Magma - Mekanik Komandoh (early MDK)

[zombywoof]

Got this disc for Christmas and listening today. Essentially an early MDK with a rawer edge, more prominent drums, but less instrumentation. Anyone know the story on this? Is it simply a demo or was their a reason it was rerecorded? There is no information in the liner notes and wiki says almost nothing about why it was rerecorded for the final version.

[smcfee]

My understanding is it was the original version they submitted and the label rejected it. Later they came back with MDK. It's my favorite version, actually.

[calyx]

I'm not exactly sure, but I guess the decision to re-record it came when Jannick Top joined the band and Vander probably wanted to feature him rather than the interim bass player who had played on the early version (Jean-Pierre Lembert).

The sonic issues with the released version famously originated in Vander's decision to erase some "ambient" tracks on the multitrack tapes to make room for overdubs which he only later realised was done at the expense of any "punch" in the drums department.

Interesting (& depressing) factoid from Chris Cutler (Henry Cow) - "The basic tracks for 'Mekanik' had been recorded at the Manor and by a grim coincidence Virgin had recorded our 'In Praise Of Learning' album on top of them, something we didn't discover until we recovered the masters from them years later"...

[zombywoof]

Interesting (& depressing) factoid from Chris Cutler (Henry Cow) - "The basic tracks for 'Mekanik' had been recorded at the Manor and by a grim coincidence Virgin had recorded our 'In Praise Of Learning' album on top of them, something we didn't discover until we recovered the masters from them years later"...

AHHH!!! Why?!?

[Zeuhlmate]

Jannick Top makes a big difference.

In both cases though, the sound is typical Virgin/Manor from the period - everything sounds dull.

[zombywoof]

Jannick Top makes a big difference.

In both cases though, the sound is typical Virgin/Manor from the period - everything sounds dull.

The sound is probably better on the early version but I prefer the one we all know and love. Still nice to hear - MDK is one of those pieces I never tire of


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[Mekanik Zain]

My understanding is it was the original version they submitted and the label rejected it. Later they came back with MDK. It's my favorite version, actually.

For me MK version is much better than MDK! MK is more dark, apocalyptic. Besides I 'd say it has more RIO style impact (probably more chamber like sound?).

[helicase]

Does anyone know how this compares to the MDK version from the Studio Zünd box (on one of the Archiẁ discs)?

[Steve F.]

AHHH!!! Why?!?

Because 2" tape has always been expensive, and if you didn't specifically BUY the reels of tape needed, studios routinely used to reuse them.

And very few bought the reels unless they were in a popular band and at least sort of wealthy, because no one imagined they would need them in order to give them to Steve Wilson....

[flytomars]

And very few bought the reels unless they were in a popular band and at least sort of wealthy,

You mean like Henry Cow?
I also prefer MDK to MK, apart for the drum sound of course.

[GuitarGeek]

Because 2" tape has always been expensive, and if you didn't specifically BUY the reels of tape needed, studios routinely used to reuse them.

And very few bought the reels unless they were in a popular band and at least sort of wealthy, because no one imagined they would need them in order to give them to Steve Wilson....

I remember complaining about all the "No tape" listings in the sessions logs in the John Coltrane classic quartet studio recordings box, and someone told me the "no tape" denotation meant that the tapes had been taped over, because the music went unreleased at the time and therefore were deemed "of no use" to Impulse!. Unfortunately, the reissue and "previously unreleased recordings" craze didn't really take off until the 80's, and by that time, a lot of stuff had been erased.

The fact that there were so much Coltrane music available for posthumous release (Impulse and it's corporate owners were still putting out "new" Coltrane albums more than a decade after he died) was probably more down to dumb luck than it was any actual effort by anyone circa 1961-1967 deliberately trying to preserve Trane's legacy. There was no one saying "Well, gee, we should keep this because we might be able to release them later". And it was like that for everyone.

[Steve F.]

^ ^

That was the thinking back then, as 'wrong' as it seems now.

Look at all the things the BBC wiped!

[chalkpie]

I love this version.

[PROGMONSTER]

Is this the version released in the late 80s? If so, it's the only version I like even though the vocals weren't finished. The drums and keys stand out a lot more

[Mekanik Zain]

Is this the version released in the late 80s? If so, it's the only version I like even though the vocals weren't finished. The drums and keys stand out a lot more

As far as I know there are three versions of MDK:
1. MAGMA - "MEKANIK KOMMANDOH" 1973
First Release: 1989
Contains one track Mekanik Destruktiw Kommandoh C.Vander 38:47

2. Classic MDK - "MEKANIK DESTRUKTIW KOMMANDOH" 1973
Consists of 7 tracks:
1. Hortz Fur Dehn Stekehn West C.Vander 9:36
2. Ima Suri Dondai C.Vander 4:30
3. Kobaia Is De Hundin C.Vander 3:33
…etc

3. However this album also contains 8 th track - Alt.version of M.D.K. (Available on early versions of the Seventh CD- s).

[zombywoof]

Is this the version released in the late 80s? If so, it's the only version I like even though the vocals weren't finished. The drums and keys stand out a lot more

The *only*?


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[GuitarGeek]

^ ^

That was the thinking back then, as 'wrong' as it seems now.

Look at all the things the BBC wiped!

Dude! As a lifelong sci-fi geek (and especially a Doctor Who fan), I prefer to not be reminded about that. My kingdom for all the lost Patrick Troughton era DW episodes!

[zombywoof]

Dude! As a lifelong sci-fi geek (and especially a Doctor Who fan), I prefer to not be reminded about that. My kingdom for all the lost Patrick Troughton era DW episodes!

As a fan of the modern series, one of the things that prevents me from diving into the classic era is that so much of it is missing.


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[notallwhowander]

The big holes are in the first three doctors. Stuff from Tom Baker forward is solid, if memory serves.

[The Czar]

Does anyone know how this compares to the MDK version from the Studio Zünd box (on one of the Archiẁ discs)?

I know the Studio Zund box set was not remastered.
So if you have a single disc version that came out before that box, I assume it's the same audio.
I know new versions of the studio albums have new booklets and some have lyrics, but I think they still have the same audio.

The only stuff I know were remastered (and the Trilogy was remixed) is the live box set that recently came out.

Studio Zund has amazing booklets with each cd though.
I'm curious if anyome has seem the new booklets for the studio cds?
Are they the same? I am pretty sure the Studio Zund box didn't have lyrics? I would have to check.

[PROGMONSTER]

The *only*?


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Yeah because that boring continuous chant for 15 minutes is missing and the instruments sound a lot clearer. I love Wurdah Itah. Has lots of short chants all of which are better

[GuitarGeek]

re Doctor Who

As a fan of the modern series, one of the things that prevents me from diving into the classic era is that so much of it is missing.

I don't see why that would be a deterrent to watching the classic show. Yeah, it stinks we're missing some of the Hartnell and Troughton era episodes, but from around the Jon Pertwee era onwards, we still have everything and that's where the show really started to hit it's stride anyway.

[GuitarGeek]

The big holes are in the first three doctors. Stuff from Tom Baker forward is solid, if memory serves.

First two Doctors. They were missing the master tapes for a couple of the Pertwee era stories, but they had black and white prints of those stories, but I believe I read they colorized them and put them out on DVD that way.

[Zeuhlmate]

VERSION REMASTERISEE

http://www.seventhrecords.com/magma-...ndoh-1266.html

[aith01]

VERSION REMASTERISEE

http://www.seventhrecords.com/magma-...ndoh-1266.html

Oh cool!

I really like this version, but I still prefer MDK because it's what I first heard by them and it's the "definitive" version for me. But that is just me.