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Post by buddhabreath on Sept 14, 2021 15:45:48 GMT
I am still patiently awaiting the arrival of the box set (my US distributor has still not received their shipment), but how about a thread? I'm looking forward to hearing the 5.1 mixes in particular and I've seen some good reports on the quality of the box.
Any thoughts or reviews? Anyone else planning on buying the set?
Peace, my Van Der Graafic brothers and sisters,
Bill
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Post by keithknight on Sept 15, 2021 10:17:34 GMT
I have it. It's a lot to get through, especially when the new Low album is also demanding attention! I don't have 5.1 but the new stereo mixes are very interesting, picking out stuff from the mix that even my battered ears can appreciate. Currently listening to the Live at Maison de la Mutualite live disc from Paris 6 December 1976, which is just astonishing.
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Post by lemming on Sept 20, 2021 17:29:47 GMT
I have the Charisma Years box. Terrible packaging which will damage discs if they are used regularly! The Maison de la Mutualite discs are wonderful. I have found the video quality on disc 20 to be awful - VHS quality. I have tried changing HDMI cable/ port and a second bluray player. Anyone else get this?
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Post by chrisreappearance on Sept 21, 2021 9:25:40 GMT
Speaking for myself I don't have anything to do with any ways of listening except Stereo or Mono and although I've got the box set I shall never bother with its surround 5.1 baloney. Somehow as far as I'm concerned it's like a deliberate kick in the teeth for an inveterate 1970s person such as myself this existence of surround formats and most emphatically I will never bother to find out anything about it.
I am content with the notion that not being stereo it's something against real Hi-Fi. All this tirade is my own not totally unique opinion and of course other people can do whatever they like.
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Post by stranger on Sept 21, 2021 19:02:34 GMT
I'm still ploughing my way through it - I decided to go disk by disk in order and have just finished the Quiet Zone/Pleasure Dome disk. So far it's been okay - not a lot of outstanding new stuff apart from the Mutualite gig, which as others have stated is marvellous with some bits of questionable sound quality. I'm looking forward to listening to the new stereo remixes - just got the two-disk Vital set to get through first. Also don't have surround sound but if it's anything like the old quad set up then it's probably worth getting, although not for just three disks as the cheapest half-decent rig that I've seen cost upward of £700.
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Post by rodneysofa on Oct 1, 2021 23:26:33 GMT
I must agree that the packaging isn't the greatest, the 2x gatefold sleeves holding the CDs being the most annoying. Not sure if this is common but many of the CDs were loose and rolled out of their slots when unboxing. I don't mind that the box fits amongst my LPs but I would have much preferred individual CD sleeves with track titles. You need to refer to the book or the back of the box for individual song tracks and somehow they split up the 2 Vital CDs so they are not even in the same gatefold sleeve.
I do enjoy the remixes, they don't replace the originals but it is certainly a treat to be hearing the bits that were buried in the mix. I was also pleasantly surprised the autographed postcard also included DJ's sig.
Imo, the box is a little overpriced for what it is, most fans have most of the material already and some completists have already noted a few missing recordings in a separate thread. 3/5
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Post by Lighthouse on Oct 3, 2021 21:06:38 GMT
Overpriced? Really? I paid 129 € for 20 discs and a beautiful hard-cover book, that's actually pretty cheap imo for such a comprehensive collection. Yes, I had of course most of the stuff already in one form or another, but is there anything in it which does not top the earlier releases for video and audio quality? And the Paris concert is a gas ... Well, the Aerosol box, that was indeed a pretty pricey one for not much content in a prestige packaging, but the price for the Charisma Years would have been already cheap without the remixes and the 5.1. stuff, only for the remastered albums (with the bonus tracks), the Paris concert, the book and the video stuff. Yes, a few minor things are missing, so it is not perfect, but isn't perfection not also a bit boring?  |
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cvix
New Member
Posts: 4
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Post by cvix on Oct 4, 2021 23:01:35 GMT
I got my box today and I think it's little boring design but book is fantastic and there is much material to listen and re-listen.
BUT! Bly Ray's don't work . Not a single one. I'm just getting black screen on my blue ray and none of buttons on my controller works. Do anyone have same problem or some suggestion?
sorry my bad english guys :-)
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Post by Lighthouse on Nov 19, 2021 8:28:01 GMT
Found that on the net about the Bangor live version of Gog:
"I have checked the version released and it does indeed match a Theatr Gwynedd, Bangor gig, but the one a year later in 1976 - they having played there on two consecutive years. I have notified the record company and the group of this, but the credit still wasn't corrected in the recent box set. The waveform is identical to the May 1976 version."
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Post by Admin on Nov 27, 2021 13:32:42 GMT
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Post by Admin on Nov 28, 2021 17:54:50 GMT
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Post by Lighthouse on Jan 14, 2022 14:41:58 GMT
A (definite?) overview of the stuff which could have or maybe should have been also put on the Charisma box:
1. The Shel Talmy mix of The Least We Can Do, but I can understand that this could be something the band does not want. But it is a remix just like the other remixes.
2. The 2nd single version of Refugees originally released on a 10" acetate single, a different mix which was released on CD so far only on the I Prophesy Disaster compilation.
3. The Refugees promo video. And I'm surprised that this one is missing, as it is for quite some time available.
4. The unedited version of Killer from the BBC session from 12.10.70. The sound quality is the same as Lost from that session, which means less good than the edited Killer (and all the other BBC stuff).
5. Theme 1/The Dambuster's March which is the last track from the 23.9.71 BBC in Concert, which is meanwhile also available in similar quality as the other 3 tracks. And that one I really miss.
6. A slightly longer version of the Lighthouse Keepers part The Clot Thickens, only released on the cassette version of the compilation LP Repeat Performance (a compilation which btw also featured the aforementioned Refugees 10" version). Really only slightly longer, and actually of not much interest to me, but an absolute rarity.
7. The BBC session x-mas special song An Epidemic of Father Christmases, but so far only available in mediocre sound quality. It would make in this crappy quality a great bonus track on Time Vaults though ...
8. And then there is the Time Vaults stuff, of which at least the better sounding tracks would have fit well on the box.
Maybe some of these will grace some future releases or re-releases ...
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Post by petero on Jan 16, 2022 19:09:34 GMT
Is the second single version of Refugees actually a remix, or just the same mix with the intro edited out?
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Post by peterpyser on Jan 17, 2022 10:34:08 GMT
petero The 10'' single version is a completely different mix. Lighthouse while i totally agree with you, i believe we'll see nothing from your list of missing things in the near future. They should have included all that stuff on the box the first time around.
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Post by Lighthouse on Jan 18, 2022 12:13:51 GMT
i believe we'll see nothing from your list of missing things in the near future. The should have included all that stuff on the box the first time around. One idea to solve that, and of course only if there are no reservations of the band against a Shel Talmy mix release:
A double CD similar to the 4 CD boxes of the remixed albums.
One CD with the remastered The Least We Can Do (just like on the box with the single tracks and the BBC session), and a 2nd CD with the Shel Talmy mix, and as bonus on that the remixed Boat of Millions of Years and the 2nd Refugees single mix and as further bonus what I listed above as # 4 -6. This would only leave over the Refugees vid, but a DVD only for this track would be quite luxurious ...
I would buy it ...
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Post by peterpyser on Jan 18, 2022 14:07:37 GMT
i believe we'll see nothing from your list of missing things in the near future. They should have included all that stuff on the box the first time around. One idea to solve that, and of course only if there are no reservations of the band against a Shel Talmy mix release:
A double CD similar to the 4 CD boxes of the remixed albums.
One CD with the remastered The Least We Can Do (just like on the box with the single tracks and the BBC session) and a 2nd CD with the Shel Talmy mix and as bonus on that the remixed Boat of Millions of Years and the 2nd Refugees single mix. And as further bonus what I listed above as # 4 -6. This would only leave over the Refugees vid, but a DVD only for this track only would be quite luxurious ...
I would buy it ...
I would buy it too!
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Post by peterpyser on Jan 18, 2022 14:09:46 GMT
By the way, on the new Mojo magazine issue there's an article about Pawn Hearts. On the foot-note it says The Charisma Years box set is being re-pressed.
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Post by Lighthouse on Jan 18, 2022 15:39:24 GMT
I expected that, as it was not a limited release there is no reason to sell this as long as it sells. The now redundant The Box (2000) was also available for a long time.
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