Ultravox – Sleepwalk

I thought that the sleeve could have been a bit thicker and stronger but yes, nice to have a proper anti-static inner. As for the vinyl noise there was absolutely none on my copy and the music was louder than a lot of modern pressings. Lovely crisp and dynamic sound. Yes there is a bit of distortion on Waiting but then so did the original 1980 release in exactly the same places. I think the record has a very slight blue hue to it, not ultra clear like the original 7" pressing.

Pressing quality was great on the Ultravox release. The high quality anti-static sleeve was a real treat. Print quality of the sleeve was impeccable. They obviously sourced the images from photographer Brian Griffin. I’ve never seen so much tone in the shots. And the card stock used came as close as imaginable to that of the original, which used the reverse, textured side of the card stock for an interesting effect. The new sleeve has the same woolly texture.

The Wilson mix differences were subtle for “Sleepwalk.” It sounded dryer with less reverb. Slightly reduced bass response. I’m not hearing any differing effects here. Maybe only the EQ has been adjusted slightly. Perhaps because this was a single, and the debut single by the winning Ultravox lineup, the decision was made to have a light touch.

Billy Currie’s hot solo in the middle eight was a little dry and effete in the Wilson mix, with maybe a slight chorus added instead of reverb. It sounded like the upper frequencies had been emphasized at the expense of bass. And maybe a little midrange. Which one do I prefer? Well, having both, the Plank is the definitive in 2.0. But it’s not so far off the mark that it’s night and day. I’ll call it 85% of “Sleepwalk.” Or “Sleepwalk Lite.” But when the intent of the band was to write a song “that had all the guts and gore of Judas Priest, except on synthesizers,” then The Plank mix is the winner.

“Waiting” was another thing entirely. More liberties were taken in the mix and I found that I was liking the difference. The synth swooshes and white noise explosions on the line “syncopate on the marching song” were gone, and since they were already used as hooks in “Sleepwalk,” this made some sense to me. They were still there after "looking back as you head for home” though. New aspects of the synths were brought to the foreground. The long intro buildup had enhanced spatial detail in the soundfield. The separation of Warren Cann intoning the title [with synth distortion] was far more pronounced on the Wilson mix. As were his snare tattoos. The reverb here was enhanced from the relativity flatter Plank mix. Everything sounded more dreamlike and surreal. And that only improved this song.

The long atmospheric fade was very different indeed. The varispeed effects were still there, but the synths around the 3:00 mark were given the full spotlight in a way that everything seemed to be held at arms length in the Plank mix. Grinding synths seemed to be a new experience entirely. Swells of string patches were now distinct. And the spaced out synth portamentos in the and of the fade were so buried in the Plank mix that they seemed to be an entirely new, and surreal, experience.

If the “Sleepwalk” was a slightly weaker version, then the “Waiting” mix from Wilson was a bolder mix, and a clear winner. I am favoring the Wilson mix of “Waiting.” So…not bad. Not bad at all. Steven Wilson has managed to find new life in a song like “Waiting” that I always loved; just moreso now! It makes me very interested in hearing the rest of Wilson’s mixes when the box drops in late September. I have to say that I’m now thrilled to have the Wilson 2.0 mix on a separate disc. I appreciate getting the chance to re-experience an old familiar friend in a new light and am now very glad to have pre-ordered the “Vienna” 40th Anniversary box.

I'm hearing a little distortion in the b-side (Conny Plank) version of Waiting when turned up loud. Anyone else noticing this?