Siouxsie / Banshees remasters

[thorpy2112]

Hello

Has anyone heard any more updates from the Banshees camp regarding future remasters of their albums from Tinderbox onwards? It's so frustrating to have perfect remasters of the rest of the catalogue, and not the later 4 albums to The Rapture. Wasn't Steve Severin thinking that there might be an independent release of all albums in a box set? Or did my ears / eyes deceive me?!

Cheers - Steve T

[Rubellan]

Perfect remasters?? Most of them were fucked up messes. I'm glad they didn't finish the catalog. It just meant less disappointment.

[anfunny2003]

There's a 20 disc box set of absolutely everything they ever did in the works. It was touted as being out in 2013, so we'll see...

As for previous ones being a mess, it's true the 1 disc remaster of The Scream had some issues, but I for one was very grateful for A Kiss In The Dreamhouse's remaster. All that tape hiss on the original was very distracting. Siouxsie And The Banshees are my favourite band of all time, I didn't have a problem with the other remasters. Severen did them himself, right?

[Rubellan]

The Banshees are my favorite band as well, which is why I was horrified at the remasters. The only one I truly appreciate is the original 2 CD remaster of The Scream. Join Hands and Nocturne were not too bad either, though all others had disappointments.

Severin did not remaster, though blindly approved them, eager to get them released. He also stated the alleged boxed set will not include any of the still missing 12" mixes, as he views them as rubbish.

Scott

[omar]

The Hyaena and Tinderbox remasters weren't too bad either.

[roc51]

[quote][i]Originally posted by Rubellan[/i]
<br>Perfect remasters?? Most of them were fucked up messes. I'm glad they didn't finish the catalog. It just meant less disappointment.
[/quote]

Rubellan,

I recognise you are an expert in the art of music engineering but why the negativity on seemingly all remasters these days? Most of us are not audiophiles and thus don't have the technical ear you have but everytime I read about remasters it seems like they are always being critisised for one thing or another (usually loudness)

This type of feedback can be off-putting for the casual fan who in the end is happy to have a new remaster with bonus tracks.

This is not a personal attack...just curious as to why you think these remasters were rubbish.

Cheers!

[Rubellan]

I've mentioned when remasters are good. Prime examples of very satisfying remasters:

Thomas Dolby:
The Golden Age of Wireless
The Flat Earth

The Monochrome Set:
Strange Boutique
Love Zombies

Pylon:
Chomp
Gyrate

The Jam:
Sound Affects
The Gift

A Flock of Seagulls:
Self Titled
Listen
The Story of a Young Heart

These do not suffer from brickwalled sound, MP3 sources, or shoddy attempts at tape his reduction. This is what satisfies me as an audiophile.

The first batch of Banshees reissues were recognized by more than me for various anomalies, namely the sound of tape flucuations and dull sound on Kaleidoscope and JuJu.
The second batch of remasters suffered from brickwalled sound, terrible attempts at tape hiss reduction on Dreamhouse, the wonderful lost track, Starcrossed, being sourced from a very low quality MP3, just to name some of the gripes.

I'm more than happy to give my seal of approval when something satisfies me, but as you can read from numerous posting, or reviews on Amazon, lots of people bitch about the modern day state of "remastering", pointing out shortcomings along the same lines as what I encounter. It is a problem, and that's undeniable.

But I haven't been buying too many reissues lately, since there's very few anymore that pique my interest. I've been spending lots of time researching and discovering a load of excellent Next Wave bands an albums, and have just had to accept that all of those are going to be brickwalled in volume without exception. It's unfortunate that sound has to suffer this fate, but so it goes...

[roc51]

Thanks Rubellan...much appreciated...well explained.

[omar]

[quote][i]Originally posted by Rubellan[/i]
<br>I've mentioned when remasters are good. Prime examples of very satisfying remasters:

Thomas Dolby:
The Golden Age of Wireless
The Flat Earth

The Monochrome Set:
Strange Boutique
Love Zombies

Pylon:
Chomp
Gyrate

The Jam:
Sound Affects
The Gift

A Flock of Seagulls:
Self Titled
Listen
The Story of a Young Heart

These do not suffer from brickwalled sound, MP3 sources, or shoddy attempts at tape his reduction. This is what satisfies me as an audiophile.

The first batch of Banshees reissues were recognized by more than me for various anomalies, namely the sound of tape flucuations and dull sound on Kaleidoscope and JuJu.
The second batch of remasters suffered from brickwalled sound, terrible attempts at tape hiss reduction on Dreamhouse, the wonderful lost track, Starcrossed, being sourced from a very low quality MP3, just to name some of the gripes.

I'm more than happy to give my seal of approval when something satisfies me, but as you can read from numerous posting, or reviews on Amazon, lots of people bitch about the modern day state of "remastering", pointing out shortcomings along the same lines as what I encounter. It is a problem, and that's undeniable.

But I haven't been buying too many reissues lately, since there's very few anymore that pique my interest. I've been spending lots of time researching and discovering a load of excellent Next Wave bands an albums, and have just had to accept that all of those are going to be brickwalled in volume without exception. It's unfortunate that sound has to suffer this fate, but so it goes...
[/quote]

I had my reservations about AFOS. The debut album sounded almost bassless while on Story Of A Young Heart a couple of tracks were repeated and even cut off towards the end (The More You Live...(Full Moon Mix).

[Rubellan]

Regarding AFOS, I compared the Cherry Red reissue with my original Beehive CD, and the CR CD was drastically improved. The album is not very bass heavy to begin with.

Yes, there were some tracks repeated on SOAYH, but I found them unessetial to begin with, so it didn't bother me. I guess my point was that neither of these were muffled or compressed in any way.

[Sensoria]

[quote]Originally posted by thorpy2112
[br]Hello

Has anyone heard any more updates from the Banshees camp regarding future remasters of their albums from Tinderbox onwards? It's so frustrating to have perfect remasters of the rest of the catalogue, and not the later 4 albums to The Rapture. Wasn't Steve Severin thinking that there might be an independent release of all albums in a box set? Or did my ears / eyes deceive me?!

Cheers - Steve T
[/quote]

Hi Steve,
Here you can read why all the remaining Siouxie & The Banshees albums after "Tinderbox" won't get the reissue treatment by Universal Music:

http://www.slicingupeyeballs.com/2010/0 ... sal-music/

Quote:
"Severin this morning reported the news on his Facebook fan page, adding that the Banshees are seeking other options to release single-disc reissues of the final four albums:
'Universal have decided not to release any more single disc remasters. As the final four albums don't have enough extras to warrant the double disc 'deluxe' treatment, they have halted our programme four albums short. They have given us the opportunity to license the last four (Peepshow, Glass, Super, Rapture) to another label. We are looking into this.'"

And here's another thing that may be interesting to you on the matter as well:
http://www.slicingupeyeballs.com/2011/1 ... n-severin/

Cheers back! [:)]

[thorpy2112]

Thanks Sensoria! Really appreciate the links to the Severin comments and back history.

Shame that Universal pulled the final 4 remasters, but given the current climate for the industry over the last few years it's not very surprising.

I personally think that apart from the appalling original 'Scream' remaster the others are fine. The box set would be the icing on the cake for all fans obviously, but given SS has been working on it for over 15 months already - who knows if it will ever become reality?

I love the comments backwards and forwards about which line-up is the classic / which albums are the best etc. Isn't it great that we all have our own opinions? And that music is so personal? One of my mates has always preferred Kaleidoscope to any other Banshess album; I've just re-discovered Superstition and Peepshow and now think they're my favourites alongside Tinderbox. Each to their own

Steve T

[Barmy]

The fundamental message of this thread is don't sell/discard your old CDs when remasters come out. Just random examples are Cocteau Twins and Banshees. The 80s (or whenever) CDs had their flaws, but I tend to go back to them. And I, too, no longer automatically buy remasters of stuff I already have.

[Sensoria]

[quote][i]Originally posted by thorpy2112[/i]
<br>Thanks Sensoria! Really appreciate the links to the Severin comments and back history.

Shame that Universal pulled the final 4 remasters, but given the current climate for the industry over the last few years it's not very surprising.

I personally think that apart from the appalling original 'Scream' remaster the others are fine. The box set would be the icing on the cake for all fans obviously, but given SS has been working on it for over 15 months already - who knows if it will ever become reality?

I love the comments backwards and forwards about which line-up is the classic / which albums are the best etc. Isn't it great that we all have our own opinions? And that music is so personal? One of my mates has always preferred Kaleidoscope to any other Banshess album; I've just re-discovered Superstition and Peepshow and now think they're my favourites alongside Tinderbox. Each to their own

Steve T
[/quote]

You're very welcome, Steve!

Hence, I have an idea! Taking you're very close to Cherry Red Records businesswise, why don't you make an agreement with them and reissue all the remaining albums left in the way you both think it would be the best? If you ever do it I sense it would be a perfectly done job as the thing you did with Kim Wilde and Gary Numan & Sharpe reissues was rather fantastic.

Yes, music is so personal indeed. My favourite albums of theirs change through time. Right now it is "Peepshow". Takes me back exactly 25 years ago, a period I'm recently re-discovering all over again. Each to their own indeed!

[Rubellan]

I had the first 3 Kim Wilde albums on CR, and they were remarkably brickwalled and painful to listen to. Nice booklets though. I disposed of them and kept my 'Originals' boxed set, and the Very Best Of CD with the B Sides.