THE SYSTEM - 80's albums reissued by Unidisc

[synthboy1969]

All five of THE SYSTEM's 80's albums have been reissued on CD with bonus tracks by Unidisc. First the info, then my two cents...

THE SYSTEM - SWEAT (1983)
1. SWEAT
2. YOU ARE IN MY SYSTEM
3. IT'S PASSION
4. STAND UP AND CHEER
5. I WON'T LET GO
6. GO FOR WHAT U KNOW
7. NOW I AM ELECTRIC
BONUS TRACKS:
8. TU ESTAS EN MI SYSTEMA
9. I WON'T LET GO (LONG VERSION)
10. TU ESTAS EN MI SYSTEMA
11. YOU ARE IN MY SYSTEM (LONG VERSION)
12. SWEAT (RADIO VERSION)
13. I WON'T LET GO (RADIO VERSION)

THE SYSTEM - X-PERIMENT (1984)
1. I WANNA MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD
2. DANGEROUS
3. LOLLIPOPS AND EVERYTHING
4. GET JUMPIN'
5. ESCAPE
6. PROMISES CAN BREAK
7. X-PERIMENT
8. BAD GIRL
9. I CAN'T TAKE LOSING YOU
BONUS TRACKS:
10. I WANNA MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD (12" VERSION)
11. PROMISES CAN BREAK (12" VERSION)
12. I WANNA MAKE YOU FEEL GOOD (RADIO VERSION)

THE SYSTEM - THE PLEASURE SEEKERS (1985)
1. THE PLEASURE SEEKERS
2. IT TAKES 2
3. BIG CITY BEAT
4. LOVE WON'T WAIT FOR LOVIN'
5. THIS IS FOR YOU
6. MY RADIO ROCKS
7. DID IN BY A FRIEND
8. I DON'T RUN FROM DANGER
BONUS TRACKS:
9. THE PLEASURE SEEKERS (LONG VERSION)
10. THIS IS FOR YOU (LONG VERSION)
11. I DON'T RUN FROM DANGER (EXTENDED REMIX)
12. THE PLEASURE SEEKERS (DUB MIX)
13. THIS IS FOR YOU (DUB VERSION)
14. I DON'T RUN FROM DANGER (DUB VERSION)
15. THE PLEASURE SEEKERS (RADIO VERSION) <--- LISTED, BUT ISN'T ACTUALLY THERE

THE SYSTEM - DON'T DISTURB THIS GROOVE (1987)
1. DON'T DISTURB THIS GROOVE
2. COME AS YOU ARE (SUPERSTAR)
3. SAVE ME
4. HEART BEAT OF THE CITY
5. GROOVE
6. NIGHTTIME LOVER
7. HOUSE OF RHYTHM
8. DIDN'T I BLOW YOUR MIND
9. SOUL BOY
10. MODERN GIRL
BONUS TRACK:
11. DON'T DISTURB THIS GROOVE (REMIX)

THE SYSTEM - RHYTHM AND ROMANCE (1989)
1. I'M ABOUT YOU
2. SOUL TO SOUL
3. WICKED
4. MIDNIGHT SPECIAL
5. I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SAY
6. I WANNA BE YOUR LOVER
7. YOU GOT ME (WHERE YOU WANT ME)
8. HAVE MERCY
9. FACE THE MUSIC
10. THINK ABOUT IT
BONUS TRACK:
11. MIDNIGHT SPECIAL (EXTENDED REMIX)

The packaging for the first two albums is a standard gatefold digipack, while the latter three are in very nice gatefold "mini-LP" cardboard sleeves. The graphics have actually been nicely restored on these, with all the original photos, lyrics and liner notes included.

Robert Matichak at Unidisc in Montreal was given the task of remastering all of the tracks from the original audio tapes, and I'm not sure whether to place the blame all on him or at least some of it on Unidisc's quality control dept., but the audio side of this re-release is an utter disgrace. Putting aside a few colossal blunders like track 15 on THE PLEASURE SEEKERS completely missing (!!!) and the album version of DON'T DISTURB THIS GROOVE (their biggest hit) being given a strange and abrupt fade at the end, like a dog got into the studio and brushed against the volume knob and no one noticed – the mastering of the audio overall is extremely heavy-handed and highly compressed, favoring volume over clarity. Shameful. I have been waiting for a decent release of this group's material for more than 25 years and had high hopes that these guys did it right.

They didn't.

What's terrible is that because so much of this music hasn't been on CD for a very long time, these are going to likely become the "signature versions" of their songs all over the internet, and they're actually cheap, clumsy substitutes.

Oh, and at $18 each, they weren't any bargain.

JT

[synthboy1969]

One more thing to add...

There was plenty of room to include the 7" Remix of THIS IS FOR YOU on THE PLEASURE SEEKERS, the 12" Extended Remix of NIGHTIME LOVER on DON'T DISTURB THIS GROOVE, and the two Japan-only bonus tracks GUARDIAN ANGEL and DIGGIN' YO RHYTHM on RHYTHM AND ROMANCE.

Mic and David, if you need someone to reissue these again right with a little bit more love, be in touch.

JT

[Luke]

That's a bummer!

I think I keep my Wounded Bird release of their 2nd and 3rd album for now:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/X-Periment-Plea ... the+system

This was an okay release, 2 albums on one CD but no bonus tracks.

However, me too was hoping for years to have a proper 80's catalogue of The System's albums.
I think I'll pass on the Unidisc ones...

Besides, where is the Bilingual Dub Version and the A Capella Version of You Are In My System?!
Same goes for the Instrumental Version of It's Passion.

[budaniel]

The Funky Town Grooves issue of SWEAT kind of ruled: http://www.funkytowngrooves.com/SPECIAL ... on%29/2617