Damage: Fripp vs Sylvian's mix

[camphorvan]

I was so disappointed when I erm...damaged my original copy of Damage beyond repair. I thought I would never again be able to hear the Fripp mix again as I believed it to be quite rare. Well, I just ordered a 2nd hand copy off of Amazon (pllllease be in good condition) and it's winging it's way to me right now. I was in the audience when the album was recorded at the RAH so it has a special significance for me; the first time I ever saw Sylvian live (I had bought tickets for the doomed Oxford show in 1988...). I was wondering what people thought of the two mixes and which one they preferred? Being a guitarist I love the Fripp mix because it's very boisterous and chaotic (I love Fripp's louder guitar work). Hm. Been a long time since I've been around here. How's everyone?

[gokartmozart]

I will show my ignorance and tell you I have the gold disc jewelcase that came in the black cloth case. It is boisterous and chaotic in nature... Do I have the Fripp mix?

[swordofdestiny]

I will show my ignorance and tell you I have the gold disc jewelcase that came in the black cloth case. It is boisterous and chaotic in nature... Do I have the Fripp mix?

You have Fripp's mix. The reissue was David's mix. More open sounding with some breathing room. Fripp's mix sounds too dense to my ears.

[baht habit]

I am personally quite partial to Fripp's take on Damage, as I feel that he remained true to the live sound of the group while Sylvian went out of his way to create an aesthetically clean and sterile replication of the performance. The ambience of the arena is quite prominent in the mix that Fripp did and so every musician was represented fairly and accurately as a group should be. Also, what Sylvian did to Mastelotto's overall sound was a crime - it is like he was resigned to playing drums in a dingy garage with a cheesy $100 kit while the remainder of the musicians were working with state of the art equipment. All the life and gusto that was evident on Fripp's ballsy mix seems to have gotten lost, and Mastelotto bore the brunt of the neutering done by Sylvian.

[swordofdestiny]

It's been years since I dug "Damage" out and listened to it and baht's crtique actually made it sound interesting enough to go find it in my vault. It's sad, but I tend to put Sylvian's work away rather than listen to it. Insanity? The collector instinct is strong in a lot of Sylvian fans I have found. One copy to keep out, one copy to play etc. "Damage" looked so nice in its black case it went into the vault after one lousy spin. Is there anybody else does this?

[Stoobie]

i have to say i love the "new dream" bootleg version, warts and all !

Stoobie

[Bern]

Sword of Destiny I never put Sylvian stuff away I play everything from Adolescent Sex to Sleepwalkers in a continous loop interspersed with anything from Charles Aznavour to Beyonce (oh come on who doesnt love "If I was a boy")