"The Velvet Underground": Speculative 3rd LP 45th Anniversary Super Deluxe Box

Bummer and a bad choice, IMO. It's the closet mix that hasn't been available on vinyl for 35 years.

 

My girlfriend ordered this for me for Christmas and I'd been waiting for it for months. When I received it, I was kind of shocked. It's still in the shrinkwrap and I've been searching everywhere online to see if this was at least the "Closet Mix", since it doesn't have any bonus tracks or anything. If it's just the same old mix (which, according to Brett it seems to be), I'm probably going to just return it and keep my MGM 180g copy I've had for years.

What a pathetic money-grab on Polygram's part. The CD set is great but they really blew it with this vinyl "reissue"....

 

After doing some research, this LP is advertised as featuring the "remastered" stereo Valentin mix, which is probably disc 1 of the Super Deluxe Box. The 180g vinyl that I received is quite and flat, so that's something to hang a hat on...

The biggest disappointment is the of lack of effort by Polydor to make this 45th anniversary LP feel like something special , there are some wonderful photos and liner notes in the box set that could have been used for a inner sleeve , just anything to make this stand apart from the many re issues out there.

Best case scenario is that a Matrix or "Lost Album" vinyl release is in the works.

 

Anybody listened to the LP yet? Still wondering if it's worth keeping, since I thought I was buying a double LP. Hopefully they put more effort into the sound than they did the packaging.

 

Sorry but I don't think it has ever been said that this was a double and I for one have posted about it being a single LP of Valentin mix. Seems your real gripe is the price Amazon charged you. I hope you get your money back.

 

Is the lp out in the US yet, its not due for release in the EU for another couple of weeks?

There are a few in print versions available just now though.

 

The one I ordered from Amazon is not good. Another missed opportunity. Was this ever supposed to be 2LP?

 

This is about the vinyl, new and old and how they compare to the versions in this box:
I've heard this new one (the 3rd lp on vinyl) and it sounds excellent, what I want to know is what it sounds like compared to a 1st press UK, German or CDN pressing. The closet mix on vinyl I got in the form of an early seventies UK vinyl reissue is very distinct in a good way as far as how it sounds compared to the new cd closet remaster, which sounds good, but somehow that vinyl captures more air or ambiance than this new 45th remaster.
Since I have not heard an original closet or Valentine pressing, I really don't know the good or the bad of the original sound as released. I heard the CD of the new Valentine mix before the lp and I think they are the same mastering, but haven't done a close scrutiny other than notice my analog does a better job than my digital -It just sounded quite lush and very detailed.
Like the cd, the master tape warts and all sound is presented, and just shines in the analog.
The highly regarded Calbi sound on my mid eighties US pressing is nice that I recall, but my particular copy just doesn't leave an impression like the UK closet reissue or this new Valentine pressing, what muddies the water for me is that there is (I think) a Ludwig CD remaster out there, and that may have been used for a (gasp) 4mwb release of the album -That I heard and actually liked -in my mind it sounds like what the Calbi version should sound like, but I am underwhelmed by that disc. I really like the Calbi version of the 1st lp.
So we know they went back to the tapes for this 45th ann. release, but what exactly did they use to cut the lacquer with when doing this Valentin pressing? Maybe that is the bonus: that it was cut from that tape and thus AAA.
I think what they did sounds good, I guess I'm just curious of anyone elses listening impressions comparing old and new pressings of this.

 

Sorry for the delay, but I'm going to roll out just such a thread out shortly (sorry for the delay). I'm preparing a few discographies and charts to make all that information readily available. But I would love folks to chime in and offer some input of the ideal scope of such a thread.

But perhaps most importantly, I'd like independent analysis of the contents of the Matrix Sampler versus the contents of LIVE 1969, The Quine Tapes, and (most relevantly discs 5&6 of the Velvet Underground: SDE box). I'd really like to state with some confidence if a given version on the sampler is the same performance that was later featured on the VU SDE box, but I'm still somewhat uncertain in a couple instances.

If anyone needs to hear the sampler tracks (all recordings on it are mere excerpts, so I hope this doesn't violate forum rules):

http://thevelvetundergroundbootlegs.../velvet-underground-matrix-tapes-sampler.html

I'll refrain from offering my own analysis yet, in the interest of getting some independent perspectives. But remember, just because any given track is the same song, it doesn't mean it's same performance (which is particularly true in the case of "Venus In Furs" which the Sampler features in two separate, if rather similar, renditions). Feel free to PM me with your opinions.

 

What exactly is 'the sampler' exactly? ..Disc 2 of the 3rd lp's 2 CD deluxe set.. or?

 

No. It's an 11 track (10 songs, as one of the tracks is just a spoken intro by Lou) sampler of various performances from Peter Abram's 42 track archive of Matrix VU performances that he seems to have assembled and circulated several years ago to encourage Universal to buy the tapes from him (which they--or The Velvets themselves-- clearly did at long last). Unfortunately, all the tracks on it are just excerpts.

 

Cool, I probably have come across that info some where in passing but for some reason that didn't stick, thanks for clearing that up, or maybe it didn't need clearing up and it's just me, anyway it'll maybe come in handy for someone stumbling in here.

 

And in any case, there is a link in my earlier post. You should try it out, it's lots of fun. There are several performances on it that aren't on last year's box (and presumably preview any future Matrix set that may be coming).

 

This is probably not the sort of scholarship you're after, but I just want to say I'm gutted that Follow The Leader is apparently not among the Matrix soundboard material. Love that track on the Quine Tapes...

 

I'm very dissapointed about the inconsistence on the vinyl reissues. The WL/WH double was great for including the bonus studio material on a second disc.

 

It's strange that they've been inconsistent about it but personally I tend to listen to bonus tracks once and pretty much never again so it. Plus shelf space is short and an extra disc obviously drives the price up.

I'll be picking up the European release if I see it for a decent price, I thought the last two releases sounded pretty good. Good enough to make me give up on the frustrating hunt for those Calbi editions at least!

 

Has this live VU thread been started yet?

 

Actually, no. I've been very lazy (not to mention forgetful). I was hoping to do some research to launch it with a bang, but kept putting it off.

But maybe I should just do it anyways. Thanks for the reminder. Maybe later today...

 

This would be a good topic for it's own thread, particularly with the rumors of a full 1969 live set later this year.

 

Well, if it gets started please mention it in this thread.

 

I will, but I'm not going to make any more promises as to the time-frame!

But if someone else wants to start one, that's fine with me. I can add any material I assemble to it. But everytime I think to start the thread, it's when I'm away from hone posting from my phone.

 

I got the set today and "binge" listened to the entire thing. Wow.

So where's that Velvets Live Thread?

 

Anyone know if the Live 1969 ORG repress from RSD a couple of years ago (white vinyl limited as well and a volume one and 2) used the currently available tapes or something else?
I for one like the better sounding live stuff, or rather recordings sourced that are ballpark to the original Live 1969, what other live sets are of palatable quality that are circulating?
I had a boot (I think) copy of Live at Cole's End or something like that, that was offered in two volumes and the SQ was truly sad.
Now I know a lot of fans here will suffer through just about any recording to hear live VU, I just figured out that I am not of that variety.
I love this 45th ann. version of the Matrix stuff, but I had the Quine tapes LP box and it just didn't do it for me.
As long as there is no 'official' live VU thread (maybe there is and we (me) just don't know it),
why not at least pause this one to list what are the best SQ live recordings known next to the matrix?

 

The problem is that there's nothing really comparable to the new Matrix mixes, SQ-wise.

The closest thing, previously, was...the original Matrix mixes.

This is just one of the reasons we want the rest of what they got from there ASAP...

 

Got the LP (US version) and while the basic mastering is good (haven't compared to my Calbi--haven't even made it through side 1), it looks indifferently pressed and worse, has several non-fill sounds at the end of Candy Says.