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Amazon UK Purchase Link
https://link.amazon/B0es1gs4h
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"...Wild Night…"
This 2008 CD remaster is probably the 3rd or even 4th reissue of Van Morrison's 1971 album "Tupelo Honey" on the new fangled CD format and its by far the best version to date. The extras are tasty and more importantly - the Audio is top notch. Here are the "…sends you flying…" musical minutiae…
UK released 28 January 2008 - "Tupelo Honey" by VAN MORRISON on Polydor/Exile 5305446 (Barcode 600753054468) is an Expanded Edition CD Reissue and Remaster with Two Bonus Tracks that plays out as follows:
1. Wild Night [Side 1]
2. (Straight To Your Heart) Like A Cannonball
3. Old Old Woodstock
4. Starting A New Life
5. You're My Woman
6. Tupelo Honey [Side 2]
7. I Wanna Roo You (Scottish Derivative)
8. When That Evening Sun Goes Down
9. Moonshine Whiskey
Tracks 1 to 9 make up the vinyl album "Tupelo Honey" - released October 1971 in the USA on Warner Brothers WS 1950 and November 1971 in the UK on Warner Brothers K 46114.
BONUS TRACKS:
10. Wild Night (Alternate Take)
11. Down By The Riverside
Tracks 10 and 11 are Previously Unreleased - "Down By The Riverside" is a cover version of an old Traditional. I must say that both bonus tracks are excellent and not at all throwaway crap designed to sucker in punters (as some had feared). The upgraded booklet contains all the lyrics, but disappointingly no history of where the album fits in. The photo of Van the Man, his Lady and the Horse that originally featured on the LP inner gatefold is faithfully reproduced as the booklet centrepiece – a nice touch. There’s also band and production credits – and even lyrics for the two bonus tracks.
But the best bit is the SOUND. The original analogue master tapes have been 96K/24 Bit digitally remastered by TIM YOUNG at Metropolis Mastering in London for this 2008 release – and the sound is just beautiful – and that's for almost every track. I say this because, I've had the 1998 remasters for a while and always thought they were 'too' loud and 'hissy' for comfort. Don't get me wrong, there is unfortunately still audible hiss on the gorgeous "Tupelo Honey" and "You're My Woman" (two of the best on here) but not 'too' much to detract. Those without hiss are just unbelievably good. The punch out of them!
From the album opener "Wild Night" to "When That Evening Sun Goes Down" - the band might as well be in your living room – it's that vibrant and alive. The session men put in a blinder too - fantastic brass work by Jack Schroer and Luis Gasca on "Wild Night" with equally superb piano touches from Mark Jordan on "When That Evening Sun Goes Down". Ace guitarist Ronnie Montrose, who later formed the US Rock Band Montrose and created one of the hardest and best riffage debuts ever in "Montrose" (1973 on Warner Brothers, also produced by Ted Templeman) plays guitar, mandolin and even throws in some backing vocals too. Not everything on here is genius of course, but there's just something about his Warner Brothers albums (all of them) that's magical. And it’s mid-price too - I picked up my copy for £6 in Central London.
All in all, a great sounding reissue and one I urge fans and the uninitiated to get stuck into pronto.
PS:
Like "Tupelo Honey" - 28 other Van Morrison albums were to be re-issued in remastered form throughout 2008 and into early 2009. Each was to contain upgraded booklets, previously unreleased material and all were at mid-price. They were to be released in 4 batches as follows (29 in total) - but batch 3 and 4 were cancelled indefinitely. "Moondance" has turned up in 2CD and 4CD Deluxe Edition forms in 2013 (see review for the 2CD version) and in 2015 Sony/Legacy have apparently acquired much of his back catalogue but their plans for hard copy CD reissues/remasters remains unclear (possible only downloads). This list is for info purposes:
January 2008 (7 titles)
Tupelo Honey (1971), It's Too Late To Stop Now (2 CD Live Set) (1974),
Wavelenght (1978), Into The Music (1979), A Sense Of Wonder (1985),
Avalon Sunset (1989) and Back On Top (1999)
June 2008 (8 titles)
Veedon Fleece (1974), Common One (1980), Inarticulate Speech Of The Heart (1983), Live At The Grand Opera House, Belfast (1984), No Guru, No Method, No Teacher (1986), Enlightenment (1990), A Night In San Francisco (2CD Live Set) (1994) and The Healing Game (1997)
September 2008 (7 titles) - CANCELLED
Saint Dominic's Preview (1972), A Period Of Transition (1977), Beautiful Vision (1982), Poetic Champions Compose (1987), Hymns To The Silence (2CD Studio Set), How Long Has This Been Going On (Live At Ronnie Scott's) (1995), Tell Me Something – The Songs Of Mose Allison (1996)
January 2009 (8 titles) - CANCELLED
Hard Nose The Highway (1973), Irish Heartbeat (with The Chieftains) (1988),
Too Long In Exile (1993), Days Like This (1995), The Story Of Them (2CD Set) (1999), The Skiffle Sessions – Live In Belfast (with Lonnie Donegan & Chris Barber) (2000), Down The Road (2002) and What's Wrong With This Picture? (2003)
