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After a few emails, a copy arrived this morning! WO-HOO! I'm guessing it's a second copy from the date on the invoice, so I've written to thank Townsend.

I think I will wait and see if Sister Ray get Codex in before going to Townsend though, especially if it's such a limited run.

Great to see it worked out well for you. I'm sure you will enjoy listening to this nice music.

My copy's arrived here in Ottawa. Listening to it now and it sounds great so far.

I didn't even notice I already owned "City of Mirage" Oh well. It fits better on this album than on that rather bitty "DNA" thing.

Listening here at Feline HQ with my posh Sennheisers on, it's pretty clear that A Man, A Woman and A City (allegedly new for 2015) is most definately is the exact same recording and mix as If Only… from 1997's Cathedral Oceans - the only difference is a smidgeon of different mastering EQ tweak from Dallas Simpson.

I do think John should be made to sit on the naughty step for this :p

They blimmin' well are! It would be more honest (though less elegant) to title them "Through Summer Rooms [instrumental mix]" and "Floating Islands [instrumental mix]", cos that's exactly what they are.
I marginally prefer the instrument versions, though, so I guess I must temper any disgruntlement with this After all, I've only bought Cathedral Oceans three times already (or is it four? Original 1997 CD, again in a double pack CD with COII, a 5.1 DVD version...) so what's a fourth time now?

I've come rather late to this thread, and am grateful for everyone's diligence in spotting the 1 duplicate, one slightly remastered and 2 instrumentally-mix existing tracks

I do think this is a beautiful album though - really would be great with a 5.1 surround sound mix (although then I'd have to buy it 6 times or summat).

What I meant was, that in true Foxxian style, they are mixed to fit into a different context, and thus part of something else. And even the slightest variance in mixing etc means to me at least that therefore they are different pieces...

Nah sorry, nice try but I don't buy that

Don't be fooled by the ethereal nature of the pieces (as opposed to them being songs with lyrics): they are still simply instrumental versions, where the engineer has simply done the multitrack mix again but with the vocal channels muted. It's no different from one of those cheapo 80s 12" mixes where they removed the vocal and left the bass/drums/synths/guitars there.
And I feel it's stretching things to say this is a "different context" - it just Cathedral Oceans IV! The exact same music style as the last 3 Cathedral Oceans albums (in fact, it's an even narrower selection of musical ideas, as there's less treated vocals and less FM sounds - it's nearly all just the lush analogue strings variety, just the same as we heard on Cathedral Oceans I in 1997, 18 years ago! - literally the same recordings in 3 cases!)

Just how I feel, that is all
As far it being narrower than CO, well yes it is. More focussed.

Perhaps I just "like" it. That's probably all.
I am deducing that you do as well, so hey, I guess all is good.

Either way, having now played it half a dozen times in my big old Victorian church space, it sounds amazing and takes me on a journey which leads to different places than CO does