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March 29, 2024, 08:06:25 AM

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XTC's Skylarking sounds perfectly dreadful

Started by The Cloud of Unknowing, July 02, 2010, 02:50:04 PM

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The Cloud of Unknowing

Not really, but according to this http://www.ape.uk.net/news/news_stories.php?newsid=345 it's come to light that something went awry in the recording process and it's going to be corrected in a new vinyl release.  But no CD apparently.  I can't say I understand the technicalities of it, but I've often thought the sound of the album is slightly flat by Rundgren's standards - I thought it was down to XTC's requests for him to remix everything late in the day.

PaulTMA

They are currently going over this issue with the finest of tooth combs on the Steve Hoffman forum

Lfbarfe

Doubtless dismissing the remaster because Hoffman wasn't asked to do it and because it isn't a Beatles album.

NoSleep

Shall I go over there and speak with them? I wonder. I love people who've read the tourist's guide to popular music, as you know.

Brundle-Fly

Apparently, the Skylarking original master tapes were nicked or have been missing for years so this is great news. I hope Partridge, as threatened, reinstates his original sleeve artwork that Virgin rejected. It was going to be a close up of the top of a prodigious pubic bush (of an unspecified gender) with a daisy chain entwined. 

Exciting stuff. I can't say I minded how it was, and part of me thinks they should just let it lie since that's the sound it's had all these years - if it wasn't at least acceptable they wouldn't have even printed it. Still, no harm in ringing a few more pounds out of the thing.

Lfbarfe

Quote from: The Region Legion on July 02, 2010, 08:43:15 PM
Still, no harm in ringing a few more pounds out of the thing.

With many artists, when I buy a record, I think "As if you need any more of my fucking money". In the case of XTC, they probably genuinely do need the money, and so I don't begrudge a penny.

PaulTMA

Quote from: Lfbarfe on July 02, 2010, 04:46:52 PM
Doubtless dismissing the remaster because Hoffman wasn't asked to do it and because it isn't a Beatles album.

Apparently the EMI Fame disc from 1933 sounds the best despite indexing errors and the erroneous presence of La Tour's 'People Are Still Having Sex' as a bonus track

23 Daves

Would now be a bad time to say that "Skylarking"is one of my least favourite XTC albums?  Probably.  Still, I did always think that it was a slightly flat sounding record production-wise, and that was one minor factor - so I may still be tempted to buy this remaster/ reissue. 

I've been listening to Summer's Cauldron/ Grass loads lately, though.

Lfbarfe

Quote from: PaulTMA on July 03, 2010, 01:20:59 AM
Apparently the EMI Fame disc from 1933 sounds the best despite indexing errors and the erroneous presence of La Tour's 'People Are Still Having Sex' as a bonus track

Yeah, that remastering sounds sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet. That's the way I'd go, in the absence of the 1-copy limited edition where Barry Diament licked the master tape before the transfer.