RFI RE recent synthpop/post-punk remasters.

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I am in the midst of compiling a buying list to a) replace tapes b) replace mp3s and c) replace holes in my collection...

1. What else has Virgin reissued from these genres over the last few years besides Simple Minds, Human League and OMD? The website is not very helpful.

2. What issues of "Systems of Romance" and "Vienna" by Ultravox are the most current in the USA?

3. Has anyone heard the new Japan reissues? Are the limited edition digipaks to be replaced by standard issues at a lower price?

I will probably have a few more questions soon, and, if there is any interest, I can post the small (and not exhaustive by any means) synthpop discography that I am putting together for myself.

thanks

― Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Friday, 10 October 2003 13:33 (twenty-one years ago)

already got another:

4. There seem to be (and I may be mistaken) multiple issues or reissues of the first 3 Duran Duran albums. What are the best ones?

― Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Friday, 10 October 2003 13:40 (twenty-one years ago)

No answers to the questions above, but yesyes please post the discography. I've been thinking about upgrading my synthpop collection (now existing mostly as rather crummy 2nd-hand vinyl).

― Janne (Janne), Friday, 10 October 2003 13:57 (twenty-one years ago)

i will put it up later today but as i said it is not exhaustive at all. its very 1st tier (hierarchy based on sales or ubiquity).

― Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Friday, 10 October 2003 14:04 (twenty-one years ago)

About the Duran Duran re-issues:

For what I know, the new remasters restore the original covers and running order of the LP's, subtracting any bonus tracks existent on older releases (at least on the s/t). The sound is an improvement on the old versions.

― JP Almeida (JP Almeida), Friday, 10 October 2003 16:08 (twenty-one years ago)

Having the considerably newer "Is There Something I Should Know" as a bonus track on their debut never made sense anyway. That single should rather have been included as a bonus track on "Seven And The Ragged Tiger", which has the same production team and very much the same sound.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Friday, 10 October 2003 20:48 (twenty-one years ago)

bump ;-)

― Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Saturday, 11 October 2003 17:25 (twenty-one years ago)

three months pass...

ABC
1. The Lexicon of Love - 2002/Universal/538250

Associates
1. The Affectionate Punch (Remix) - 1997/Fiction/5
2. Fourth Drawer Down - 2000/V2/101202
3. Sulk - 2000/V2/12012
4. Radio One Sessions Volume 1 - 2003/Strange Fruit/36115

Berlin
1. Pleasure Victim - ?/Geffen/2036

B.E.F.
1. Music for Listening To - 1997/Caroline/1124

Blue Nile
1. A Walk Across Rooftops - 2001/Virgin/786469
2. Hats - 2000/EMI/86470

Bronski Beat
1. Age of Consent - 1997/Polygram/828824

Comsat Angels
1. Waiting for a Miracle - 1995/RPM/155
2. Sleep No More - 1995/RPM/156
3. Fiction - 1995/RPM/157

Culture Club
1. Kissing to be Clever - 2003/Virgin/92404
2. Colour by Numbers - 2003/Virgin/92408

Depeche Mode (Only one version in print on Sire)
1. Speak and Spell
2. A Broken Frame
3. Construction Time Again
4. Some Great Reward
5. Black Celebration
6. Music for the Masses
7. Violator
8. Singles 81>85 (In Stock)

Duran Duran
1. Duran Duran – 2003/Capitol/584380
2. Rio – 2001/Capitol/25919

Erasure
1. Wonderland –?/Sire/25354

John Foxx
1. Metamatic – 2003/Edsel/702

Frankie Goes to Hollywood
1. Welcome to the Pleasuredome – 2003/Repertoire/8028

Heaven 17
1. Penthouse and Pavement - 1997/Caroline/1101
2. The Luxury Gap – 1997/Caroline/1102

Human League
1. Reproduction – 2003/Caroline/80165
2. Travelogue – 2003/Caroline/80115
3. Dare – 2003/Caroline/80601

Japan
1. Adolescent Sex – 2001/BMG/37218 (Caroline 1994)
2. Obscure Alternatives - 2001/BMG/37219 (Caroline 1994)
3. Quiet Life – 2001/BMG/7374 (Caroline 1994)
4. Gentleman Take Polaroids – 2003/Virgin/91016
5. Tin Drum – 2003/Virgin/91019
6. Oil on Canvas – 2003/Virgin/91030

New Order (only one version in print on Qwest)
1. Movement
2. Power, Corruption and Lies
3. Low Life
4. Brotherhood
5. Technique

The Normal
1. T.V.O.D./Warm Leatherette – 1997/Mute/69045

Numan/Tubeway Army
1. Tubeway Army – 1998/Beggars Banquet/80004
2. Replicas – 1998/Beggars Banquet/80007
3. Pleasure Principle – 1998/Beggars Banquet/80010
4. Telekon – 1998/Beggars Banquet/80019

OMD
1. OMD – 2003/Virgin/82748
2. Organisation – 2003/Virgin/82749
3. Architecture and Morality – 2003/Virgin/82750
4. Dazzle Ships
5. Peel Sessions 1979-1983 – 2000/Virgin/2908

Pet Shop Boys
1. Please (Bonus CD) – 2001/EMICapitol/(5)30504

Soft Cell
1. The Twelve Inch Singles

Ultravox
1. Systems of Romance - ?
2. Vienna – 2001/EMI/525523

Visage
TBA

Yazoo
TBA

This is def. a work in progress, and some of the cat numbers seem to be incorrect. All the info is from Allmusic. Sorry I didnt post this earlier. Again, this is a "first sweep" through the genre. Bands that use synths but seem to be a little more post-punkish like the Sound and Magazine are on another list that will be built in the future. Additionally, any omitted titles usually reflect my intrest in picking up the best album or albums to start off with. I love Lexicon of Love, so I am sure I will pick up another ABC album on the next cycle.

― Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 21:21 (twenty-one years ago)

NB that the most recent OMD, Human League and Simple Minds discs (I will check out the catalog numbers later) have all had the dynamics squashed as part of the rematering procedure. The OMD and Human League are still listenable, but Simple Minds' "sons & Fascination/sister feelings call"? OMG, what a fucking mess!!! I won't be buying any more of them!!

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 21:26 (twenty-one years ago)

To be honest I didn't notice that much difference from the 1984-era Virgin CD I had of that one, Pash.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 21:28 (twenty-one years ago)

I may be wrong, but I believe there has been fairly recent reissues of "Rage In Eden" and "Quartet" too.

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 21:32 (twenty-one years ago)

I think "New Gold Dream" sounds great in its new remaster version. Then again, I am a sucker for wider stereo, and those 24 bit versions tend to have that :-)

Speaking of stereo, the thread doesn't seem to mention YMO anywhere, but YMO's catalogue has also been relatively recently remastered, with some marvellous quad mixes as well. (usually surround remixes are only put on SACDs, but the YMO ones seem to work with all players)

― Geir Hongro (GeirHong), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 21:35 (twenty-one years ago)

?? it really leapt out at me, Ned (both literally and figuratively), I should pick up the older version, import bits of them into a wave editor, and do a couple of screen grabs.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 21:35 (twenty-one years ago)

On first blush, most of the catalog numbers look accurate. Admittedly that's not one of AMG's strongpoints, especially considering the number of times a label's catalog number doesn't match up with anything in the UPC. Plus, there's some cross-ups with the titles that have been issued in the UK by Virgin and in the US through Caroline.

― Andy K (Andy K), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 21:53 (twenty-one years ago)

fyi, that Human League Dare remaster includes Love and Dancing (i don't know if this is bonus material or if it was included on the original release).

― lawrence kansas (lawrence kansas), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 22:09 (twenty-one years ago)

YMO is not on the list because i tend to mentally file them as being precursors in the same way that kraftwerk, bowie and roxy music are for the artists listed above, even if i get the impression that a lot less people were listening to YMO at this time compared to the other three.

― Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 22:22 (twenty-one years ago)

No, it wasn't on the original cd version (off the top of my head, I think it was just the bare album, though I might be wrong). The re's of "Travelogue" and "Reproduction" are the same trackwise, and almost the same packaging wise.

x-post

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 22:23 (twenty-one years ago)

as for cat numbers, i have found them to not be as helpful as they should have been. for some of those numbers, i cant find any version of the CD, even on uk sites. the first 3 japan albums, which i now own, are the older caroline blue plates. i cant find a more recent release on my record store database at all.

Love and Dancing was originally a seperate release. i really dont think it adds much interest to the remaster, but its nice to have.

my strikeouts didnt transfer from word, so i should just quickly mention that i have at least half of these, and i had many before i made the list. accidentally omitted: the first soft cell album and substance 1987.

― Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 22:28 (twenty-one years ago)

so looking at that list have they haven't remastered Dazzle Ships yet? I have the original cd release and it sounds terrible- it fatigues my ears something fierce.

― lawrence kansas (lawrence kansas), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 22:29 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, only the first three are remastered -- and I would LURVE to get a proper rerelease of DS.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 22:32 (twenty-one years ago)

what visage should i pick up? what is the diff between yaz and yazoo?

xpost no they have not. as for the peel sessions, i have no idea what that sounds like.

― Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 22:33 (twenty-one years ago)

Dazzle Ships sounded pretty shitty even on vinyl when it came out (drones on endlessly about sonic superiority of mellotron over 1st generation emulator digital sampler)

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 22:35 (twenty-one years ago)

what visage should i pick up? what is the diff between yaz and yazoo?

First question: either the first self-titled album or the singles collection

Second question: none, they were renamed in the States. Beware the later Yazz, which has nothing to do with Yaz/Yazoo.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 22:37 (twenty-one years ago)

The only way is up!!

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 22:39 (twenty-one years ago)

And the Blue Orchids are remastered as well now = yay us!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 23:03 (twenty-one years ago)

tell me about them.

― Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 23:04 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&uid=UIDSUB040402031808152649&sql=Bhekcikv6bbc9

(Do not trust the reviewer of From Severe to Serene or The Sleeper, as he is a low, scurrilous sort.)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 3 February 2004 23:05 (twenty-one years ago)

my 2000 cd of "sulk" sounds crappy and flat. is this a bad remaster or is the album actually supposed to sound like that?

― justin (Justin M), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 01:48 (twenty-one years ago)

Maybe I'm hearing all things differently from everyone else (I have the same remaster and it's shimmering beauty to my ears). I wonder if my speakers have something to do with it.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 17:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Sulk sounds great to these ears.

― Andy K (Andy K), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 17:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Yay our ears! And our exquisite taste and...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 17:58 (twenty-one years ago)

(Oh BTW Andy, did DB get a hold of you?)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 17:58 (twenty-one years ago)

Hey Ned, did you see that the Blue Orchids have a NEW RECORD coming out in a couple of weeks?

― NickB (NickB), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 18:00 (twenty-one years ago)

But of course. :-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 18:01 (twenty-one years ago)

(Oh BTW Andy, did DB get a hold of you?)

No (?)

― Andy K (Andy K), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 18:06 (twenty-one years ago)

(Just keep an eye out for an e-mail, he had a couple of questions for ya.)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 4 February 2004 18:07 (twenty-one years ago)

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