Strut Records: Ripping You Off With Laziness

December 23rd, 2011

I planned on a best/worst of the year list tonight, but something irked me so bad that I had to push that post back a few days.

Last week I bought Fac.Dance, a compilation by Strut Records that features many rare and hard-to-find dance tracks from Factory Records. Many of them are out-of-print and have never seen the light of day either digitally or on CD. I should have loved the record, but Strut had to go and fuck it all up.

I bought the album on vinyl in a 2LP set, it is also available as a 2CD set and digitally. Both the CD and digital versions include 24 tracks. However, the the vinyl version only has twelve songs.  While it does also include a download code, that code only gives you the 12 tracks that are on the LPs, and not the complete digital or CD versions of the album.

Confused yet? Don’t worry, you will be.

In addition that rip-off, all three versions have slightly different tracklistings. “Wild Party” and “Knife Slits Water (12″ mix”) by A Certain Ratio are only on the CD version; while “Black Water” by Kalima and “Motherland” by Royal Family And The Poor are only on the digital version. Furthermore, “Pretenders of Love” by Shark Vegas is on the LP version and digital version, but not on the CD version. If you want all the songs, you’ll have to buy the 2CD version, and then buy the digital exclusive tracks individually.

But why? Why does the vinyl version get the shaft? And why are their subtle differences between the digital and CD releases.

Well, I asked Strut’s Twitter account those very questions. According to them,  it was a licensing issue. Different versions have different songs because they could not “license every track in each format.”

But why not include a complete digital download with the 2LP version? Well, for that, they also hide behind the vague cover of “rights issues,” saying that they could not include those songs as “free content” because they did not own them.

Now, I’m sorry, but who said anything about free? The 2LP version costs significantly more than both the 2CD version and the digital version. Why not eat some of that profit by providing the album on CD, or including a complete download code (not for FREE, but as part of the cost).

Shit, you could probably even raise the price of the 2LP set to offset the difference. People like me would still buy it anyway.

It gets worse! Strut’s incompetence does not end there!

Until I pointed it out to them via Twitter, their store page for Fac.Dance featured the 2CD tracklist no matter which version you chose to buy. That omission has been corrected, but the page is still littered with errors and other confusing anomalies.

The digital version that Strut is showcasing on that page only has 17 tracks. Meanwhile, the digital version that Amazon is selling has 24. It should also be mentioned that the 17 track version that Strut is selling directly costs MORE than the 24 track version currently on sale at Amazon.

There is also a mistake on Strut’s website in regards to the 2CD version. Their store claims that the opening track of the second CD is New Order’s “Confusion.” However, if you go to THIS page at Strut’s website, that song is absent from the tracklist entirely. On that same page, “Time” by Minny Pops is labeled as a digital exclusive even thought it is on the CD tracklisting.

I probably spent more time writing and editing this rant than Strut did writing and editing their copy for the Fac.Dance release. Their “effort” in promoting and compiling this album reeks of laziness and corporate greed. I will never buy a Strut album again, and I suggest you exercise caution if you are considering doing so.

And on that note, Merry Christmas! I’ll see you all next week.

Posted in No music, rant | 5 Comments »

Happy Decemeber

December 21st, 2011

Happy holidaze everyone.

I’ll (sadly) be out of town all week, which makes recording and posting music hard. My plan is to have two most posts this week though. One will be without music, focusing on my favorite (and least favorite) albums of the year. The other will have awesome dance tracks. Let’s hope that all pans out.

Tonight: 80s pop! What’s a better way to celebrate whatever holiday you pretend to care about in order to get gifts?

Art Of Noise
Moments In Love (Long Version)
Moments In Love (Short Version)
Beat Box
Love Beat
These are from a weird single. First of all, the artist is credited as “Trevor Horn, Paul Morley, With The Art Of Noise.”

That’s weird because Trevor Horn and Paul Morley were in The Art of Noise, not only that, they were kind of the driving forces behind the group. That would be like crediting Dark Side of The Moon to “David Gilmour and Roger Waters with Pink Floyd,” or crediting a Wham! song to “George Michael and Wham!” Oh wait, that actually happened.

Secondly, the year on the single is “1983,” however, it’s also credited as being in the soundtrack to Pumping Iron II, which did not come out until 1985. If this single did actually come out in 1983, that would make it The Art Of Noise’s first release, but I’m more willing to believe that the actual release date was closer to 1985.

The versions of the songs are not labeled either. I added the “Short Version” and “Long Version” qualifiers, both tracks are simply labeled “Moments In love” on the single. I do not know which versions of these tracks these mixes are. If you do, please inform me.

Regardless of all that confusion, all these songs are great 80s electro and worth your time and then some. The Art Of Noise kicks ass.

Tina Turner
What’s Love Got To Do With It? (Extended Mix)
When I was eight-years-old I thought Tina Turner was the shit. Okay, maybe I was a weird kid. But I was still right, Tina Turner is the shit. Did you know she covered Massive Attack’s “Unfinished Sympathy?” She knocked it out of the park too. Tina can knock any track out of the park though. I bet she could cover a Radiohead track and turn that shit into a diva anthem. She’s that awesome. I wish this mix was just two more minutes of her going “Woah Oh Oh!” but it’s still good.

Ultravox
Dancing With Tears In My Eyes (Special remix)
When did I buy this single? I have no idea. But it was sitting in the back of my crate full of albums, languishing between some stupid soundtracks for who knows how long. I am so sorry that withheld this great mix from you all for so long. Word to the wise though, if you’re going to crydance, do it to a ballad. Sobmoshing looks dumber than shit.

Peter Gabriel
Soft Dog
This is a b-side to to the 12″ single of “Shock The Monkey.” I bought it months ago, recorded it, filed the record away, then discovered that my recording skipped. Once records reach my shelf (a feat in itself) I hate pulling them out, hence the massive delay in actually re-recording this right.

This is a quiet, but beautiful song, full of late-70s Peter Gabriel art-rock goodness. Most of it is instrumental, Peter only chimes in at the end with a brief chant of the title. Has this ever been issued on CD? I can’t believe it hasn’t. It’s quite good.

Siouxsie & The Banshees
Peek-A-Boo (Stockhausen & Waterphone Mix Instrumental)
I own two different “Peek-A-Boo” singles, one on CD and one on vinyl. The CD version tracks are on Amazon, and I suggest you pick them up. The “Silver Dollar Mix” is incredible. This instrumental is basically a modified version of that mix, and I believe it was exclusive to the vinyl version. Still a great track, even without Siouxsie’s voice.

Sometime this week, my best of/worst of lists! It’ll piss everyone off!

Posted in Peter Gabriel, remixes, Siouxsie and The Banshees, The Art Of Noise, Tina Turner, Ultravox | 5 Comments »

Hey kid, wanna be in a magazine?

December 19th, 2011

If you’ve bought a super deluxe box set in the past two years and want to be interviewed about it for a magazine article, shoot me an email (addy is to the right).

I’ll have a post with actual music later tonight.

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

This Post Is An Accurate Microcosm Of My Record Collection

December 16th, 2011

My 80s dance party continues. Seems like the best way to get in the holiday spirit if you ask me.

Eurythmics
Right By Your Side (Extended Mix)
This song is adorable. I want to hug it. So cute, so lovey-dovey, I should hate it…but it’s just so nice!

What’s not nice, however, is my recording of it. The distortion you hear on the track is caused by the record itself, not my recording equipment; my encoding equipment; your speakers; or an evil space monkey. Okay, maybe an evil space monkey is to blame. If anyone has a version of the song that has not been tainted by an evil space monkey that destroys record grooves, let me know. I’ll repay your kindness handsomely.

Thomas Dolby
Airheads’ Revenge
Revenge Rap
Airhead (Def Ears Mix) 
Airhead (Rusty’s Mix)
The subject of “Airhead” is a woman who Thomas Dolby believes to be of sub-par intelligence. It’s a funny song that manages to lay out a few funny insults while avoiding sexist tropes. Even better though, is the “Airhead’s Revenge” track, in which the subject of Dolby’s derision gets back at him…via a dope rap diss track! Oh snap! She’s there to tell him that HE is the airhead, and that he better shut his mouth before she shuts it for him. Kind of awesome, but entirely bizarre at the same time.

The “Revenge Rap” mix is just her diss track, with none of Dolby’s vocals, while the final two remixes are just alternate versions of the original song, with no rapping to be found. So if you like your rap and new wave synthpop segregated (you racist) then you’ll probably like those more.

Enjoy the new wave/rap/wtf hybrid. And just remember that the man who created it is the same man who helped to create the technology that made polyphonic ringtones possible.

Adam Ant
Room At the Top (7″ Radio Mix)
Room At The Top (Extended Version)
Room At The Top (House Vocal)
A song from the 20th century about a person with an 18th century brain in a 21st century head that was written by a man who liked to dress like he was from the 19th century. Fuckin’…80s man…I don’t know. It’s a good song though.

 

Posted in Adam Ant, Eurythmics, Thomas Dolby | 5 Comments »

Dub Be Good To Blog

December 14th, 2011

I think I’m starting to run out of barely-known acts from the 80s and 90s to write about. I’ve gone pretty deep down the new wave/dance/electronic rabbit holes, but are there any acts out there you all would recommend that I haven’t yet featured on this blog? Any suggestions would be appreciated. I’m trying to get more into 90s dance music, but there’s just so much of it! I love acid house and trance, if that’s any help to anyone thinking of recommendations.

Tonight’s post is all “dub,” a genre whose defining aural charactistics are as mysterious to me as its name. I only know that these tracks are dub because the Internet tells me it is true.

What makes these songs dub? The basslines? The general “grooviness” of them? Their instrumental passages? And what the hell does dub have in common with dubstep? How the hell did that connection form? Reggae has about as much in common with Skrillex as baroque pop has with Mastodon.

Dreadzone
Zion Youth (Dreadzone Mix)
Zion Youth (Digidub Mix)
Zion Youth (Underworld Mix)
Zion Youth (Dan Donovan Mix)
Dreadzone is a dub/reggae/electronic group comprised mostly of former Big Audio Dynamite members, including Dan Donovan and Greg Roberts. When you consider the fact that I own every single release Big Audio Dynamite (II) ever put out, the fact that I had never even heard Dreadzone until I picked up this 12″ single last week is pretty amazing. It’s less amazing when you consider the fact that I don’t really like reggae.Don’t get me wrong, after listening to a bit of their music I’m convinced that Dreadzone are very good at what they do – it’s just not my scene. However, if I smoked weed this shit would probably sound amazing.

Even if you don’t like dub/reggae I recommend checking out the Underworld mix, since it basically transforms the track into an above-average mid-90s rave tune. In fact, I suspect they reused much of their work on this remix for their own track, “King of Snake,” a few years later. It certainly sounds familiar to that legendary track.

Beats International
Won’t Talk About It (12″ Norman Cook Mix)
Won’t Talk About It (7″ Norman Cook Mix)
Won’t Talk About It (12″ One Big Bad World Mix)
Won’t Talk About It (12″ Frankie Foncett Mix)
Won’t Talk About It (7″ Beats International Theme)
Beats International was the first dance music vehicle for Norman Cook (AKA Fatboy Slim) after his days as the bass player for The Housemartins, but before his days as Freak Power, Pizzaman, The Mighty Dub Katz or whatever other horrible name he went by for five minutes in the mid-90s. That’s an interesting bit of music trivia, but what I find to be much more of an interesting tidbit about Beats International is that they employed a graffiti artist as a band member. This person’s only job was to spray paint shit on the stage during live shows.

And I thought that The Mighty Mighty Bosstones were the only band to have members whose sole purpose was to do stupid shit on stage. The Internet, read it, you’ll learn shit. Not important shit, mind you, but hey, beats working.

These are all excellent mixes of a great tune. I especially love the “One Big Bad World Mix,” as it has a pretty awesome intro. The “7” Beats International Theme” mix is pretty great too, although its propensity for using record scratches as a backbeat totally wreaked havoc with my scratch-removal software.

Posted in Beats International, Dreadzone, Fatboy Slim | 6 Comments »

Dropping Love Bombs on Northern Towns

December 8th, 2011

It seems like forever that I’ve had a post of nothing but random 80s remixes! Sounds like a problem that I need to fix.

The Dream Academy
Life in a Northern Town (Extended Mix)
Test Tape No. 3
Poised On The Edge of Forever
 Did you know that Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour produced The Dream Academy’s debut album from which “Life in a Northern Town” originally appeared? I didn’t know that until I scoped the linear notes for this 12″ single.

David Gilmour’s 80s career was…weird. In addition to producing and contributing guitar work on this album, the legendary guitarist also appeared on or produced albums with Wings, Bryan Ferry, Arcadia, Pete Townshend, Dalbelldo(!!!), Kate Bush, Warren Zevon and Atomic Rooster. He also worked with Berlin on their 1986 album Count Three & Pray, contributing an amazing outro guitar solo for their seven-minute ode to junkies in love, “Pink And Velvet.” That song is one of Berlin’s best, and if you haven’t heard it, I recommended you check it out. And I’m not just saying that because of my long-standing unrequited crush for Terri Nunn.

Anyways, back to The Dream Academy. “Life In A Northern Town” is a classic tune, and you probably know it , even if you don’t know that you know it. It’s one of those ubiquitous tunes that have become part of the world’s collective subconscious (no matter how much Sugarland’s shit cover damaged its reputation).

You also probably know the original version of “Edge Of Forever” if you grew up in the 80s and watched Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. This renamed version is a little different than the album cut (which was the version that appeared in the movie). It has some crowd noise at the end, but I suspect that was tacked on to give it the illusion of sounding live. I suspect it may be a demo version or early mix. I’m certain that’s what “Test Tape No. 3” is, if for no other reason than the rampant amount of tape hiss in the original recording.

Godley & Creme
Cry (Extended Version)
Love Bombs
Speaking of songs you don’t know you know, I bought this 12″ single just because I saw Trever Horn’s name on it. I had no idea that it was the song that had that awesome video with the fading/morphing faces from the 1980s. This extended remix is completely awesome, and it may be the mopiest song that I’ve rocking out to all week/month/year. I should hate this song, it’s so “Waaaah! Please don’t leave me!” But I think I’m too busy screaming “You make me wanna cryyyyyyyyy” at the top of my lungs to accumulate any amount of hate for this truly magnificent ode of rejection. Although I suspect my roommate may be getting sick of it.

“Love Bombs” sounds like a Sparks song gone horribly wrong, but kind of in a good way. It definitely has Trevor Horn’s fingerprints all over it, and a shitload of bongos.

Also “Love Bomb” sounds the worst sexual slang ever, but I don’t think it is.

Bryan Ferry
Limbo (Latin Mix)
Limbo (Brooklyn Mix)
Is it just me or does Bryan Ferry sometimes sound like Bob Dylan on Quaaludes?  There is nothing “Latin” nor “Brooklyn” about either of these mixes, unless there’s something about excessive synthesizers being from Latin America/New York that I don’t know about. They’re still cool mixes though.

Posted in B-sides, Bryan Ferry/Roxy Music, Godley & Creme, remixes, The Dream Academy | 5 Comments »

The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh – Original Soundtrack

December 6th, 2011

I’ve lived in Pittsburgh for almost eight years now, and it’s a decision that I can honestly say I’ve never regretted. I love this city. I love its crazy roads, obscene colloquialisms (Jag Off!), awesome food and legendary record stores.

I also love its cinematic history, mostly because it’s so weird. Sure, we got George A. Romero’s zombie flicks to lay claim too, but the greater Pittsburgh also played hosts to classics like The Deer Hunter and Flashdance, as well as “classics” such as Sudden Death, Striking Distance and Stigmata.

The selection of movies to be filmed in my adopted hometown are as idiosyncratic and quirky as the town itself, and the oddest of the bunch has to be the 1979 critical and commercial dud, The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh.

The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh stars basketball legend Dr. J as Moses Guthrie, the star player for the (fictional) Pittsburgh Pythons. The team sucks, until a spunky ball boy convinces Guthrie and the coach to cut everyone from the team except Moses, and replace them with players who share his astrological sign of Pisces.

Why?

Don’t worry about that. It just works, okay? It works so well that the team (renamed the Pittsburgh Pisces) goes on to win almost every game of the season, make the playoffs, and face the dreaded L.A. team in the Finals (spoiler alert: they win in thrilling fashion). Yes. It’s cheese, but its wonderfully aged cheese, made all the better by its amazing disco/funk soundtrack.

The soundtrack to The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh features performances by a variety of artists, it’s mostly the work of Thomas Bell. If you don’t know who Thom Bell is, you still probably know some songs he was involved with. During the 70s, Bell was one of the driving forces behind the Philly Soul sound, contributing as a songwriter/producer to some of the biggest acts of the scene, such as The Delfonics, The Stylstics and The Spinners (who are on this soundtrack). Bell produced, arranged and conducted every song on the record, and he wrote all the songs on the album as well, with the occasional assist from Leroy M. Bell (his nephew) and Casey James, the duo who made up Bell & James (who, not coincidentally, are also on this soundtrack).

The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh bombed huge when it came out in 1979 (I know, what a shocker) so the soundtrack was never even granted an official release. The few copies that were made were only issued as promos for radio stations. However, thanks  to Discogs, I know have one of those copies. So now, I am more than pleased to present to you the soundtrack to The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh, the finest soundtrack to a film about Pittsburgh basketball and its relationship with astrology that you’ll ever hear.

Thomas Bell Orchestra featuring Doc Severinsen – A Theme For L.A.’s Team
An odd starting number for the soundtrack, considering that the movie is about the team from Pittsburgh, but it still serves as a solid opening number that sets the vibe for the whole album. And hey, it has Doc Severinsen from The Tonight Show, so that’s something.

Phyllis Hyman – Magic Mona
In the film, Mona is the astrologer/spiritual adviser who helps coordinate all the players’ star charts so they’ll know their strengths and weaknesses for each game (sure, it sounds stupid when I say it like that). For her theme song, Bell recruited Phyllis Hyman, a soul singer with a powerful voice who was actually raised in Pittsburgh (but born in Philly). Hyman had a few minor disco/dance hits in the 70s and 80s, and even had something of an acting career going for a while, but she committed suicide in 1995 at the way too young age of 45. I don’t know much about her other than that (which I culled from her wiki page) but she sure had an amazing voice, even if “Magic Mona” is a silly song.

The Sylvers – Mighty Mighty Pisces
The theme song for the Pittsburgh basketball team was contributed to by The Sylvers, a family act of nine (holy shit!) brothers and sisters from Memphis, Tennessee. Maybe the popularization of birth control is one of the reasons why we don’t see bands like this anymore. This song is basically one long hook “Mighty mighty Pisces/now you’re making history!” with some inspirational verses thrown in. Just like the movie itself, it’s stupid as hell, but instantly charming and fun.

The Spinners – “(Do It, Do It) No One Does It Better
One of Thom Bell’s more memorable projects, The Spinners were a big name for a while, scoring a string of amazing soul singles throughout the 1970s. Their funky soul style doesn’t really shine with this track though. If you want to see just how awesome The Spinners were, check out this performance of “Rubberband Man,” one of the best soul tracks of the decade.

Bell & James – The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh
Thom Bell was burying the lead by making the title track the last track of the first side, because this song is amazing! It’s probably the main reason why I’ve fallen in love with the movie so much. It’s impossible to feel down or sad after hearing to this track, which is one of the most oppressively upbeat disco tunes I’ve ever heard, which is quite the feat when you think about how disgustingly upbeat most disco is.I dare you to find a better funk/disco track about a Pittsburgh-based basketball team. You won’t! Seriously though, it’s pretty incredible, if all music was this fun and exciting the world would be a much better place.

As for Bell & James, the short-lived duo never really scored a major hit on the charts during their short-lived career, although Bell recently reappeared on The X Factor recently, which is just weird. He was eliminated, but I bet if he would’ve won if he sang this track.

Frankie Bleu – Moses’ Theme
There’s a really odd romance subplot to The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh involving Dr. J’s Moses character and the big sister of the ballboy. The “seduction” scene pretty much involves her watching Moses play streetball by himself (in slow motion) while this slow jam plays. Download this song, try that out for yourself and report back to me.

The Four Tops – Chance Of A Lifetime
I really hope I don’t need to explain who The Four Tops are. I mean, they’re only responsible for “Baby I Need Your Loving,” “I Can’t Help Myself,” “It’s the Same Old Song,” “Reach Out I’ll Be There,” and “Bernadette,” (my favorite vocal group song of all time). “Chance Of A Lifetime” is less than a fraction of good as those tracks, but it’s still one of the best songs on the record. Like most of the best songs on the soundtrack, it’s upbeat disco with a “you can do it theme” that’s impossible not to like.

I need more motivational disco in my life. Wah-wah guitars make me feel like I can accomplish anything.

William Hart – Follow Every Dream
This soundtrack works best when it’s trying to be funky and semi-inspirational, so this love song by the lead singer of The Delfonics is kind of meh. It’s fine. But whenever I listen to it I usually stop it halfway though and play “Didn’t I (Blow Your Mind This Time)” instead.

Eubie Blake & Thom Bell – Ragtime
It’s a ragtime song…dude, I have no idea. It’s only a minute and twenty seconds long, just go with it.

Loretta Lynn & Frankie Bleu – Is It Love, Must Be Love
The Coal Miner’s Daughter was the last person I expected to see on a soundtrack that predominately features soul, R&B and disco, but if the 70s were anything, they were random. This is a cute 70s soft-rock style song, generic, but cute. I have no idea who the unfortunately-named Frankie Bleu is.

 

Posted in Complete Albums, soundtrack | 23 Comments »

Smashing Pumpkins Reissues: Mini-Reviews

December 3rd, 2011

I’m going to keep this rather brief, because while I like these new Deluxe Editions, I really don’t have much to say about them. I also have other music I’d rather be writing about.

I’ve already gone over the sound quality of these sets, but what about the content itself?

Both of these Deluxe Editions are three-disc sets, each containing their own bonus CD of rare material and a live concert DVD.

I’ll start with the CDs. There are very few “new” tracks on these discs. If you’re looking for previously unheards songs, you’re probably going to be a little disappointed. The Gish bonus disc only includes two completely unheard tracks (demo versions of “Hippy Trippy” and “Jesus Is The Sun”) while the Siamese Dream bonus CD includes four never-before-heard tunes (demos of “STP,” “Moleasskiss,” “USA” and “USSR”). The rest of the tracks on both discs are either previously released B-sides that weren’t on Pisces Iscariot, or alternate/early versions of previously released material.

But that’s not to say that this material still isn’t worth having. In fact, the majority of these demos and alternate versions stand up on their own as complete songs, and not just curiosities designed to appeal to the hardcore fans and no one else. I really enjoy the demo version of “Today,” since it’s far heavier than the original, and helps to convey the actual dark and disturbing lyrics of the song way more than the final version ever could, and it’s great to have another eight-minute version of the Singles soundtrack cut “Drown” (this one with a different guitar solo). The lo-fi demo versions of “Spaceboy” and “Luna” are great as well.

I haven’t been able to fully absorb the live DVDs yet, but they both sound great. They are videotapes from the early 90s, however, and look about as bad as you might think. If you never got to see the Smashing Pumpkins during this era of their career, you should be in for a treat.

So, consider my mind blown. Someone finally treated classic albums from the 90s with the respect they deserve, giving us deluxe editions that should please both old and new fans alike. If you love the Pumpkins or if you’re a bit younger and have never really heard them, these new editions are great jumping on points.

Now…for tonight’s music. To be honest. I got nothing. All the rare Smashing Pumpkins I have is in print. So instead I’ll once again direct you to the Internet Archive, where you can find a complete recording of the Smashing Pumpkins’ performance from VH1’s Storytellers. It’s a great show with a lot of interesting comments from Billy. I suggest you check it out.

Posted in The Smashing Pumpkins | 3 Comments »

A Shocking Lack Of Rage (In A Cage): Smashing Pumpkins Week Day 2

November 29th, 2011

So far, the important albums of my generation haven’t fared too well when given the “deluxe” treatment. Pearl Jam’s Ten was re-issued in an amazing deluxe package, but the record itself was compressed to hell. Nirvana’s Nevermind had it even worse (a fact I’ve documented here repeatedly) thanks to a shameful box set that might go down in history as one of the worst re-issues of all time.

Because of that, I was more than a little trepidatious when Billy Corgan announced that he would be remastering and re-releasing the entire Smashing Pumpkins catalog over the course of the next few years – starting with re-issues of Gish and Siamese Dream. I was even more apprehensive when I discovered that Bob Ludwig, the hypocrite behind the Nevermind remaster, would be behind the mixing desk for these new deluxe editions.

Thankfully, while neither album makes it through the loudness wars entirely unscathed, I’m happy (wow, I’m happy?!?) to report that the damage is rather minimal.

Allow me to explain.

Here’s “Siva.” The top is from the original CD release, the bottom from the remaster:

Original Dynamic Range: 11
Remaster Dynamic Range:  8

“Tristessa,” another great track from Gish

Original Dynamic Range: 10
Remaster Dynamic Range:  8

Onto Siamese Dream and “Cherub Rock.”

Original Dynamic Range: 10
Remaster Dynamic Range: 8

Let’s do one more for good measure, my favorite Smashing Pumpkins track, “Silverfuck.”

Original Dynamic Range: 11
Remaster Dynamic Range:  8

So yes, the new editions of both Gish and Siamese Dream suffer from decreased dynamic range. However, look at those dynamic range differences, they aren’t that drastic, nothing like the hack job that Nevermind was subjected to. I suspect that if there is any difference in fidelity with these re-issues, most audio equipment (and ears) won’t be able to pick it up. I sure as hell didn’t.

Did these albums need to be louder? Probably not, but at least they didn’t seem to be noticeably damaged in the process.

They also come with some pretty solid extras, which I’ll talk more about in my next post.

Until then, let’s celebrate this unlikely event with an awesome bootleg!

Smashing Pumpkins – Pluggletric (Click here to download the complete album)

Spaceboy
Dancing in the Moonlight
Rocket
Cherub Rock
Today
Drown
Disarm
Siva/Disarm
Geek USA
I Am One
Cherub Rock
Silverfuck
I Am One
I don’t know why, but I associate the Smashing Pumpkins with the 90s more than any other band from that era.

One experience that was especially “90s” for me were my weekly trips to the local record store and scouring their collection of bizarre “import” CDs, many of which were really bootlegs.  I spent many a paycheck at that CD Warehouse, buying poorly labeled and typo-ridden bootlegs of bands like Garbage, Nirvana, Nine Inch Nails and, most often, the Smashing Pumpkins.

Of those boots, Pluggletric was one of my favorites. As its name suggests, half of it is acoustic and the other half electric. Of the acoustic stuff, “Today” and “Cherub Rock” are highlights, mostly because they lend themselves so well to the acoustic format – very mellow and chill. When it comes to the electric live tracks, the choice cuts include a blistering rendition of “Geek USA” and the epicly epic “Silverfuck,” which is extended to 11 minutes in length here.

And if you think that’s impressive, when I saw them live in 1997 they played a version of that song that was almost 30 minutes long. You may call that excessive, drawn-out and masturbatory, but I call it the point where the Smashing Pumpkins became my favorite band in the world until they disbanded three years later.

 

Posted in The Smashing Pumpkins | 5 Comments »

Smashing Pumpkins Week Day 1: If I Were Dead Would This Record Sell

November 28th, 2011

It’s a big week for the Smashing Pumpkins, and I mean the actual Smashing Pumpkins, not that group that Billy Corgan has with him now.

This Tuesday we get new Deluxe Editions of both Gish and Siamese Dream. For many children of the 90s (myself included) these records hold just as much weight, if not more, as Nirvana’s Nevermind and Pearl Jam’s Ten. While those albums showed that rock could work when it was stripped down and bare, the best stuff by The Smashing Pumpkins proved that sometimes bigger (and bigger) was still sometimes the way to go. I love the bombast, guitar wankery and batshit self-indulgent grandiosity of the classic Pumpkins tracks. Nothings sounds like them, even to this day.

The extras on these Deluxe Editions look to be pretty stellar, let’s just hope they don’t fuck it up this time (Bob Ludwig is mastering it…). Expect a full review by yours truly later this week. Until then, here are a couple Smashing Pumpkins bootlegs that are absolutely smashing (see what I did there)?

Smashing Pumpkins: Live at the Axis Nightclub – September 23rd, 1991
Intro
Rocket
Tristessa
Window Paine
Bury Me
Siva
If that date above looks familiar, that’s because it’s the same date as this Nirvana show. That’s right, The Smashing Pumpkins were the opening act for that night. That’s a lot of awesome for one night.

This recording is a little muddy, but it definitely sounds better than the Nirvana recording that was made the same night. The nine-minute version of “Siva” is fucking awesome too.

Like the Nirvana bootlegs I’ve hosted, this is yet another gift from the awesome Duane Bruce. I thank him for hooking me up with the files.

Smashing Pumpkins: Live at the Cabaret Metro – October 5th, 1988
There It Goes
She
My Eternity
Under Your Spell
Bleed
Spiteface
Nothing And Everything
The last (real) Smashing Pumpkins concert was at the Chicago Metro in 2000. Attendees of that legendary show got this CD, which is a bootleg recording of the group’s very first concert as a complete band (before this show they played with a drum machine). It’s not unlistenable, but it’s definitely more of note for its historical relevance than its actual quality: there’s a reason why you probably never heard of any of these songs.

Still jonesing for more Pumpkins bootlegs? Head over to the Internet Archive, they have an amazing selection of high-quality Smashing Pumpkin bootlegs from the 80s to today. If you don’t know where to start I highly (highly) recommend their second-to-last show from November 29th, 2000.

I was at that concert, I’m certain my ears never completely recovered from it (wear earplugs kids) and it was totally worth it. And it’s a high-quality FM rip, so it sounds amazing.

Posted in bootlegs, The Smashing Pumpkins | 1 Comment »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »