[Heeplist] New BMG releases review

Fri Sep 23 05:13:16 EDT 2016

Thanks Don

The Heep back catalogue is now just a means of making money to big 
companies unfortunately so they will do what they want with it to make 
as much money as possible. Thanks to Rob Corich they have at least in my 
opinion been high quality releases with all the bonus tracks, extended 
sleeve notes etc.

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

Don Malecic kirjoitti 22.9.2016 16:34:
> 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
>> >
>> > _______________________________________________
>> > Heeplist mailing list
>> > Heeplist at travellersintime.com <javascript:;>
>> > http://travellersintime.com/mailman/listinfo/heeplist_
>> travellersintime.com
>> >
>> > Travellers in Time Website
>> > http://www.travellersintime.com
>> >
>> > Official Uriah Heep Website
>> > http://www.uriah-heep.com
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> Heeplist mailing list
>> Heeplist at travellersintime.com <javascript:;>
>> http://travellersintime.com/mailman/listinfo/heeplist_travellersintime.com
>> 
>> Travellers in Time Website
>> http://www.travellersintime.com
>> 
>> Official Uriah Heep Website
>> http://www.uriah-heep.com
>> 
> _______________________________________________
> Heeplist mailing list
> Heeplist at travellersintime.com
> http://travellersintime.com/mailman/listinfo/heeplist_travellersintime.com
> 
> Travellers in Time Website
> http://www.travellersintime.com
> 
> Official Uriah Heep Website
> http://www.uriah-heep.com