Black Sabbath - Technical Ecstasy (vinyl boxset)

[GOS]

Oh boy. So, I received my vinyl boxset of Sabbath, Technical Ecstasy.

Side 5 and Side 6, are Outtakes & Alternative Mixes. Remixed by Steven Wilson.

Game over. These remixes are simply awesome. I mean, they sound great! I don't know what else to say. If you're a Sabbath fan, this is like drool city. I'm going to carefully, clean these records, rip them, and cherish them. So amazing. Just for these 8 remixes, easily worth the price. Oh, and the boxset is a beauty. The book, and posters are collector worthy. I'm beyond happy with this.

 

[GOS]

 

[GOS]

 

[jimfisheye]

Well I'd like to hear that! Is this vinyl only? (Making us settle for an analog generational copy of a digital master once again in 2021?)

Wait, is this the same label that released those recent "deluxe" editions with the stepped on shrill sound? Maybe I should be asking if the vinyl versions are better copies and free of that!

What's the lowdown?

Wait... There aren't 3 outtake versions of It's Alright?
(Many bonus points earned for that omission!)

 

[jimfisheye]

I can tell from this CD version I'm trying to listen to that these were great mixes. The CDs have the same shrill lo-fi treatment all the CD versions of these novality "deluxe" releases feature. Just appalling treatment of material like this!

Can you say anything about the vinyl vs the CDs @GOS? Is the sound on the vinyl actually unmolested? It would be worth seeking out if it was. I don't much care for my Black Sabbath sounding like the bass is on zero and the treble is on 11!

The stripped down reinventing on the alternate mixes is a wild ride I wasn't expecting here! I like his remixes of the album proper too. The stepped on CD version took a really big hit though. The original mixes on the Virtigo Japan CD are still the highest fidelity.

 

[sjcorne]

I can tell from this CD version I'm trying to listen to that these were great mixes. The CDs have the same shrill lo-fi treatment all the CD versions of these novality "deluxe" releases feature.

I'm seeing similar reports over at the Hoffman forum. Disappointing to hear, since the SW outtake mixes on the Vol. 4 deluxe set sounded great.

 

[par4ken]

After the first three or four Sabbath LP's I started losing interest in the group until this album. I love "Dirty Women" and "All Moving Parts (Stand Still). The album has a different sound quality than that of the other older albums though, more shrill or electronic sounding. I'm not usually a fan of remixed albums but I just wonder if remixing would make it sound a bit better?

 

[jimfisheye]

Had a chance to hear a vinyl rip. The vinyl is a copy of the prepared for volume war CD master. More faux vinyl, I'm afraid. It looks for all the world like someone really doesn't want these recordings released in full quality right now. All the remixes and outtakes have the same brutal treatment. That all this work and effort was done and basically just pissed on is really trashy. They went so far to contract Steve Wilson and then released his work (stereo only) with this treatment?! This is the 3rd "deluxe" release like this now. It's clearly intentional. Something must be going on with ownership or something?

Also FYI, that 24/96 HD release is the very same shrill volume war copy of the original mixes as this new CD. The Vertigo Japan CD is still the best released copy by quite a lot.

I wonder if any of us will ever get to hear SW's 5.1 mixes of this stuff? You know he made them.

 

[jimfisheye]

After the first three or four Sabbath LP's I started losing interest in the group until this album. I love "Dirty Women" and "All Moving Parts (Stand Still). The album has a different sound quality than that of the other older albums though, more shrill or electronic sounding. I'm not usually a fan of remixed albums but I just wonder if remixing would make it sound a bit better?

The original mixes are pretty dirty and mid heavy murky. This was the late '70s when production budgets were cut severely vs a couple years beforehand. Probably not a lot of time spent on the original mixes. Although all the Sabbath albums were mixed pretty quickly! Whatever happened, the original mixes are kind of dirty and muddled. They can certainly be made to sound worse though! As these new remastered versions illustrate.

This was the last "real" Sabbath album to me. Never Say Die is pretty falling apart at the seams. Like the title track though. I love the psychedelia in Won't Change Me and Gypsy! The pretty ballad is kind of over the top but still interesting but the segue from that to Dirty Women is over the top hilarious!

The remixes sound like they were pretty great before someone ruined them in mastering. A few more liberties than you usually hear from SW when he does an album remix. (For good or bad depending on your take on it.) You can hear all the drum fills now and you can understand all the lyrics.

Always wondered what was up with that AM radio single in the middle of side 1. Still do.

 

[sjcorne]

I wonder if any of us will ever get to hear SW's 5.1 mixes of this stuff? You know he made them.

I don't think so, he mentioned in an interview some months ago that the Sabbath camp only asked for stereo remixes (crazy as that sounds).

 

[jimfisheye]

I don't think so, he mentioned in an interview some months ago that the Sabbath camp only asked for stereo remixes (crazy as that sounds).

Well, they've sure made it clear that no master quality copies of this material are getting released with these editions! I'm just thinking out loud. If I had Black Sabbath multitrack that I was remixing from, I'd sure have the 5.1 version up and rocking out in my room! I'd probably not say that out loud. (Or I'd have to make all new accounts with the old ones getting blown up with PMs!) It would be in his personal collection and would have to come out underground long after attention dimmed. Or if the copyright owners decide to release real versions of these albums one day with the audio intact.