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Thread: The Syn

  1. #426
    I was invited to record a Yes music podcast interview about the Syn which has just been released: https://yesmusicpodcast.com/steve-na...EEuKOAlrFzMzwk

  2. #427
    In our somewhat delayed episode, Mark and I speak to The Syn front man, Steve Nardelli this week. It was an amazing conversation which delved deeply into all parts of The Syn’s story including a residency at The Marquee Club, supporting Jimi Hendrix, inventing the Rock Opera, trying to get Chris Squire to turn up to gigs on time and the influence of Peter Banks amongst many other topics.

    Also this week, I announce the dramatic changes to the Yes Music Podcast which are planned for 2019. You can’t afford to miss this information. Next year is going to be very special.

    What were Chris Squire and Peter Banks like to work with?
    Which Welsh icon was kind to the band?
    Why couldn’t The Syn get out of their dressing room on the night Jimi Hendrix came to town?
    Listen to the episode then let us know what you think!
    https://yesmusicpodcast.com/steve-na...kOiIttypQhrWN0
    Last edited by Steve Nardelli; 12-11-2018 at 05:22 PM.

  3. #428
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    Thanks for the interview Steve, very interesting.

  4. #429
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve983 View Post
    Thanks for the interview Steve, very interesting.
    Ditto!
    Thank you for the link, Steve. I'll check it out tonight.

  5. #430
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    Well, I didn’t listen last night because something else came up: my vinyl copy of Syndestructible arrived! And so it was the center of things last night. What a great package! Just lovely. And I have to agree, it sounds superb! I will A/B it with the CD sometime to try and define the differences.

    Thanks for putting this out, Steve!!

  6. #431
    Quote Originally Posted by Steve983 View Post
    Thanks for the interview Steve, very interesting.
    Thanks, Steve, it was a very enjoyable interview to do, it brought so many great memories.

  7. #432
    Quote Originally Posted by Gizmotron View Post
    Well, I didn’t listen last night because something else came up: my vinyl copy of Syndestructible arrived! And so it was the center of things last night. What a great package! Just lovely. And I have to agree, it sounds superb! I will A/B it with the CD sometime to try and define the differences.

    Thanks for putting this out, Steve!!
    I think Sid Smith got it right when he says in his Prog magazine review that Syndestructible found its true home on vinyl. It took a year to put everything together with Chris Topham at Plane Groovy and for Jeremy Paul Carroll to remaster it for vinyl; Jeremy wrote brilliant overview of how he did it which I will post if I have not done so previously.

  8. #433
    Regarding The Syn - Syndestructible vinyl issue…

    Syndestructible never had a vinyl release prior to this. It was released on CD only in 2005 - vinyl evidently not having regained its boutique charm by then.

    The usual method of approaching something like this is to return to the original prints of the mixes. The requirements of a vinyl master versus a master for CD or digital distribution are very different and require a different approach.

    Unfortunately, the original prints were no longer available and all that existed were two versions of a CD master, produced by the estimable and indeed legendary mastering house, Metropolis. Luckily, one of the original masters was an un-dithered 24-bit version, the other being the final CD print at 16-bit.

    Even though the masters produced by Metropolis were superb, they were produced at the height of the ‘Loudness Wars’ which was pointlessly destroying music released on CD. This was an attempt to gain extra volume by restricting the dynamic range of the music. There’s only so much volume you can get on any medium and the only way to get more is to literally squash it in order to make it fit. (It’s worth noting that this is something that certainly cannot be blamed on Metropolis - it was very much a label-driven phenomena which went against the direct advice of mastering engineers. It was simply how things were done at the time.)

    Consequently, the only version of Syndestructible existing with which to produce the vinyl master from was a highly compressed and hard-limited CD master with a dynamic range of about 7dB. While you can technically get away with that for CD, the mechanical reproduction method of a stylus in a groove is not so forgiving and consequently it would have made for a very poor quality cut. There was an added complication in that the hard-limiting procedure in the original had introduced audible distortions.

    Given the significance of the album and the high quality nature of the material, coupled with the fact that this would likely be the first release since Chris Squire’s passing (one of my heroes and the reason why I do what I do!), it was necessary to work out a way to unpick the work that Metropolis had done originally. Now, the best analogy to use to describe this is that it’s like taking a tin of green paint and trying to extract the blue and the yellow from it. It’s worth reiterating that the work they did was never intended to be used for vinyl. Essentially, what’s done is done.

    What was being attempted was essentially the impossible; there were no tried and trusted methods to achieve this and so new techniques needed to be invented. Certainly, there exist ways of increasing dynamic range and reducing distortion, but this required a much more sensitive and targeted approach than existing technology allowed.

    So, over about thirty versions of the master, I modified and coded the tools and developed novel methods. By this point, it had become a true labour of love.

    Eventually, the algorithms and processes were working as I wanted, the material cleaned of distortions and the dynamic range restored from circa 7dB to a much more musical and forgiving 13dB. Almost double the dynamic range.

    It requires a great deal of thought and sensitivity to rework material that is known and loved as it is. Regardless of the technical problems with the original, people love the music as it’s presented to them, because ultimately it’s the music that matters. That’s what people are listening to and falling in love with, not the technicality. Now though, the vinyl issue of Syndestructible represents much more closely what the artist originally intended. It’s a beautiful piece of work which is now allowed to breathe properly for the first time. I hope people like it.

    Jeremy Paul Carroll, November 2018.

  9. #434
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    Amazing how much effort he put into it. It really does feel more alive and dynamic.

    I never thought I would spin vinyl again. But this makes it a pleasure.

  10. #435
    Very nice album cover puzzle produced as a Christmas gift by the vinyl manufacturer DMS for its clients that include Chris Topham at Plane Groovy who released Syndestructible. I accept I'm biased, but the thing that strikes me about this image is how much the Syndestructible cover artwork stands out against the others, the perfect window to the music created by Mark Brown who also created the Original Syn cover.

    jigsaw.jpg

  11. #436
    I have been travelling in the Czech Republic with my family over the Christmas holidays and came across this very detailed biography of The Syn. The problem is it's in Czech but it's worth checking out for the photos, one in particular that I'd not seen before, an excellent and rare photo of Andrew Pryce Jackman on stage at the Marquee and, guessing from his red gangster suit, we were performing the Gangster Opera.
    http://www.progressrock.cz/other/The...6P1iJJMuUiLEFw

  12. #437
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    Hi Steve, this vinyl release is on my radar. Waiting for things to settle down post Christmas shopping and get the finances back on regular schedule.
    Soundcloud page: Richard Hermans, musical meanderings https://soundcloud.com/precipice YouTube: [https://www.youtube.com/@richardhermans4457

  13. #438
    It's the new Syn hypnotic marketing experiment: You will buy the new Syndestructible vinyl album; You will buy the new Syndestructible vinyl album; You will buy the new Syndestructible vinyl album....
    Talking about the quality of the cover artwork,, this is one of a series of great Syndestructible moving images created by Joseph Staron in Hollywood, really clever stuff, just click on the image.


  14. #439
    Don't worry, Syndestructible on vinyl is in full production! Another Joseph Staron creation I really like, again, press the image.


  15. #440
    Her Majesty Janet Lynne Mocarsky, the Queen of Prog, created this high flying video to celebrate the gate-fold vinyl release of Syndestructible from many photographs she has taken of the birds of Aquidneck Island, Rhode Island where she lives. I am always moved when people reach out creatively in support of my music and I think this very beautiful and reflects one of my favourite mix of Syn tracks perfectly.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsYu...Hs-icATrMyJqn4

  16. #441
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Nardelli View Post
    It's the new Syn hypnotic marketing experiment: You will buy the new Syndestructible vinyl album; You will buy the new Syndestructible vinyl album; You will buy the new Syndestructible vinyl album....
    Talking about the quality of the cover artwork,, this is one of a series of great Syndestructible moving images created by Joseph Staron in Hollywood, really clever stuff, just click on the image.

    Psychedelic!
    This one is my favorite!

    The Ms. Mocarsky video does have some lovely photos though.

  17. #442
    This is a still from an appearance I did with Chris Squire on the eXtra television show in Hollywood during a promotional tour we did for Syndestructible, filmed at Ironworks studios which is owned by Keifer Sutherland. They asked us to perform a number, we did 21st Century and got a standing ovation. Keifer lent me one of his amazing guitar collection, a 1958 Gibson, and asked me to sign it. I said it was sacrilege to sign such a classic guitar but he insisted and I did and he signed my guitar as a trade-off. Ironworks is a great studio and that's where I got the idea for the title to the new studio album from The Syn, Trustworks. I think it particularly relevant in Syn history for lots of reasons, not least that we are probably the only prog band that had ever been featured on the eXtra show. extra.jpg

  18. #443
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Nardelli View Post
    This is a still from an appearance I did with Chris Squire on the eXtra television show in Hollywood during a promotional tour we did for Syndestructible, filmed at Ironworks studios which is owned by Keifer Sutherland. They asked us to perform a number, we did 21st Century and got a standing ovation. Keifer lent me one of his amazing guitar collection, a 1958 Gibson, and asked me to sign it. I said it was sacrilege to sign such a classic guitar but he insisted and I did and he signed my guitar as a trade-off. Ironworks is a great studio and that's where I got the idea for the title to the new studio album from The Syn, Trustworks. I think it particularly relevant in Syn history for lots of reasons, not least that we are probably the only prog band that had ever been featured on the eXtra show. extra.jpg
    Very cool! Any video available from the show?
    Keifer is quite a music fan, isn't he?

  19. #444
    Quote Originally Posted by Gizmotron View Post
    Very cool! Any video available from the show?
    Keifer is quite a music fan, isn't he?
    It was available on Youtube originally, but removed for copyright reasons.
    You are right about Keifer being a music fan, apart from owning Ironworks studios he has an amazing collection of vintage guitars, mostly Gibson.

  20. #445
    To remember and celebrate Chris Squire's birthday Joe Whalen today posted the live interview Chris and I did with Joe for his Frontiers radio show at WHPC studios in New York to launch our Syndestructible tour in America:

    THE NIGHT THE SYN CAME TO TOWN!!! (WHPC, 90.3FM, NY, NJ CT).. Happy Birthday, Chris! And Thanks Always, Steve, for bringing your terrific selves LIVE & IN-PERSON to our beloved radio station. It was in the first days of January, on your SYNDESTRUCTIBLE tour. A great night & One for the Ages! Let's all just assume that Chris is Alive & Well & In the Present Tense.. He most definitely IS! Here's a recording of that very special radio show. Thanks Guys!! JW
    www.mixcloud.com/joewradio/the-syn/?fbclid=IwAR2rXsD-ejNknCc2kgcW0qWxVCUZHhMoC1OuZ7TE9rwX7otZVsKcFwBS9X g

  21. #446
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Nardelli View Post
    To remember and celebrate Chris Squire's birthday Joe Whalen today posted the live interview Chris and I did with Joe for his Frontiers radio show at WHPC studios in New York to launch our Syndestructible tour in America:

    THE NIGHT THE SYN CAME TO TOWN!!! (WHPC, 90.3FM, NY, NJ CT).. Happy Birthday, Chris! And Thanks Always, Steve, for bringing your terrific selves LIVE & IN-PERSON to our beloved radio station. It was in the first days of January, on your SYNDESTRUCTIBLE tour. A great night & One for the Ages! Let's all just assume that Chris is Alive & Well & In the Present Tense.. He most definitely IS! Here's a recording of that very special radio show. Thanks Guys!! JW
    www.mixcloud.com/joewradio/the-syn/?fbclid=IwAR2rXsD-ejNknCc2kgcW0qWxVCUZHhMoC1OuZ7TE9rwX7otZVsKcFwBS9X g
    I just dropped the needle in a few places to get a feel...it was cool to hear your voice Steve. And of course, so good to hear Chris speak once more.
    In so many ways, the Big Guy is still here. But I sure miss seeing him on stage. I'll try to listen to the rest tonight.

    Thanks for the link, Steve!

  22. #447
    I had dinner with Jonas Reingold in London this week to plan the road map for the new Syn album, detailed announcement pending! Meanwhile SiriusXM satelite radio featured the Syn on Deep Cuts yesterday, very timely. Thanks to Alex at Alliance for giving me a heads-up! XM2.jpg
    Last edited by Steve Nardelli; 04-20-2019 at 03:46 PM.

  23. #448
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    Quote Originally Posted by Steve Nardelli View Post
    I had dinner with Jonas Reingold in London this week to plan the road map for the new Syn album, detailed announcement pending! Meanwhile SiriusXM satelite radio featured the Syn on Deep Cuts yesterday, very timely. Thanks to Alex at Alliance for giving me a heads-up! XM2.jpg
    Cool, this is interesting on many levels. SiriusXM Deep Tracks has been playing a lot of "deep" prog lately. Disclaimer: I work for SiriusXM but have been a subscriber (to XM Radio) since 2003 (and still miss XM Music Lab). The Syn without Chris Squire is a bit suspect but I was OK with The Syn with Tom Brislin and I'm certainly good with The Syn with Jonas Reingold. I look forward to whatever comes of this. Keep us posted!

  24. #449
    Quote Originally Posted by PixelDelirium View Post
    Cool, this is interesting on many levels. SiriusXM Deep Tracks has been playing a lot of "deep" prog lately. Disclaimer: I work for SiriusXM but have been a subscriber (to XM Radio) since 2003 (and still miss XM Music Lab). The Syn without Chris Squire is a bit suspect but I was OK with The Syn with Tom Brislin and I'm certainly good with The Syn with Jonas Reingold. I look forward to whatever comes of this. Keep us posted!
    Thank you, it's also very cool that you work for SiriusXM. We had the honour and privilege of recording a live session for XM radio at their studios in Washington during the Syndestructible tour, Alan White on drums, that still gets aired by the station. I've added a photo from that session taken by Matt Ridley.

    Jonas Reingold has already worked with The Syn producing the Trustworks album which was a collaboration with Moon Safari, if you don't know that album I'd be pleased to send you a copy. I will certainly keep you posted on the new album!

    20934132_10210649480173318_6404029166823553655_o.jpg
    Last edited by Steve Nardelli; 04-21-2019 at 03:47 AM.

  25. #450
    Somehow never heard Syn before today. But just caught it on Deep Tracks and loved what I heard. My mind was blown to visit this forum and see a thread about them on the front page.

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