By D. Davis
Back in the late 2000's, Genesis began re-releasing their entire back catalog in remastered & remixed CD / DVD sets. There were three sets which were released to reflect three distinct periods of the Genesis timeline: 1970-1975 (The Peter Gabriel years), 1976-1982 (the early Phil Collins years), and 1983-1998 (later Phil Collins years / Ray Wilson era). The sets were greeted with mixed reviews from the fans. Some panned them as being harshly remixed with compressed sound and an increased loudness factor, while others praised the new mixes which weren't as muddy as the previous ones and revealed new details within the music. Nonetheless, of the box sets that were re-released, only one of them had a vinyl release to coincide with the box, and it was the 1970-1975 Peter Gabriel years set. I previously reviewed the vinyl release of that set here on Amazon and still listen to it frequently. I, like many fans, was hoping maybe the other box sets would get the vinyl treatment as well. Years passed and nothing came about....until now.... :-)....and I am personally thrilled because this was my favorite of the sets when the CD / DVD re-release came out. And to have it now on vinyl is very exciting!!
As the description states, this "new" 1975-1982 LP box set contains five classic albums on thick 180 gram vinyl:
1-Trick of the Tail
2-Wind and Wuthering
3-And Then There Were Three
4-Duke
5-Abacab
Now let me back up for a second. When these five albums were re-released on the CD / DVD box set, I personally loved the new version of "Wind and Wuthering" as it sounded like a fresh new album thanks to the remastering. I felt the same way about "Trick" as well. However, "Duke" sounded like a harsh mess, with very chaotic sound. "Abacab" and "Three" were marginal. I wasn't sure what to expect when I picked up this new vinyl set, but I'm glad I did, because each of these LPs sound fresh and vibrant, with very little (if any) compression in the mixes. A definite improvement over the harsher sound of the CDs.
"Wind and Wuthering" is amazing! As great as it sounded on CD, it practically soars to new heights on vinyl. The "choral" parts of "Blood on the Rooftops" and crystal clear, adding yet another added piece of depth to an already classic song. "All In A Mouse's Night" sounds like it was recorded this year. The end of "Afterglow" sounds more beautiful than ever. Phil's drums sound great throughout this entire album, and many lost sounds of cymbals and crashes are now more pronounced. Very good bass as well. I will be playing this one non-stop!
"Trick" is fantastic as well. "Mad Man Moon" and "Entangled", two gorgeous songs, shine even greater on this set. The quiet parts are enhanced, in that they sound very clear, nothing muddy in the mix, while aggressive tunes like "Squonk" and "Los Endos" will give your subwoofer a good workout! Good clear bass without overkilling it.
Without a doubt, though, the best improved of the bunch is the aforementioned "Duke". It sounded muddy on the original vinyl, thick on the '94 CD remasters, and a big loud mess on the CD / DVD re-release last decade. This version on vinyl is the one I will now return to again and again. I longed to hear a good, clean, clear sounding "Duchess" and that's exactly what is here. Two underrated gorgeous tracks, "Heathaze" and "Please Don't Ask", are VERY clean and the mud has been kicked off them, so to speak. "Duke's Travels / Duke's End" also shine. I can hear previously buried sounds now, with Tony's keyboards leading the way with a more definitive bass groove. This album really rocks, and now the thick sound has been lifted and it sounds the way I always wanted it to !!
"Three" and "Abacab" sound pretty much as they did on CD, which is good. I concentrated mostly on "Wind", "Trick" and "Duke" as these were the strongest of the albums. I'll add the other two in time.
So far, I have encountered zero surface noise or drop-outs, which some fans said were present on the 1970-1975 vinyl set. The packaging is the same as that set, which has a big box that the LPs slide into from the side. All five albums have protective sleeves covering the inner LP and all have faithful renditions of the original covers / gatefolds. "Wind" even has a textured cover. The covers are all heavyweight cardboard and look quite handsome.
I was told that only 1000 of these were made (although I'm still looking for confirmation and none of them are numbered), so we'll see what comes of that. Anyway, I don't think you'll be disappointed in this set. Great quality music, great quality packaging, and a boxful of memories for vinyl junkies like myself. Perhaps Genesis will finish things off by properly re-releasing the 1983-1998 box set on vinyl too (I'd love to hear "Calling All Stations" remastered for vinyl!!).
Prog on, my friends.
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