RE: (TV) Collector's Choice reissues - just got 'em / Desecration too strong a word?/ Ms Secret X:

["Casey, Leo J" <CaseyL@VOLPE.DOT.GOV>]

>Both CD reissues give thanks to "Mark Pinkus, Dave Kapp, 
>and Mason Williams". Does anyone recognize those names? 
>I'd like to personally thank those guys!
>(TOM VERLAINE also thanks Tom Verlaine, probably since 
>he actively participated in the reissue). 

Philip, 

Before you thank anyone---I suggest you listen carefully to the 
product.  Don't want to rain on anyone's parade but--- my copies arrived 
yesterday, so last night I listened to the arrived "Tom Verlaine" cd with 
two close friends who've been listening to Verlaine recordings since 1980.
(We didn't listen to Alchemy last night.) 

We were unnaimous in our extreme dislike for what 
Rhino/Collector's Choice/Bob Fisher (and Mark Pinkus, Dave Kapp, and Mason 
Williams and TV himself??!!??) have done.

We only listened once as it was too painful to attempt repeated listenings 
in one night, but here's a couple of reactions from me.

1) Several of the songs sound like completely different takes 
(or at least several of the separate tracks on same song are different takes).

2) Tom's guitar does *not* sound good to me.  It was almost like they 
tried to 'expand' his guitar playing thru a DBX expander and they 
overcompensated for the original compressed master tapes (I'm guessing).  

The guitar sounds to me like its missing treble and musical overtones, or both.  
Also, to my ears the guitar volume level seems to rise and fall within fractions 
of the same second; it's subtle, but I'm hearing after the fact "Expansion" 
(a phenomenon called "breathing" which is caused by applying too much expansion to 
compressed tapes). 

3) Most if not all the wonderful deep organ on the song "Flash Lightning" 
has been removed! This is (IMHO) a horreendous mistake (unlike what getting 
rid of keyboards on Lloyd's solo would be). 

4) At least two of the songs sound like they have had the drum parts completely 
re-recorded (for the worse).

5) At least two or three of the songs have had the bass or bottom re-mixed 
so low/bad that the songs now have no punch. 

6) As bad as the mid-1990s Japanese (or German) cds were of this album, they 
sound better to what we have here.

7) My two friends begged me to play the vinyl and Jap cd version of 
TV's 1st solo album after we listened to the Collector's Choice.

http://www.artistdirect.com/music/artist/appears/0,,430712,00.html

http://www.rhino.com/hotnews/kappdavegrammynom.html
	
Leo (hope I'm wrong on this)

PS:  Ms Secret X, Can you ask TV in near future what happened,
and how much input and control he had over this? 
  ps: Ms sECRET x
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