Lifeblood reissue announced

[Son of Stopped]

Originally Posted by Bartek Wyre

Just as I expected, I like the less polished and less clinical Tony Visconti-produced tracks more than their album counterparts. Wish there was an entire album of Visconti versions

EDIT: OMFG, the Maida Vale version of "Empty Souls" is actually SLOWER than the album version :|

Although the chorus is funny. The hushed tones of Twin Towers.
I've even tried listening to "The Last Film" by Kissing The Pink as it was mentioned in the essay. And the drum machine demo is 2004 Manics filtered through 1998! Really strange. And shows how unlike most other bands, they really went out their way to do something different.

[UEF]

Originally Posted by Donkey

I remember listening to Nixon the first time and awaiting an octave jump in vocals. Probably first chorus. Ok, then second verse. Ok, then second chorus. Ok...then after the solo. Oh shit. I am sure James will sing it one octave higher live. Oh shit. Aaaa "and your country toooooo".

Originally Posted by UEF

I thought about this before, and I think this is because I believe James considers the lower harmony to be the lead vocal, whereas everyone listening to it considers the higher harmony to be the lead.

Another example, would be in Love’s Sweet Exile, in which he has always sung the word “Alienation” as in the low harmony you can just about hear on the record, whereas I always expected him to take the upper.

Well, the Nixon demo seems to vindicate my view, that at least the high harmony started off the lead vocal, before it was switched to being the low harmony

[napnet86_]

Waiting for my vinyl to arrive from HMV, but listening to the tracks on YouTube just now - the skips during the BBC live tracks are annoying, wonder if that's a source thing or a mastering thing for the album.

Interesting hearing the Visconti versions again in proper quality (I remembered Solitude Sometimes Is being used in the Patrick Jones video instantly on hearing it.) - prefer that version to the album one honestly.

[Manic Steve Preacher]

If someone could go back and convince James that the higher octave vocals should have been the lead vocals on The Love Of Richard Nixon, I genuinely feel with that being the first track to be released as a single the album would have been listened to by more people when it came out. I echo the post above just listening to it for the first time, I think it was the Jo Wiley show on Radio 1 and I was waiting for the vocals to hit the usual "James" range and just being so deflated when it finished.
I cannot stop listening to the "Live Rehearsal" version - it's hits completely different. I don't think it would have been out of place to have been mastered around that version to be honest!

[counterlanguage]

I don't think an octave change would've helped much, even if they went for something more like the demos.

Launching an album with a song about a failed US president with overtones of professional regret from Nicky didn't connect. 1985 would've been better, trying to connect like Design and Tolerate, but Lifeblood was always going to be 'fan album.'

[Nobody]

Whoever it is responsible for sending these bundles out have once again fucked up my order. The tracking says " address error, sending back to shipper". And I paid extra to receive it today.

[IntlDebris]

It's nice to hear the b-sides all with the same mastering rather than just bundled together like on the Japanese version, although it's going to take a while to get used to this running order. I do think having 'Failure Bound' followed by 'No Jubilees' is a subtle masterstroke, though. Just about to start on the third disc.

[Manic Steve Preacher]

Originally Posted by counterlanguage

I don't think an octave change would've helped much, even if they went for something more like the demos.

Launching an album with a song about a failed US president with overtones of professional regret from Nicky didn't connect. 1985 would've been better, trying to connect like Design and Tolerate, but Lifeblood was always going to be 'fan album.'

I see what you mean but it would have helped a little. Personally, I wouldn’t have gone with TLORN as the lead track but if that’s the direction that was forced, having the track with a stronger hook couldn’t hurt. It’s simply playing to strengths.

[sitdown1985]

Got mine yesterday. Maybe my gear isn't up to it (AirPods Pro 2 / 2x Sonos 1) but I am struggling to tell the difference to the original. Aer there any particular tracks or points that stand out as being obviously improved? Still, nice to have the B-Sides and alternate mixes etc. in one place. Nice T-Shirt too.

[UEF]

Originally Posted by sitdown1985

Got mine yesterday. Maybe my gear isn't up to it (AirPods Pro 2 / 2x Sonos 1) but I am struggling to tell the difference to the original. Aer there any particular tracks or points that stand out as being obviously improved? Still, nice to have the B-Sides and alternate mixes etc. in one place. Nice T-Shirt too.

I feel like that about literally all the remasters

[Routine Builder]

Originally Posted by sitdown1985

Got mine yesterday. Maybe my gear isn't up to it (AirPods Pro 2 / 2x Sonos 1) but I am struggling to tell the difference to the original. Aer there any particular tracks or points that stand out as being obviously improved? Still, nice to have the B-Sides and alternate mixes etc. in one place. Nice T-Shirt too.

I thought Cardiff Afterlife had a bit more texture and spacing.

[Borderliner]

TLORN rehearsal sounds more like a track from EMG era than a track from LB. More natural and fascinating.
James's tired voice in Fragments (Demo) is so fitting.

Was secretly hoping they included Everything Will Be from Glastonbury, but nope.

[slop101]

Ooh, I'm excited that the vinyl is in fact 45!

I think Lifeblood may be their best audio-engineered album.
So a well-mastered 45 should take full advantage of that.

[UEF]

Those are probably the last 'real' demos we'll ever hear (and even then, ones like Song for Departure sounded a little bit closer to the end like the modern ones are).. it's a great set

Also impressed at James's ability to throw a song concept in the bin and start again with entirely new music (1985, It's Not War, Bag Lady... possibly others)

[UEF]

Originally Posted by slop101

Ooh, I'm excited that the vinyl is in fact 45!

I think Lifeblood may be their best audio-engineered album.
So a well-mastered 45 should take full advantage of that.

Trying to get my head around this and it's making my head dizzy - isn't the advantage of 33 that you can get more information in (but results in physically larger records)?