A (LA MODE) - THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

Having acquired a little disposable income, I preceded to do just that and deposited it on this "A" 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition 6 disc set remixed by Steven Wilson. The main reason being that I liked, if not loved, the album and was annoyed by the noisy, somewhat harsh and congested sound mix of past editions, being either on vinyl or CD. Low and behold, the remixed and remastered 1980 studio album, in both stereo and 5.1 surround, does sound cleaner, more defined and more musical to me.

By this point, one either loves or loathes the studio album, so an album review is not necessary. However, the live material is all new and as such, it's worthy of a shout out. Recorded on one of the touring band's final dates in 1980, it was both well performed and well recorded. Mr. Wilson did an excellent job of cleaning up the tapes and mixing them for both stereo CD and DVD 5.1 surround. Both are stellar as are the band's performances, with all members at the top of their game. And how bad could perfectionist musicians like Ian Anderson, Martin Barre, Dave Pegg, Mark Craney and Eddie Jobson sound? My only beef is an altered version of "Locomotive Breath", arranged by Jobson, in a blusey shuffle that doesn't work, but luckily doesn't last long. 4 stars for the content, 5 stars for the sound and packaging.