Inaudible String Band
Stephen B. Dwyer | Syosset, NY USA | 10/28/2005
(1 out of 5 stars)
"The Incredible String Band are incredible, this "remastered" recording is not.
The 1st, self titled disc sounds great, as good as any version of this album available, but disc two, 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion, is unlistenable.
The problem is that it is done wrong, the channels are out of sync with each other. This creates an echo, the harmonies, and simple beauty of the music are lost in fuzzy fogged out confusion.
Buy any other version,(this is 5 star music that deserved better quality control at the label, beautiful, fun, music that deserves to be heard as it was originally produced and recorded), not this one until it gets to the attention of the label that they have put out a botched product."
All time classic album ruined
Brendan Mckie | Sweden | 01/15/2007
(1 out of 5 stars)
"DO NOT BY THIS! My disappointment with this cd package is profound. I previously owned a single CD copy of "5000 spirits", which I unfortunately left on a train, so here was trying to replace it and pick up an extra disc (the self-titled "incredible string band") as a bonus. Unfortunately, although "5000 spirits" is a fantastic album, something has gone terribly wrong with the remastering (re-wrangling?) here. The tracks are smothered in this horrible, unrelenting delay effect, which was not on my previous, unremasterd, copy - if it is intentional then those responsible have no taste, if unintentional then the channels have been sloppily mixed. All copies of this should be withdrawn from sale. Buy "5000 spirits", it is the Incredible String Band's most whimsical, most inventive. But AVOID this so-called remastered version."
AVOID, AVOID, AVOID!!!
Don Radlauer | 01/19/2007
(1 out of 5 stars)
"As the previous two reviewers said, this remastered version is utter garbage; Dan Hersch of Digiprep (credited with remastering) has destroyed the second half of "The 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion". (It's possible, I suppose, that someone else was responsible for the screw-up.)
The first CD ("The Incredible String Band") is fine, and the first few tracks of "The 5000 Spirits..." sound decent. But starting with track 7 ("Blues for the Muse"), the channels are all out of sync and the music is ruined.
By all means buy this music - it's great stuff. But avoid this particular edition like the plague."