[Heeplist] New BMG releases review

Thu Sep 22 09:34:14 EDT 2016

Bob,
I think you need to bring out the boat oar again and start stirring up this
list!!

I usually don't buy anything re- done , re- mastered , best of's etc.
I understand the sound quality is improved and I understand the hype behind
it all but, you're still getting the same songs again and again.

I think  only " best of" record I own from Heep is the ole vinyl lp .vol.
1. That's  going back a few years now.

Thanks Tapio for your review, you're Heep knowledge is always appreciated .
Don

On Thursday, 22 September 2016, Bob Winward <uriahheep at comcast.net> wrote:

> Tapio, thank you, I always have interest in what you have to say and reply
> most of the time.  This fall marks 20th anniversary of the list.  I have no
> explanation other than maybe the novelty of the net and being a Uriah Heep
> fan is waning.  The net was new to everyone back in 1996 and prior to that,
> there was no communication between Uriah Heep fans and many of us, thought
> we were what I have always called "Heep Orphans"
>
> Remember how I used to stir up some controversy on the early days of the
> list, when things got quiet?  I called it "stirring the pots"!  In the mid
> 70's I had a job at a state park and there were outhouses with no plumbing.
> We had to pour a chemical into the toilet and stir it with row boat oars.
> The duty was called "Stirring the Pots".  It was a horrible duty in the
> summer, with the heat, the smell and the flies!!
>
> As for the review, nice job!  It appears to be same stuff, repackaged!
>
> Bob Winward
>
>
> On 9/22/16, 7:55 AM, "Tapio Minkkinen" <tapio at uriah-heep.fi <javascript:;>>
> wrote:
>
> > Hi
> >
> > I haven't been posting to this lately because it has seemed that either
> > my mails still aren't received by everyone or no-one is interested in
> > what I post as there hasn't been any replys.
> >
> > Anyway, I received the two new BMG releases this week: As it was already
> > clear beforehand that on VEVU there wasn't going to be any unreleased
> > songs, just "alternate versions" of album tracks this wasn't as
> > interesting but I wanted to check these out anyway also because these
> > are the first Heep CD releases by BMG who bought the rights to the back
> > catalogue from Universal Music a few years ago. It would be interesting
> > to see if BMG could match with the same quality as the previous
> > remastered cd's released when Sanctuary was still an independent record
> > company.
> >
> > The packaging of both releases looks very nice. Double CD digipacks in
> > gatefold sleeves, Lots of pictures, mainly album and single covers.
> > Perhaps too much pictures especially on VEVU as they take up over half
> > of the booklet's 20 pages so there's not so much space for information.
> > The most interesting part is comments from Mick Box and Ken Hensley
> > although they don't really include much new info that they haven't
> > already told in interviews many times before.
> >
> > About the compilation: What can be said about this? Just another
> > best-of, nothing more. There have been tens of sets such as this
> > released over the years but I understand that BMG also wants to release
> > their own compilation. All songs (except one) are the original LP tracks
> > and mostly the same best known songs that have been included on all
> > earlier compilations - in chronological order as usual. The only special
> > things is the single edit of July Morning that has not been released on
> > CD before and released originally in Japan only. It looks like the
> > compilation hasn't been remastered like VEVU, at least in the sleeve
> > notes there's no mention of that. I have to check it out and compare if
> > there are differencies to earlier releases.
> >
> > On VEVU original album credits are not included, only one page with
> > track listings. No info on line-up, who plays what, which of the three
> > drummers is playing on which track, Colin Wood who plays keyboards on
> > two tracks is not mentioned at all etc. This is the biggest fault in the
> > sleeve notes. Corich's notes on previous remasters were excellent and
> > very informative.
> >
> > Then to the most important part: The music. I haven't listened to the
> > first album in a long time and I guess I haven't appreciated it as much
> > as the later albums because Ken Hensley joined in the middle of
> > recording and didn't have as much input on the songs. I must say this
> > sounds great, both original LP and alternate versions on CD2 that are
> > said to be previously unreleased.
> >
> > I haven't yet had time to compare these to the versions of these songs
> > already released before but I have to check if there is something
> > significantly different. I also have to compare the new remastering done
> > by "renowned mastering engineer Andy Pearce" to see if this is better or
> > any different from the masterings done earlier by Robert Corich. Corich
> > has here only taken care of CD2. The addition of Spice recordings Born
> > In A Trunk & Magic Lantern and the first version of Bird Of Prey among
> > the album tracks brings more variety to the set and it's good.
> >
> > As a roundup I would say that these releases are good if you already
> > don't already own the 1990's remasters and/or 2000's deluxe expanded
> > editions these are worth getting but you can live without buying these.
> > These are available - like just about all new releases these days - in
> > streaming services like Spotify so you don't necessarily have to get the
> > actual CD - or you can check it out beforehand if you're thinking of
> > buying.
> >
> > I took some pictures of the artworks and I've uploaded them here:
> > https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B3ieVvskyTAlZnNJcHZnSHFnc00
> >
> > I have prepared a page on my site dedicated to these BMG releases:
> > http://www.heepfiles.net/bmgre.htm where you can see track listings,
> > cover images etc.
> >
> > Salisbury is the next in the reissue series to be released in the end of
> > October. This I believe will very soon be available for pre-ordering
> > from Pledge Music like these two releases were. The link to the project:
> > http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/uriahheep
> >
> >
> > ---
> > TapioM.
> > tapio at uriah-heep.fi <javascript:;>
> > www.uriah-heep.fi
> >
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>
>
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