[Heeplist] New BMG releases review

Fri Sep 23 05:01:54 EDT 2016

Hi Bob

The post needs stirring from the time. I have really had much trouble 
with the past over the past year that I'm not sure anymore if it's 
working OK for me. I am even subscribed to the list with two different 
e-mail addresses so that I wouldn't miss the mails.

It's a much different world now when compared to back in 1998 when I 
joined the list. There were so much happening and of course with the 
internet being a new thing there was lots of new things to be learned 
and there was actually something new with every remastered release.

Same old stuff being repackaged and sold to fans as new, that seems to 
be the case nowadays. I guess the vaults have been pretty much emptied 
by now so there aren't any unreleased stuff worth releasing anymore. I 
will still keep buying all new released just as support for the band.

---
TapioM.
tapio at uriah-heep.fi
www.uriah-heep.fi

Bob Winward kirjoitti 22.9.2016 15:21:
> 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> 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
>> www.uriah-heep.fi
>> 
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>> http://www.uriah-heep.com
> 
> 
> 
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