Sandrose

[JeffCarney]

Anybody else ever hear this album on vinyl?

I have the Musea reissue LP and it's simply astonishing how much more bearable the vocals are. There is far less treble than the CD and it really helps the vocals blend instead her vocals just sitting on top of everything.

In some ways I like the way the CD sounds, because the Mellotron sounds open and really engaging, but in revisiting the LP I think I actually hear what this band was going for! Obviously, I don't know whether the engineer who cut this LP dialed the top end back or if the CD boosted the treble, but the singing is so much more tolerable on vinyl that the difference is flat out astonishing.

[ashratom]

Jeff - I bought the Musea LP when it came out and agree it's a wonderful job (I still have it of course). I've never owned the French or UK originals on Polydor to hear the difference unfortunately. I haven't A/B'd the reissue LP with the CD.

[JeffCarney]

The thing is that on its own, the CD seems pretty well balanced. But the vocals really grate in spots. What I have realized in listening to the LP is that it's partly a result of all the added treble. That brings the voice more out front. On the LP that "yelling" somehow melts into the mix far better.

If that extra treble was added to the CD, I think a great disservice was done to this band. The singer's voice is nowhere near as out front on the LP. It's almost like a different mix! I would have to suspect that the band would have been far more comfortable with her voice not sitting on top of everything the way it sometimes does on the CD.

[spacefreak]

I have the 1988 Musea vinyl reissue which I got upon release date and never heard their CD, so I cannot comment on the differences. Did you listen to the Korean M2U, the japanese Belle Antique, the US Lion or the very 1st Musea CD???

I also never heard the Amber Soundroom LP from 2006.

[JeffCarney]

I am referring to the very first Musea CD. But I believe every other CD version is either copied from that or tweaked from that. I highly doubt there has ever been another digital transfer. The Lion and M2U should be straight clones, I think.

And Amber Soundroom seem to just use CDs for their vinyl, so I wouldn't expect that to be any different from the CD.

The 1988 Musea LP is a real find and still pretty cheap. I've had a mint copy for a few years but hadn't spun it in a while.

[saulgoodman]

I am referring to the very first Musea CD. But I believe every other CD version is either copied from that or tweaked from that. I highly doubt there has ever been another digital transfer. The Lion and M2U should be straight clones, I think.

And Amber Soundroom seem to just use CDs for their vinyl, so I wouldn't expect that to be any different from the CD.

The 1988 Musea LP is a real find and still pretty cheap. I've had a mint copy for a few years but hadn't spun it in a while.

Guerssen also reissued this again last year on vinyl. Has anyone heard that?

[JeffCarney]

Guerssen also reissued this again last year on vinyl. Has anyone heard that?

My experience with Guerssen was contacting them about their source when they released Carol Of Harvest.

The response seemed almost glowing that the LP had great quality because they had used the Second Battle CD as a source.

Personally, I would never buy anything they reissue.

Besides, the old Musea reissue LP is still like ... what ... 40 bucks?

No-brainer decision, IMO.

[Joe F.]

I have the original Musea vinyl reissue. This is the only version that I've ever heard. Sounds very good.

[ashratom]

M2U did license the album from Musea, so it's highly likely it was created from the same source. All the same I did A/B those two when the M2U came out - and actually preferred the M2U CD version (?!?) When I get a chance, I'll check out the Musea LP again... Her vocals are indeed a bit grating (though oddly charming) - and I'll admit it's been years since i heard my vinyl copy. Thanks Jeff for the heads up! (still would love to hear the original )

[JeffCarney]

M2U did license the album from Musea, so it's highly likely it was created from the same source. All the same I did A/B those two when the M2U came out - and actually preferred the M2U CD version (?!?) When I get a chance, I'll check out the Musea LP again... Her vocals are indeed a bit grating (though oddly charming) - and I'll admit it's been years since i heard my vinyl copy. Thanks Jeff for the heads up! (still would love to hear the original )

I'd like to hear the original, too.

But I will say in my experience with these things, I'd be willing to bet that the Musea LP is probably far closer to the sound of the original LP than the CD.

[Scrotum Scissor]

I always refrained from the vinyl reissue due to those vocals pretty much ruining the whole album. That one 11-minute instrumental is wonderful still.

[JeffCarney]

I always refrained from the vinyl reissue due to those vocals pretty much ruining the whole album. That one 11-minute instrumental is wonderful still.

Funny because a recent spin of the CD almost had me questioning why I even bothered owning the album. Those vocals are just awful in spots.

But when I spun the LP I was just astonished at how much less the vocals troubled me. They just aren't as prominent and I could really hear why comparisons to Circus 2000 or Earth and Fire aren't that unreasonable. Not that she could ever even be compared with somebody like Jerney Kaagman, but the overall sound they were going for just made more sense to me.

[yesstiles]

Thanks Jeff. I always had a love/hate relationship with that Musea cd. Great guitarist but the vocals were overcooked. I'd like to hear it on LP now.

[spacefreak]

I could really hear why comparisons to Circus 2000 or Earth and Fire aren't that unreasonable.

I can hear the Circus 2000 (on their second LP) comparisons in the vocals. And some debut Analogy. Not so much Earth and Fire though...

[Progbear]

I can hear the Circus 2000 (on their second LP) comparisons in the vocals. And some debut Analogy. Not so much Earth and Fire though...

I don’t know Circus 2000. The vocals reminded me of Laura Nyro, which was odd in a prog context, but for me, kind of worked.

Here’s what Rose got up to later on:

[MortSahlFan]

My cousin has it, but the built-in speakers on his record player wasn't too great, although the copy of the record was good.

[Scrotum Scissor]

I don’t know Circus 2000.

An Escape from a Box is still listenable, IMHO - although the English lyrics and pronounciation isn't really very good. File next to that debut Tomorrow's Gift or Analogy, faintly perhaps even J.J. Savarin's Waiters on the Dance.