The Velvet Forum

Playing out over at the Hoffman board. Scroll down until you hit vinylbob's posts.

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/t ... ox.405155/

I don't know what to think except that I'm bummed this was going to be the live tape for the set. How about something unheard like the Freeman Max's tape or the rest of the Matrix tapes? Or will there be Live 1969 and Max's super deluxes as well?

EDIT: And the posts over at Hoffman's have been deleted. I kinda figured that would happen as they contained private emails. Vinylbob posted e-mails he had with Bill Levenson where things got kinda ugly (there were also e-mails with Sal, but his were polite). They had a deal for vinylbob to go to NY and have his 2nd Fret 5/70 master tape transferred for the set, but he pulled out and said he no longer wanted it used. Then Bill said he was responsible for the cost of the studio that had been booked. Anyway, I'm not taking sides in this private matter, but what is pertinent is that Bill/Rhino have an older inferior transfer of the show and vinylbob said he doesn't give them permission to use it (I don't know that he needs to, but in one of the e-mails, Sal told him they wouldn't use it without his permission). I really hope if this show ends up on the set, it's because they came to an agreement for a new transfer from Bob and not because we're getting stuck with the inferior one (a la The Doors Matrix, which even after buying the masters years ago, still hasn't been corrected). I'm tired of that kinda stuff, like using old bootlegs when the master tape and acetate exist. The guy with the Columbus '66 master, which isn't a secret who has it, said he was never contacted for using it on the 45th set. Instead they sourced it from a 15 year old bootleg CD. I'm glad to hear they went to the owner of the tape this time, but if he doesn't allow it's use, I hope they move onto another show and don't use the inferior transfer.

But on the upside - it sounds like a 45th box for Loaded is definitely being worked on, so that in itself is great news!

bobbydriver wrote:But on the upside - it sounds like a 45th box for Loaded is definitely being worked on, so that in itself is great news!

True. I wonder if there's really anything left studio-wise, though? They seemed to really clear out the vaults for Fully Loaded. I'd like to hear the full track from which they grabbed the "heavenly wine and roses" section heard in the extended "Sweet Jane". Sounds like they edited that in from a rough mix. If so, I'd like to hear that rough mix track.

There's also still the acetate with Countess from Hong Kong, which has never been officially released in full. Hopefully they'll include a nice new cleaned up mastering and keep it in stereo and don't add reverb like was done with Countess on the Peel box.

rnranimal wrote: True. I wonder if there's really anything left studio-wise, though? They seemed to really clear out the vaults for Fully Loaded.

Yeah - which is sort of why I didn't expect it to happen, but if they can sort out the first gen live tape and any other live material that would be nice, plus on WLWH and the 3rd Album - they remixed stuff from the original multitracks. If any of the multi-tracks still exist from the Loaded sessions, that might be something new to work on?

Personally I'm over these 45th anniv releases. Will they do it all over again for the 50th anniversaries?
I remember the 5/70 recording to be pretty dull, undistinguished apart from the long tremolo Train Round The Bend + Oh Sweet Nuthin, which I'm not a massive fan of.
I like Fully Loaded a lot but thee is some filler on there for sure.

simonm wrote:Personally I'm over these 45th anniv releases. Will they do it all over again for the 50th anniversaries?
I remember the 5/70 recording to be pretty dull, undistinguished apart from the long tremolo Train Round The Bend + Oh Sweet Nuthin, which I'm not a massive fan of.
I like Fully Loaded a lot but thee is some filler on there for sure.

Reissue. Repackage. Repackage.

Wonder if this means the (unconfirmed) Matrix set will be delayed? It seems unlikely the Loaded box will include any Matrix material, but maybe not impossible-- especially if (as I assume) the Matrix Tapes were purchased by The Velvet Underground partnership and not Universal.

Trouble is with Fully Loaded that there was so much dross added to the album. The only track I liked was Sad Song.

More Live at Max's? I have the original Lp and I find that enough, it was already nostalgia when it came out, if not at the moment they recorded it

Count me out.

This might be the only plausible place to get the Freeman tape released, unless people believe a Max's Kansas City 45th Anniversary Set will also materialize eventually (which seems like a very odd concept to contemplate).

Then again, I never thought a Loaded 45th set was remotely in the cards. The fact that this series is continuing despite the change in labels is exceptionally rare (though obviously, there was a lot of cooperation between Rhino and Polygram back when PSAS and Fully Loaded were released).

I was under the impression (from a good source) that the balance of the Matrix tapes was supposed to be released this year. The source was correct when he told me about the first batch of the Matrix tapes being on the 45th Anniv. 3rd album, and he said the balance were supposed to be out the following year. No more details than that, so judging by his stellar info in the past, I fully expect to hear the rest of the Matrix tapes.