Opinion : the backwards version of "heaven's blade" is the best.
Opinion : the backwards version of "heaven's blade" is the best.
finally got around to listening to Backwards on vinyl, and i have several thoughts!
1. cold spring did a much better job packaging & pressing this than they did with recoiled. it sounded absolutely fantastic throughout.
2. the track order is weird. i didn't notice it when i was listening to the digital version, but it doesn't flow very well, and that bothered me.
3. there are a couple songs on it that are superior to their counterparts on ape of naples / the new backwards (, but there are some that are definitely lacking some of the...finesse (?) that other versions have.
4. really glad i pre-ordered because amazon is sold out, and also really glad this got released, despite my couple gripes with it.
Danny's surfaced recently to mention that Backwards won't be on iTunes or Spotify for at least another year or two (I'm guessing this is a legal issue) but that if anyone wanted to download digital copies, he's selling them directly.
The download includes several bonus tracks, which were included in downloads given to people who bought the vinyl directly from Mr Hyde.
13. Spactiche
14. Heaven's Blade- 98 Jams
15. Wur Click 98 Lo chords
16. Mellotron song
17. Heavens Blade 96 Vox version
18. Wur Click 98 Tk3 -Vox Bits
OMFG THE WUR CLICK THING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's always been by far my favorite thing ever on the Backwards demo (as Wir-Click-Wir). Bits and pieces of it can be heard on the finished track, Copacaballa, but I always wanted to hear more from that amazing groove. THANK YOU, DANNY!!!
Also, Spastiche, that was also on the demo. Yay! Who would think that Uncoiled would eventually snowball into such greatness? (I really need to get my ass off and do that video thing...)
A common complaint about Backwards that I see among people in the Coil Facebook forum, and no doubt in other places where super serious old-timers reside, is that "these were unreleased for a reason" and "the material just isn't up to the quality we expect with Coil" and that sort of thing.
I just downloaded the Threshold House reissue of the Hellraiser themes, and the bonus tracks on there are just... I mean, given the naming convention, they're obviously quickie compositions done for commercials in the 80s/90s. They're kind of garbage. I don't see these same people blathering on and on about those tracks. And of course, I'm not going to post about this there, because I don't really care for the pile-on that would occur, but I had to post about how goofy and dumb those bonus tracks were, somewhere, might as well be in my own backyard.
Carry on!
Surprised it hasn't been posted already but there are CD & vinyl repressings of The Ape Of Naples and The New Backwards available to pre-order in various configurations over at Important Records.
not sure when this happened, but the Brainwashed page has been updated to answer my question about why Threshold Archives disappeared:
hopefully it gets back on track soon since i missed out on the initial run of the CDs : /Thank you to everyone who has supported the launch of Threshold Archives. It is something to be proud of. It has made a lot of people very happy to have the beginnings of the project Peter began finally come to light after so many years. The first phase accomplished its goals: to establish it as a viable entity, to be affordable, available, to preserve the legacy, and work as a model to compensate contributors and survivors when bootleg practices and exploiters run rampant worldwide.
In order to continue, however, it is necessary to step away and let someone else take responsibility. The new custodian of Threshold Archives has the infrastructure to meet the requirements, manage accounting and royalties, and establish a trust dedicated to reaching agreements with various stakeholders fairly and ethically.
Brainwashed will only serve in a wholly unpaid advisory capacity from here on. The project is temporarily on hold while the details are being worked out. All apologies to those who have missed the first run but please be patient and try to resist temptation to pay scalpers and opportunists on the auction sites and trading sites.
Thank you again.
If you want the audio (I know you're a collector, but...), it's all on archive.org. Everything by Coil is there. Everything.
Thanks for the tip. That's phenomenal. I'll still buy if stuff appears at a reasonable price, but until that happens this is a great way to supplement the gaps in my collection.
yeah, seriously.
i downloaded a "complete" discography torrent years ago when the only physical item i had was an original pressing of scatology on vinyl (i have much, much more now). i'm still kicking myself for not jumping on the first run of these CDs, i was being too hoity-toity "i only buy vinyl, now" about it when i should have been like "IT'S FUCKING COIL, DIPSHIT!"
still debating whether or not i want to get the new pressings of Ape & The New Backwards since i already have the box set with the black vinyl. : /
I know that they're talking about doing another pressing, but it is pretty unfortunate that the series was created to combat the high cost of the secondary market and now those discs almost all sell for at least $40.
Oh, shit! I totally missed that those were happening. Time to put my money where my mouth is. So far the only thing I've downloaded from Archive is The New Backwards... so I just ordered a copy of it. I'm wondering if the vinyl will be six tracks like the original 12", or nine tracks like the CD/download. I never even noticed that discrepancy until I did the download yesterday. Years ago, I had a rip of the vinyl from somebody, and I didn't understand why the Archive download had three extra tracks. The whole Backwards thing is so confusing: The Ape of Naples, The New Backwards, and Backwards are all versions of the same material (obviously Ape is vastly different), and they were released in reverse order of "completion." Plus there's the Backwards demos. So that's four ways you can listen to Coil's phantom album for Nothing Records. (For fun, you can also throw an additional three working titles at the album as well: International Dark Skies, The World Ended a Long Time Ago, God Please Fuck My Mind For Good.)
Last edited by mqhanlon; 07-13-2016 at 06:44 AM.
Important Records' blurb on the site says they used the plates approved by Sleazy the first time around, so they should be an exact reissue with no extras.
Someone needs to do a Musick to Play in the Dark box with the entirety of the tracks included. You can do it as a 3xLP because disc 2 would be the last side of MTPITD1 and the first side of MTPITD2.
yeah, the new pressing of TNB is going to be identical to the original, which means it's not the expanded CD version, unfortunately.
the new pressing of ape is essentially the same, but instead of being three discs with etchings on every other side, it's two discs with all three etchings (smaller, presumably) on side D.
there's an "unofficial" musick to play in the dark collection that i've debated getting on discogs, but i don't understand the cover art (for two of the versions; the third version looks like a scan of the "trauma" edition), and i have no idea if it sounds good. https://www.discogs.com/Coil-Musick-.../master/800413
new version of Prescription Edition of Astral Disaster coming out at the end of the month!!! just pre-ordered from B&N
In 1998, Coil were invited to record at Sun Dial's studios beneath the London Bridge Hop Exchange-a studio originally know as Samurai Studios, originally built and owned by Iron Maiden. The premises in Victorian times was an old debtors prison which had three underground levels, and still had the original chains, manacles and wrought iron doors from the old prison. This caught the attention of John Balance, who was very keen to record there. Coil spent a number of days recording at the studio during Halloween 1998. With Gary Ramon's help, they developed a number of tracks, some of which resulted in this LP. Ramon produced and mixed the "Astral Disaster" recordings, as well as playing guitar and sitar on these sessions. A version of the album was later remixed by the band and released on their own label-but the Prescription mixes as released in 1999 are unique. This rare album was part of the legendary subscription-only Prescription label album series in the late 1990's, issued in an edition of 99 signed and numbered copies, long since sold out. (If you are wondering, originals fetch £700+). This is the first time the album is being released officially since 1999. Taken from the original masters, this reissue comes with original sleeve artwork, insert, and the facsimile signatures of John Balance and Peter Christopherson that came with the first issue.
Norman Records put up a preorder weeks and weeks ago. Nobody's quite sure if it's legit. Nor when it's supposed to ship. If it will.
Edit: ...And as if they stalk my internet history, Norman emailed an hour after I posted this to say it's in stock and reserved for me.
Last edited by seasonsinthesky; 12-02-2016 at 01:57 PM.
Last edited by eversonpoe; 01-14-2017 at 05:02 PM.
it was them or amazon and it was cheaper on B&N. i don't understand how businesses can be allowed to accept pre-orders for items they can't guarantee. it happened to me with a different record on amazon last year, and happened to my wife with "sunset mission" last month. it's infuriating.
I just gave it a listen. No issues with the sound of it. The original/alt mixes are quite something – I hadn't listened to them before. The presence of slide guitar is certainly pretty nuts in Coil moon musick.
@seasonsinthesky was nice enough to message me last night and let me know that resident music seemed to have copies (possibly of a second pressing) available, and with the decline of the british pound, it only cost me $41 including shipping! still have my "just in case" order in with amazon, but they still say "temporarily out of stock" so who knows if they'll ever be getting more.
Are there any songs / remixes by Coil similar to / stemming from the same era of the sound they brought to their remixes for TDS? Besides LSD and the Contaminated albums, that is. I've listened to a few albums here and there, but it's really their work for Trent - especially on the TDS' title song - that I like most.
There's certainly nothing like the Gave Up mix. I understand why they didn't do the vocal cutups very much beyond it, novel as it is, but I LOVE the sound of it. Gonna use it myself I think.
@r_z In general style, I do think the original Backwards (as on the 2015 Cold Spring release) is pretty fitting with the TDS remixes.
Also, it might be worth trying a track from Constant Shallowness Leads to Evil, just to see if it tickles your fancy. Heaviest, loudest, most abrasive thing Coil ever did, and a goddamn shame it was the only thing of its kind.