"...Hello Friend..."
Mark Barry at Reckless Records, Lon | UK | 05/27/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Many Wishbone Ash fans will feel they've had to wait the guts of 30 years for a half-decent CD remaster of their favourite British band's huge back-catalogue. Well at last - it's here - and "...MCA Travelogue" is a humdinger, it really is.
"Sometime World" takes its name from the 2nd track on Side 1 of their most beloved album "Argus" and features newly remastered songs from 12 LPs - 26 tracks across two fully-featured CDs. Proceedings open with their rare 1970 debut album "Wishbone Ash" and carry on right through to 1981's "Number The Brave" - the only LP exclusion being any tracks from 1980's "Live Dates Volume 2".
Released May 2010 (UK and USA) on Island/Universal 5326131, "Sometime World - An MCA Travelogue" breaks down as follows (full album versions used)...
Disc 1 (79:55 minutes):
1. Blind Eye
2. Error Of My Ways
3. Phoenix
4. Vas Dis
5. The Pilgrim
6. Jail Bait
7. Sometime World
8. Blowin' Free
9. Warrior
10. Throw Down The Sword
11. Everybody Needs A Friend
12. The King Will Come [Live]
1 to 3 from "Wishbone Ash", December 1970 UK LP on MCA Records MKPS 2014
4 to 6 from "Pilgrimage", September 1971 UK LP on MCA Records MDKS 8004
7 to 10 from "Argus", April 1972 UK LP on MCA Records MDKS 8006
11 from "Wishbone Four", December 1973 UK LP on MCA Records MDKS 8011
12 from "Live Dates", December 1973 UK 2LP Live Set on MCA Records ULD 1-2
Disc 2 (79:06 minutes):
1. Persephone
2. F.U.B.B.
3. Moonshine
4. Mother Of Pearl
5. Lorelei
6. Front Page News
7. Goodbye Baby Hello Friend
8. Come In From The Rain
9. You See Red
10. The Way Of The World (Parts 1 & 2)
11. Living Proof
12. Lifeline
13. That's That
14. Open Road
1 and 2 from "There's The Rub", November 1974 UK LP on MCA Records MCF 2585
3 from "Locked In". March 1976 UK LP on MCA Records MCF 2750
4 and 5 from "New England", November 1976 UK LP on MCA Records MCG 3523
6 to 8 from "Front Page News", October 1977 UK LP on MCA Records MCG 3524
9 and 10 from "No Smoke Without Fire", October 1978 UK LP on MCA Records MCG 3528
11 and 12 from "Just Testing", January 1980 UK LP on MCA Records MCF 3052
13 and 14 from "Number The Brave", April 1981 UK LP on MCA Records MCF 3013
The 16-page booklet features an album-by-album appraisal by DAVE LING of "Classic Rock" and "Metal Hammer" magazines, various line-up photos and a pictorial discography of the albums featured. And the release has clearly been made with band involvement (40th anniversary). But the big news is the sound...
Remastered by ANDY PEARCE, the sound is stupendous - at last these tracks are breathing - and to use that old cliché "they're live and in your living room". The instruments are wonderfully clear and full, each track a ballsy revelation. I've waited decades to hear the wicked "Front Page News" album from 1977 with Laurie Wisefield's awesome guitar playing in decent sound (ex CBS act "Home") - and here it is. There is hiss on the earlier albums, but it's neither compressed down nor trebled up - and as you listen to each song - you can't help but feel that real care went into the working of every song. They are as they were - just sounding new - like a visit from an old friend...
Track choices - this may irritate some - "Time Was" is the fabulous opening track on "Argus" and virtually defined their 'sound' for 4 decades to come, but it's missing. And speaking of that fab 3rd album - with the 2005 Erick Labson remaster and 2009 Paschal Byrne 2CD Deluxe Edition remaster (both wonderful), do we really need 4 more versions from that same LP? Those inclusions mean that the massively underrated "Wishbone Four" has only one track featured (albeit a really good one), while I would also loved to have heard the brilliantly funky "Outward Bound" from "New England" too. Having said that, it's quietly satisfying to hear that Disc 2 is just as good as Disc 1 (and in some cases better - "Lorelei", "Come In From The Rain" and "You See Red").
So there you have it - if this is a taster for the individual album remasters to come - then it works. Fans will absolutely love the new and superlative remastered sound quality, while newcomers will dig some classic twin-guitar rock with tunes.
And about bloody time too.
Recommended.
PS: fans should note that 19 May 2010 saw the CD reissue of 13 classic Wishbone Ash albums in Japan - from "Wishbone Ash" to "Number The Brave" (included the 2disc set "Live Dates Volume 2"). All feature new 2010 remastering, 5" Mini LP card repro sleeves (textured covers, gatefolds and inserts where applicable) and are on the superior SHM-CD format (Super High Materials - compatible on all CD players). They're available to order through the excellent cdjapan website"
ACCEPTABLE, BUT NOT THE BEST AUDIO VERSION(S) YOU CAN BUY
BOB | LOS ANGELES, CA | 06/22/2010
(3 out of 5 stars)
"
In the past year, WA fans have had great cause to rejoice. In 2009, a fantastic remastered and expanded 2CD release of Argus, and in 2010, Universal Japan issued thirteen WA titles in newly remastered SHM mini-sleeve editions. Now, there's this new 2CD Travelogue collection.
Personally, I never found much interesting after "There's The Rub", which included a personnel change and a shift away from the jam format of the previous albums, for more radio-friendly, shorter songs, so I will focus only on the first six albums.
I picked up the SHM editions of WA, Pilgrimage, Live Dates, W4 and Rub, but as I already had the "Deluxe" Argus set (which has the same 2009 mastering as the SHM version) and the '01 'sleeve, so I wasn't going out of pocket for it again.
The SHM's have slightly better mastering than the 2001 'sleeves, but the big improvements are "Live Dates" and "There's The Rub". Dates is definitely louder than the '01 'sleeve, which usually is a bad sign, but there is improved clarity to the bass and the percussion... it's a huge improvement over the older remaster, and much more enjoyable.
While the SHM's remastering is better, IMHO, Repertoire's Distillation box set is still the sonic benchmark for most of the essential WA studio tracks. Founding WA member Martin Turner produced that set, and probably had access to better source material, which is evident in the end result. If you're a real WA fan, I cannot recommend that box more highly; the sound is radically (and I don't use that word lightly) better from any other worldwide WA release, up to tracks from "Rub", where the Japan mastering is slightly better than Distillation.
So, audio-wise, how does "Travelogue" stack up? Unfortunately, not very well. The audio quality is approximately the same as the 2001 Japan 'sleeve remasters, which is not to say that it's bad, it's just that the new 2010 Japan SHM's, Argus Deluxe, and especially Distillation, are better.
While I'm not criticizing Mark Barry's review, he doesn't mention Distillation, and I think it's obvious he's never heard the set. My advice, Mark? If you think "Front Page News" on Travelogue is such a revelation, you'll have a heart attack when you hear it on Distillation: You can barely hear the opening ticks of the symbols on Travelogue, but they're clear as day on Distillation. I use this analogy often in my reviews, but when A/B'd, the Travelogue track sounds muffled, like a heavy cloth over the speakers, in comparison; I assure you, the dichotomy is not trivial. There's also a slight correction to that track on Distillation which makes all other existing editions of the song sound like they're off-pitch. As you're obviously a fan, Mark, check it out: I guarantee you, won't be sorry.
For an inexpensive essentials set, Travelogue will do in a pinch. However, if you're interested in the best sound, seek out Distillation and the SHM releases. The 2010 SHM mini-sleeves quickly sold out in Japan before their street date, and are now being hawked for big bucks in the aftermarket. However, Universal Japan has already repressed/reissued the entire 825-plus-title SHM mini-sleeve catalog, so another WA pressing (of at least the first six titles) can't be very far off; as with most mini-sleeves, just have some patience and mind your wallet.
WHAT IS A JAPAN "MINI-LP-SLEEVE" CD?
Have you ever lamented the loss of one of the 20th Century's great art forms, the 12" vinyl LP jacket? Then "mini-LP-sleeve" CD's may be for you.
Mini-sleeve CDs are manufactured in Japan under license. The disc is packaged inside a 135MM X 135MM cardboard precision-miniature replica of the original classic vinyl-LP album. Also, anything contained in the original LP, such as gatefolds, booklets, lyric sheets, posters, printed LP sleeves, stickers, embosses, special LP cover paper/inks/textures and/or die cuts, are precisely replicated and included. An English-language lyric sheet is always included, even if the original LP did not have printed lyrics.
Then, there's the sonic quality: Often (but not always), mini-sleeves have dedicated remastering (20-Bit, 24-Bit, DSD, K2/K2HD, and/or HDCD), and can often (but not always) be superior to the audio on the same title anywhere else in the world. There also may be bonus tracks unavailable elsewhere.
Each Japan mini-sleeve has an "obi" ("oh-bee"), a removable Japan-language promotional strip. The obi lists the Japan street date of that particular release, the catalog number, the mastering info, and often the original album's release date. Bonus tracks are only listed on the obi, maintaining the integrity of the original LP artwork. The obi's are collectable, and should not be discarded.
All mini-sleeve releases are limited edition, but re-pressings/re-issues are becoming more common (again, not always). The enthusiasm of mini-sleeve collecting must be tempered, however, with avoiding fake mini-sleeves manufactured in Russia and distributed throughout the world, primarily on eBay. They are inferior in quality, worthless in collectable value, a total waste of money, and should be avoided at all costs."
Track Listings (12) - Disc #1
