Rock - what are you listening to?

[Cyndale]

Is your copy a European or US pressing? The original US LP mastered by Bob Ludwig at Masterdisk has a 'to die for' sound. The European (UK or German) are ... meh! Just saying!

Mine is a genuine Mexican copy! Sounds as good as garlic beef enchilada and coke ;))))

Seriously mine is the dreaded Alsdorf pressing and it sounds magnificent! Literally a 'to die for sound'.....Must be the Howard's ;)))))

Now, if you had the US (Masterdisk RL) you would have the Avon sound, ha!

Seriously buy yourself an original US pressing!

[cybot]

Some kind of glitch!

[cybot]

Here too.....

[cybot]

Here too....

[cybot]

Now you have me intrigued :) Watch this space.....

[mcq]

There was a crafty, knowing perversity about BÖC at their finest, especially in the way that they would knowingly co-opt pop and AOR backdrops to present their own twisted mythology which was entirely unique.  A perfect example of this is Agents of Fortune which immediately followed Secret Treaties and replaced the proto-garage rock of Secret Treaties with a poppier sound that alienated many of their fans who made the hasty assumption that the band had sold out.  However, beneath the poppy sheen many of the same lyrical concerns remain.  The closing triptych of Morning Final/Tenderloin/Debbie Denise lingers uncomfortably in the memory as does Patti Smith's contribution to The Revenge of Vera Gemini.  They grew less adept at this as time went on and the horrendous Club Ninja is nothing more than vacuous, hollow, soul-deadening AOR.  Once upon a time the band's collective tongue was held firmly in cheek and you could always detect a sly undercurrent of subversion lodged in an apparently throwaway song but this gradually became more and more diluted.  Sometimes you are surprised and delighted by the absurdity of a Joan Crawford, but, for the most part, the band became less interesting over time.  I do have a soft spot for Imaginos, however.  Too many hired hands, perhaps, but you get that sense of the fantastical which the old BÖC used to be so adept at.  An interesting and undervalued band, undoubtedly, whose best moments have not dated in any way and remain permanently inscribed upon the rock canon.

Brilliant write up! You're right about AOF and that wonderful closing triptych....Another overlooked album is Cultösaurus Erectus which was their last really great album. They left a terrific legacy all told.....

Here's what the always interesting Dangerous Minds website has to say about Patti Smith's time with the BÖC:

http://dangerousminds.net/comments/patt ... yster_cult

[cybot]

There was a crafty, knowing perversity about BÖC at their finest, especially in the way that they would knowingly co-opt pop and AOR backdrops to present their own twisted mythology which was entirely unique.  A perfect example of this is Agents of Fortune which immediately followed Secret Treaties and replaced the proto-garage rock of Secret Treaties with a poppier sound that alienated many of their fans who made the hasty assumption that the band had sold out.  However, beneath the poppy sheen many of the same lyrical concerns remain.  The closing triptych of Morning Final/Tenderloin/Debbie Denise lingers uncomfortably in the memory as does Patti Smith's contribution to The Revenge of Vera Gemini.  They grew less adept at this as time went on and the horrendous Club Ninja is nothing more than vacuous, hollow, soul-deadening AOR.  Once upon a time the band's collective tongue was held firmly in cheek and you could always detect a sly undercurrent of subversion lodged in an apparently throwaway song but this gradually became more and more diluted.  Sometimes you are surprised and delighted by the absurdity of a Joan Crawford, but, for the most part, the band became less interesting over time.  I do have a soft spot for Imaginos, however.  Too many hired hands, perhaps, but you get that sense of the fantastical which the old BÖC used to be so adept at.  An interesting and undervalued band, undoubtedly, whose best moments have not dated in any way and remain permanently inscribed upon the rock canon.

Brilliant write up! You're right about AOF and that wonderful closing triptych....Another overlooked album is Cultösaurus Erectus which was their last really great album. They left a terrific legacy all told.....

Here's what the always interesting Dangerous Minds website has to say about Patti Smith's time with the BÖC:

http://dangerousminds.net/comments/patt ... yster_cult

Looking forward to reading it. Thanks Paul!

[cybot]

Sorry Paul there's something funny about that link you sent me. It keeps disappearing on me! So I can't read it! I'll see if I can get it elsewhere.....

[cybot]

[Rob]

The basic vinyl edition I had a while back, as well as the remastered CD (original master tapes apparently) I use currently, both sounded poor. Oddly the album has had quite a few audiophile reissues so wondered if there were any exceptions. I wonder is it down to a bad mix or was it badly recorded.

For me it is just badly recorded and engineered but Tom Dowd (producer) got the best of the musicians. I haven't read anything favourable on any edition of the LP and that includes audiophile pressings.

Read something about the Mobile Fidelity gold CD being a fair bit better but overall its disgraceful sound quality especially in view of the famous Tom Dowd being involved. It would be interesting to see if the sessions discs have better sound quality as they were presumably mixed in the 1990s.