"The Beach Bum" - A Dreadfully Stupid Film with Matthew McConaughey, Isla Fisher, Jonah Hill...

Having just enjoyed Matthew McConaughey in Guy Ritchie's hugely entertaining gangsters-in-London caper film "The Gentlemen" - I fancied some more cool Matt. What a mistake.

"The Beach Bum" has to be the worst piece of indulgent crap I've ever seen and there's nearly three hours of it. I kept waiting for some big revelation in Moondog's life (the lazy Beach Bum in the title) - some reason for this feast of over-the-top acting and bumbling stupidity - but it never comes.

For sure there is great casting in-between the hijinks - Isla Fisher as his rich but equally flaky coke-snorting wife, Zac Efron as an addict with violence and pyromania issues and Jonah Hill as his permanently drawling agent constantly begging for that next book masterpiece that never seems to come. But "The Beach Bum" just goes on and on as he gets drunk and stoned and drunk and stoned - reeking havoc on everyone's life - never taking responsibility for anything and partaking in a long line of bikini babes who conveniently never question his slob ways and appear to be utterly brainless (none would give a degenerate tosser like this the time of day in the real world).

The absence of reality in this ludicrous film about endless skunk joints and beer tins is impossible to swallow, the story takes hard-to-believe turns too without ever once addressing any kind of truth - and most of all - the horrors that drunks and drug burn-outs wreak on families in the real world is played like its all some cosmic laugh or even wisdom on seeing life as a chill-man. It tries at times to be "Wolf Of Wall Street" but most his crudities are not funny - just dumb and obnoxious. 

Matthew McConaughey goes for it in this film, but like "Gold", he sucks the life out of every scene and really is insufferable when he does crazy for the whole of the movie. For nearly three hours – the film is essentially asking us to like or even admire a dickhead. And in the end, not only is Moondog's life one big waste of time - but this film takes away a huge chunk your precious time too as you suffer through this pretentious wank-fest masquerading as some sort of take-life-by-the-balls morality tale.

A piece of garbage best avoided and a very real reason as to why Hollywood is in such trouble with its inability to tell A-listers to fuck off and overact someplace else...

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"It's Only Rock 'N Roll" by THE ROLLING STONES – October 1974 UK and USA LP on Rolling Stones Records featuring Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Mick Taylor, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts with Guests Billy Preston, Ian Stewart, Nicky Hopkins, Blue Magic, Ray Cooper, Willie Weeks and Kenny Jones (August 1994 Virgin CD Remaster vs. May 2009 Polydor CD Remaster – Bob Ludwig and Stephen Marcussen Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

1994 Virgin CD Reissue and Remaster - Standard Edition in Jewel Case

Collector's Edition with Original Album Packaging

"...If You Want To Be My Friend..."

Following the artistic studio-album high of "Beggars Banquet" (1968), "Let It Bleed" (1969), "Sticky Fingers" (1971) and the double "Exile On Main St" (1972) with a cool live set thrown in for our delectations in 1970 - "Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!" - common knowledge has it that the Stones brought this astonishing run of Rock-cool to a shuddering halt (or at least stalled it a tad) with the decidedly half-assed "Goat's Head Soup" in 1973 and "It's Only Rock 'N Roll" in 1974. Drugs, excess, failing marriages, tax exiles – by the mid Seventies I suppose it was a minor miracle that any of them were still breathing/corpus mentis let alone popping out masterpieces for baying maidens.

But like me - and I suspect this is the case across the world - despite the obvious weaknesses of 1973's and 1974's studio efforts – I remember at the time thinking even half-baked Stones was better than most everyone else. And in a way, we strolling bones lovers had held a penny candle for these two runts ever since – some even citing them as faves over their more lauded work. But for this review, I want to talk about sound…

While "Goat's Head Soup" had always felt like an audio let down of epic proportions - October 1974's "It's Only Rock 'n' Roll" saw the Glimmer Twins take the Production controls once again and it rawked. The CD reissues have been the same - the two principal choices for Stones nuts being either 1994 on Virgin vs. 2009 on Polydor - and I'd argue that both astonish in the Audio Remaster battle. "It's Only Rock 'n' Roll" is an LP that is transformed by digital - lifted up and given a power far greater than the original single sleeve LP we all owned for years. Be my friend, it's time you were. Let's get to the Fingerprint Files...

1. If You Can't Rock Me [Side 1]

2. Ain't Too Proud To Beg

3. It's Only Rock 'N Roll (But I Like It)

4. Till The Next Goodbye

5. Time Waits For No One

6. Luxury [Side 2]

7. Dance Little Sister

8. If You Really Want To Be My Friend

9. Short And Curlies

10. Fingerprint File

Tracks 1 to 10 are the album "It's Only Rock 'N Roll" - released 18 October 1974 in the UK on Rolling Stones Records COC 59103 and in the USA (same date) on Rolling Stones Records COC 79101. Produced by MICK JAGGER and KEITH RICHARDS - it peaked at No. 1 in the USA and No. 2 in the UK. All songs were written by Jagger/Richards - except "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" - a cover version of the Temptations classic originally written by Norman Whitfield and Eddie Holland.

MICK JAGGER - Vocals and Guitar

KEITH RICHARDS - Lead Guitars, Vocals and Bass

MICK TAYLOR - Lead Guitars Vocals, Synthesizer, Congas and Bass

BILL WYMAN - Bass and Synthesizer

CHARLIE WATTS - Drums and Synthesizer

Guests:

Billy Preston - Piano and Clavinet on Tracks 1, 2 and 10

Nicky Hopkins - Piano on Tracks 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10

Ian Stewart - Piano on Tracks 3, 7 and 9

Ray Cooper - Percussion

Blue Magic - Backing Vocals on Track 8

Charlie Jolly - Table on Track 10

Ed Leach - Cowbell on Track 2

Willy Weeks (Bass) and Kenny Jones of Small Faces and The Who - Drums on Track 3

The 15 August 1994 CD Reissue and Remaster by BOB LUDWIG on Virgin comes in two forms - the standard issue on Virgin/Rolling Stones Records CDV 2733 - 7243-839522-2-9 (Barcode 724383952229) has a standard jewel case with 4-page inlay - while the limited edition 'Collector's Edition-Original Album Packaging' variant uses mini LP repro artwork (cover and inner sleeve) in a special stickered outer jewel case on Virgin/Rolling Stones Records CDVX 2733 - 7243-8-39500-2-7 (Barcode 724383950027).

The UV99 Super CD Encoding Process by Apogee Electronics in California promised uber realistic transfers from the original tapes – and in the case of the 4 May 2009 Polydor Remasters by STEPHEN MARCUSSEN on Polydor 0602527015590 (Barcode 602527015590) – you got the same (issued in a stickered round-cornered Super Jewel Case). I have both and the AUDIO is a wow (48:26 minutes).

Polydor 2009 Reissue and Remaster in Rounded Super Jewel Case

Artwork-wise, all of these IORNR reissues are a little bit of a joke – typical cheap-assed Stones – a gatefold inlay that repro’s the original inner sleeve with barely readable details. No new liner notes – zip. Is it any wonder I’ve seen copies online for under a pound. Better is the audio and the music...

Long-time pal of the Beatles and The Stones - Billy Preston - gives it some Clavinet underpinning on the lyrically vicious "If You Can't Rock Me" that opens Side 1 - Jagger screaming "I've got a hard and it hurts like hell, if you can't rock me, find someone who will..." Girls with bright blue hair successfully tempting our Michael away from his dissolving marriage to Bianca - the drums and guitars in yer ya-ya's face throughout. Not for the first time do The Stones reach for The Temptations back catalogue - their version of "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" became an American-only 45 that punching the top 20 to settle at No. 17. The guitars, chunky riffs and Billy Preston's piano - all amazingly clear and full of muscle. Having listening to the LP cut and that ever so-slightly muffled 45 for all those years - the acoustic/electric guitars combo of the title track "It's Only Rock 'N Roll (But I Like It)" is likely to shock many. And its a brilliant single - remember that soap suds video that eased your brain. But then Side 1 gives us two gems I've always loved - the coffee shop down on 52nd Street acoustic ballad "Till The Next Goodbye" - gorgeous audio as those Mick Taylor guitar touches come melting into the mix. And have they been so beguiling as on the star-crossed "Time Waits For No One" - won't wait for me - well this is waiting for you - as is Mick Taylor's fantastic guitar parts (beautifully clear).

Side 2's "Luxury" had a playing time on my original LP of about 4:30 minutes, here this CD cut is 5:01 minutes - longer in the fade out. $20 me (making a million dollars for Texans) working so hard for the company, to keep you in luxury - go the lyrics in this Reggae-Rock chugger. Rolling Stones Records put "Dance Little Sister" on the B-side of the US 45 for "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" (October 1974 on Rolling Stones 19302) and were rewarded with as many radio plays as the A-side received - and again those drums and guitars kicking out of your speakers. The Atlantic Records Soul Band BLUE MAGIC of "Sideshow" fame adds subtle but deep backing vocals to "If You Really Want To Be My Friend" - a plea for understanding and not jealousy. The short and snotty got you by the ….s rocker "Short And Curlies" apparently started life sometime around the Exile sessions and was obviously press-ganged into Rock 'n' Roll service to fill out Side 2.

But Audio Blast numero-uno belongs to the fantastic menace of "Fingerprint File" - Jagger clearly sick of the press and government hounding he and everyone around him was getting. Some little jerk in the FBI keeping papers on him six feet high - gets him down. Well the stunning audio won't.

1974's "It's Only Rock 'N Roll" may not be a mountain of a record and it would be two years to "Black And Blue" in 1976 - another underrated winner for me in their sexy Seventies catalogue. But I'd say go for it. And the standard variant of IORNR can be picked up for under a fiver in the right places (and sometimes a lot less).

Who's listening - whose taking pictures by the ultra-violet light - methinks it should be you. Good night-sleep tight. Love it...

"Refugee" by REFUGEE – April 1974 Debut and Only LP on Charisma Records featuring Bassist Lee Jackson and Drummer Brian Davison (both ex The Nice) with Keyboardist Patrick Moraz of Yes (30 August 2019 UK Esoteric Recordings 3CD Expanded Edition Box Set featuring Two Live CDs as Bonuses – A Previously Unreleased BBC Radio One "In Concert" Show from 9 May 1974 and a Live Show at Newcastle City Hall 16 June 1974 First Issued in 2007 – Jean Ristori and Patrick Moraz Remaster of The Album and Newcastle Show with a Ben Wiseman Remaster on the May 1974 BBC Radio One Concert) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...Grand Canyon and The Future Relayer..."

In 2020, the three multi-instrumentals that made up England's REFUGEE are a footnote in Prog Rock's rich and illustrious history – a banks-of-keyboards band that could have become a force to be reckoned with, but were hit with bad luck and inopportune timing.

To set the scene - newcomer and then virtual unknown Swiss Keyboardist Patrick Moraz had joined forces with two other virtuoso players – Bassist Lee Jackson and Drummer Brian Davison – both of whom had done Prog and Classical Rock time with The Nice before Keith Emerson broke of to form ELP in 1970. Taking their name from a girlfriend's comment, Refugee made one album on Charisma Records in 1974 but then promptly imploded when Moraz was poached for YES (replacing Rick Wakeman).

This beautifully done 3CD Box Set from Esoteric Recordings of the UK (part of Cherry Red) remasters their solitary self-titled album and throws in two live shows on Discs 2 and 3 recorded in the same year (1974) – one Previously Unreleased BBC Concert, the other only issued in 2007 – with the whole lot newly remastered under the supervision of Moraz. Let's get to the Grand Canyon and the future Relayer…

UK released 30 August 2019 - "Refugee" by REFUGEE on Esoteric Recordings ECLEC 32685 (Barcode 5013929478503) is a Expanded Edition 3CD Mini Clamshell Box Set of Remasters that plays out as follows:

CD1 "Refugee" (51:27 minutes):

1. Papillon [Side 1]

2. Someday

3. Grand Canyon

First Movement - The Source

Second Movement - Theme For The Canyon

Third Movement - The Journey

Fourth Movement - Rapids

Fifth Movement - The Mighty Colorado

4. Gate Crasher

5. Ritt Mickley [Side 2]

6. Credo

First Movement - Prelude

Second Movement - I Believe

Third Movement - Theme

Fourth Movement - Lost Cause

Fifth Movement - Agitato

Sixth Movement - I Believe (Part II)

Seventh Movement - Variation

Eighth Movement - Main Theme Finale

Tracks 1 to 6 are their debut and sole album "Refugee" - release 19 April 1974 in the UK on Charisma CAS 1087 and July 1974 in the USA on Charisma FC 6066. The one-minute track "Gatecrasher" appeared on the US LP (in the position its placed on this CD) but was not credited on the UK vinyl variant.

CD2 "BBC Radio One In Concert 9 May 1974" (33:13 minutes):

1. Ritt Mickley

2. Someday

3. The Grand Canyon Suite

First Movement - The Source

Second Movement - Theme For The Canyon

Third Movement - The Journey

Fourth Movement - Rapids

Fifth Movement - The Mighty Colorado

Produced by JEFF GRIFFIN and Engineered by JOHN ETCHELS (introduction from Mike Harding) - PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

CD3 "Live At The Newcastle City Hall 16 June 1974" (64:22 minutes):

1. Outro - Ritt Mickley

2. One Left Handed Peter Pan

3. The Diamond Hard Blue Apples Of The Moon

4. Someday

5. Papillon

6. She Belongs To Me

7. The Grand Canyon Suite

First Movement - The Source

Second Movement - Theme For The Canyon

Third Movement - The Journey

Fourth Movement - Rapids

Fifth Movement - The Mighty Colorado

8. Refugee Jam

First issued 2007 as the CD "Live In Concert (Newcastle City Hall 1974)" on Voiceprint VP421CD. Tracks 3 and 6 are cover versions - 3 originally by The Nice and 6 by Bob Dylan.

 

These mini Clamshell Box Sets always lend a release a whiff of class and the Remastered and Extended "Refugee" is no different. You get three card sleeves - the two live sets featuring new artwork, a 16-page booklet with new liner notes from MARTYN HANSON author of "Hang On To A Dream: The Story Of The Nice", period photos of the three-piece in live mode and trade adverts. More importantly, the whole shebang is touched up with top-notch Remasters by JEFF RISTORI at MTX Mastering (CD 1 and CD3) - whilst long-time association audio engineer to Esoteric BEN WISEMAN handled the new BBC In Concert recordings on CD2 - all supervised by Moraz. The Audio is massive and full on - multi-instrumental passages coming at you like Todd Rundgren's Utopia on too many Vitamin C shots. To the music...

The second the wild piano-playing of "Papillon" hits your speakers, you know you're in the presence of a beast - a full-on ELP outburst in all but different name. Brian Davison plays Drums, Timpani, Gongs, Tibetan Temple Bells, African Drums, Kabassa and even a bit of Broken Glass - and you can hear the lot. "Someday" features Lee Jackson on Lead Vocals shouting about going on a trip to far flung places - locking up the house and the Bass Guitar - and while his vocals haven't dated that well - the sheer Greenslade exuberance of that keyboard break has. The first of the album's centerpieces is a seventeen-minute five-moment called after an appropriately majestic thing - "Grand Canyon". The keyboard flourishes and clear-as-a-bell Bass notes are so Yes and remind me of passages in Jon Anderson's 1976 masterpiece "Olias Of Sunhillow". 

The keyboard throwaway moment (complete with cough and voices) that is "Gatecrasher" is huge - one minute of Moraz getting funky with his synth before it crashes into Side 2 proper and the very ELP "Ritt Mickley" - fantastic muscle in the audio. We piano-slide into the album's second centerpiece - eighteen minutes of the eight-part "Credo" - Moraz really getting to shine as he races up and down that grand piano. Those huge organ notes and vocals around about seven minutes are now bigger than I remember it. Audio-wise I’d admit the BBC session is good without ever being great - huge chunky notes and the rhythm section of Bass and Drums rattling across your speakers with intent - even if it feels as if the keyboards are too far back on occasion. But when Moraz is soloing – it’s damn impressive. The 2007 set are simply more of the same.

When Refugee imploded, Swiss Keyboardist Patrick Moraz joined the ranks of Yes replacing Rick Wakeman who was pursuing a successful solo career over on A&M Records with "The Six Wives Of Henry The VIII" (1973) and "Journey To The Centre Of The Earth" (1974). Filling very big boots, Moraz would be successfully launched by Yes in November 1974 with the brilliant "Relayer" album on Atlantic Records and then get his own solo LP in 1976 on Charisma with "The Story Of 'I'". Brian Davison did a short stint in Steve Hillage’s Gong in 1975 - another band getting noticed over on Virgin Records while Bassist Lee Jackson would stay out of the limelight until the 2010s when he joined a reformation of his old Charisma Label Prog Rock muckers The Nice for live shows.

Despite original refusals to join Yes, Moraz was too good to stick around with Refugee and ultimately made the right choice (a perfect fit for the English supergroup). Still – Refugee had had their moment and left behind a rich one. And as a remembrance with both stylistic presentation and top Audio - this is as good as any almost-supergroup could have hoped for…

"Situation Normal" by SNAFU – October 1974 UK Second Studio Album on WWA Records WWA 010 – featuring Bobby Harrison, Micky Moody, Peter Solley, Colin Gibson and Terry Popple (11 February 2013 UK Angel Air Records CD Reissue – Nick Watson Remaster) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...Lock And Key..."

Taking their name from the famous World War II/Vietnam War slang phrase (Situation Normal All F***ed Up) - SNAFU were a five-piece British Rock band that managed three albums between early 1974 and early 1976.

Their first and self-titled debut "Snafu" hit the shops in January 1974 (copyright date is 1973) on WWA Records WWA 003 with its Roger Dean gatefold cover - whilst their last - and sporting a move towards mid-Seventies Funk-Rock - came in January 1976 as "All Funked Up" on Capitol Records E-ST 11473 (copyright date 1975).

Angel Air Records of the UK (with the band's permission) has the exclusive CD reissues on their catalogue. Released January 2013 their debut "Snafu" is on Angel Air SJPCD407 (Barcode 5055011704077) - while released January 2000 "All Funked Up" – their third and last LP - is on Angel Air SJPCD032 (Barcode 5055011700321).

What you have here is a firm fan fave - the one in the middle with the Boeing 737 plane in the middle (of the artwork that is). Their second platter was not surprisingly called "Situation Normal" - released October 1974 in Blighty (and like the debut, again on WWA Records). After that factoid preamble, let’s get to the wind turbulence…

UK released 11 February 2013 - "Situation Normal" by SNAFU on Angel Air Records SJPCD048 (Barcode 5055011704084) is a straightforward transfer of their second studio album from 1974 (no bonus tracks) onto CD reissue and remaster and plays out as follows (37:27 minutes):

1. No More [Side 1]

2. No Bitter Taste

3. Brown Eyed Beauty & The Blue Assed Fly

4. Lock & Key

5. Big Dog Lusty

6. Playboy Blues [Side 2]

7. Jessie Lee

8. Ragtime Roll

Tracks 1 to 8 are their second album "Situation Normal" - released October 1974 in the UK on WWA Records WWA 010 and May 1975 in the USA on Capitol Records ST-11343. Produced by STEVE ROWLAND (of Pretty Things fame) and Engineered by MARTIN RUSHENT - the album didn't chart in either country.

There is a Picture CD using the Gregory Holdal front cover artwork, an 8-page booklet with new liner notes from CLAES JOHANSEN that includes interviews with Bobby Harrison and Micky Moody. It talks of their formation, tours as a support act with The Doobie Brothers, Eagles and War and features a few period photos. It's small but perfectly formed. The Remaster is by NICK WATSON at SRT Studios in Cambridge and its nice and beefy. You can hear its power the second the Bass and Drums of "No More" kicks in.

Vocalist Bobby Harrison hailed from Procol Harum and Freedom (BH was on the "Whiter Shade Of Pale" single) whilst Lead Guitarist Micky Moody started in the Vertigo and Bronze Records rockers Juicy Lucy, passed through Snafu and would eventually end up with Nazareth and Whitesnake. Keyboardist Peter Solley had done stints with Chris Farlowe and The Thunderbirds, Fox and Paladin to name but a few - whilst Bassist Colin Gibson had played with a huge number of acts including Skip Bifferty, Ginger Baker's Air Force and Heavy Jelly. Drummer Terry Popple had whacked his kit for the obscure Island Records band Tramline, the even more obscure Australian Prog Rock band McPhee in 1971 and would eventually land in Alan Hull’s Lindisfarne offshoot group Radiator in 1977.

With all songs written by the trio of Bobby Harrison, Micky Moody and Peter Solley - together the five-piece SNAFU created a sort of more soulful Savoy Brown meets Juicy Lucy meets the Country-Rock of Brinsley Schwarz kind of sound - with Micky Moody's stunning slide guitar work evident on the standout track "Lock And Key" - while Bobby Harrison could get Paul Rodgers soulful like on funky tunes like "No More" and "Playboy Blues". A trio of guest horn players feature on the Side 2 finisher "Ragtime Roll" - Mel Collins, Bud Beadle and Steve Gregory.

The Funk-Rock of "No More" is typical of their sound – mid Seventies Cado Belle (over on Anchor Records) – Moody going into Boogie any chance he gets. Things get Souther-Hillman-Furay Country Rock with the Pedal Steel of "No Bitter Taste" – a postcard with a month-old date – our poor boy is hoping against hope. Slim Chance type Mandolin opens the hoedown of "Brown Eyed Beauty & The Blue Assed Fly" where the album suddenly descends into a Gram Parsons pastiche – a yee haw misstep for me.

But then we hit 2:45 minutes of pure Juicy Lucy "Who Do You Love" slide-guitar magic – the wildly sexy "Lock & Key" where Moody lets rip with fantastic Elmore James slashing. Its here that you realize if Snafu had more of this – they might have made a bigger impact than flitting around between too many styles. In fact they knew the song was so good that they returned to it for album number three, only that version is not Blues Slide but Funk Rock more akin to Mother's Finest (both versions are cool by me). Side One ends on the only-OK "Big Dog Lusty" – a Little Feat funk tune that chugs along but feels like its trying too hard.

We return to Stevie Wonder clavinet Funk-Rock for Side 2's "Playboy Blues" – a look back on my life song that has a great guitar break and double-vocal chorus. "Jessie Lee" is a surprisingly pretty Country-Rock bopper where Snafu sounds like Help Yourself and it all comes to an end with five minutes of "Ragtime Doll" – a piano roller that starts out slow but soon goes into a rather obvious rock and roller romp to the end.

Snafu was like so many bands in the mid 70ts – good – but never really good enough to be anything more than a support-act for the main event that invariably had the hit tunes needed to make it. But those who love "Situation Normal" will need this really great sounding CD reissue to get their fix...

"Phaedra" by TANGERINE DREAM – February 1974 Fifth LP on Virgin Records V 2010 featuring Edgar Froese, Christoph Franke and Peter Baumann (June 2019 UK The Virgin Recordings CD Reissue on Universal/Virgin Records – Album Tracks 1 to 4 Remastered by Ben Wiseman – Bonus Tracks 5 and 6 Remixed and Remastered From Original Tapes by Steven Wilson) - A Review by Mark Barry...

"...Mysterious Semblance..."

I can vividly remember the early spring of 1974 and seeing the strangely beautiful gatefold sleeve of V 2010 in all the hipper Dublin record shops and wondering what gurgling VCS3 layers lay within its blue-tinted innards? Was it indeed "Music That Melts" as the Virgin adverts cleverly put it in the magazine of the day – phone, radio, and turntable – all slithering off tables in a river of melted New Age plastic?

And when I got it home and slapped on that gorgeous Two Virgins colour label we’d all become so intrigued by since March 1973’s “Tubular Bells” and watched it turn at 33 1/3 on to my trusty Garrard SP 25 (with Dustbuster accompaniment) - indeed the beast that is "Phaedra" was dripping and flanging and generally Kraut Rock bubbling all over our nice middle-class carpet. I hadn’t been exposed to this much knob twiddling since my days with a Meccano Industrial Digger Set…

Like most fans – Tangerine Dream’s fifth LP "Phaedra" and sixth (1975's "Rubycon") were our intro to the German New Age Synth Instrumental Prog Rock Band - our Electronic appetites wetted by Can and Amon Düül II over on United Artists and that laugh-a-minute road-cone mob Kraftwerk over on Vertigo. But does it stand up in 2020? If I'm truthful, what was thrilling back then has slightly faded now – this is for devotees only with (if you’ll forgive the pun) electronic virgins wondering why all the fuss, legend and even the five-star reviews.

But there is no doubt at all in my mind about the Audio - leaps above the vinyl that always felt too lo-fi and the subsequent CD reissues - too underwhelming. This 2019 "The Virgin Recordings" version from "In Search Of Hades" Box Set is ethereal and the Two Bonus Steven Wilson Remixes are a full-on muscular revelation that will surely make many fans weep a wee Proggy tear and love 1974 all over again. Let's get to the Mysterious Semblance man...

UK released 14 June 2019 - "Phaedra" by TANGERINE DREAM on Universal/Virgin 774 695-8 (Barcode 602577469589) is part of The Virgin Recordings CD Reissue Series offering the 4-Track 1974 LP with Two Bonus Tracks (Remixed by Steven Wilson from original tapes in 2019) that plays out as follows (57:53 minutes):

1. Phaedra (17:36 minutes) [Side 1]

2. Mysterious Semblance At The Strand Of Nightmares (9:41 minutes) [Side 2]

3. Movements Of A Visionary (7:55 minutes)

4.  Sequent C' (2:18 minutes)

Tracks 1 to 4 are their fifth album "Phaedra" – released 20 February 1974 in the UK on Virgin V 2010 and June 1974 in the USA on Virgin VR 13-108. Produced by EDGAR FROESE – it peaked at No. 15 on the UK LP charts and No. 196 in the USA.

BONUS TRACKS:

5. Phaedra (Steven Wilson 2018 Stereo Remix, 17:37 minutes)

6. Sequent C' (Steven Wilson 2018 Stereo Remix, 2:21 minutes)

TANGERINE DREAM was:

EDGAR FROESE – Mellotron, Guitar-Bass, VCS3 Synthesizer and Flute

CHRISTAPH FRANKE – Moog Synthesizer, Keyboards, VCS3 Synthesizer

PETER BAUMANN – Organ, Electric Piano, VSC3 Synthesizer and Flute

The 12-page booklet features the original gorgeous silver gatefold artwork (a wee bit diminished by size it has to be said), period photos, concert tickets and the usual reissue credits. It's a damn shame (despite what the sticker says) there are no illuminating liner notes - but the BEN WISEMAN Remaster of the original album and the STEVE WILSON Remix Bonus Tracks more than make up for any lack of words. And nowadays (April 2020), it can be bought for under six quid.

I'd forgotten how lovely "Sequent C'" is and that pumping rhythm as "Phaedra" gathers pace about five minutes in.  The swish and swirl of "Mysterious Semblance..." floats out of your speakers in waves of Mellotron and VCS3 Synth sounds - our drowning-in-keyboards trio creating huge pallets of mystery. And those echoed twiddles as "Movements Of A Visionary" builds to an electronic rhythm that hypnotizes (always been the best track for me). But I can't quite get over how good the Steve Wilson Remix of the Side 1 "Phaedra" is - more oomph, more meat, utterly brilliant.

As you peruse the concert adverts for artists like Kevin Ayers, Supertramp, Osibisa and Tangerine Dream - you can't help think - them was the days - and this superb CD Remaster will help you revisit them...