Erasure4Rum

Is it made out of gold dust?

kwerty wrote: Sat Mar 30, 2019 11:00 am Is it made out of gold dust?

No,but gold dust is much more readily available it seems

So far nobody has commented on the sound quality, is there any improvement? I had a quick listen with wireless Headphones, but not with proper equipment, first impression is that it sounds ok, but a wee bit quiet for streaming when commuting.
Anyway, wat a good date to re-release Crown Of Thorns, it was never more valid than now

ben wrote: Sat Mar 30, 2019 10:09 pm So far nobody has commented on the sound quality, is there any improvement? I had a quick listen with wireless Headphones, but not with proper equipment, first impression is that it sounds ok, but a wee bit quiet for streaming when commuting.
Anyway, wat a good date to re-release Crown Of Thorns, it was never more valid than now

Old England certainly doesn't wear a crown at the moment

Finally got my copy last night. I hope to make a longer post when I have more time, but for now I can confirm that the sound quality of the remaster is VERY GOOD and not brickwalled. However, I only had time to compare Blue Savannah on original CD vs. remastered CD. The remaster does have a bit more oomph, but isn't overly loud. Thank goodness! I was worried, but it seems someone at BMG/Mute is listening.

mrblue wrote: Tue Apr 02, 2019 1:50 pm Finally got my copy last night. I hope to make a longer post when I have more time, but for now I can confirm that the sound quality of the remaster is VERY GOOD and not brickwalled. However, I only had time to compare Blue Savannah on original CD vs. remastered CD. The remaster does have a bit more oomph, but isn't overly loud. Thank goodness! I was worried, but it seems someone at BMG/Mute is listening.

I must admit I did play it in the car over the weekend and to my astonishment I really liked it. Maybe just maybe my mind has been changed about it being my least fav album.

Wild! an incredible album, one of Erasure's best, and often under-appreciated by the public, some fans (gasp!) and apparently even Vince & Andy themselves. I just wanted to get that out of the way first.

I could go on and on about Wild! but I'll need to do that in other threads. To focus on just this 30th Anniversary reissue: well, it's a mixed bag. I admit I'm torn between my love for this album (which for many years I considered my favorite E album) and what "could have been" with this re-release. Because as a huge fan, it's lacking.

Let me start with the good points.
1. It sounds fantastic. I can post screenshots later, but the remaster sounds just fuller enough to be satisfying, but is never brickwalled. I was especially concerned about Drama! because it gets so loud but I checked the waveform in Audacity and it looks good. Yay MUTE AND BMG!!!!
2. The hardcover book and presentation are really nice. I've always loved the Wild! design and art style, and there are nice touches like the "leaf" artwork lining the CD pockets.
3. The version of How Many Times? (Alternative Mix) is absolutely one of the most incredible Erasure tracks I've ever heard. This song, which also for many years was my favorite E song and sometimes still is!, is just gorgeous with the amazing synth work from Vince. This one track is everything I have ever loved about Erasure right here. When I sometimes feel I need to beg and plead V&A to bring back their synthy sound, it's exactly this. Listen to this one again and it's simply Vince and Andy at their finest. Truly special.
4. Almost ditto for Dreamlike State (7" A Cappella Mix) - I started to miss the percussion, but soon got incredibly wrapped up in this beautiful version. Again, just Vince and Andy making the most amazing and melodic music together. Why don't V&A try to put more out like this now? All the delicious, bloopy synths pushed to the forefront + Andy's amazing voice to instill a breath of life. Puts me in a dreamlike state, that's for sure.

Well, now the bad.
1. There should have been a DVD. If not a concert DVD, then something. I'd personally love a multi-channel audio but I know that's too much to expect.
2. The liner notes are a real letdown. Sure most people don't care and never read them, but I shouldn't feel like a sucker for having read them! Richard describes it's his second time to get V&A to talk about Wild! and they have nothing to say! They seem to have no stories or any insight in any of the tracks on Wild! Richard plays the videos to stir their memories, but they don't remember making them and aren't interested. C'mon!! The only interesting tidbit was Vince describing the end of the tour and wanting to hang or shoot his roadie who disappeared. I can't imagine Vince being mad, can you?? (In other words, the only real story is a sour one about the tour)
3. So following that, the liner notes don't give any information about the "previously unreleased" tracks, or anything really. Where did the HMT? and DS alternate mixes come from? No info given
4. The 2 live tracks on CD2 are from the Wild! VHS/DVD, meaning only 3 of 5 of them are truly "previously unreleased"
5. The rest of CD2 is, of course, mixes we already have. Would be much less of an issue if it was a 3CD set. Disc 2 should have included ALL the 7" versions of the Wild! singles and b-sides. That's pretty standard for deluxe editions, right? Disc 3 would have been the remixes and rarities.

Wild! holds a special place in my heart. I had the giant Vince and Andy flower background poster on my apartment walls for years. For a high school English assignment in which we had to read a poem to music, I chose a silly Shel Silverstein poem that I read over Piano Song - Instrumental (for comical effect). I remember almost bursting into tears the first time I saw Erasure perform Blue Savannah live. It's great to revisit this album, and I love that it's getting attention again after 30 years. As with many Erasure releases of late, for this 30th Anniversary Edition I'm torn between what we are sold and my love of the music on it. I feel that a special Wild! reissue deserves a bit better than what we got, but in the end I'm happy that we have it at all.

Wow, thanks for that incredible, in-depth review and analysis, mrblue!! It sure made me want to get Richard EIS on the phone immediately regarding the liner notes and why we don't have more info about the two new alternative (gorgeous) mixes!!

I, too, had the oversized V&A Wild!/flowers poster on my first apartment wall. It's an incredible, iconic image!!

A fabulous read! Thanks again!

A great review,listening to this 2nd CD at the weekend I thought there are a few better remixes than the ones on here,especially the Runaround On The Underground mix. Paradise is also a glaring omission.

I'm still perplexed that there isn't a single reissue tied to this release that could contain much more -- like a juiced-up version of one of the four singles, a remastered Paradise, or some additional classic remixes and live tracks from the Wild! concert. Perhaps another new vinyl or cassette release for us to fawn over?

I guess we were spoiled by the Phantom Bride, Sometimes (2015), and Violet Flame Remixes releases.

Agreed that the remaster sounds amazing!