HW: PXR 5 CD (read first)

[Doug Pearson]

On Thu, 27 Apr 2000 18:52:15 +1000, Tim Gadd <lupercal at GEOCITIES.COM> wrote:
> - why did they have to frig around with a perfectly good
>album? Where did this remix/re-arrangement of 'High Rise' come from? IMHO
>it's markedly inferior to the original, particularly in the vocal dept. On
>the vinyl version Calvert sounds nicely manic, with that
>frothing-at-the-mouth sort of edge to his delivery. On this one, other than
>having acquired an annoying echo, the vocals are (for Bob) relatively
>anaemic and lacklustre. It sounds more like a demo.

I agree 100%.  I prefer the first version of "High Rise".  The really
strange thing is that the first time I heard the "new" (CD) version of the
song was on Nik's 'Past Or Future' tour, where Tommy Grenas sang it as the
new version, not the original version.  I remember wondering "what's up
with THIS arrangement?!?" and only understood once I picked up the 'PXR5'
CD a couple years later.

>Finally, I'm now convinced that the definitive version of 'Uncle Sam' is on
>the Stonehenge 1977 CD-R (originally Weird 102/3 from memory). Calvert at
>his most ferocious, Simon House hammering his keyboard like it's a rhythm
>guitar, and the song hurtles along; all sharp edges and electricity. Nothing
>wrong at all with the PXR 5 version, and it does have the nice spoken
>section about Drum Majorettes, but it does seem a bit sedate compared with
>that other live take.

Damn!  I guess I need that album (or for Voiceprint to hurry up with the
Collectors' Series Weird Tapes reissues)!  Of all the versions of "Uncle
Sam" I've heard, the 'PXR5' one is my least favorite.  I think I've already
stated that I prefer both the "Neu-ish" 1976 version and the "punked-up"
Hawklords '78 version (Weird 107? 108?) to the one on 'PXR5' (although I
agree about the "Drum Majorettes" rant being very good!).

        -Doug
         ceres at sirius.com