"Vauxhall And I" (Definitive Master) released (UK - June 2, 2014)

The 20th Anniversary Definitive Master of Vauxhall And I is released by Parlophone Records in the UK today, June 2, 2014.

• 'Vauxhall and I' reissue reviews - 'Mojo' (9/10) & 'Uncut' (5 stars) - May 25, 2014
• Remastered "Vauxhall & I" details (June 2) - Uncut - Mar. 27, 2014
• Remastered "Vauxhall & I" on the way, plus pic from France - TTY - Mar. 15, 2014

 

[whitechapelhighstreet]

I was not a fan of the submerged sound of the original, and the jury is still out on this one. On vinyl it certainly sounds more punchy, with a pronounced bass and crisper drum sound. However, the drums on 'Speedway' sound pretty much the same - I never liked this mix - but on hearing the remaster, I guess it was a creative choice and they are supposed to sound like they are encased in carpet.

 

[Anonymous]

I was not a fan of the submerged sound of the original, and the jury is still out on this one. On vinyl it certainly sounds more punchy, with a pronounced bass and crisper drum sound. However, the drums on 'Speedway' sound pretty much the same - I never liked this mix - but on hearing the remaster, I guess it was a creative choice and they are supposed to sound like they are encased in carpet.

Just thank god tony didnt record arsenal. Nt only did he ruin ringleader but he even messing up three studio sessions (The reason Morrissey hasnt used them as such)Tonybwas desperate to produce the new lp he and kristeen were telling certain people he was doing it.
The guy is past it, he never really ever had it, he just knew key players
We can also thank him for kristeen young digging her nails in - shes moaning to " friends" that the new lP is" f***ed" and tony should have done it. According to jeff annd others she is angry morrissey hasnt put her in a video. The pam video really sent her screaming. Mad woman

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for comments - will probably sit this one out then. It'd be nice to have on vinyl, but oh well.

I go back and forth in my mind on the original album sound. Mostly, I like it. "Now My Heart Is Full" I think is the main one that bothers me, but it certainly is interesting and dreamlike and I can justify the way it sounds. I wish the vocals were crisper and up in the mix a bit more, but oh well, you can't have everything.

I may buy just that one with the Inglot work off of iTunes and see if I can hear any difference.

Vauxhall is certainly an amazing album. "Landmark."

 

[billybu69]

Re: Article: "Vauxhall And I" (Definitive Master) released (UK - June 2, 2014)

Yeah I HATE the sound of this album. The drums have all of the highs mixed out (esp the snare and toms) and the guitars have a overabundance of "dreamy" reverb, so everything sounds blurry and muffled.

Southpaw Grammar on the other hand sounds great and crisp. Which is weird because it was the same producer. Too bad the songwriting is better on Vauxhall.

For years I've heard comments like this about this album, and could never understand it, it was always just one of the top five albums ever made for me. Having listened to versions both side to side I have to say I can now appreciate the comments, and yes this remix does go some way to brightening earlier muddy drum sounds listen to the drums at the start of Spring Heeled Jim for a more dramatic example of this. I couldn't bring myself to say it's a better mix, but definitely a, brighter, punchier sound overall, and I love it. Having said that they should have left Speedway alone, bringing the music volume up drowning out his vocal has done it no favours.

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Thanks for comments - will probably sit this one out then. It'd be nice to have on vinyl, but oh well.

I go back and forth in my mind on the original album sound. Mostly, I like it. "Now My Heart Is Full" I think is the main one that bothers me, but it certainly is interesting and dreamlike and I can justify the way it sounds. I wish the vocals were crisper and up in the mix a bit more, but oh well, you can't have everything.

I may buy just that one with the Inglot work off of iTunes and see if I can hear any difference.

Vauxhall is certainly an amazing album. "Landmark."

Get it bought.

 

[whitechapelhighstreet]

Just thank god tony didnt record arsenal. Nt only did he ruin ringleader but he even messing up three studio sessions (The reason Morrissey hasnt used them as such)Tonybwas desperate to produce the new lp he and kristeen were telling certain people he was doing it.
The guy is past it, he never really ever had it, he just knew key players
We can also thank him for kristeen young digging her nails in - shes moaning to " friends" that the new lP is" f***ed" and tony should have done it. According to jeff annd others she is angry morrissey hasnt put her in a video. The pam video really sent her screaming. Mad woman

Yep, Ringleader sounds awful. Sonically it is all over the place. What happened? I can't believe Moz thought it sounded good at the time, and listening to it today on vinyl I am wondering what happened to the bass. Anyone have an y insights?

 

[Hod]

Yep, Ringleader sounds awful. Sonically it is all over the place. What happened? I can't believe Moz thought it sounded good at the time, and listening to it today on vinyl I am wondering what happened to the bass. Anyone have an y insights?

Completely agree, and Ringleaders is my favourite of the post-wilderness albums! Played live, I Will See You... sounds incredible, but the studio version is like a mash of noise in parts. The more intricate parts played by Boz on You Have Killed Me also seem missing, similarly in a mash of noise. I'm so glad he didn't go with Visconti for World Peace..., I think we're already hearing what a good decision that was.

 

[Mark]

I have a feeling I'm going to embarrass myself here by asking a stupid question, but ... the vinyl (UK) comes with a sticker declaring, "This LP contains a unique code for a digital download of the whole album". My eyesight isn't the best and I cannot see this "code". Where should I be looking and how do I redeem the download? Thanks!

 

[mr.m]

Mark, the code is on a wee black and white piece of thin card inside the inner sleeve. If you don't have one included you should probably get on to the shop you bought/stole it from.

I have a feeling I'm going to embarrass myself here by asking a stupid question, but ... the vinyl (UK) comes with a sticker declaring, "This LP contains a unique code for a digital download of the whole album". My eyesight isn't the best and I cannot see this "code". Where should I be looking and how do I redeem the download? Thanks!

 

[Anonymous]

Ringleaders is by far the worst quality production.
Odd considering it's Tony Visconti.
They recorded all instruments before giving him the final tracks.
The problem may have lied in the recording process.

Personally I suspect there is nothing wrong with the recording, it's the fact it has been mastered terribly loudly, crushing all the dynamics out of the original recording. 'Dear God Please Help Me', which is the sole 'quiet' song on the album, sounds absolutely gorgeous, but the rest of the album tends to fart out with everything on max. This record is one of the casualties of the loudness war.

 

[Mark]

Mark, the code is on a wee black and white piece of thin card inside the inner sleeve. If you don't have one included you should probably get on to the shop you bought/stole it from.

Mr M, you are a gent. This idiot thanks you!

 

[Tingle3]

HMV in my home town doesn't bloody well stock the Vauxhall & I remaster so it's off to Amazon I go with my credit card in my sweaty hand.

 

[celibate]

HMV in my home town doesn't bloody well stock the Vauxhall & I remaster so it's off to Amazon I go with my credit card in my sweaty hand.

me2 yesterday


'and they say he's mentall' ... against all o...

 

[Vauxhall95]

Vauxhall & I Remaster

I've read quite a bit on how the reissue is selling and such, but I was hoping someone who has listened to the remaster could comment on it?

Given the track listing is the same (of which I have no problem), does the remastering add or diminish from the album?

Is there an appreciable difference between the old and new? I'm past the point of purchasing everything he releases, but if there is some value to the remaster, I'm happy to buy.

Could anyone with knowledge of the remaster care to give their opinion?

With kind regards,

Vaux

 

[marred]

Re: Vauxhall & I Remaster

My Vinyl Just arrived a few minutes ago but I can't open it until June 23rd. Something about me being born that day. I never got the 'underwater sound' of the production comments. It always sounded perfect to me. I can't wait to hear it but I have to.

Nope. Just opened it and it was my vinyl of 'Your Arsenal' which is not a birthday present so I don't have to wait

 

[ringrosso]

Re: Vauxhall & I Remaster

I bought it for the extra disc, not the remaster - so perhaps my comments are not the consensus. However, the remaster sounds good, louder like you'd expect - from my pov there is more definition of the individual instruments. Like marred I didn't think there was a problem with the original one.

As a final comment I would say I found there less of a different on this release than with all the previous re-masters.

 

[modrevolve]

Re: Vauxhall & I Remaster

I picked up the vinyl and was about to purchase and flipped the back having forgotten the rest of the artwork was messed with. Put it back on the shelf and moved along.

 

[Dead Girl]

Does anyone who bought the remaster in the US notice the low quality of the cover photo, especially on the vinyl version? Mine looks pixilated or something.

 

[marred]

Does anyone who bought the remaster in the US notice the low quality of the cover photo, especially on the vinyl version? Mine looks pixilated or something.

I haven't received my vinyl yet but I did see the CD in the store and thought it looked even more pixelated than the original. Morrissey has little or nothing to do with the art work these days so it's not his fault.

 

[joe frady]

The remaster sleeve is exactly the same as the original; godawful. The '94 original had an 'effect' applied to a quite handsome photograph. I don't know what the intention was, possibly to 'vintage' it up and make it look like some 50s/60s sleeve of the Moz youth. It just looked terrible. The original 'Southpaw Grammar' had better resolution, and it was a 1960s newsprint blow-up.
The DM seems somehow worse as the flipside is a perfect quality photograph. I love grain in a photograph, but natural, sympathetic grain. This is utterly unnatural and clumsy, then and still.
Moz chose it in 1994 and I've no reason to doubt that he sanctioned this design. He definitely chose the Cummins cover for the 'Kill Uncle' re-design, so why would he not be involved in this release?

 

[Charlie Cheswick]

I was not a fan of the submerged sound of the original, and the jury is still out on this one. On vinyl it certainly sounds more punchy, with a pronounced bass and crisper drum sound. However, the drums on 'Speedway' sound pretty much the same - I never liked this mix - but on hearing the remaster, I guess it was a creative choice and they are supposed to sound like they are encased in carpet.

I watched a documentary a while back called Sound City about some studio. Anyway, they were saying that most instruments can be recorded anywhere and you'll pretty much get the same end result but the drums are a product of the environment that they're recorded in. This means that with the drums, while you can increase or decrease them in the mix, you can't do a lot else with them once they're recorded.