Corrected Bataclan & MFSL discs - Tree announcemnet

[jimjim]

Just been sent to the jimjims group.......

I just found this message at the TexasPsych group (if you like the
13th floor elevators, you've got to join 'em):

From: Daniel <ffookydw@b...>
Date: Tue Sep 28, 2004 9:45 am
Subject: Velvet Underground Bataclan and MFSL tree

As promised by Steve, here's a 3 disc tree of Velvety goodness:
LOU REED, JOHN CALE & NICO
Le Bataclan `72
SPEED CORRECTED, and
including all rehearsal
tracks

length: 79:16
After decades of bootlegging, this legendary show was finally given an
official release in 2003, in a limited, numbered import edition on the
Alchemy label. It's the closest thing to a Velvet Underground reunion
anyone would have expected before 1990. Reed, Cale and Nico all
happened to be in Paris and decided to play an acoustic show, which
was filmed for French television in a small theater, Le Bataclan. As
such, it's an MTV Unplugged session 20 years ahead of its time. There
was talk of another gig in London but it never happened. (Ironically,
the next phase of the 1993 reunion was meant to be an MTV Unplugged
taping. That never happened either.)
The commercial CD is pricier than it had to be but we do recommend
buying it, if you can find it. The packaging is gorgeous. Bootlegs of
the soundboard tape didn't include "All Tomorrow's Parties," which
meant one had to make do with the audience tape. Best of all, the CD
comes in a gatefold sleeve, with a nice booklet tucked into one of the
flaps. It was considerate of Alchemy to provide an extra sleeve; we
needed somewhere to store this disc.
At the very end of the liner notes, we are told: "Every effort has
been made to enhance the sound of this live recording, however the
`glitch' you may hear during `Berlin' is actually a microphone
shorting out on stage and was recorded as such. We hope that this does
not spoil your enjoyment of this very special recording."
Not in the slightest. What DOES spoil it is the fact that this rather
high-end disc was mastered well beneath its proper pitch and speed.
Ihis is no small error, particularly at a list price of $18. It's
obvious from the moment Lou first opens his mouth. Everybody sounds
as if they'd downed Mandrax just before taking the stage, and all of
the songs are more than a half-step beneath the key in which they were
written. All 14 live tracks had to be raised by 1.5 semitones to
restore them to their proper pitch. (The two "bonus" rehearsal tracks
were raised .6 semitones as well.)
To put it another way—the Alchemy CD clocks in over 71 minutes. At the
correct speed, it's closer to 65. Even more galling, two more
rehearsal tracks (almost 11 minutes in length) could and should have
been included, but there was no room on the commercial CD. They do
appear here, mastered from another source.
While it's certainly interesting to hear Cale trying out songs from
the third album, his work on "Black Angel's Death Song" and "Heroin"
makes the practice versions essential listening for any VU fan. As
good as these sounded live, they were even better in rehearsal.
(Cale's viola on "Heroin" is especially amazing. There's a three-note
riff unique to this version, and it's so perfect that it's a shame he
never used it again).
And there was still room, so we threw in a mystery track just for fun.
The first 14 tracks were ripped directly from a commercial copy via
EAC. Pitch correction was the only processing involved. No dehissing
or re-EQing was attempted, in deference to the wizards at Alchemy who
had already made "every effort to enhance the sound of this live
recording."
Until they correct their mistakes, this will remain the definitive
edition of an essential recording. Enjoy.


Recorded live at Le Bataclan
50 Boulevard Voltaire
75011 Paris

29 January 1972

01 Waiting For The Man 5:15
02 Berlin 5:04
03 Black Angel's Death Song 4:17
04 Wild Child 5:13
05 Heroin 6:58
06 Ghost Story 3:05
07 The Biggest, Loudest, Hairiest Group Of All 3:47
08 Empty Bottles 3:00
09 Femme Fatale 3:04
10 No One Is There 5:51
11 Frozen Warnings 4:56
12 Janitor Of Lunacy 4:45
13 I'll Be Your Mirror 3:44
14 All Tomorrow's Parties (encore) 2:56

Bonus Tracks: Rehearsals (26 January 1972)
15 Pale Blue Eyes 2:01
16 Candy Says 1:41
extras—
17 Black Angel's Death Song 4:29
18 Heroin 6:18
19 mYstEry TraCk 2:50


VELVET UNDERGROUND
Velvet Underground & Nico
digital rip, via Exact Audio Copy, directly from Mobile Fidelity Sound
Labs gold disc then converted to SHN


01 Sunday Morning
02 Waiting For The Man
03 Femme Fatale
04 Venus In Furs
05 Run Run Run
06 All Tomorrow's Parties
07 Heroin
08 There She Goes Again
09 I'll Be Your Mirror (mono)
10 The Black Angel's Death Song
11 European Son
12 All Tomorrow's Parties (alternate mix)


While the original mono mix is considered definitive, MFSL was unable
to locate the mono master tapes, except for "I'll Be Your Mirror."
Therefore, this is the only mono track featured on their version.
The alternate version of "All Tomorrow's Parties" features a single
vocal from Nico, rather than the more common double-tracked mix.

VELVET UNDERGROUND
White Light/White Heat
digital rip, via Exact Audio Copy, directly from Mobile Fidelity Sound
Labs gold disc
then converted to SHN


01 White Light/White Heat
02 The Gift
03 Lady Godiva's Operation
04 Here She Comes Now
05 I Heard Her Call My Name
06 Sister Ray


Note the TOTAL separation between channels on "The Gift." Previous
reissues botched that, even on CD.
No cleaner version of this album has ever been issued. In "Sister
Ray," for example, when it comes to the line "Who's knocking on my
chamber door?", Maureen provided the knocks with her drumsticks. You
can clearly pick it out here, and it was lost in the murk on vinyl.
(Maureen was never happy about that, since it made it seem as if she
had dropped the beat.)

_ _ _ _

If, and ONLY if, you are familiar with the SHN file format and are
prepared to make copies of these 3 discs for others, either for trades
or B&P, then send a blank email with your home country as the subject
line to:
velvetsbranch@h...
If you want to be a LEAF which means you will just trade with or send
blanks to a BRANCH for these 3 discs then send a blank email with your
home country as the subject line to:
velvetsleaf@h...
Don't waste everyone's time signing up in either capacity if you don't
have the intelligence or energy to at least 3 blank discs in a package

[citizensmurf]

Why tree two official albums instead of another Velvet rarity? Is the sound on these quite a bit better than say the boxed set releases?

[Mike]

Can someone give me directions on how to find these files, once I get on the JimJim's site?

Thanks. Sorry I'm a tard.

-M

[mrjackalope]

Will this be torrented?

[Mark]

Why tree two official albums instead of another Velvet rarity? Is the sound on these quite a bit better than say the boxed set releases?

Yep, that's the idea I think - I haven't heard them but the MFSL discs reportedly sound considerably better than the regular CDs.

[Mark]

Will this be torrented?

I think the torrenting of material that's already been officially released is rather frowned upon

[Pig Related]

Note the TOTAL separation between channels on "The Gift." Previous reissues botched that, even on CD.
No cleaner version of this album has ever been issued. In "Sister
Ray," for example, when it comes to the line "Who's knocking on my
chamber door?", Maureen provided the knocks with her drumsticks. You
can clearly pick it out here, and it was lost in the murk on vinyl.
(Maureen was never happy about that, since it made it seem as if she
had dropped the beat.)

I thought the channels on "The Gift" were already totally seperated on the 1996 remastering and the Peel Slowly And See box. It sounds to me that way. The knocking in Sister Ray is still rather inaudible, but with headphones you can clearly make it out.

[Tickle Polyester]

The MFSL discs are stunning, the finest sounding releases of this material. I always assumed that Sister Ray was really poorly recorded but the Mo-Fi version sounds great. You can hear everything that's going on; it's not just a buzzing mess.

[deckarep]

I agree about the Mo-Fi discs, I have both of the VU titles, and also about 30 others, and the sound quality on all of the Mo-Fi releases are usually much better than the "official" releases.

Arne

[Pig Related]

What are the Mo-Fi discs?