Jezuz F. Christ, I think I'm going to order this monster. My wife will probably beat me over the head with the damn thing when it comes in and it looks pretty heavy. Quick somebody talk me off the ledge!
Jezuz F. Christ, I think I'm going to order this monster. My wife will probably beat me over the head with the damn thing when it comes in and it looks pretty heavy. Quick somebody talk me off the ledge!
Last edited by Buddhabreath; 10-24-2019 at 04:55 PM.
The Ice Cream Lady Wet her drawers........To see you in the Passion Playyyy eeee - I. Anderson
"It's kind of like deciding not to date a beautiful blonde anymore because she farted." - Top Cat
I was expecting to be kinda meh, but it made my nips stiffen - Jerjo
(Zamran) "that fucking thing man . . . it sits there on my wall like a broken clock " - Helix
Social Media is the "Toilet" of the Internet - Lady Gaga
^^^^^
Because
1) You have purchased the studio albums and remixes many times over
2) You don't think there's going to me much new in the live stuff and are skeptical of the sound quality.
3) It costs over $300
I'm taking the plunge anyway because GG has been my favorite or one of my favorite bands since 1976 and it will be nice to have some of the previously unavailable live stuff, some more new remastered material, the books and the package putting it all together I guess...
One of the things I’ve found myself enjoying about this box set is that, barring the 12 remastered commercial releases and Alfred’s College 1971, the majority of what’s left hasn’t been heard before (well, in some cases other than bootlegs, and I never much collected those), and rather than include things like the BBC sessions released by Hux, and material found on various releases like Under Construction and Memories of Old Days (yes, they include the 1977 rehearsals, but given different track lengths and that I’ve yet to compare, some may be different rehearsal takes), there’s little repetition elsewhere. Rather than the 1980 BBC release on video and Memories of Old Days, for example, they include a different show from the same year, with a slightly different set list.
So, while I’ll likely keep my older masters for bonus tracks that aren’t found in this box (a couple of live tracks are included as part of full shows), and will also keep the two video releases, Steven Wilson’s remixes, and Under Construction& Memories of Old Days, Unburied Treasure doesn’t crossover like so many other box sets do (and hey, they had to include the studio releases and the new remasters are very good).
And with two sizable books, one covering the history of the band, the other about its many tours, the box set also has something beyond the music to recommend it.
And at only 2,000 copies, a high ticket price and some of the live shows decidedly low-fi, this is most certainly a box for hardcore Gentle Giant fans only. I count myself as one of them, and am thrilled that I’m getting the chance to review it so that I can spend the money on other box sets coming out this fall. So yes, I’m very fortunate in that regard, though you can likely imagine the amount of work that will go into my coverage of the box, not unlike my recent Crimson Heaven & Earth and last year’s Wishbone Ash box. I’ll suggest, with all humility, that it will absolutely be worthwhile for Madfish/Snapper having provided me with a copy.
John Kelman
Senior Contributor, All About Jazz since 2004
Freelance writer/photographer
I've always loved boxed sets but the scope and cost of some of the ones coming now make it a tough call. I ended up pulling the trigger on TD and Gong, passed on the Hillage (with a lot of mixed feelings), and probably passing on this one as well. It would be nice to have definitive Gentle Giant remasters, but given the spotty track record I think I'd want to wait until a few reviews were out on this latest batch anyway.
Will they release these remasters of the studio albums separately sometime?
If it isn't Krautrock, it's krap.
"And it's only the giving
That makes you what you are" - Ian Anderson
John Kelman
Senior Contributor, All About Jazz since 2004
Freelance writer/photographer
What does remastering something like these studio recordings yet again really mean? Since they've already been done at least 3 times during their digital history?
I have no real answer, but I have grave skepticism, unless they are dealing with all newly found sources, which, I suspect - since it isn't mentioned as a selling point - they are not.
YMMV.
Steve F.
www.waysidemusic.com
www.cuneiformrecords.com
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“Remember, if it doesn't say "Cuneiform," it's not prog!” - THE Jed Levin
Any time any one speaks to me about any musical project, the one absolute given is "it will not make big money". [tip of the hat to HK]
"Death to false 'support the scene' prog!"
please add 'imo' wherever you like, to avoid offending those easily offended.
Remixes with blurays containing previous mixes I'd go for. No interest in umpteenth remasters.
For those interested and have the ability to listen, Derek and Ray were on last nights Freak Zone with Stuart Maconie BBC Radio 6.
Well, for one thing, technology keeps on getting better, especially analog-to-digital (and vice versa). The improvements on the 12 cds representing the band’s commercial output aren’t better in a major way...but they are better, at least to my ears; punchier and cleaner. Past versions of The Missing Piece, for example, always had some background hiss (sounded to me like tape hiss); this new one doesn’t have it, without sacrificing sound quality, as seemed to generally be the case on remasters in the past (not just Giant). So if for no other reason than that, this new remaster sounds better.
YMMV, indeed, and I’m not suggesting these are vastly different. But they are different and, to my ears, better.
Cheers!
John Kelman
Senior Contributor, All About Jazz since 2004
Freelance writer/photographer
The real attraction of the box is the significant number of live recordings (not to mention the two books). Yes, in some cases only relatively low-fi audience recordings were all that could be found, but they all, nevertheless when taken in their entire, document the evolution of
Giant as a live band whose live versions were often very different than their studio counterparts. Early Octopus Medleys, for example, are quite different than those appearing by the time of Playing the Fool. And there’s a chance to hear live versions of songs that I’ve never heard before.
So those, along with written material (about 225 pages spread between the two 12” x12” (roughly) books included in the box. The remasters, better as they are, are nice but are not, imo, the primary purpose of the box.
John Kelman
Senior Contributor, All About Jazz since 2004
Freelance writer/photographer
Steve F.
www.waysidemusic.com
www.cuneiformrecords.com
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
“Remember, if it doesn't say "Cuneiform," it's not prog!” - THE Jed Levin
Any time any one speaks to me about any musical project, the one absolute given is "it will not make big money". [tip of the hat to HK]
"Death to false 'support the scene' prog!"
please add 'imo' wherever you like, to avoid offending those easily offended.
Now Steve F's hissing is all over side 2 of Misssssssssing Piece, as well
I supposed Tirning Around is the equivalent of Genesis' Down & Out
The only track worth saving is Memories Of Old Days, but that one would bump out almost any tracks from Free Hand, IMHO.
The rest of the album is not really better than GFAD, IMHO
my music collection increased tenfolds when I switched from drug-addicts to complete nutcases.
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