Carefully restored debut album with interesting demo tracks / packaging with quirks

Carefully restored debut album with interesting demo tracks / packaging with quirks

XX (20th Anniversary Special Edition) (Audio CD)

Customer Review

As it is now, one of the undisputed most important and influential rock albums of the 90s, reissued 20 years after first publication in three remastered versions. For a large RATM fan like me to upgrade from the old CD was mandatory. Besides the standard publication that gathers the original album and three already-published live tracks on a single CD, there is the here-reviewed Special Edition, in addition to the CD from the single release a second CD with demo material from the early phase of the band's history and includes a DVD with music videos and live video. As a third variant also a Deluxe Box Set was released, consisting of a total of 2 CDs, 2 DVDs and a LP. I am referring specifically to the Special Edition and want to comment briefly on the strengths and weaknesses of this publication.

Packaging and presentation (3 stars):

First of all, is worth mentioning that this is a cardboard digipack (without plastic elements) that of conventional Digipacks differs slightly. The dimensions are 14.5 x 15.5 x 1cm, so it is slightly larger than conventional digipack. The cover itself is covered with a FSK 12 stickers, but I could remove easily. The to be seen on the product image for single publication black square with white text info glued with the special edition on the outside of the plastic film is not so direct component of the digipack. Interior spans two flap surfaces an image that shows the band members in front of a ice cream truck (the image in the background of the image of the product Deluxe version). Otherwise, the digipack is inside almost completely black. The discs are (unfortunately) housed in Papptaschen. The bags are quite narrow and both CDs exhibited significant superficial streaks, when I took it out for the first time. The DVD was unharmed. Here a digipack with plastic brackets for the discs would have been desirable. Furthermore, will be: a piece of cardboard with a band photo front and personal acknowledgments at the back and a nice booklet (20 pages including cover and back cover.). The booklet contains a reference to the story behind the famous album cover (the burning monk), a by fellow musician Chuck D (Public Enemy), written text, where he deals with personal memories and anecdotes, a few pictures, track listings and Production Info for both CDs and DVD. Also published are the lyrics to nine of the ten songs from the original album. Nine out of ten? That's right, just the text to the most well-known song, "Killing in the Name ', is missing.

Let's get to the more important part of the music:

CD1 (5 stars):

Who owns the original album already and is satisfied that does not necessarily have to upgrade only from an acoustic perspective. Although I would call the remastering of old songs as successful, but the difference is not too big. What I notice is purely subjective, that the energy of the music clear and powerful penetrates without the roughness and authenticity of the tape has been lost through excessive handling. So I have imagined and desired as the original mastering was already very well in advance. A detailed discussion of the original album and the political explosiveness of the songs will save me and you as well to all has been said already. For me personally, the album is the best ever, but above can be argued, of course. Worth mentioning are still the three-added to the original album live tracks ("Bomb Track", "Bullet in the Head ',' Take the power back 'of 1993), which is, however, is here to already published on Singles material.

CD2 (5 stars):

The second disc is a much more interesting. The fan is inclined may have already heard of these twelve songs, as they haunt for some time by the network and you could find on long out demo CDs, which have been sold in the early days of the band in their early performances. This is demo tracks that have been made before recording the first album. Among them are well-known and only slightly different from the finished versions of songs like 'Bomb Track', 'Take the power back' or 'Bullet in the Head', but also songs that differ significantly from the final product. Here sting 'Killing in the Name' and 'Know Your Enemy' out who are blessed with a very different, but very worth listening to guitar solo. In addition to 'Clear the Lane', which 'knows Live & Rare' album and' man already from Darkness of Greed ', which for the soundtrack to' has been added The Crow ', there are three tracks that the general public are largely unknown and did not make it on's first album. In particular are the 'Autologic', 'The Narrows' and 'Mindset's a Threat', the latter being subsequently partially eg risen in 'Freedom' and 'Wake up'. Elements of 'The Narrows' we know from 'Fistful of Steel'. Who listen carefully on the disc, place here and there (especially with Tom Morello's game) Parts, which are known from a later songs.

DVD (3 stars):

The DVD is nothing more than a nice bonus. It is advised for a period of nearly 30 minutes rather short and there are only three music videos ("Killing in the Name '1992,' Bomb Track 'in 1993,' Freedom 'from 1993) and three live recordings (' Take the Power back 'in 1993,' Bombtrack '1992,' Wake up 'of 1992) contained. The offered image material has (as expected) a modest quality and is (of course) in 4: 3. This is not necessarily to be construed as criticism. If you want to but more of the Deluxe Box Set must be with an abundance of music videos and live clips and material set from an early 1991's appearance and a concert of 2010 - or access to one of the already erhältichen DVDs.

In conclusion remains to say that above all, the publication of the second disc for fans (and also from music historical perspective) was important as it gives an insight into the development phase of such an important debut album. The remastering of the original album pulls from no trees, but that was in my opinion not really necessary. The DVD would have been dispensed for me in this form. As a bonus, but I'll take it with love, even if I squint a little envious of the Deluxe Box Set, which is priced but located beyond good and evil. A little more care in the design of the packaging and a more comprehensive booklet would have the Special Edition deserved. For the 20th anniversary of 'Evil Empire' I want a different type of packaging which does not harm the discs!

joa ne 1 Rank: 5/5
September 26
Very good, recommended ..! Rank: 5/5
November 23
2 times defective items Rank: 1/5
May 20
Makes a solid impression 1 Rank: 5/5
January 23
Perfect January 1599 Rank: 5/5
January 21