Search - Killing Joke :: Brighter Than a Thousand Suns

Waves of Revelations

David K. Myers | 02/13/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"All right, I understand that this one creates a little controversy with the fans. And that's understandable; it was certainly a different approach, and seems on the surface to be a mellower Killing Joke. However, for me, it stands up as one of the great albums they did; the message is still very much on target, and despite the curtain of shimmering keyboard work layered over most of the tracks, the composition of the songs and the urgency of the playing still comes through loud and clear. And the remix helps an awful lot.



Not to say that I didn't appreciate what was done with the original release; someone must have heard it and decided that the commercial aspect of it could be ramped up a notch or two. Which made it possibly more palatable to the general public (note, however, that it didn't give Phil Collins a run for his money at the time), but did dilute the energy that the band wanted. Now we have the opportunity to hear this work the way the band and producer originally wanted.



And there aren't a whole lot of major differences in terms of editing; the beginning of "Adorations" is the most striking change you'll notice. "Sanity" is a tad shorter than the original release, owing to minor cuts in the song's structure (nothing important gone, I believe that it was probably padded out a little for the original release), and Rubicon fades out at the end (no surprise for hardcore fans, we've heard it before). The major change comes with the mix; most of the reverb is gone (good riddance), and the drums and guitar get just a little more kick, as the keyboards are pushed a bit more to the back, giving much more balance to the energy of the songs.



And what songs they are. Although this may not be "definitive" or even "representative" Killing Joke, this material stands second to none. It is still one of the most consistent albums they released, and one of the most powerful. If you've slagged it off all these years because of the way it was marketed at the time, give it another listen, especially in this format. The changes overall are mostly subtle, but make a huge difference in the impact. For those of you who stuck by the original release, it does take a little bit to get used to the mixes, but it's worth it. However, if you do own the original release, you might want to keep it around for a while; the magnificent seven minute mix of "Victory" isn't represented here (although two of Zeus B. Held's mixes for the singles are), and I still love the job they did with the track. One of the best remixes I've heard.



And for those tempted to check out Killing Joke for the first time, this may be the easiest one to assimilate. Again, though, not necessarily representative. But it is 100% absolultely solid. For the sound quality alone, fans should snag this one up. It is superb."

Is this some kind of victory?

A Slight Delay | NJ, USA | 02/22/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"While this isn't the best album by Killing Joke--that honor would go to their self-titled debut, or to this album's predecessor, 1985's "Night Time"--it's certainly a darned good album... even moreso since Chris Kimsey's original mixes have been restored.



And what a restoration. From the first track, "Adorations," to even one of the bonus tracks, "Ecstasy," this version is a vast improvement over, and surprisingly different than, the versions on the 1986 issue (and, in the case of "Ecstasy," the '90's b-sides and remixes collection "Wilful Days.") Where the previously available versions sound as though they could have been produced by Rupert Hine, these tunes are darker, and better, than their predecessors.



When you listen to the mix that was released in 1986, it's easy to see why this is one of the band's more "controversial" offerings. EG Records clearly wanted to capitalize on the success of "Night Time," and rather than leaving the band's destiny in their own hands, they apparently decided to tweak the results themselves. They would do so again on the album that followed ("Outside the Gate," originally intended as a Jaz Coleman solo effort before EG rebranded it as a KJ album), following a pattern that had held with other acts on the label, from UK to Bruford to King Crimson.



But I digress. Had this version been released in 1986, I doubt if there'd have been as much gnashing of teeth. The combination of the band's writing/playing, and Kimsey's production, results in a classic Joke album, and a solid followup to "Night Time."



A note on the Killing Joke reissue/remaster series: unlike the reissues of the likes of the Beatles, Elvis Costello, Frank Zappa, or even one-time KJ labelmates King Crimson (for just a few examples), each of whom have been reissued and re-reissued ad nauseam, someone at EMI (and/or within the band) would appear to have taken the time to get this right the first time. The sound on all the reissues is much improved over the originals, and each album in the series (especially the 2008 batch) is stuffed with bonus material. Other bands, and labels, would do well to take note; this is how reissues SHOULD be done."

Sanity

M. Taylor | UK | 05/17/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I'm not too convinced that this version of the album with it's restored mixes is actually better than the original CD but it contains one track which makes this CD an essential purchase regardless.



'Sanity' is one of the very best KJ tracks and with this CD you get an additional 6 minute remix which is superb. Great lyrics and Geordie's guitar is especially delightful.



Other notable tracks are 'A Southern Sky', 'Adorations' and 'Exile' which is another of the bonus tracks.



The hypnotic LFO affected Oberheim keyboard sound (remember 'Love Like Blood') is also present on this album. It's a great combination with the unique guitar sound and really adds to the mystique and darkness of the songs."