Monday 20 April 2015

Richard Ashcroft: Long Way Down (The B-Side Collection)

TREON057
A collection of B-sides from Richard Ashcroft from singles released between 2000 and 2006.

Notes:
This is not a complete collection, there are a some tracks missing but they are remixes and live tracks. This collection comes from various sources, that's why not all the tracks are 320kbps (12 out of the 17 are) but those that aren't are at least 192kbps.

Tracklist:
01 - (Could Be) A Country Thing, City Thing, Blues Thing
02 - Precious Stone
03 - Make A Wish
04 - For The Lovers
05 - Leave Me High
06 - XXYY
07 - The Miracle
08 - Check The Meaning (Chris Potter Remix)
09 - Get Up Now
10 - Don't Take Me In
11 - The Journey's Just Begun
12 - The Direction
13 - Slip Sliding
14 - Long Way Down
15 - Circles

Bonus Tracks:
16 - The Test (The Chemical Brothers)
17 - Lonely Soul (UNKLE)

Password: WayDown



Tuesday 14 April 2015

Jeff Buckley: Just Passin' Thru Session (Revisited)

 
TREON028R

I've noticed a worring trend recently with a few Jeff Buckley releases. I think I'm right in thinking that the last official release we got is the boxset "Grace Around The World" in 2009 but since then we have gotten a small influx of Unofficial releases. Last year we got "Dreams Of The Way We Were" which was taken from Jeff's wonderful solo performance on WFMU's weekly music programme, 'The Music Faucet' on October 11th 1992. That performance deserves a crystal clear official release but what we got was a taped FM boardcast complete with hiss and sound distortion.

Yesterday I discovered another radio broadcast release. This time a two CD set entitled "It's Not Too Late", openly admited that the tracks were an FM "remaster". I gave serious consideration to buy it but I thought I'd better checkout the sound quality before I part with my hard earned cash. I found plenty of album previews online and I can honestly say it was pretty poor listening to say the least. Some of the tracks were playing at the wrong speed and sound way too slow as well as a good amount of tape wobble in places.
I'm not sure who did the "remastering" here but it doesn't sound as if they have made any attempt to improve the sound other than some pretty heavy handed noise reduction which as left the whole thing sounding muddy and flat.

Now, I'm no expert in this. I'm not as sound engineer or a producer, I am an enthusiastic amateur with a home computer and a few free audio editing softwares to play with but even with the little skill and technology I have, what I have made available here (for free!) has a lot better quality to what is being made available in the shops. That simply isn't right.

Download this sample of Dink's Song to hear the difference. >>>>DOWNLOAD<<<<

Track 01 is taken from my clean-up effort, found here: Jeff Buckley: The Music Faucet '92
Track 02 is taken from "It's Not Too Late".

Last week I was made aware of another unofficial release due out in May. "So Real: Live At East Orange 1992 / Studio Cleveland 1995" contains two performaces that are already available HERE and if this release gives us those sessions at a much higher audio quality then that is excellect and I welcome it with open arms (but I don't hold up much hope of that given the releases we've had so far) but what really makes me mad with this release is that on the back cover it has a photo of actor and musician Reeve Carney.
Don't believe me? Here is the back cover:


Source: Amazon.co.uk


And here is a link to the intervew with Reeve and the photoshoot accompanying it: 

It's just sloppy. As if they just used the first picture that google threw at them without even checking who was even in it.

How Jeff's legacy is being allowed to be treated at the moment is a little worrying but as long as this blog is still going I will do my best to treat Jeff's music and memory with the love and respect it deserves.

On that note, here is my final remaster of one of my favourite radio sessions from Jeff and his band: Live on WHFS-FM ''Just Passin Thru'' (Omega Studios, Rockville MD, 16th April 1995). I felt I over-cooked my remaster effort in the Asking To Stay... mix tape so I thought I'd go back one last time and do a final version.

Tracklist:
01 - Last Goodbye
02 - Lover, You Should've Come Over  
03 - So Real  
04 - Grace

Friday 10 April 2015

Kula Shaker: Live At Plymouth Pavilion 1997

TREON056
Kula Shaker: Live At Plymouth Pavilion 1997. An excellent soundboard recording, sourced from a promo CD.

Notes:
Taken from austereo mcm entertainment europe's "Planet Live!" recording 26th January, 1997 in Plymouth with thanks to Manor Mobiles. Mixed by Ian Taylor.

Tracklist:
01 - Intro
02 - Baby, You're a Rich Man
03 - Knight On The Town
04 - 303
05 - Gokula
06 - Grateful When You're Dead / Jerry Was There
07 - Raagy One (Waiting For Tomorrow)
08 - For This Love
09 - Drop in the Sea
10 - Tattva
11 - Smart Dogs
12 - Start All Over
13 - Hey Dude
14 - Hush
15 - Hollow Man
16 - Into The Deep
17 - Govinda