Apr 292007
Once again I’m finding myself stuck watching Apocalypse Now, but this time – as has been the case in recent years, it’s Apocalypse Now Redux. Every time an added scene comes on, I’m proud to be an editor. As is often (always?) the case when watching this or any “Director’s Cut,” I’m reminded of all the redone or extended original works of art, and in musical terms specifically, I wonder if any piece of tape that had initially been left on the cutting room floor actually improved the work of music after it had been restored and release on some Deluxe edition. Please name one song that was improved by a restored edit.
I’m suprised you didn’t point to your fave edit on “Sweet Jane”. That’s a good question though.
There is actually a restored version of “Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)” on a Monkees rarities disc that has a cool organ solo that got snipped out.
This isn’t the same thing, but Let It Be Naked is better than both the original Let It Be record or the original Get Back record.
However, all 3 of them are sucky compared to
Abbey Road.
Welcome to Monday everyone.
Let the attack begin
Shawnkilroy wrote:
Nope, …Naked is not better than the original release. Good effort thought. Keep ’em coming!
Andyr, I’ll take your word on it re: “Look Out (Here Comes Tomorrow)”. You may be rock’s leading critic in the appreciation of that song.
The widely bootlegged remake of In Color that Cheap Trick did with Steve Albini a few years back is pretty great and better than the original.
OK, remixes are one thing, but I’m still looking for songs with restored parts taht improved on the original.
Iggy’s remixed/remastered Raw Power is way better (and Louder)
than the Bowie helmed original
The Star Wars movies reworked are a fucking disgrace.
E.T. remix is wretched.
Blade Runner directors cut is a little better than the orig.
Apparently when the Phantom Menace came out on DVD with extra shit, some fan cut a version of that horrible movie. From what I hear they were able to cut out Jar Jar entierly and make a decent 90 minute movie. that is allegedly watchable.
OK. I know this isn’t a song but I’ll probably never have an opportunity to show off one of my Godfather observations in public again so…
Kay Adams is rarely acknowledged by any other character than Michael. Rather she is at the beginning a major part of Michael that slowly gets marginalized completely out of his existence. By the end of the movie, Michael literally closes the door on her for good.
My favorite representation of the two-sides of Michael is on his trip to the hospital to see his wounded father. The oncoming traffic lights in the cab create an effect that rapidly lights one side of his face and then the other. Once he arrives, next to his father (who represents his other side), he says “I’m with you now.”
OK, the point here is a scene that was cut and restored that provides further support. After Michael reads the newspaper headline that reports on his father’s shooting, he immediately dashes across the street to a pay phone, leaving Kay to weave her own way thru traffic to catch up. Once in the booth, he closes the door and the camera moves around and around as Kay tries to get him to acknowledge her but he doesn’t.
Hey, it’s not rock ‘n roll, but I like it.
From which movie are these Kay and Michael characters?
Fuckin Godfather Dude!
DUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! I thought you were referring to an actual godfather, in the baptismal sense.
That was close man. I thought I was going to have to cut off all association with you. And kudos for copping to your misunderstanding and not using your blogger status to delete your comment. THAT is leadership by example!
Mr. Kilroy claims:
Iggy’s remixed/remastered Raw Power is way better (and Louder)
than the Bowie helmed original
I bought this lemon used, not noticing that it was remixed, &c. It reminds me of the Simpons in the sushi restaurant, when the master chef berates his subordinate, “This looks like it was cut by a blind woodsman with a dull axe!” That mix is made presumably to let the rest of us hear what the original record sounds like to someone with high-end hearing loss. Mudsville, man. Though if Bowie has a consistent production fault, IMO, it’s thinness of sound. Maybe someone could do a home mix of both!
They should treat Raw Power like when Acid software has remix contests — just put the individual tracks up on a website and let the masses mix it themselves. I’m sure a number of us could do a better job than Iggy did, although his may be the loudest.
Peter Gabriel and Todd Rundgren, if memory serves, released albums that allowed for some degree of remixing, as you wisely suggest Iggy should allow us to do with Raw Power, Steve. Anyone ever pick up one of those things? This would have been in the early days of “CD-ROM” and other then-high-tech phrases that baffled me.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard the Bowie produced version of Raw Power, but the remaster is the loudest, most in the red album I’ve ever heard. And I love it. I can’t imagine it sounding “thin” or whatever.
hmmm…
I heard the full band version of Maggot Brain the other day, while I was shopping for used cds. I can’t say it was better to hear that song with instrumentation other than just Eddie Hazel’s scorching guitar solo, but it was certainly interesting. And I’d like to hear it again.
Mr. Mod poo-pooed ‘Let it Be Naked’, but as opposed to it restoring parts left on the cutting room floor, it stripped off some parts glued on after the fact and actually improved some of the songs, ‘The Long and Winding Road’ being the most obvious example.
The version of Sunshine Superman on Donovan’s Greatest Hits clocks in at about a minute longer than the single. It includes a very nifty electric guitar solo that I believe was almost snipped entirely. I like this long version better.
Your point, however, is well taken. I’ve always disliked that the CD versions of Marquee Moon restored the ending of the title cut in lieu the fade in the middle of the first verse repeat, which nicely implied that the thing could start over and go through an endless repeat. Who imagined that the destruction of that nifty little aesthetic trick was a worthy price to pay to heaar the band play the rest of that verse and halt uncomfortably.