It is pretty compressed. I am hoping the blu ray audio will have a lot more air around it. But, as it stands, I think it's utterly glorious. I have seen a lot of Disintegration references as a comparison but I'm not getting that. Sounds sod all like Disintegration. Or Bloodflowers. It's as dark as Faith but with a lot more flesh on the bones
I agree it sounds compressed (but so far we just heard the mp3 right?). Okay maybe the BBC-Version not. But I think the songs is still great in the studio version. There is only one thing that disappoints me. During the end of the live versions Robert took his guitar and was playing a little part that I loved and that reminded me of Disintegration soundwise. In this studio version the part is kind of buried in the mix and not so prominent as in the live versions.
The tracklist of the album has been clearly revised. From 12 songs (previous 10 songs) to now only 8 songs. I also remember german promoter Karsten Jahnke (long life friend of the band) claiming the album would be 67 minutes long. This is obviously not the case anymore. SOALW will be released on a sinlge LP right? I have been told that means the runtime can´t be longer than 45 minutes.
Remembering back all the interviews: Robert told first he wants to do maybe only 6 songs for the album and all will be doom and gloom and compared it to "Pornography". In a later interview he told he want to put also lighter songs on album as it worked this way on "Disintegration". I reckon therefore songs like "A Fragile Thing" were at some point part of the tracklist. But now with only 8 songs, he is maybe back to the original approach and "A Fragile Thing" is not any longer part of the album?
I wouldn't have a problem with the cutting down to 8 thing (sometimes less is more and it's better to have 8 strong songs that gel well together than more songs with fillers and songs that don't fit).
For example, for me "Bloodflowers" would have probably been a better album without "Watching Me Fall".
But I would find it disappointing if the actual new material boiled down to only 2 new songs, at this point, given we have already known 6 of them for 2 years now.
That's why I hope that not all of those 6 are in the album, if it is an 8 track album.
I think I like the studio version of "Alone" more than the live one. It feels richer, I like the echoes on vocals. I do agree it ends a bit abrupt, but I suppose it won't be any problem on a whole record. As far as we know it's gonna be followed by "And Nothing Is Forever" and I think these two would make a perfect pairing. I'm really looking forward to the studio version of ANIF as it was my personal favourite during the tour.
Complete name : C:\Users\mead_\Pictures\Alone.m4a Format : MPEG-4 Format profile : Apple audio with iTunes info Codec ID : M4A (isom/iso2) File size : 6.30 MiB Duration : 6 min 48 s Overall bit rate mode : Variable Overall bit rate : 129 kb/s Track name : Alone Performer : フジファブリック Writing application : Lavf58.29.100
Look at the "Performer", is that Japanese for The Cure?!
Complete name : C:\Users\mead_\Pictures\Alone.m4a Format : MPEG-4 Format profile : Apple audio with iTunes info Codec ID : M4A (isom/iso2) File size : 6.30 MiB Duration : 6 min 48 s Overall bit rate mode : Variable Overall bit rate : 129 kb/s Track name : Alone Performer : フジファブリック Writing application : Lavf58.29.100
Look at the "Performer", is that Japanese for The Cure?!
Complete name : C:\Users\mead_\Pictures\Alone.m4a Format : MPEG-4 Format profile : Apple audio with iTunes info Codec ID : M4A (isom/iso2) File size : 6.30 MiB Duration : 6 min 48 s Overall bit rate mode : Variable Overall bit rate : 129 kb/s Track name : Alone Performer : フジファブリック Writing application : Lavf58.29.100
Look at the "Performer", is that Japanese for The Cure?!
I get a translation of "fuji fabric."
Fujifabric is a name of a Japanese Band- which will be playing in Osaka Nov 10
"....a six-minute sludge of icily frozen depression that sounds like Berlin-era Bowie being waterboarded with buckets of oil. And I do mean that as a compliment."