August 26, 2004

• Skylarking

  Earlier today, some errands took me to the U-district. After I was done with the important stuff, I went to one of the many, many used CD shops you tend to find near major universities.

  Picked up a copy of the limited-edition remastered Japanese import paper-sleeve CD version of XTC‘s ‘Skylarking,’ and MAN. It’s like it’s a totally different record. It’s like someone took the cotton out of my ears. The re-mastering is masterful, and the packaging makes one happier than a ballet on a rainy day. It’s like a little tiny CD-sized LP record, with paper inner sleeve and cardboard jacket.

  The track order is slightly different than the US LP release I’m used to, and it includes the bonus track of either Mermaid Smiled or Dear God (depending on which previous release you had; in my case, Mermaid Smiled).

  Completely and totally worth it, and of course it was only $9. They also had the limited-edition Japanese import paper-sleeve CD (say that three times fast) of ‘Nonesuch,’ and while that’s not my favorite XTC album, it might be worth going back for, just so this one isn’t lonely. If they had ‘English Settlement,’ it’d be no contest.

  • 8:16 pm
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