This may be a bit naïve, but do you think these alternative mixes are done deliberately to ensure the sale of the next release? Like I mentioned in a different post about the Genesis live album box set, the vocals were made very prominent. Im sure some prefer the vocals up front and the music further in the back. Maybe next time well get guitar prominent mix and eventually Tron heavy in the mix.
I do love the alternative tracks, however, that you get on re-releases. For example, Blue Note records almost always has 2 or 3 alternative takes of the same song on a CD.
John
#911
Sent: Tuesday, October 27, 2009 6:49 PM
To: newmellotrongroup@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [newmellotrongroup] Lizard
Thanks Mike. Lizard still sounds great on vinyl and the 30th anniversary remasters, so that's what I'll stick with.
I've just played through the '40th Anniversary' remix of Lizard and it seems to be more of the same. Weird mixing decisions. Odd stereo placements. McCullochs (frankly) annoying snare stuck way too high in the mix. But worst of all is what they do to the Mellotron. It's fairly well established in Cirkus and has a prominent place in the alternative version of Lady of the Dancing Water, but unfortunately it's posted missing in my fav o urite bit in the album.
The coda to the god-awful Jon Anderson song features a colossal Mellotron section that restates the melody from the verse, culminating in a wonderful resolution to A which then drops to A minor in entrance to the bolero. Oh dear. But it doesn't. The harmonic complexities of this section are lost once we realise that of the two Mellotronii recorded for this section, only one is on the new recording. Consequently, it all sounds a bit thin and a bit anti-climactic.
On the positive side, the clarity on the CD is breathtaking, but the mixing decisions are weird in the extreme.-- Mike Dickson, Edinburgh Free Music Project: http://www.mikedickson.org.uk/ Or http://www.last.fm/music/Mike+Dickson Or http://soundcloud.com/mikedickson Or http://www.planetmellotron.com/revd4.htm#mikedickson