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Kate Bush Remasters

Started by Natnar, October 04, 2018, 01:18:41 PM

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Natnar

Finally, all of Kate Bush's albums have been remastered and are coming out next month in a series of 4 vinyl boxsets and 2 CD boxsets

http://www.superdeluxeedition.com/news/kate-bush-announces-remastered-albums-in-a-series-of-box-sets/#more-144603

popcorn

Think how fucking good Moonlight Shadow would have been if Kate Bush had done it.

SpiderChrist

Yes, especially if she'd changed the lyrics and melody as well as the arrangement.

Head Gardener


wosl

Quote from: SpiderChrist on October 04, 2018, 01:24:56 PMYes, especially if she'd changed the lyrics and melody as well as the arrangement.

And then got Annie Haslam in to do lead vox.

Head Gardener


wosl

Just checked and of course Annie's actually done a version, although I didn't know or had forgotten this.  Makes sense though.

popcorn

Quote from: wosl on October 04, 2018, 01:42:53 PM
Just checked and of course Annie's actually done a version, although I didn't know or had forgotten this.  Makes sense though.

Just listened to this. It's an improvement over the original but still far from listenable.

I reckon Moonlight Shadow is one of the all-time great pop melodies trapped in a fucking ghastly arrangement. I swear Kate would have been the one to save it.

SpiderChrist

But not even KB could have saved it from the ghastly "4am in the morning" line.

SpiderChrist

Anyway. Those remasters look nice, don't they though but?

popcorn

She couldn't have made a worst move.

Cuntbeaks

The vinyl is expensive as fuck, £30 an album basically.

Plus no mention of any HD digital versions.

Sebastian Cobb

Wasn't most of it on fairlights and the like? What extra definition could they add?

If it's a choice between a well-mastered original pressing and a rushed anniversary cash-in I know which I'd prefer.

Cuntbeaks

Yes, im hoping the remasters will be noteable enough to warrant shelling out the £££ for some of the vinyl.

Releasing the albums that would benefit from an HD release would be enough. As far as I know, the only album she has released in HD is 50 Words and it sounds excellent as a result.

mobias

Quote from: popcorn on October 04, 2018, 02:07:56 PM


I reckon Moonlight Shadow is one of the all-time great pop melodies trapped in a fucking ghastly arrangement. I swear Kate would have been the one to save it.

The arrangement is alright. Its the lyrics which are terrible. Moonlight Shadow is one of those effortlessly perfect pop songs that era of the 80's seemed to churn out almost endlessly.

Session bassist Phil Spalding's memoir of recording it is quite amusing and interesting, If you like reading about these things http://www.philspalding.com/music-and-mayhem/story/mike-oldfield-crises

I'm not sure Kate Bush's vocals would have suited it. Maggie Reilly was perfect for it.

MiddleRabbit

Quote from: SpiderChrist on October 04, 2018, 02:19:42 PM
But not even KB could have saved it from the ghastly "4am in the morning" line.

Quite right.  Why didn't they go for 'Four o'clock in the morning'?

popcorn

Quote from: mobias on October 07, 2018, 11:07:29 AM
The arrangement is alright. Its the lyrics which are terrible. Moonlight Shadow is one of those effortlessly perfect pop songs that era of the 80's seemed to churn out almost endlessly.

I just listened to it again and the arrangement isn't as bad as I recall. But it's still got that slightly queasy genteel tell-me-a-story-mum sound that Mike Oldfield, much as I love Tubular Bells as all good boys should, so often fell into.

Odd, but I found this J-rock cover and I quite like it. Got a dreamy sort of yearning feel. The way her voice breaks on "heaven" is quite affecting. I like the way the instrumentals drop out at 4:50. Also it ends with the Karma Police melting delay oscillator sound which is a thing innit. On the other hand it's all obviously J-rock anime cheese.

Quote
I'm not sure Kate Bush's vocals would have suited it. Maggie Reilly was perfect for it.

Yeah, to be fair it's not the vocals that are the problem. It's Kate's mental-but-brilliant arrangement and production I want for it.

QuoteSession bassist Phil Spalding's memoir of recording it is quite amusing and interesting, If you like reading about these things http://www.philspalding.com/music-and-mayhem/story/mike-oldfield-crises

This was an interesting read, ta.

mobias

Quote from: popcorn on October 09, 2018, 06:51:33 AM
I just listened to it again and the arrangement isn't as bad as I recall. But it's still got that slightly queasy genteel tell-me-a-story-mum sound that Mike Oldfield, much as I love Tubular Bells as all good boys should, so often fell into.

Odd, but I found this J-rock cover and I quite like it. Got a dreamy sort of yearning feel. The way her voice breaks on "heaven" is quite affecting. I like the way the instrumentals drop out at 4:50. Also it ends with the Karma Police melting delay oscillator sound which is a thing innit. On the other hand it's all obviously J-rock anime cheese.


We're going spectacularly off topic here but I've always preferred the Hall and Oats cover version of Family Man, the other Mike Oldfield 80's pop hit, than his own version. Tellingly they changed the lyrics from the original too. Though his guitar solo is far superior.

The original https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hXLNLYP6es

Hall and Oats version https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DidC6K-9G1I

BlodwynPig

Kate Bush should have done the vocals for Five Miles Out ;)

popcorn

Since this thread is now Mike Oldfield Chat: I am now listening to Man in the Rain for the first time, and parts of it re-use the entire chord progression from Moonlight Shadow.


Shaky

As with The Safety Dance in that other thread, I am shocked and appalled that anyone could hate Moonlight Shadow.

SpiderChrist

Quote from: Shaky on October 10, 2018, 09:38:05 AM
As with The Safety Dance in that other thread, I am shocked and appalled that anyone could hate Moonlight Shadow.

Well, part of the appeal is that it's not difficult to hate - one listen is sufficient.

Natnar

New official ad for the remasters does confirm that they're getting a digital release as well
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkcJR-EV1Uc

purlieu

Quote from: popcorn on October 10, 2018, 07:31:30 AM
Since this thread is now Mike Oldfield Chat: I am now listening to Man in the Rain for the first time, and parts of it re-use the entire chord progression from Moonlight Shadow.
I honestly prefer 'Main in the Rain' to 'Moonlight Shadow'. The melody is nicer.

Are these remasters coming out separately? I have some CDs in lovely Japanese mini LP sleeves, I might be tempted to get these new ones if the sound quality is a dramatic improvement, although I'm only particularly interested in her '80s material.

Natnar

Quote from: purlieu on October 18, 2018, 10:35:09 PM
I honestly prefer 'Main in the Rain' to 'Moonlight Shadow'. The melody is nicer.

Are these remasters coming out separately? I have some CDs in lovely Japanese mini LP sleeves, I might be tempted to get these new ones if the sound quality is a dramatic improvement, although I'm only particularly interested in her '80s material.

All the CD albums are available separately, apart from the 4 rarities CDs which are only available in the second CD remasters boxset. But you can get the rarities as a separate 4LP boxset.

popcorn

Oi, Kate aficionados. What is the general opinion on her later work?

Dr Rock

Quote from: popcorn on October 19, 2018, 01:59:03 PM
Oi, Kate aficionados. What is the general opinion on her later work?

Certain tracks aside, I've struggled to love any post Hounds Of Love albums.

Natnar

Quote from: popcorn on October 19, 2018, 01:59:03 PM
Oi, Kate aficionados. What is the general opinion on her later work?

Aerial is pretty good (could do without Rolf though). I know i'm in the minority but i think Director's Cut is a masterpiece and probably her most accessible later album. 50 Words is also pretty good but people were put off by the length of some of the tracks.

wosl

Quote from: popcorn on October 19, 2018, 01:59:03 PMOi, Kate aficionados. What is the general opinion on her later work?

I'm in no way an aficionado, but as an upstart: I don't think it out-paces her early work, necessarily.  I only began paying proper attention to her when The Dreaming came out, and was late in working backwards.  For a long time I didn't check out The Kick Inside or Lionheart (I've always had trouble with her voice and perhaps felt that there'd be too much of it, and in a purer form, on these), which meant that for a long time I was missing out.  The high point for me remains Never For Ever, but the first two albums are as deep and rich as any of the later albums I've heard, despite the lack of overarching concepts and not being as experimental.  I was toying with the idea of doing a Kate Bush: The Early Albums thread funnily enough, just before this one appeared, but kept feeling it wasn't my place.