far more sense to buy the album before attending the concert.
