Metamatic Forums John Foxx John Foxx Three CDs, two new songs

And what do they say if you play it backwards?

Got all three CD's today. Firstly In The Glow Dominion gig sounds fantastic. A lovely smooth mix considering its age. Its good to have proper recordings of all the tracks.

TPOE twilight room should of been on the original and would of been my second fav track after quiet city. Not so keen on screenplay yet but it's not bad. The remix 09 album is brighter and sounds better for it. I was lucky enough to go to LA2 gig in 2001 and buy the pre release of TPOE from the gig. I live in Welton near Hull and played the album all the way back. It was a great atmospheric soundtrack for the long journey home.

Shifting City was the least exciting for me as I have the originals. However, again the sound is much brighter and this will be the version I now play. Shadow Man mono mix sounds like it came from Underpass or Like a Miracle (early version) era. Again I really like this version ( shame it's only mono). The Omnidelic Exotour is also cleaner and louder. Whoever has remixed/mastered them has done a great job, cheers.

So I am really happy with all three releases. The only small thing I didnt like was the new gatefold cd trays. I dont think they will last long as these cds will get some serious use. If you didn't intend getting these re issues I can highly recommend them. You wouldn't be dissapointed.

One for my fellow chin strokers

Like Pleasures, Shifting City has four alternate versions on the new 2 x CD re-issue (although the sleeve notes make no mention of it):

The Noise (Alternate Version)
Shadow Man (Alternate Version)
Through My Sleeping (Alternate Version)
Shifting City (Alternate Version)

Louis added additional sounds and tweaked the mixes for these tracks in 2007 (as he did with the four on Pleasures).

All the tracks on the album have had extra reverb added to them to beef them up, (even the ones that have not been remixed) and the mastering has indeed brought the sound into sharper focus (well done Dallas).

If I have one reservation about the extra reverb, that would be on "Forgotten Years" which had a sublimely claustrophobic atmosphere created by the dry anechoic original mix. This is purely subjective but I do find the reverb has taken away the intimacy of the vocal. I wouldn't ordinarily be too fussed but I do rate this track as possibly John's finest vocal performance to date. I wish he would croon some more to be honest

The second disc of Omnidelics is the same as the previous Edsel re-issue, which also contained "alternate versions" but the two bonus tracks on disc one are remastered from the original versions from '97.

Chin now thoroughly stroked, I'm off to wax my moustache

I'm hoping the postal strike next week doesn't delay things too much!

Johnnyh, and Vox Humana, now you’ve got me thinking that I may need to do a 360’ as regards my stance on Shifting City 09.
It’s always been my least fav’ of the John & Louis albums, but it does have some tracks I really like, and I’m very intrigued by what you’ve said, and the “brighter”, “Louis tweaking”, and “extra reverb” comments.
Thanks both for posting these reviews, and I'm most definitely stroking my chin now

I'm confused - aside from the Shadow Man demo, are these other 'alternate' versions you are referring to, the 'live' Exotour versions on the 2nd CD?

The new artwork for "A New Kind Of Man" is now just a 4 page insert instead of the original 8 page and the printing itself seems very slighty softened (not sure if this is intentional), giving the greys a very small lighter shade. Almost impossible to detect unless you hold it next to the original.

Interestingly the web address www.officialcathedraloceans.com printed on the back page of the original 'ANKOM' insert has been replaced with www.thequietman.co.uk on the reissue.

Given that both 'ANKOM' and 'Impossible' use the same bar code, catalogue number and exterior artwork, its impossible to work out which is old and which is new if you see them for sale in the original cellophane.

Shadow man is in fact 19 seconds longer due the introduction of a very very very slow fade on the final note

Hi Alex, just to clarify, both albums, Shifting and Pleasures have four altered album tracks each.

The four album tracks are those I mentioned above. It hasn't been mentioned in the Shifting City sleeve notes that's all.

The second disc of Omnidelic tracks are the same as the Edsel two disc issue of the Golden Section/Omnidelic Exotour from a few years back which contained altered versions of the following tracks, (which were differ from the original 1997 Omnidelic Exotour CD's).

These tracks are:

Hiroshima Mon Amour
Just For A Moment
The Quiet Men
Through My Sleeping
The Noise
Shifting City
Endlessly

* Note: This is why the Omnidelic version of "The Quiet Men" appears twice. One is the original remastered and the other on disc 2 is the remix.

I hope that makes sense?

To summarise; if you have the old G-Section/Omnidelic disc, you may, (or may not) be aware that 7 of the tracks on it were remixed.

If you haven't you get four remixed album tracks and 7 remixed live rehearsal tracks on the new Shifting City CD... bargain!

Perhaps it would have been helpful to have mentioned this on the tracklisting. Some of us already knew there were going to be altered versions but it may have stopped some from buying it thinking it was yet more replication.

If anyone reading this now decides to buy Shifting City because of this extra info then all well and good. More revenue = more potential new releases after all

Oh... OK!

I might have to add Shifting City to my Xmas list then!

Does the booklet/artwork differ from the original?