Does anyone have this? I have a question about one track:
Disc two, last track, the live BBC recording of "Cut Across Shorty": is this the same recording/performance as the one featured on the bootleg KILLER HIGHLIGHTS?
Or if you have this box set but don't know the answer, PM me and maybe we can swap 192 kbps mp3's of these two recordings: I can't do a FLAC or SHN trade because I only have a 192 kbps mp3 of "Cut Across Shorty" from KILLER HIGHLIGHTS.
I'm guessing they're the same performance (I think KILLER HIGHLIGHTS has some incorrect notation, which I'm trying to correct), but I can't say for sure since I haven't heard the version on FIVE GUYS WALK INTO A BAR...
Faces - "Five Guys Walk Into A Bar" - question...
Faces - "Five Guys Walk Into A Bar" - question...
"When people speak to you about a preventive war, you tell them to go and fight it. After my experience, I have come to hate war." – Dwight D. Eisenhower
"Neither slave nor tyrant." - Basque motto
"Neither slave nor tyrant." - Basque motto
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CitizenDan
- Posts: 396
- Joined: Fri Jan 14, 2005 11:26 am
- Location: Capitol City, Minn.
Thanks, man! Someone has PM'ed me about it, though. As soon as I get it, I'll post here if it's the same.
I don't know what the bonus tracks are gonna be on the new reissues, but there's definitely a number of Faces BBC recordings left unreleased. I haven't heard them myself, but it would be cool if they use them on the new reissues.
I don't know what the bonus tracks are gonna be on the new reissues, but there's definitely a number of Faces BBC recordings left unreleased. I haven't heard them myself, but it would be cool if they use them on the new reissues.
"When people speak to you about a preventive war, you tell them to go and fight it. After my experience, I have come to hate war." – Dwight D. Eisenhower
"Neither slave nor tyrant." - Basque motto
"Neither slave nor tyrant." - Basque motto
-
CitizenDan
- Posts: 396
- Joined: Fri Jan 14, 2005 11:26 am
- Location: Capitol City, Minn.
I think it's the same performance but the sound quality's really different. I'll give it a closer listen and post later.
"When people speak to you about a preventive war, you tell them to go and fight it. After my experience, I have come to hate war." – Dwight D. Eisenhower
"Neither slave nor tyrant." - Basque motto
"Neither slave nor tyrant." - Basque motto
Most likely the booted track was taped off the radio, but it still sounds pretty good, only a few pops, like it was off vinyl (and if it was, it's still a really good dub).
The Rhino mastering of what's the same performance - it retains some applause the boot cuts out and doesn't fade in during Rod's intro - sounds more compressed. The booted version probably has compression from the broadcast, but the Rhino mastering seems to have some, too. It's definitely more harsh, and that may be Rhino EQ, but otherwise it's cleaner and supposedly a better source, Ian said that the BBC sent him the tapes.
The Rhino mastering of what's the same performance - it retains some applause the boot cuts out and doesn't fade in during Rod's intro - sounds more compressed. The booted version probably has compression from the broadcast, but the Rhino mastering seems to have some, too. It's definitely more harsh, and that may be Rhino EQ, but otherwise it's cleaner and supposedly a better source, Ian said that the BBC sent him the tapes.
"When people speak to you about a preventive war, you tell them to go and fight it. After my experience, I have come to hate war." – Dwight D. Eisenhower
"Neither slave nor tyrant." - Basque motto
"Neither slave nor tyrant." - Basque motto
I got the box set, and man, this really is a GREAT box set. I always thought the Faces were underappreciated and poorly served by reissues, but this throws a wrecking ball through the whole thing. I thought All Music Guide was probably exaggerating waaay too much when they said this was possibly the greatest box set ever, but this really is one of the greats, at least one of the best in recent years. EVERYONE, including Robert Christgau, Greg Kot, among many others are really taking notice of the band thanks to this box set.
I used to have the "Best of Faces: Good Boys...When They're Asleep" CD from 1999, but sold it to help cover the costs of this box set.
Quick notes on music and content: sequencing is great. Chronology is usually the rule, but with a band like this, it doesn't add much because they have a pretty tight body of work that didn't develop/mutate like, say, VU or the Beatles, it could all be part of the same album. Second, Ian McLagan hits it on the nose, in chronological order, this would've been as interesting as a phone book, especially with some tracks getting two versions presented (thankfully sequenced so no two versions occupy the same disc). Ian writes good notes, even adding a touching, sincere but in no way nauseating tribute at the end to Ronnie Lane, who died a couple of years ago. I expected David Fricke to write the watered-down history notes he normally 'excels' at, but it's not really bad this time - no obvious errors even a non-fan can pick up. Some brief tributes by Paul Westerberg and others, too.
If you have the "Best of......When They're Asleep" CD, there's only one track not on the box set, their cover of Dylan's "Wicked Messenger," which is pretty damn good, but you can wait for the album reissues for that or download it somewhere, whichever (or do what I did - rip that track before you sell it). Everything else seems to be represented on the box set, the same version/mix/etc. Dave Marsh wrote the notes to the "Best Of," which weren't used for the box set. In terms of mastering, the same engineers, Hersch and Inglot at DigiPrep, but it's definitely a different mastering if you look at the waveforms. Same EQ moves et al, but there's a tiny bit less limiting on the "Best Of" CD, not enough to be really noticeable on your average system, maybe not on any system.
As for those EQ moves, it's definitely a boost in the upper regions, usual Rhino boost I think. Too bad about the limiting, but what can you do?
BTW, going back to the boot question, most of the BBC stuff on the box set seems to be mono. Boots out there vary in quality and seem to come from radio broadcasts (I've only heard mp3's, though), but in the case of "Cut Across Shorty," the mp3 I have is not only the same performance, but it's in true stereo. It makes more of a difference around the 3:45-4:15 mark when you hear the guitar so much better in the left channel, while on the mono mix on the box set, only this one note in this repeating arpeggio (? I think that's what it is) comes through clearly. At the same time, the box supposedly used better tapes sent by the BBC, as mentioned, and you can tell because of the lack of pops et al found on the mp3's I've heard. To be honest, "Cut Across Shorty" seems to be an exception, as most mp3's I've heard are pretty lousy, hissy, etc. but the fact that it's in true stereo makes you wish the box set used more stereo mixes for the live stuff - maybe the BBC didn't have it in stereo, who knows. Maybe it was Bill, or Ian's preference?
But that's really nitpicking because the box set is pretty damn, almost everything you could possibly need from the Faces, but I'd wait for the reissues of the original albums, just to see what's on there. Personally, I still prefer Rod's first four studio albums to the Faces' own albums, but we'll see what bonuses they have.
I used to have the "Best of Faces: Good Boys...When They're Asleep" CD from 1999, but sold it to help cover the costs of this box set.
Quick notes on music and content: sequencing is great. Chronology is usually the rule, but with a band like this, it doesn't add much because they have a pretty tight body of work that didn't develop/mutate like, say, VU or the Beatles, it could all be part of the same album. Second, Ian McLagan hits it on the nose, in chronological order, this would've been as interesting as a phone book, especially with some tracks getting two versions presented (thankfully sequenced so no two versions occupy the same disc). Ian writes good notes, even adding a touching, sincere but in no way nauseating tribute at the end to Ronnie Lane, who died a couple of years ago. I expected David Fricke to write the watered-down history notes he normally 'excels' at, but it's not really bad this time - no obvious errors even a non-fan can pick up. Some brief tributes by Paul Westerberg and others, too.
If you have the "Best of......When They're Asleep" CD, there's only one track not on the box set, their cover of Dylan's "Wicked Messenger," which is pretty damn good, but you can wait for the album reissues for that or download it somewhere, whichever (or do what I did - rip that track before you sell it). Everything else seems to be represented on the box set, the same version/mix/etc. Dave Marsh wrote the notes to the "Best Of," which weren't used for the box set. In terms of mastering, the same engineers, Hersch and Inglot at DigiPrep, but it's definitely a different mastering if you look at the waveforms. Same EQ moves et al, but there's a tiny bit less limiting on the "Best Of" CD, not enough to be really noticeable on your average system, maybe not on any system.
As for those EQ moves, it's definitely a boost in the upper regions, usual Rhino boost I think. Too bad about the limiting, but what can you do?
BTW, going back to the boot question, most of the BBC stuff on the box set seems to be mono. Boots out there vary in quality and seem to come from radio broadcasts (I've only heard mp3's, though), but in the case of "Cut Across Shorty," the mp3 I have is not only the same performance, but it's in true stereo. It makes more of a difference around the 3:45-4:15 mark when you hear the guitar so much better in the left channel, while on the mono mix on the box set, only this one note in this repeating arpeggio (? I think that's what it is) comes through clearly. At the same time, the box supposedly used better tapes sent by the BBC, as mentioned, and you can tell because of the lack of pops et al found on the mp3's I've heard. To be honest, "Cut Across Shorty" seems to be an exception, as most mp3's I've heard are pretty lousy, hissy, etc. but the fact that it's in true stereo makes you wish the box set used more stereo mixes for the live stuff - maybe the BBC didn't have it in stereo, who knows. Maybe it was Bill, or Ian's preference?
But that's really nitpicking because the box set is pretty damn, almost everything you could possibly need from the Faces, but I'd wait for the reissues of the original albums, just to see what's on there. Personally, I still prefer Rod's first four studio albums to the Faces' own albums, but we'll see what bonuses they have.
"When people speak to you about a preventive war, you tell them to go and fight it. After my experience, I have come to hate war." – Dwight D. Eisenhower
"Neither slave nor tyrant." - Basque motto
"Neither slave nor tyrant." - Basque motto