I preorder directly from Cherry Red Records, when the package arrived last week I had to pay 18 EUR import tax charges otherwise they wouldn't deliver --- first time ever thanks to the Brexit. I knew that sooner or later it would happen anyway, but 18 EUR !!! Still it was cheaper at that time since in Germany it was over 100 EUR when I ordered. Now it went town to 85.99 EUR and of course my impatience cost me almost 10 EUR...
Anyway, a first listen was very rewarding. All of the BBD 5.1 mixes are in my opinion very well done. Consistently in all of them you get in the center channel voice, bass and drums, and in the rear channels overdubs and extra arrangements. I like this kind of mixes, which you get also in some Rush releases. If done well the instruments don't get in the way of the voice.
My favorite track is Surreal Estate, the mix here manages to bring to life some exquisite details such as a mandolin which is there in the original mix but somewhat lost in the busy arrangements. This track has a Talking Heads feel to it. Another track I like is Love in Flames, meant to be heard LOUD. Yet, the excellent mix manages to bring to surface many details like a guitar lick up front and keyboards in the back. I miss the bass in the center channel here, which is blended in the front channel. I think fittingly so due to the very prominent guitar. This track and New Mysteries remind me of Snakefinger. Proof of how much Bill Nelson was in the cutting edge of the sound of the times, as when Drastic Plastic was recorded (June 1977) neither Talking Heads nor Snakefinger had released anything yet !
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