The Velvet Forum

The mono version of this album now exists. These questions about its true provenance obscure the fact that it just might sound good. I enjoyed the Sundazed version ? despite my initial misgivings and it'll be interesting to find out whether the new one differs to that. I think it's doubtful that its inclusion was the cause of possible outtakes being omitted.

iaredatsun wrote:The mono version of this album now exists. These questions about its true provenance obscure the fact that it just might sound good. I enjoyed the Sundazed version ? despite my initial misgivings and it'll be interesting to find out whether the new one differs to that. I think it's doubtful that its inclusion was the cause of possible outtakes being omitted.

I think that was my badly made point - if it sounds good then I don't see the problem.

Was Levenson behind the Sundazed mono mix? Is it certain to be the same?

I've not heard it, but the idea of a mono fold-down with some sympathetic post-EQ to maximise the experience sounds like fun to me

bobbydriver wrote:

iaredatsun wrote:The mono version of this album now exists. These questions about its true provenance obscure the fact that it just might sound good. I enjoyed the Sundazed version ? despite my initial misgivings and it'll be interesting to find out whether the new one differs to that. I think it's doubtful that its inclusion was the cause of possible outtakes being omitted.

I think that was my badly made point - if it sounds good then I don't see the problem.

Was Levenson behind the Sundazed mono mix? Is it certain to be the same?

I've not heard it, but the idea of a mono fold-down with some sympathetic post-EQ to maximise the experience sounds like fun to me

That's an interesting point. The Sundazed mono of WLWH in their box, and the UMG mono of WLWH in their 45th set, were remastered by different people. I think Bob Ludwig for Sundazed and Kevin Reeves for UMG. That, to me, suggests that the mono 3rd will be UMG's own mastering and I assume by Kevin Reeves, again. I thought he did a good job before and I have a feeling he'd already remastered the Valentin 3rd in 2012.

I enjoy the Sundazed fold down of the 3rd album. It sounds to me like they did something with it and it feels like it's half way between VV and Closet. Take this with whatever amount of salt is safe for your blood pressure, it's subjective and we've already established I wouldn't know a fold down from a mix. Incidentally, I also like their version of the 1969 tracks despite the odd track list. The instrumentals are much better here. I'm not a fan of their mono WLWH, which has to be the most polite version of that album. So swings and roundabouts on that set.

Like iaredatsun, I don't think the inclusion of this disc, whatever its provenance, was at the expense of a disc of outtakes. I never believe that we would get something like the Complete Fun House sessions. I don't even know if the complete sessions exist. As for studio versions of songs we have only heard live before or unknown songs, I don't believe they exist.

I do think that there will be at least one more release which could compile the remainder of the Matrix material (I'd want to get my money's worth out of the purchase of this tape), cleaned up Honeymoon acetate (fingers crossed), Freeman tape...

How about offering a special link with the full box set to download a few of the extra Matrix songs? What do you think, Mr Levenson, might be a nice gesture to the fans? Would love to have that soundboard of Ocean...

marknaveh wrote:How about offering a special link with the full box set to download a few of the extra Matrix songs? What do you think, Mr Levenson, might be a nice gesture to the fans? Would love to have that soundboard of Ocean...

I'd like that, as long as they offer a lossless download and it's included at no extra cost with the super deluxe. It's a real downer that "New Age" isn't on the set. Lossless downloads of the missing songs would suffice.

I can't see them offering free downloads of any of the Matrix material. They have paid for the tape and they will want to maximise their return. The most likely outcome is a further release.

Elvis Plebsley wrote:I can't see them offering free downloads of any of the Matrix material. They have paid for the tape and they will want to maximise their return. The most likely outcome is a further release.

I don't see it, either, but I was only talking the 3 songs they're leaving off. Those really should be on there. Then there'd still be plenty of other performances to use for a 2nd release (if that even happens in the next 20 years).

rnranimal wrote:

Elvis Plebsley wrote:I can't see them offering free downloads of any of the Matrix material. They have paid for the tape and they will want to maximise their return. The most likely outcome is a further release.

I don't see it, either, but I was only talking the 3 songs they're leaving off. Those really should be on there. Then there'd still be plenty of other performances to use for a 2nd release (if that even happens in the next 20 years).

When I was told by a great source about the Matrix releases, he said "partial Matrix is coming with the Third album and the rest of the Matrix is coming next year". No more detail. The first part turned out to be true, so.....

rnranimal wrote:I was only talking the 3 songs they're leaving off. Those really should be on there.

How are you defining the ?3 songs?? You mean 3 that were on the sampler that aren?t on the new boxset?

The selection of the Matrix tracks is curious, I expected it would be all new (ie non 1969 Live) tracks, but it?s a mixture. Is the implication that they have presented the recordings as they happened? I mean ? those are the songs they played on those two nights in order, direct from the tapes?