Aqualung 40th release

The question is : Why was this album so successful in the first place ??
It's a great 'classic' album from the time. It's held up well.
Sure, modern remixes will enhance certain 'faults' (mostly discovered since the fact) but, I find it difficult to fathom the fact that someone who disliked this album back then, would like it now. All because of remix.
Why not remix Invisible Touch ?? It sounded cool at the time, but hasn't aged that well. A fresh spin on the album and we'll have hundreds of fans saying what an ingenious album this one is............

Edited by Tom Ozric - July 20 2016 at 02:27

Tom Ozric wrote: The question is : Why was this album so successful in the first place ?? It's a great 'classic' album from the time. It's held up well. Sure, modern remixes will enhance certain 'faults' (mostly discovered since the fact) but, I find it difficult to fathom the fact that someone who disliked this album back then, would like it now. All because of remix. Why not remix Invisible Touch ?? It sounded cool at the time, but hasn't aged that well. A fresh spin on the album and we'll have hundreds of fans saying what an ingenious album this one is............

I don't think that any non Aqualung fan is going to convert for a better sounding album. It's only the album's long time fans that have suffered from the lousy sounding original vinyl, and the horrible run of CD remasters, that will really appreciate Wilson's cleaned up and more detailed sound on this remix. The mastering is also noteworthy, but the author remains a mystery to me.

The good thing about Aqualung 45th anniversary version is that it has almost 2 albums of individual compositions(not including multiple versions of songs) and the songs I didn't like much from the original 11 song album have alternate versions which I do like eg. Wind up early version and Hymn 43 quad version. There's probably just as many cool songs on Warchild 40th anniversary too. There's more studio compositions on the second disc. So there's less fine tracks on disc 1 and more fine tracks on disc 2 than Aqualung 45th. Also there is close to an album of classical compositions(not including multiple versions of songs). A passion play 40th anniversary is also just as good. 2 albums worth of tracks not including the repeated compositions on disc 2 which appear on the album. These 3 packages match the excellence of TAAB.

Edited by dr prog - July 25 2016 at 21:24

Edited by KingCrInuYasha - July 25 2016 at 23:13

I, personally, don't like the SW mix of TAAB. At some parts it sounds truly awful (for example the crazy flute solo in "Tales of Your Life" sounds muffled and dead). I prefer the 1997 version.

Tom Ozric wrote: The question is : Why was this album so successful in the first place ?? It's a great 'classic' album from the time. It's held up well. Sure, modern remixes will enhance certain 'faults' (mostly discovered since the fact) but, I find it difficult to fathom the fact that someone who disliked this album back then, would like it now. All because of remix. Why not remix Invisible Touch ?? It sounded cool at the time, but hasn't aged that well. A fresh spin on the album and we'll have hundreds of fans saying what an ingenious album this one is............

Well, I just listened to the first disc, and, it's kind of hit and miss for me. I don't like Wilson's take on the title track, "Up To Me" and "My God". I think "Wond'ring Aloud", "Slipstream", "Locomotive Breath" and "Wind Up" are okay. I like "Cheap Day Return", "Mother Goose" and "Hymn 43", with the latter benefiting the most from the remix.

Manuel wrote: dr wu23 wrote: I hate to be a naysayer.....but do we really need another version of Aqualung...? I'm with you. Too many versions of the same album (not only Aqualung, but many other classics as well), and if you have a good equalizer, you can adjust the sound yourself, pretty close to all these remastered versions.

I've been listening to the remix of the title track, wondering why I'm not too fond of it and something just floored me. During the solo, Martin's guitar is significantly louder in the right channel than John's piano is in the left. It's not too bad, until you realize that some of the guitar is also in the left channel, to the point that it's practically a mono recording. Considering that John is barely audible in the right channel, it throws off the dynamic off kilter.