compound eye
Group: Members
Posts: 13
Joined: Feb. 2010 |
|
Posted: Nov. 19 2011, 15:29 |
|
Quote (Chris Ibberson @ Oct. 25 2011, 10:27) | Well I have played nothing else for the past fortnight, and I think it was long overdue. I love its clarity and more detailed mandolin and female voice, which ALWAYS has my immediate attention. 9/10 as the caveman section is pretty poor, but otherwise it climbs into my top three at this moment in time behind Omma and Inc. |
I've been playing this almost non-stop for the last few weeks too!
I skimmed it a good while back and thought 'nah' when things like the John Cleese finale kicked in, or the Caveman [Piltdown Man] sequence...
BUT, even as asomeone who grew up with the original '73 album on practically every Sunday and know it inside out, I now love this version very much indeed.
It's Mike's music and he's at liberty to do what he wants of course, with remixed recorded 'directors cuts' as is the vogue with old fillums now... and bar a couple of small niggles I think he did an amazing job reinventing TB with this album.
Niggles -
i/ Individual tracks [argh!!!], why? Who asked for that? Apparently it was 'popular demand' - where can I slap these people in the face??? It doesnt flow at all well as an MP3 album at all. ii/ The guitars at the start of 'Thrash' are just a trifle too contrived and 'clever' - the original was just straight 'jang-jacka-jang...' with no contra-melody in the base end. iii/ The 'female' vocal in the Caveman/Piltdown segment is just not necessary. The original made me imagine a caveman suddenly finding himself in a studio and not knowing what the hell was going on "Ugh..?!" and I liked that a lot. Mike's male vocal track for TB2003 is superb, but the re-pitched 'female' one is superfluous and sounds too jokey. I much prefer the solo 'disoriented wino/caveman growl of the original album.
HIGH POINTS -
i/Introduction... the 'classic' TB 'theme' sounds utterly faithful and superb beyond reproach. ii/Latin Guitars - despite loving the original more 'plinky' guitar and organ section, this more mellow latin version is gorgeous and doesn't last nearly long enough!!! : ) iii/ Finale -Despite initial reservations, since I cannot stand Cleese as an actor/comedian, I have to admit he is an inspired choice. The bit that gets me everytime is 'mandolin?' [pause] 'mandolin!' like some crazy parrot double-checking his lines... it's a nice touch. iv/ Harmonics - again faithful and perfect. v/ Ambient guitars - I've always had Mike pegged as one of the finest guitar players of any genre fullstop, but this is just exctasy for the ears... he makes guitars fly, flutter, dance, echo, sing - takes my breathe away, esp after the muddiness of the original seqgment.
I was always slightly sceptical of TB, because it is just too easy to 'quote', liking Ommadawn [part i] a lot better, BUT these re-records & remasters have really done the classic MO 'quartet' - TB, HR, Om, Inc - a world of good - music that is knocking on for 40yrs old now and still kicks pretty much every other instrumental project into touch.
|