Here's a nice piece from The Guardian where Peter Saville talks a bit about his Joy Division and New Order sleeves.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Joy Division Rehearsal Tapes - Lossless
Over at The Power Of Independent Trucking, Mr. Analog Loyalist has made the Joy Division rehearsal tapes available in a lossless format.
Mr. Loyalist is who originally mastered this material at the band's request, and provided Rhino with the material used for the Record Store Day 12". He's now sharing more of the material than was posted here.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Artwork from here on out...
Those of you who download the RSD 12" immediately below this entry may be surprised to find it doesn't include any DIY artwork (i.e. jewel case insert, slipcase, CD label). From this point forward the only artwork that will be included is the front of the sleeve - and possibly the back if it's something of interest.
Entries here and over at Extra Track are always delayed by me, because the artwork takes a lot of time. I wanted to take that degree of care when restoring the original Factory singles, because Saville was an integral part of the whole presentation, but it was such a time-consuming process that two years later I still haven't even assembled my own slipcases. It's really just a tremendous headache with very little payoff, so I'm not doing it anymore (once the current run of Smiths singles is finished).
The purpose of Recycle was to create a box set for the original Factory singles, and we've done that. Anything else is just a bonus. :)
In this day and age, 90% or more of you will be listening to these song via your computer, or iPod/iPad, or whatever portable device you use, so you really don't need any more than the cover image for your digital library anyway. I'll continue to provide high-resolution scans taken from the sleeves, and having just tackled the LP/EP sleeves from '81-'89, I'll also be posting the sleeves from Joy Division's four proper albums released on Factory between '79 and '88.
As always, you can follow the artwork progress here.
Recycle: Record Store Day - Ceremony 30th Anniversary Edition
[Link removed 20 November 2012]
New Order/Joy Division
Ceremony - 30th Anniversary Edition/Record Store Day
Rhino Records UK
16 April 2011
Tracklisting:
New Order
1. Ceremony (1st Version)
2. In A Lonely Place (1st Mix)
Joy Division
3. Ceremony (Rehearsal)
4. In A Lonely Place (RSD 12" Take, Stereo)
5. In A Lonely Place (Heart And Soul Full Take, Stereo)
1. Ceremony (1st Version)
2. In A Lonely Place (1st Mix)
Joy Division
3. Ceremony (Rehearsal)
4. In A Lonely Place (RSD 12" Take, Stereo)
5. In A Lonely Place (Heart And Soul Full Take, Stereo)
1: FAC 33 Italian 45 RPM 12" single
2: FAC 33 45 RPM UK 12" single (green sleeve, 2nd version of Ceremony on A-side)
3-5: Low (1st?) generation copy of 1/4" rehearsal recording reel
Notes from the restorer:
Despite being spread out over the entire side of a 12" single, the Italian pressing of the original New Order recording has loads of compression on it. I suspect this was applied at the mastering stage but I don't know.
Tracks 1 and 2 were transcribed at 33 RPM, de-clicked, and then pitch-shifted to 45 RPM in the digital domain at which point the remaining processing was done (20Hz highpass filter, convert from stereo to mid/side, noise reduction on side channel only, convert back to stereo, EQ and just a touch of limiting).
Tracks 3-5, for the purposes of this post, magically landed in the restorer's lap courtesy of some kind and generous space aliens. It is alleged they were taken from a possibly 1st generation cassette dub from the rehearsal room 1/4" reel master, but this is only supposition. A fair amount of work was needed to goose the recordings into quality listening material; mainly EQ and, surprisingly, mid/side decoding due to the supplied source coming to us mid/side encoded (engineer technobabble, those with further interest are suggested to Google it). A touch of gentle noise reduction, tasteful limiting, and done.
As archivists dispatched to preserve the Joy Division and New Order single release legacy, the ultra-limited 2011 Record Store Day 12" featuring the original New Order "Ceremony" and "In A Lonely Place" recordings, and on the flip the Joy Division rehearsal recordings of the same, could not be ignored.
We've already discussed the original FAC33 here, and have used these same files for the A-side of this re-factored FAC33. The only difference between the 2011 Rhino FAC33 and the original Factory FAC33 green-sleeved 12" (the *very* original that is, with the September 1980 recordings) is that Rhino used the mix of "In A Lonely Place" which featured on the re-released cream-sleeve FAC33 12" and, later, on Substance - not Martin Hannett's original less-thunderclappy mix originally released in early 1981. We've preserved the original mix here, as it was originally released at the same time as this version of "Ceremony".
On the other hand, the Joy Division half is quite a new one. 1997's Heart And Soul box set featured two never-released rehearsal recordings (supposedly found on a tape by Peter Hook, whilst rummaging behind his couch or some similar story), those of "Ceremony" and an edited "In A Lonely Place". "Ceremony" is complete, but "In A Lonely Place" - as all serious fans know - abruptly ends at roughly 2:30, or shortly before Ian Curtis would begin singing the third verse. Allegedly this is the only version that existed on Hooky's tape, so it was what got used.
Leaping forward 14 years, new sources were located for both Joy Division tracks, essentially from a rehearsal room recording reel-to-reel tape. "Ceremony" from the reel was the same take as on the box set, but in a bit higher fidelity. Also on the reel was more than one take of "In A Lonely Place" - the full, unedited version of the take used on the box set (which was the last one on the reel, sequentially, and therefore surmised to be the last one they recorded), and the take - the last-but-one on the reel - used by Rhino on this year's Record Store Day 12".
It was discovered that - roughly speaking - the versions on the reel had been (technoweenie talk ahead) "futzed with" by (presumably) the survivors, trying to pull out Ian's lyrics for their own versions of the songs. The box set featured the futzed-with "Ceremony", and a collapsed-to-mono "In A Lonely Place". Without getting too detailed, "Ceremony" on the box set is a modified, compromised stereo that's not true, while on the RSD 12" it has been restored to real, as captured by rehearsal room microphones, stereo. Similarly, "In A Lonely Place" is also full-stereo on the reel, and presented in true stereo on the 12". Fans will be glad to know that were it not for other fans, these restored versions would not have been used on the 12".
This last single in phase one of Recycle is a good one: the Joy Division recordings are not captured from vinyl, but are the exact sources given to the label for the 12" release (compressed for Recycle, that is - the label was not provided with lossy AAC/MP3 masters!). We've auditioned the actual 12" and determined that the mastering is very faithful to the source given to the label. That said, multiple keen listeners have discovered a mastering flaw - on multiple copies of the 12" - beginning towards the latter third of the Joy Division "In A Lonely Place", whereby it gets a bit distorted in places. The version here, doesn't.
Recycling plastic milk bottles
Just a reminder from Friends of the Earth, although Plastic milk bottles are recycled, a lot still end up in landfil sites, where they will take thousands of years to decompose.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Factory LPs and EPs 1981-1989: Artwork
Zip File
Several people have asked if we'll be giving the Recycle treatment to the the studio LPs released between 1981-1989. We've decided against it for the time-being, because the albums are all in print (or in the case of 1981-1982 and Substance can be recreated with the work previously posted here), and once Warners/London/Rhino got the 2-disc remasters sorted out the sound is actually not that bad.
We would be sourcing from the Factory CDs manufactured between 1986-1992, so if you have those already, consider them the Recycle masters. The one exception is Low-Life, which had some questionable pre-emphasis added at the mastering stage. At some point we may decide to transcribe the Low-Life vinyl, but that's not on the horizon.
I've carefully scanned the sleeves of the LPs/EPs released between '81 and '89, and bundled them together so you can tag the albums in your own digital library. The one new addition is a variation on the Substance sleeve, seen above. I put together my own 2-disc version which encapsulates the Factory singles nicely.
01. Ceremony (second version)
02. Procession
03. Everything's Gone Green (12" version)
04. Temptation (12" version)
05. Blue Monday
06. Confusion
07. Thieves Like Us
08. Murder
09. The Perfect Kiss (12" version)
10. Sub-Culture (12" remix)
11. Shellshock (12" remix)
12. State Of The Nation (12"version)
13. Bizarre Love Triangle (12" remix)
14. True Faith (12" version)
15. Touched By The Hand Of God (7" version)
16. Blue Monday 1988 (12" version)
17. Fine Time (12" version)
18. Round & Round (12" version)
19. Run 2 (7" version)
20. World In Motion (7" version)
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Interesting Article by Dr. Gary Robertshaw
Global warming - getting the message across
Speaking to an audience of MEPs and policymakers at a conference in Brussels, Prince Charles attacked climate change sceptics and deniers for what he referred to as the corrosive impact they exerted on public perceptions. And such perceptions and deliberate manipulation on the truth should not be underestimated. How many of us have heard comments such as: global warming is a myth, or its all part of a natural cycle and its been hotter in the past, long before humans started emitting carbon etc.
Although there now exists a vast body of evidence pointing towards man-made climate change, deniers continue to perpetuate the myth that thousands of scientists throughout the world are conspiring to mislead the public and that the world would have warmed anyway, without the billions of tonnes of carbon being pumped into the atmosphere each year.
This commonly held belief borders on the irrational and is counter to the vast consensus of the scientific community. On a more emotive level, the Prince posed the question: I would ask how these people are going to face their grandchildren and admit to them they failed their future. He went on to say that they were playing a reckless game of roulette with the future inheritance of those who come after us. David Attenborough has made similar comments in reference to his own grandchildren.
Barack Obama has also echoed the same sentiments. “The issue of climate change is one that we ignore at our own peril. There may still be disputes about exactly how much we are contributing to the warming of the earth’s atmosphere and how much is naturally occurring, but what we can be scientifically certain of is that our continued use of fossil fuels is pushing us to a point of no return. And unless we free ourselves from a dependence on these fossil fuels and chart a new course on energy in this country, we are condemning future generations to global catastrophe”.
A further argument used by climate change sceptics relates to economic growth. That increased carbon emissions are a prerequisite to GDP increases and economic well-being, especially for countries such as China and India. According to this viewpoint, curtailing carbon emissions would restrict economic growth. However, this argument is short-termist and ultimately flawed precisely because economic growth in the longer-term is inextricably connected to the environment. At a fundamental level, the Earth has finite resources yet economic growth is predicated on an ever-increasing population consuming an ever-increasing amount of resources. At some point soon, the capacity of the planet to continue supporting this bottomless pit type economic growth will start to diminish.
This view was reflected in the Prince’s words. “I cannot see how we can possibly maintain the growth of GDP in the long term if we continue to consume our planet as voraciously as we are doing. The fabric of the Earths life support system may be beginning to fragment”.
Which brings us to another important point. Many in the environmental movement have failed to address a number of critical issues. Firstly, a large number of environmental organisations and campaign groups do not tackle the issue of global population growth, choosing instead to ignore it completely or to sidestep the issue because its seen as too politically sensitive. Yet it’s a central environmental problem that cannot be brushed aside. A statement by the World Scientists Warning to Humanity, signed by 1600 senior scientists from 70 countries, including 102 Nobel Prize laureates, has said: Pressures resulting from unrestrained population growth put demands on the natural world that can overwhelm any efforts to achieve a sustainable future. If we are to halt the destruction of our environment then, we must accept limits to that growth. That does not imply a Chinese style approach to population quotas - programmes aimed at the better education and empowerment of women across the globe coupled with more readily available contraception methods are proven approaches to reducing birth rates.
Secondly, environmentalists should sell the benefits of sustainable living rather than just telling people what to give up. If we are constantly told that living environmentally friendly lives means giving up all that makes life worthwhile, then it is no surprise that people refuse to change. If public opinion is that the evidence for man-made climate is weak or questionable, and that protecting the environment means compromising standards of living then that leads to apathy and inaction.
Its is clear that the way forward relies on carrying the message beyond a growing but still small group of scientists and environmentalists to the wider public that humans are having an adverse and potentially catastrophic impact on the environment. The inheritance of future generations depends on protecting the environment, halting deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels and implementing programmes aimed at stabilising the global population.
The current situation is perhaps best summed up by Lester Brown, president of the Earth Policy Institute: Civilisation as we know it cannot withstand the stresses of continuing with business as usual. We have got to move, almost on a war footing, to cut carbon emissions, eradicate poverty, stabilise population. We must also restore natural support systems: forests and aquifers and soils. No civilisation ever survived that kind of destruction and nor will ours. We have not yet gone over the edge, but we are much closer than most people think.
Dr Gary Robertshaw
The Green Providers Directory
Speaking to an audience of MEPs and policymakers at a conference in Brussels, Prince Charles attacked climate change sceptics and deniers for what he referred to as the corrosive impact they exerted on public perceptions. And such perceptions and deliberate manipulation on the truth should not be underestimated. How many of us have heard comments such as: global warming is a myth, or its all part of a natural cycle and its been hotter in the past, long before humans started emitting carbon etc.
Although there now exists a vast body of evidence pointing towards man-made climate change, deniers continue to perpetuate the myth that thousands of scientists throughout the world are conspiring to mislead the public and that the world would have warmed anyway, without the billions of tonnes of carbon being pumped into the atmosphere each year.
This commonly held belief borders on the irrational and is counter to the vast consensus of the scientific community. On a more emotive level, the Prince posed the question: I would ask how these people are going to face their grandchildren and admit to them they failed their future. He went on to say that they were playing a reckless game of roulette with the future inheritance of those who come after us. David Attenborough has made similar comments in reference to his own grandchildren.
Barack Obama has also echoed the same sentiments. “The issue of climate change is one that we ignore at our own peril. There may still be disputes about exactly how much we are contributing to the warming of the earth’s atmosphere and how much is naturally occurring, but what we can be scientifically certain of is that our continued use of fossil fuels is pushing us to a point of no return. And unless we free ourselves from a dependence on these fossil fuels and chart a new course on energy in this country, we are condemning future generations to global catastrophe”.
A further argument used by climate change sceptics relates to economic growth. That increased carbon emissions are a prerequisite to GDP increases and economic well-being, especially for countries such as China and India. According to this viewpoint, curtailing carbon emissions would restrict economic growth. However, this argument is short-termist and ultimately flawed precisely because economic growth in the longer-term is inextricably connected to the environment. At a fundamental level, the Earth has finite resources yet economic growth is predicated on an ever-increasing population consuming an ever-increasing amount of resources. At some point soon, the capacity of the planet to continue supporting this bottomless pit type economic growth will start to diminish.
This view was reflected in the Prince’s words. “I cannot see how we can possibly maintain the growth of GDP in the long term if we continue to consume our planet as voraciously as we are doing. The fabric of the Earths life support system may be beginning to fragment”.
Which brings us to another important point. Many in the environmental movement have failed to address a number of critical issues. Firstly, a large number of environmental organisations and campaign groups do not tackle the issue of global population growth, choosing instead to ignore it completely or to sidestep the issue because its seen as too politically sensitive. Yet it’s a central environmental problem that cannot be brushed aside. A statement by the World Scientists Warning to Humanity, signed by 1600 senior scientists from 70 countries, including 102 Nobel Prize laureates, has said: Pressures resulting from unrestrained population growth put demands on the natural world that can overwhelm any efforts to achieve a sustainable future. If we are to halt the destruction of our environment then, we must accept limits to that growth. That does not imply a Chinese style approach to population quotas - programmes aimed at the better education and empowerment of women across the globe coupled with more readily available contraception methods are proven approaches to reducing birth rates.
Secondly, environmentalists should sell the benefits of sustainable living rather than just telling people what to give up. If we are constantly told that living environmentally friendly lives means giving up all that makes life worthwhile, then it is no surprise that people refuse to change. If public opinion is that the evidence for man-made climate is weak or questionable, and that protecting the environment means compromising standards of living then that leads to apathy and inaction.
Its is clear that the way forward relies on carrying the message beyond a growing but still small group of scientists and environmentalists to the wider public that humans are having an adverse and potentially catastrophic impact on the environment. The inheritance of future generations depends on protecting the environment, halting deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels and implementing programmes aimed at stabilising the global population.
The current situation is perhaps best summed up by Lester Brown, president of the Earth Policy Institute: Civilisation as we know it cannot withstand the stresses of continuing with business as usual. We have got to move, almost on a war footing, to cut carbon emissions, eradicate poverty, stabilise population. We must also restore natural support systems: forests and aquifers and soils. No civilisation ever survived that kind of destruction and nor will ours. We have not yet gone over the edge, but we are much closer than most people think.
Dr Gary Robertshaw
The Green Providers Directory
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