Page 1 of 3

Things Jon Astley Didn't Do

Posted: Fri Sep 12, 2003 11:13 pm
by Xenu
The 1995 Live at Leeds.

Everytime I hear any given non-Astley Who CD referred to as an "Astley disc"...well, uh, it makes me mad. IT makes me MEAN MAD.

Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2003 7:35 am
by lukpac
I still don't like that CD, regardless of who did it...

You can add "search for tapes" to the list.

Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2003 12:46 pm
by Xenu
Heh.

It's more the persistence by everyone to describe the reissues as the "Astley" discs, as if he did them all. Which he didn't.

And I *do* like LAL 1995.

I wonder when we'll find out who we can blame for Miss Amanda Jones..;)

Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2003 2:20 pm
by Rspaight
I like LAL 1995, too.

For whatever it's worth, I like the Tommy remix and the Quad remix. The expanded Sell Out disc is also cool.

I like the My Generation SACD -- the stereo remix doesn't infuriate me to the extent it does Luke, and I can always pull out the old "The Who Sings" mono CD if I want.

Quick One is a mess (I haven't heard the 2002 stereo version because I can't find the fucking thing).

Who's Next doesn't stir either love or hate -- I like both the Hoffman version and DE better, but the 1995 disc is inoffensive to me. I have the MoFi -- paid $24.99 at Best Buy. How funny is that? I don't know why I don't sell the stupid thing for three times what I paid, but I like having the little mutant around the house.

Odds & Sods had a great tracklist but bizarro execution. I can blame Astley here, I guess.

By Numbers doesn't strike me as hugely different, either in mix or in quality. Worst bonus tracks of any of the reissues.

Who Are You I've whined about before. The mix changes are just plain weird. The "Empty Glass" overdubbed demo is way cool, though.

Face Dances, well, this is my least favorite Who album, and the remix doesn't change my opinion. Neat bonus tracks.

It's Hard is even worse than WAY as far as goofy and gratuitous mix changes. And the bonuses suck. Its only merit is that it sounds much better than the terrible old WB "target" CD. (I like this album. Don't ask me why.)

I haven't sampled Kids Are Alright (I have the neato Japanese 2-CD mini-LP), the Quad soundtrack (have the original 2-cd Japanese version), or the Tommy soundtrack (never felt the need to own this).

I stuck at work until 8:00 tonight, and I'm boredboredbored. Please kill me.

(How bored? Right now, there are five Gnip Gnop games for sale on eBay, ranging from $2 to a $65 BIN. I have so far resisted bidding.)

Ryan

Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2003 4:02 pm
by Xenu
Random non-Astley related comment: "I just believe in me" is *not* verbed on the remix of Plastic Ono Band. Did anybody actually *listen* to this disc?

Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2003 4:08 pm
by Rspaight
Never mind the ignorant post that previously occupied this space. Carry on.

Ryan

Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2003 6:41 pm
by Xenu
I remember when it came out, everyone was carping about how the song was RUINT RUINT RUINT because the "I Just Believe in me" line was verbed.

It isn't. There's slightly more delay on it than on the original mix, but it's still damn stark.

Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2003 6:54 pm
by Patrick M
Xenu wrote:Random non-Astley related comment: "I just believe in me" is *not* verbed on the remix of Plastic Ono Band. Did anybody actually *listen* to this disc?


No, I don't own it.

I do have the original (I guess) CD, which I know is the greatest thing ever because it's a *flat transfer* which sounds great on my *highly revealing* stereo system. Also, I drive an *expensive car* and I don't drink *cheap wine* and I watch British sitcoms and pretend to understand them.

Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2003 9:09 pm
by Rspaight
But you live in Lexington, Kentucky, which means you're a total rube.

Ryan

PS - I don't own it either, but I have the old 4-CD Lennon box that contains the whole of that album. I've been told it sucks, though. Oh, well.

Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2003 9:23 pm
by Patrick M
Rspaight wrote:But you live in Lexington, Kentucky, which means you're a total rube.


Actually, I live about 35 miles south.

Which means I'm *very* sophisticated. :wink:

Posted: Sat Sep 13, 2003 11:31 pm
by Xenu
The idea thread that's really worrying me right now is the veneration of "first pressings."

I mean absolute *first pressings* of CDs. Target discs and whatnot. That's always been a record thing, folks; the "first pressing" of any given Stones London disc isn't necessarily better than any of the others in the pre-master-switch batch, for example. Target CDs are not the best things ever. Etc.

Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 1:25 am
by lukpac
My main concern with some of the later Stones discs is things being digitally "improved". Other than that, though, if something is digitally identical, I don't really care if it's a first pressing or not. GIVE ME UDIIs.

Then again, most MoFi's don't interest me much anyway, so...

Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 4:29 pm
by Rspaight
There you all go again with that "digitally identical" claptrap. It's because of your knee-jerk, slavish devotion (What the heck is with the phrase "slavish devotion" anyway? I wouldn't use a slave as a paragon of devotion. Given half a chance, I'd think any slave would just as soon stick a knitting needle in his master's eye as anything...) to this strange thing you call "rationality" that you can't see the true glory of the FIRST PRESSING FLAT TRANSFER TARGET UDI SMOOTH SIDED JAPANESE LONGBOX DISC. Trust your ears!

Any CD made after April of 1984 is garbage. Unless... well, you know.

Ryan

Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 5:20 pm
by Ed Bishop
While Astley's mastering leaves a lot to be desired, his worst offense to date--IMO--is using a few rechanneled tapes for the 2-CD Them compilation of several years back. That is simply inexcusable, the moreso because I have an import vinyl(Germany)from the early '80s that has everything in flat mono. Someone didn't do their tape research very well....on the plus side, that comp also gathers together plenty of stereo, some of it scattered on various vinyl over the years....you win a few, you lose a few.


ED 8)

Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2003 5:36 pm
by Ron
Jeez *Lou*-ise. I take a break for a day or so and look who steps up to fill the "cranky void"--Mr. "Nice Guy Always Got A Slap On The Back For All His Pals" Ryan. What gives? First the change in signature. Then the overall confrontational tone of the post itself with such words as "claptrap" and "knee-jerk." Then a nasty [and totally irrelevant] rant on the appropriateness of the phrase "slavish devotion."

"Any CD made after April of 1984 is garbage. Unless... well, you know." Yes, Ryan, the reference is quite clear. But why? Why have you now chosen to so cheapen yourself with an uncharacteristically barb-riddled post? Step back, Ryan, before it's too late. I asked you in another thread [and in a quite different context] to "feel my shame." I now ask you to "feel my concern."