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When it comes to new surround-sound mixes, one name has become closely associated with the format: Steven Wilson. Keeper of the progressive-rock flame and frontman for Porcupine Tree, Wilson has in recent years created definitive 5.1 remixes for artists like King Crimson, Yes, XTC, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Gentle Giant, and Jethro Tull. It was recently announced that Wilson would be extending his talents to an upcoming reissue from (non-prog!) rock band Tears for Fears, and we can also confirm that he is continuing his work with the catalogues of Yes and Jethro Tull. On November 4, Wilson’s new surround and stereo remixes will be featured on CD/DVD-A and CD/BD editions of Yes’ 1974 album Relayer, and on November 17, he will revisit another 1974 prog classic, Jethro Tull’s WarChild.

The upcoming Relayer arrives on the heels of other recent Yes reissues of The Yes Album and Close to the Edge. Relayer was the seventh studio album from Yes, and the band’s only studio album featuring keyboardist Patrick Moraz; he joined in August ’74 following Rick Wakeman’s departure to pursue a solo career. With just three lengthy tracks, Yes upped the free-form jazz quotient on Relayer without sacrificing the band’s accessibility. Relayer proved to be a Top 5 success on both sides of the Atlantic, earning a Gold certification in the United States. The Panegyric reissues, available in CD/DVD-A and CD/BD iterations, will both feature Wilson’s new stereo and surround mixes as well as a host of bonus material. As in the past, the Blu-ray editions will feature additional music not present on the DVD-A.

Contents are as follows:

The region-free NTSC DVD-Audio disc includes:

The original album mixed in high resolution 5.1 surround from original multi-track sources.
New album mix and original album mix (flat transfer) in high resolution stereo
Alternate album presentation comprising demos and studio run-throughs

The region-free Blu-ray Audio disc includes:

5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio Surround (24bit/96khz) mixed from the original multi-channel recordings.
New stereo album mix in DTS-HD Master Audio (24bit/96khz).
Original album mix in a DTS-HD Master Audio flat transfers from the original master tape source (24bit/192khz)
Needledrop of an original UK vinyl A1/B1 pressing transferred in 24bit/96khz audio.
Exclusive instrumental versions of all new mixes in DTS-HD Master Audio stereo (24bit/96khz).
More audio extras in high-resolution stereo, including demos and studio run-throughs of album tracks making for an alternative version of Relayer.
Additional BD-exclusive demo/studio run-throughs, full album instrumental mixes, a full album needledrop of an original UK A1/B1 vinyl pressing, singles edits, live tracks and needledrops of the banded tracks from the original US vinyl promo album.

As on The Yes Album and Close to the Edge, the CD (included in both versions) features Wilson’s new stereo mix. It also adds two single edits. In all packages, Sid Smith provides new liner notes and original artwork elements are also preserved.

After the jump: details on Wilson’s deluxe WarChild plus track listings and pre-order links for both titles!

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Written by Joe Marchese

October 29, 2014 at 13:49

Posted in Blu-Ray, Box Sets, DVD, Jethro Tull, News, Reissues, Yes

Release Round-Up: Week of July 1

Steven Wilson Has “Passion” For Jethro Tull’s “Play” With New Box Set

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Jethro Tull continues its series of deluxe reissues with producer/engineer Steven Wilson on July 1 with the release of the (slightly belated) 40th anniversary edition of 1973’s A Passion Play. Following the reissues of Aqualung, Thick as a Brick and Benefit, the deluxe A Passion Play: An Extended Performance will include 2 CDs and 2 DVDs – containing new stereo and 5.1 surround mixes of the original album and previously unreleased material – along with an 80-page book. As with Thick as a Brick, the set is priced affordably; as of this date, it’s available for pre-order at a cost of less than 30 dollars.

A Passion Play was the band’s sixth album, and arrived on the heels of the U.S. chart-topping Thick as a Brick. Whereas that album featured one lengthy, continuous composition (split on two sides of vinyl, of course), A Passion Play featured separate songs, though the original LP did not identify them. Part I occupied Side One of the LP, with Part II on Side Two. The same line-up as Thick as a Brick played on its follow-up: Ian Anderson on flute, acoustic guitar and saxophone, Martin Barre on guitar, Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond on bass, Barriemore Barlow on drums and John Evans on keyboards.

The quintet began work at Château d’Hérouville. The studio, located near Paris, was the Honky Château of Elton John fame, and was also utilized by artists from Cat Stevens to Pink Floyd. Yet the band found that it was not the ideal setting to bring their new album to life. Despite recording roughly an hour of music, the band was dissatisfied with both the studio’s technology and its living accommodations. The group returned home to the U.K. where work began on an all-new set of songs and recordings.

Recorded in a whirlwind of activity before the band was set to begin a new tour, A Passion Play was composed (primarily by Ian Anderson) to explore the notion that choices might still be faced in the afterlife. Taking the form of a four-act play, it began with the character of Ronnie Pilgrim’s death and funeral (which he attended in spectral form) and followed him through the afterlife, to Heaven, Hell and beyond. Par for the Tull course, it combined poetry and rock, and melded rock, jazz, and folk sensibilities into an intricate whole. Though it didn’t meet with critical acclaim at the time, the prog-rock opus followed Thick as a Brick to the top of the U.S. charts upon its release in July 1973.

After the jump: more details on what to expect from the new box set, plus the full track listing and pre-order links! Read the rest of this entry »

Written by Joe Marchese

June 18, 2014 at 09:25

Posted in Box Sets, Jethro Tull, News, Reissues

Release Round-Up: Week of October 29

For Michael Collins, Jeffrey and You: “Benefit” Gets Expanded Reissue with Steven Wilson Remixes

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If Steven Wilson’s remixes of albums by Yes and XTC aren’t enough surround sound excitement for you, then check this out: Jethro Tull’s third album, 1970’s Benefit, is being reissued as a 2CD/1DVD set featuring the talents of the Porcupine Tree frontman.

Benefit was, perhaps, the first step in Tull’s immersion in the greater world of progressive rock. The quintet moved away from the blues influences of their last two records toward a more heavier sound. Studio trickery was more present throughout, with some tracks, including some of Ian Anderson’s flute parts and piano playing by John Evan (listed as a guest on the album but a full-fledged member of the band through 1980) played backwards or at varying speeds. The success of the album paved the way for more great prog efforts by Tull, including follow-up albums Aqualung and Thick As a Brick.

The expanded Benefit – excitingly, one of the first titles from the Chrysalis catalogue to be reissued through Rhino (Warner purchased the Chrysalis assets from Universal after its acquisition of EMI earlier this year) – features nearly all of the album and single-only material from the era newly remixed by Wilson – the complete album, outtake “Singing All Day” and non-LP single sides “Sweet Dream”/”17” and both U.K. single and U.S. album versions of “Teacher.” (The U.K. A-side of “Teacher,” “The Witch’s Promise,” has not been remixed, as multitracks could not be located.) There will be new stereo mixes on the set’s first disc, and stereo and 5.1 surround mixes on an accompanying DVD.

Additionally, a bonus disc features original stereo and mono mixes of the non-LP material (several of the mixes released here for the first time) and some of the album tracks, as well as bonus radio spots. And the aforementioned DVD also features 96/24 khz flat transfers of the original stereo LP, able to be heard in its original U.K. or amended U.S. running orders. (Flat transfers of the single sides will also be included.)

Benefit: Collector’s Edition will be available on October 29; Rhino also promises a vinyl reissue of the album in the future. At present, only a provisional Amazon U.S. link is live, but it is after the jump with the full track breakdown!

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Written by Mike Duquette

September 5, 2013 at 14:10

Posted in Jethro Tull, News, Reissues

The Year in Reissues: The 2012 Gold Bonus Disc Awards

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Gold CD Wow! Was it just over a year ago when a rather dubious report began circulating (that, shockingly, was picked up by many otherwise-reputable publications) that proclaimed the death of the CD was secretly scheduled by the major labels for 2012? Well, 2012 has come and (almost) gone, and it might have been the most super-sized year in recent memory for reissues, deluxe and otherwise, from labels new and old. Here at the Second Disc, we consider our annual Gold Bonus Disc Awards a companion piece to Mike’s own round-up over at Popdose, and we endeavor to recognize as many of the year’s most amazing reissues as possible – over 80 worthy, unique titles. We also hope to celebrate those labels, producers and artists who have raised the bar for great music throughout 2012. As we’re literally deluged with news around these parts, these ladies and gentlemen prove, week after week, the strength and health of the catalogue corner of the music world. We dedicate The Gold Bonus Disc Awards to them, and to you, the readers. After all, your interest is ultimately what keeps great music of the past alive and well.

With that in mind, don’t forget to share your own thoughts and comments below. What made your must-have list in 2012? Without further ado, let’s celebrate 2012′s best of the best. Welcome to the Gold Bonus Disc Awards!

Which releases take home the gold this year? Hit the jump below to find out! Read the rest of this entry »

Written by Joe Marchese

December 28, 2012 at 10:13

Posted in Alex Chilton, Anthony Newley, B.J. Thomas, Barbra Streisand, Bert Jansch, Blur, Box Sets, Carly Simon, Carol Burnett, Cast Recordings, Cilla Black, Compilations, Daughters of Albion, Deep Purple, Dionne Warwick, Duke Ellington, Earl Van Dyke, Elvis Presley, Emerson Lake & Palmer, Eric Clapton, Everything But the Girl, Features, Francis Lai, Glen Campbell, Henry Mancini, Hugh Martin, Janis Joplin, Jerry Goldsmith, Jethro Tull, John Williams, Johnny Cash, Johnny Mathis, Judy Garland, Julie Andrews, King Crimson, Lee Hazlewood, Lionel Bart, Liza Minnelli, Lon and Derrek Van Eaton, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Mark Lindsay, Marvin Gaye, Mary Wells, Matt Monro, Michael Jackson, Open Forum, Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Pink Floyd, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Reissues, Ronnie Dyson, Salsoul Orchestra, Sam Phillips, Stephen Sondheim, The Association, The English Beat, The Jackson 5, The Kinks, The Spinners, The Velvet Underground, Woody Guthrie

Tagged with Gold Bonus Disc Awards

King Crimson, Jethro Tull Prepare Super Deluxe Box Sets For “Larks’ Tongues” and “Thick as a Brick”

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The Super Deluxe stakes continue to be raised with the announcement of two more mega-boxes due before 2012 is out: (greatly!) expanded editions of King Crimson’s 1973 Larks’ Tongues in Aspic, and Jethro Tull’s 1972 Thick as a Brick. Both albums were the fifth studio effort of their respective bands, both are landmarks of the progressive rock genre, and both are being revisited with new 5.1 surround mixes crafted by Steven Wilson. The Porcupine Tree founder was also behind the recent remixes of Emerson, Lake and Palmer’s first two albums, reviewed here.

Larks’ Tongues in Aspic marked the debut of King Crimson’s third iteration, in which founder and guitarist Robert Fripp was joined by new members John Wetton (vocals, bass guitar), David Cross (violin, Mellotron), Jamie Muir (percussion), and Bill Bruford (drums), formerly of Yes. It also proved to be the only album recorded by this quintet. The 7,000-unit limited edition 40^thAnniversary Super Deluxe box set promises to include “every known recording by this band,” and may be the single biggest box yet dedicated to a single album. Its contents are as follows:

8 CDs of live material from the German & UK Autumn 1972 tour, primarily derived from “audio-restored bootlegs”;
1 CD live performance in the studio;
4 CDs dedicated to the original album, including a new stereo album mix, alternate takes/mixes, the original 30th anniversary master and audio extras, plus an audio documentary CD drawn from the original session multi-tracks featuring the first take of every piece on the album;
DVD-A (compatible with all DVD players & DVD Rom players) features a 5.1 DTS Mix and High Resolution Stereo mixes (24bit/48khz) with 5.1 Advanced Resolution (Lossless audio) mix on DVD-A layer. Includes the original album mix, new album mix and an album’s worth of alternate mixes by Steven Wilson in High Resolution stereo. DVD-A also features over 30 minutes of rare, previously unseen footage of the band;
Blu-Ray with entirety of DVD-A content plus additional Hi-Res content, all in lossless 24/96 DTS-HD master sound;
12″ box with booklet, memorabilia, album print & concert download.

For those who don’t need 15 discs of prime Crimson, the set will also be offered as a CD/DVD-A edition (similar to previous reissues from the band, with the 2012 mix and selected audio extras, plus the high-resolution content) and a 2-CD set with the original and new mixes, plus selected extras. In any format, the high quality of the band’s past reissues makes these releases all highly-anticipated. The new Larks’ Tongues in Aspic are due in stores on October 15.

After the jump: Jethro Tull’s Thick as a Brick is revisited, plus pre-order links and track listings! Read the rest of this entry »

Written by Joe Marchese

September 13, 2012 at 15:59

Posted in Box Sets, Jethro Tull, King Crimson, News, Reissues

Release Round-Up: Week of November 1

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Nothing important comes out today, right?

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Written by Mike Duquette

November 1, 2011 at 07:54

Posted in Box Sets, Compilations, Features, Jethro Tull, Manic Street Preachers, Reissues, The Association, The Beach Boys, U2, Vinyl

Tagged with Release Round-Up

No Longer Wond’ring Aloud: Details Finally Arrive For “Aqualung” Super-Deluxe Box

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The super-deluxe parade continues.

We first reported on the 40^th anniversary box set of Jethro Tull’s Aqualung back on June 3, and now we can thank our pals at MusicTAP for revealing details of the set’s rather overwhelming contents! On October 31 in the U.K., EMI will unveil the 2-CD/1-LP/1 DVD/1 BD Aqualung box set alongside a 2-CD distillation, housed in a digipak and containing a 48-page booklet. Amazon isn’t currently showing an American release date, though a domestic arrival is expected shortly after the U.K. date.

Aqualung remains the all-time sales champion for British band Jethro Tull. One of the very first albums recorded at Island Studios, it marked a departure for Jethro Tull’s original, heavier sound, with a track listing of primarily acoustic songs. Bandleader, flautist and chief songwriter Ian Anderson, though, was at his most inspired. Anderson divided the album into two suites entitled Aqualung and My God, one to each side of the LP. Clearly the offstage turmoil facing the band and its line-up didn’t hold back Anderson’s prolific creativity. The album was keyboardist John Evan’s first as a full-fledged member, first with new bassist Jeffrey Hammond, and last with Clive Bunker playing drums. Upon its release, it went Top Ten in both the U.K. and America, hitting No. 4 and No. 7, respectively. In many respects, the original LP defied categorization. Anderson commented, “I always said at the time that this is not a concept album; this is just an album of varied songs of varied instrumentation and intensity in which three or four are the kind of keynote pieces for the album but it doesn’t make it a concept album.” The actual concept album would come the next year, with 1972’s Thick as a Brick, and its nearly 45-minute single song album (split into two sides on vinyl, of course)!

In his own way, Anderson was commenting on English society of the day as much as, say, Ray Davies. His lyrics featured pointed commentary on religion (“My God”, “Hymn 43” and “Wind Up”) but he also indulged a whimsical side (“Mother Goose”), and a contemplative one (“Wond’ring Aloud”). With varying tempi and feel, Aqualung successfully mixed both gritty rock and more “highbrow” experimentation into an album that still sounds like no other, even today. What has been added to make this the definitive Aqualung? Hit the jump! Read the rest of this entry »

Written by Joe Marchese

September 7, 2011 at 13:43

Posted in Box Sets, Jethro Tull, News

The Second Disc

Archive for the ‘Jethro Tull’ Category

Release Round-Up: Week of November 24

Sound Chaser: Steven Wilson Revisits Yes, Jethro Tull In Stereo and Surround

Release Round-Up: Week of July 1

Steven Wilson Has “Passion” For Jethro Tull’s “Play” With New Box Set

Release Round-Up: Week of October 29

For Michael Collins, Jeffrey and You: “Benefit” Gets Expanded Reissue with Steven Wilson Remixes

The Year in Reissues: The 2012 Gold Bonus Disc Awards

King Crimson, Jethro Tull Prepare Super Deluxe Box Sets For “Larks’ Tongues” and “Thick as a Brick”

Release Round-Up: Week of November 1

No Longer Wond’ring Aloud: Details Finally Arrive For “Aqualung” Super-Deluxe Box

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