Led Zeppelin:
Physical Graffiti. The 2015 Jimmy Page remaster.
As I did with Led Zeppelin
III, playing the companion record to death before I dig into the de facto album. The companion is a bit inconsistent in quality, made from various tapes from here and there, but still good food for a Zep fan. Nice alternate versions...
DAMN! $60 bucks for the set, and no poly-lined sleeves! What gives, Atlantic?
Jethro Tull:
A Passion Play. 2014 Steven Wilson remaster
Outrageously GREAT remaster! Subtle little changes here and there- and the first hints are in the
Lifebeats opening- I knew I was in for a treat within 15 seconds of the beginning. No longer is it "Part 1" and "Part 2" on the LP- everything's been cut into tracks,
The Hare who Lost His Spectacles is its own track on side 2, but the previous track cuts a bit abruptly (end of side 1). Additional vocals on
The Foot Of Our Stairs were another very welcome surprise.
On the cover: "remixed to stereo." Hmm... I thought it was
always stereo...
As a long-time Tull fan, I was overjoyed to see that
Thick As A Brick was also remastered. Within two days, all the copies of
Brick were sold out- I didn't have my credit card with me. My two all-time favorite albums from Jethro Tull- so glad to see them!
Jack White
Lazaretto.
This record needs to come with an instruction book to play it. Large deadwax area on side one to make room for the hologram as well as not to trip automatic players- it plays from the inside out and ends in a locked groove on the edge. Side two's double-groove intro- the guy who cut the lacquers on this should be given a technical medal of merit! You can hear where the two grooves merge, but it's not as distracting as you would think.
I wonder how many people who buy this record will return it thinking it's defective.
I bought this primarily for the technical oddity and novelty of the record mastering, but also love the music- White Stripes / Jack White can do no wrong in my book. Excellent album.