A look at Back To The Light

Benn wrote: Big V,

Given that it's a solo Brian record, is the Queen sound really what the doctor ordered?

I'm not saying what it should've been, I'm saying what it is... to me at any rate. 

What I like about Brian (and Queen, come to think of it) is that very few artists can get away with a song as delicate as "Too Much Love" and a headbanging metal track such as "Resurrection" on the same record. The songwriting (if not vocal) range of the man is mindblowing!

V.

OK the Japanese release is also from 1992, but it has 2 bonus tracks - Just One Life (guitar version) and Too Much Love Will Kill You (guitar version) . Sorry for any confusion

No confusion taken.

There is a Japanese release from 2001 (light purple slim obi), but it wasn't remastered.

Wilki Amieva wrote: There is a Japanese release from 2001 (light purple slim obi), but it wasn't remastered.
Hi Wilki,

I was only aware of a 2006 rerelease (TOCP-53713). Has there been a 2001 rerelease too?

Was the japanese re-release in "mini-vinyl" format or jewel case?

The 2006-version has a jewel case.

Sorry, I meant 2006 of course.

rhyeking wrote:

Too often I buy a CD (or download an album) and listen to it all the through once, then pull my favourites to put on my player and rarely give the rest of the album a chance to grow on me. I want to change that. I want to have the patience I had as a kid, when even if a song wasn't an immediate favourite, it had a regular chance to find a place alongside the rest.

Am I alone in feeling this way?

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That is because in the good old days, music was scarce and expensive. If you bought an album, you played it til death. I did with Queen 1, Aerosmith's Live! Bootleg and U2's Rattle and Hum.
At the time (early nineties) these albums were € 20,00, a shit load of money for a 15 yr old.

I was buying everybodies old LPs, because they were replacing all their music. That was the way to go, great music practically for free: 3 for $1...50 cents each...25 cent singles...those were the days!

I'd buy a 10 pack of 90 minute tapes and slap an album on each side. If there was room, I'd put an extra song or two, like a non-album track or single version, on there. 

Don't even get me started on mix tapes! I was the master!  I would calculate the entire side of the tape before I transferred a single song, so I wasn't randomly cramming songs in on the end and getting them cut off partway through.

Don't bet caught up in remasters. Google and youtube "loudness war" and you will see why.

I know ALL about the loudness wars and have various releases which were unfortunately caught in the middle of the battle.

:-)

Rush, for example, released Vapor Trails and was not satisfied with the ramped up volume and compression. And that was an original release, not a remaster. When two tracks from that album were scheduled to appear on their Retrospective 3 collection, the guitarist Alex Lifeson sat down in the studio and fully re-mixed the tracks to the band's satisfaction and announced the fact as part of the promotion of Retro 3. He know wants to do the rest of the VT album, to fix it.

rhyeking wrote:

Personally, I find Clapton kind of vanilla. Was he talented? No argument, but... he doesn't rock out consistantly like he could. Same with Santana, who I think is overrated. I don't play guitar, so you can slam me on that point, that I don't know what I'm talking about. But as the saying goes, I know what I like.
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i DO play guitar, and I agree with your opinions on Clapton and Santana COMPLETELY.  No offense to them or any fans of theirs, but i connect with Brian's musical choices in his playing MUCH more than some of the more often cited guitar "heroes" of the 70's etc.

rhyeking wrote:

Rush, for example, released Vapor Trails and was not satisfied with the ramped up volume and compression. And that was an original release, not a remaster. When two tracks from that album were scheduled to appear on their Retrospective 3 collection, the guitarist Alex Lifeson sat down in the studio and fully re-mixed the tracks to the band's satisfaction and announced the fact as part of the promotion of Retro 3. He know wants to do the rest of the VT album, to fix it. ...................................................................................................................

Funny you mention RUSH, rhyeking, 'cause I can't get ENOUGH of them lately.  Beyond The Lighted Stage propelled me from a casual fan to an addict. =)

Who there horsey!    I LOVE all of "Back To The Light"!!!    That studio is l.p. is why I said Queen should continue because if it was that good without Roger Taylor imagine how good it would have been if he had been involved as well!!!