Lifeblood reissue announced

[Donkey]

Originally Posted by Bartek Wyre

Yea, and there was a discussion here back then about the band using backing tracks live. I think the best solution would be if they stripped down the arrangements to a 4/5-piece and just played the LB songs like that, with a more minimalistic and rockist approach. I mean, between the late 80s and mid 00s they changed their sound like 10 times and they had to accommodate songs from each era into their live setlists, so I honestly see no problem there.

Yes, that's right. And no click and a faster tempo.

But. I played almost all Lifeblood songs on the piano lately - it's a huge nostalgia for me - and honestly: the major problem is, that the songs are not good enough. Songs like I love to fall asleep...at the time you get to the last chorus you are already bored. There is pathos and repetiveness almost everywhere. Even songs I really loved : ES and SSI can't match their 90's production. At all. And stripped down it would probably be even more obvious.

Don't get me wrong: I always liked Lifeblood and I am curious about Visconti mixes and disappointed about no fast ES (listening to IOW04 version for the first time back then I suddenly got the 90s Manic feeling for a very short moment in one of the choruses and then it was gone. It was the last time ever it happened. Also it happened only 3 times after TIMTTMY: very short and also quickly gone by FD and then by Judge Yourself. I love Journal, but Journal has different qualities. It is like a lost White Album). But still there is no way the songs can sound great live. They are not great.

[Bartek Wyre]

Aaah, the age-old truth that even the best production can't save a poor song, eh Jakub?

I'd say LB does have some great songs - 1985, Nixon, the IOW version of Empty Souls ( ), and then there's the filler - I Live to Fall Asleep, Emily, Fragments, and finally, the closer and full-on snooze fest: Cardiff Afterlife

[Son of Stopped]

Hooray a new page and it's already been ripped apart!
Did you like the b-sides, Donkey?
Not even in my hands yet to consider actually changing tracklisting for myself.

[UEF]

Page 5 on big boy settings

A Song for Departure remastered just dropped https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Ogztsx...ature=youtu.be

I can’t normally hear the difference in their remasters but I quite like this

[Bartek Wyre]

Originally Posted by UEF

I can’t normally hear the difference in their remasters but I quite like this

Because, like, seriously, it's a song from 2004, it was recorded digitally in a top-notch studio, WHAT'S THERE TO REMASTER??

[Son of Stopped]

Originally Posted by Bartek Wyre

Because, like, seriously, it's a song from 2004, it was recorded digitally in a top-notch studio, WHAT'S THERE TO REMASTER??

Well you say that in caps, but the end guitar solo sounded out of tune slightly.
But I bet when I hear it again, it'll sound like it always did. And that's the voodoo magic of remastering the Manics I find entertaining.

EDIT: Who put that there? Bloody smartphone finger interface. I'm not unhappy over your opinion and position!

[Comrade Mike]

Originally Posted by Bartek Wyre

Because, like, seriously, it's a song from 2004, it was recorded digitally in a top-notch studio, WHAT'S THERE TO REMASTER??

"Remastered" is the technical term for "made louder".

Saying that, Send Away the Tigers is one of two albums I know of where the reissue was actually quieter than the original.

[Bartek Wyre]

Originally Posted by Comrade Mike

Saying that, Send Away the Tigers is one of two albums I know of where the reissue was actually quieter than the original.

Hmmm, maybe the trend has been reversed and the industry is on the verge of a QUIETNESS WAR?

[Marat Sar]

Re: what is there left to master -- devices change. The speakers and headphones people have today are different from 2004. For example, car speakers and such were super bassy back then, while today a bit more soundstage (wider image) and not QUITE as much bass is the trend. So Lifeblood sounds a tad thin on modern speakers, as did pre-remaster TIMTTMY. If they'd made LB bassier in 2004 it would have been too bassy from those speakers back then. Today, however, it could do with a bit of movement and rumble in the lows -- just as I hear they've added to that lyrics visualizer version of ASFD. Already from that low quality file you can hear the lows are more dynamic and the ending guitar solo pops out more, the guitar is more "3D" feeling in the mix and you can pick out more detail in it.

In addition to adjusting to modern reproduction tastes and standards, masters can just be made better. More uniform definitely, in LB's case. Imperfections you don't first notice have a way of becoming obvious over time. Like the 2004 version of To Repel Ghosts is way quieter than the rest of the album, and TLORN is way louder -- I'm sure both will be brought in line with the general volume this time.

Remasters are great stuff, but you won't notice much difference unless you have either many different sources, or one very good one. Just playing, the OKNOTOK remaster of OK COMPUTER, for example, on laptop speakers or even ok car speakers won't sound much different from the old one, but actually the new one is way better on more sensitive headphones. Makes the old one sound thin and even sibilant in the treble (opening high hats of Airbag are piercing hot in the 90s original).

Anyway, I like what I'm hearing from that youtube video. (Now you know what would be funny -- if it wasn't a remaster and I'd just dreamt up the difference Happens too... Don't underestimate the psychological jolt of placebo when someone tells you: it sounds "better" now. It usually will sound a bit better, even if NOTHING has changed. Which is great too!)

[sitdown1985]

Good post. they're not exactly high end audio equipment, but since I got myself a pair of AirPod Pro 2, I've been able to notice things I'd missed in songs for 25 years. Even some slight imperfections I can't un-hear. And of course there's the 'loudness wars' of the early 2000s, which I don't recall Lifeblood being a particularly bad offender, but anything to brighten it up and fix these issues would be nice.

[Bartek Wyre]

Call me a skeptic but I trust my eyes (i.e. what I can see in an audio editor/spectrum visualizer) more than I trust my ears

[kevoutus]

They did a good job remastering SATT. Quite subtle but the bass drum is much more punchy with the eq upgrade. It’ll hopefully be a good and not over the top volume wise remaster.

[Son of Stopped]

https://youtu.be/T5Ufb858Qgo?si=f4ccafY_RfpvrnUQ

To Repel Ghosts sounds incredible on this video. Even more than it did originally.

[everlasting]

Cool. I still say, 20 years on, that at 1:29 James sings "fuck" and not "find" haha.

[Marat Sar]

Originally Posted by Son of Stopped

https://youtu.be/T5Ufb858Qgo?si=f4ccafY_RfpvrnUQ

To Repel Ghosts sounds incredible on this video. Even more than it did originally.

Hah! love being right about this. The most poorly mastered song on the album and has gained a lot from this remaster. Sounds amazing. Makes the original sound like a demo. Probably the most improved song on the rerelease then? Weird volume levels on these youtube tracks though -- they do drop the volume considerably. Need to crank up pretty high. Which is very okay for me, as "headroom on the volume pot" is not something I am in short supply of -- its dynamic range I need.