As announced, Spanish label Munster Records had published the remastered vinyl edition of "Macbeth", licensed by Cherry Red Records.
There' also a 1 minute video promo on the Web (go here).
Considering this is an official release, it's enbarassing that compiling the notes Naporano repeats one of the worst trite commonplaces about the origins of the band stating it was born in Canterbury (!!!) and, really incredibly, that it was "previously called East of Eden" (!!!).
But it's life and errors are more easy than one can imagine... (for example, in my book I've repeated that the TEB played at the Hyde Park free concert on July 18h 1970... but we know that even if on the bill actually they didn't play there...).
Anyway, Naporano's essay is quite interesing for his definition of the TEB music form as "an archaic proto-psyche journey". He writes: "You do feel an acidulated folk-aura, where each one should create its own Trip on it. Above all, is very varied in its conception, and a complete voyage when it stands up and walks in our ears."
For the Spanish music writer TEB tracks on "Macbeth" are "folkishly ludic" (as "Overtoure", "Iverness", "Cour Dance"...) or "concrete music - in a very personal way of being" (as "The Beach", "Ambush"...), "as if every drumming fractures, singing seagulls or sharp whistles were conducting us to waves of fear into the unknown." 
And what about the vinyl quality?
This is not a 180g edition, but the sound is very good, with great dynamic and deepness and well separated and clear timbrics...
I think it's a really valid edition, and apart a maybe too expensive price (euros 22 plus postal costs) and the classic (incomprehensible) pops and ticks everywhere, is a worth to have it.
no©2020 Luca Chino Ferrari (unless you intend to make a profit. In which case, ask first)
Interesting. Glad to see this reissue. Surprised to read the honesty in the appraisal of vinyl as pops and clicks. Polanskis Macbeth is a great film, made greater by the Third Ear Bands music
ReplyDeleteThanks for your post here, Manon Lebus. The honesty you say is one of the method of work here: no compromises, only the truth. This is my truth, anyway, beacuse maybe your copy could be better, with no pops and clicks...
DeleteENGLISH:
ReplyDeleteI just watched the video: the latest fashion seems to be that of hands leafing through the disc, extracting it from the cover, admiring the artwork: they call it "unboxing" ... but the problem is that we are dealing with a sound object and not only to a wrapper. In the digital age, with remastering now reaching a very high level of perfection, I wonder what does it mean to reissue faulty vinyls? Certainly Macbeth will never sound on vinyl like the splendid remaster on Esoteric, and above all it will never be a true analog LP, since it goes through a digital mastering anyway, a blatant nonsense. Lucky those who own the original (us) ... but personally I find the compact disc technology close to perfection and this new wave of vinyl leaves me totally indifferent. The only positive aspect is that the music continues to circulate in one way or another ... the final choice to the audience!
ITALIAN:
Ho appena guardato il video: l'ultima moda sembra essere quella delle mani che sfogliano il disco, lo estraggono dalla copertina, ne ammirano la grafica: lo chiamano "unboxing"... ma i problema é che siamo di fronte ad un oggetto sonoro e non solo ad un involucro. Nell'era digitale, con il remastering ormai giunto ad un altissimo livello di perfezione, mi domando a cosa serva ristampare ancora scricchiolanti vinili? Certamente Macbeth non suonerà mai in vinile come lo splendido remaster su Esoteric, e soprattutto non sarà mai un vero LP analogico, dal momento che passa comunque attraverso un mastering digitale, un palese controsenso. Fortunati coloro che posseggono l'originale (noi)... ma personalmente trovo che la tecnologia del compact disc rasenti la perfezione e questa nuova ondata di vinile mi lascia totalmente indifferente. L'unico aspetto positivo é che la musica continua a circolare in un modo o ell'altro... al pubblico la scelta finale!
I'm totally agreed with you, even if the vinyl quality is not the same everywhere. Some factories are working very well and the vinyl is quite perfect. In other cases, like this one, better would avoid releasing an album in vinyl format.
DeleteBut so it is. As rightly you say, the most important thing is that music is still around, especially the TEB's one, with people still listening to it.