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I'll post a fuller response later but for now I'm just curious as to why "Shine On" from the BBC June 1985 radio session is missing from the tracklisting?

When will it be available (at least for pre-order) in the U.S.?

The release date for Metadelic (in the UK at least) has been confirmed as Monday the 3rd of June, 2013.
Here's its Amazon pre-order link again.

Unfortunately, I haven't been advised of the U.S. release date yet - but I will try to find it out for you.

Rob

I have written the sleevenotes.

#justsayin'

Looking forward to reading those Martin, and indeed to getting the the whole package which looks very good.

As I mentioned previously I'm disappointed that "Shine On" from the BBC Radio 1 sessions is missing, likewise "Shadow Of Your Smile", though as that was a cover version I'm presuming copyright issues have led to its omission.

More broadly I have to admit to a certain disappointment with the tracklisting; whilst obviously the whole point of the release is to bring together John's more psychedelic music, it's a pity there isn't any previously unreleased material - the mythical "In The Glow" sessions, the "Identification Of A Woman" soundtrack or perhaps even the 1993 "Blitz" sessions.

(if you've never hard of Blitz, details are on this link)

http://www.ultravox.org.uk/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/68619/Blitz


As it stands it's difficult to see who "Metadelic" is aimed at; too obscure for the casual fan, nothing new for the diehards like ourselves.

Don't get me wrong, it's always nice to see a new John Foxx CD and of course it'll be nice to finally have the Radio sessions and 12" mixes on CD, it just feels like a missed opportunity to shut up people like me who've been banging on about unreleased material for years!

I've tried to give as much information about the (mythical) In The Glow album (and what tracks it may have contained) a number of times before - most recently on another thread. All that I can now do is to research it further and see what else (if anything) I can uncover.

Regarding the soundtrack to Identification of Woman. John's contribution to that film was only a few pieces of music - it's far from being an entire soundtrack. A number of other artists also contributed - including Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, Japan, Peter Baumann, Tangerine Dream, XTC and Steve Hillage.



Metadelic includes an entire disc's worth of material (fourteen tracks) which has never been on CD before - including a previously unreleased version of Endlessly - the Sparkle Mix. The accompanying DVD features all of the promotional videos from between 1981 through to 1985 - including the Top Of The Pops performance of Europe After The Rain which has never been previously released officially in any format.



Regarding the five tracks (Meeting Venus, Sailing On Sunshine, Dancing Like A Gun, Eurotrash and Through My Sleeping) which John recorded (with Robin Simon, Paul Simon and Sue Rachel) back in 1993 under the name Blitz. Just because these tracks exist doesn't mean that they should be made available.

The same applies to the two BBC Session tracks mentioned previously - Shine On and The Shadow Of Your Smile.

Ultimately, whether or not material gets released depends on a number of things (copyright, availability, quality, performance, etc.) but in the end it always comes down to John, and while we may not always agree with his decision, we should at least respect it.

Rob

It's also an important question of context.

Metadelic is essentially an exploration into and presentation of the 'psychedelic' elements in his more high profile work - a side often overlooked and unknown to most of his mainstream fans, and key to our understanding of his work as a whole.
It was conceived as this at least fifteen years ago, before John moved into his resurgence alongside Louis Gordon.

It's a counterpoint to Metatronic (and Metamatic) - a balancing echo.
It is not an opportunity to gather all the unreleased things into one place, and has never been intended as such.

Maybe one day all the other bits and bobs will come out. But in their own right, not gathered together in a 'Rest of...' compilation

I'm really looking forward to this one, and seeing the artwork and reading the notes.

The tracklist seems very well thought out - the only 'sore thumb' for me is Dancing Like A Gun which I've never been too keen on and I don't really see the 'delic'ness to it .. maybe I will in context.

Interesting thing about 'Blitz' there, which sort of fills in those 'empty spaces' in John's career.

Congrats guv! Maybe when I see you next we'll have a pint or two to celebrate!