The Velvet Forum

Sundazed just posted about this again on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= ... =1&theater

The key points:
- October release date
- Pre-order page will be up in a "couple of weeks"
- They say they're "trying our best" to keep the price at $100
- They promise "a few surprise extras"!!

Sundazed posted a nice photo with a short write-up (not very informative) from David Fricke from Rolling Stone.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid= ... =1&theater
Strangely, no mention of the mono.

More from Sundazed's Facebook:

Sorry to be negative, but how many times can these same recordings be rereleased in different formats for that curious breed of consumer known as the vinyl fetishist? I would much rather these companies (both Sungazed and Universal) put their resources and enegeries into unearthing more live VU recordings, preferrably of the Cale-ea lineup. We all know they are out there, either in the vaults of club owners or in Cale or Reed's archives. Heck, we already know Cale has more '67 Gymaniusm shows on tape. THOSE I want to hear, not the same batch of recordings we already own, with a only a different cover and set of liner notes.

You dig?

Yes! And you're absolutely right and I think you're not negative. And don't forget the time we're living in. They only want to earn money, nothing else. It doesn't matter what anybody wants to have. All of us is hungry for unheard and new releases, but I think it's not worth to be upset . The lower people have to wait and some privileged people have what the lower ones want to have.

peppergomez wrote:Sorry to be negative, but how many times can these same recordings be rereleased in different formats for that curious breed of consumer known as the vinyl fetishist?

Well, you can't really be critical on the Sundried facebook site but here you can. I agree about wanting more Cale era stuff. Maybe we will get a WLWH deluxe next year from UMG? I don't imagine that the solid Sundazed business ideas about re-packaging classics would prevent that. [EDIT. I also imagine that now Sundazed have paid for a mono master of WLWH to be prepared, that a digital version would also be ready for UMG to make good use of.]

My criticism though is why go to the trouble of faking a 3rd LP mono mix but not address the real problem of the so-called 4th LP mixes. If they had done that I would be more interested and it would have made a real strength to the boxset proposition. Their arguments of having to use the 80's mixes sound a little hollow when they go to the trouble of making a fake mono (mono revisionism?) version of 3rd.

I wonder at this rather romanticised idea of a mono rose-tinted view of rock and roll that is leading us to accept fake mono mixes on the one hand but also accept inappropriate 80's mixes on the other.

Another minor gripe is the crazy omission of the brilliant Ferryboat Bill in favour of the rather lame Gonna Move Right.

Will, I buy it? I'm tempted but uncertain!

Must say that I really hate the cover of the 'Lost 4th album'. So contrary to anything the Velvets would have done themselves.

My homemade CD of this has much of the setup of the 'Foggy Notion' sleeve which looks quite nice.

How much contact do Sundazed have with the band? I was wondering whether the track selection/sequencing may have come from Reed/Yule/Tucker...?

The preorder is up on sundazed and there is more info

http://www.sundazed.com/shop/vu-mgm.php

I still cant tell for sure if they are cut from the masters or if they are a high res digital transfer

Tim Warren (owner of Crypt Records): So, Bob: do those (first album) master-tapes really exist????

Bob Irwin: They absolutely exist. Two sets of reels, I believe. Here's the deal: first of all, there are several, several anomalies on the tapes themselves - noisy punches, noisy board moves, etc., etc.. Definitely (lovingly) lo-fi. That's before you take into account substandard later pressings of the album or CD issues - god only knows WHAT they were made from. And - unlike the comparatively beautiful WL/WH tape boxes and reels, there's nothing really sexy about the first album's boxes or ledgers... Which is why we (and I suspect others) never really pictured them or posted them. But - rest assured - there is tape, and we as faithfully as [possible recreated the sound of the first pressings of the album. Here's another interesting bit: if you compare the A-side of an original mono pressing to the B-side, there is a mucho NOTICEABLE difference in the sonic characteristics. This can only really be attributed to one thing, as far as I can imagine - the A-side was cut by one engineer (with a particular vision for the sound) and the B-side was cut by either ANOTHER engineer, or a lacquer-cutter/engineer that thought differently at that moment. More work was put into the A-side, for sure. The B-side (brighter) was for all intent and purposes a flat cut from the mono tape. All early pressings sound this way. Later pressings (there are later mono pressings) are comparatively harsh on BOTH sides, showing that less thought and work was put into the cuttings themselves.

Tim Warren: thankee for the lowdown, Bob! can't wait to hear 5008 & WLWH from the hands of THEE master!

Bob Irwin: Thanks, pal. I should also add that - after unbelievable deliberation (honestly - you wouldn't believe it), I decided to go with the sound of the absolute earliest pressing I could find, and let the A-side and B-side sort of live different lives, a/p the original. It was probably what the band approved (IF they were even given the opportunity to approve anything), and I decided not to second-guess that. Ours sounds as close to an original as possible - there will ALWAYS be minute, super-tweaky-headed differences in sound, if only by virtue of the playback equip, the cutter equip, etc... This is as close as can possibly be!


Id still like to see some pics of the VU and Nico Master tapes darn it