Dark Horse releases - 'Assembly' 2LP

Joe Strummer discussion forum. Latino Rockabilly War, Mescaleros and more!
matedog
User avatar
Purveyor of Hoyistic Thought
Posts: 25804
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 4:07pm
Location: 1995

Re: Dark Horse releases - 'Assembly' 2LP

Post by matedog »

Look, you have to establish context for these things. And I maintain that unless you appreciate the Fall of Constantinople, the Great Fire of London, and Mickey Mantle's fatalist alcoholism, live Freddy makes no sense. If you want to half-ass it, fine, go call Simon Schama to do the appendix.

Marky Dread
User avatar
Messiah of the Milk Bar
Posts: 58887
Joined: 17 Jun 2008, 11:26am

Re: Dark Horse releases - 'Assembly' 2LP

Post by Marky Dread »

matedog wrote:
27 Mar 2021, 9:48am
Positive review from Pitchfork: https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/jo ... -assembly/
"Other highlights include the dyspeptic pop of “Love Kills,” which bares more than a passing resemblance to Mick Jones’ brilliant-post-Clash outfit Big Audio Dynamite."

As Mick plays on this can you hear him more in this new mix? My copy has yet to arrive.
Image

Forces have been looting
My humanity
Curfews have been curbing
The end of liberty


We're the flowers in the dustbin...
No fuchsias for you.

"Without the common people you're nothing"

Nos Sumus Una Familia

msza2
Junco Partner
Posts: 465
Joined: 22 Aug 2012, 2:15pm

Re: Dark Horse releases - 'Assembly' 2LP

Post by msza2 »

matedog wrote:
27 Mar 2021, 9:48am
Positive review from Pitchfork: https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/jo ... -assembly/
Huh, they gave Assembly the exact same score (8.0) they gave 001, and they dish out scores to the tenth of a point. What is the purpose of a music review site if they won't differentiate between similar products? Give one of 'em an 8.1 ffs.

Telecaster
Dirty Punk
Posts: 142
Joined: 26 Mar 2018, 3:14pm

Re: Dark Horse releases - 'Assembly' 2LP

Post by Telecaster »

Marky Dread wrote:
27 Mar 2021, 10:43am
matedog wrote:
27 Mar 2021, 9:48am
Positive review from Pitchfork: https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/jo ... -assembly/
"Other highlights include the dyspeptic pop of “Love Kills,” which bares more than a passing resemblance to Mick Jones’ brilliant-post-Clash outfit Big Audio Dynamite."

As Mick plays on this can you hear him more in this new mix? My copy has yet to arrive.
You can hear the guitar follow the vocal melody across more of the song. To my ears, there's possibly 3 guitar tracks on the go.

The album mix across all the tracks has a lot of little nuances which I think the original mixes lacked. Across the border Guy sounds more layered to me. I like the way there's more clarity to the vocals on each song. X-Ray Style seems quite different to me a little less percussive, more acoustic and finessed.

I'm probably imagining it, but I do think the project as a whole has had some kind of remix work applied.

Marky Dread
User avatar
Messiah of the Milk Bar
Posts: 58887
Joined: 17 Jun 2008, 11:26am

Re: Dark Horse releases - 'Assembly' 2LP

Post by Marky Dread »

Telecaster wrote:
27 Mar 2021, 12:27pm
Marky Dread wrote:
27 Mar 2021, 10:43am
matedog wrote:
27 Mar 2021, 9:48am
Positive review from Pitchfork: https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/jo ... -assembly/
"Other highlights include the dyspeptic pop of “Love Kills,” which bares more than a passing resemblance to Mick Jones’ brilliant-post-Clash outfit Big Audio Dynamite."

As Mick plays on this can you hear him more in this new mix? My copy has yet to arrive.
You can hear the guitar follow the vocal melody across more of the song. To my ears, there's possibly 3 guitar tracks on the go.

The album mix across all the tracks has a lot of little nuances which I think the original mixes lacked. Across the border Guy sounds more layered to me. I like the way there's more clarity to the vocals on each song. X-Ray Style seems quite different to me a little less percussive, more acoustic and finessed.

I'm probably imagining it, but I do think the project as a whole has had some kind of remix work applied.
Thanks mate. I hope it's had a remix that would be cool. :approve:
Image

Forces have been looting
My humanity
Curfews have been curbing
The end of liberty


We're the flowers in the dustbin...
No fuchsias for you.

"Without the common people you're nothing"

Nos Sumus Una Familia

Telecaster
Dirty Punk
Posts: 142
Joined: 26 Mar 2018, 3:14pm

Re: Dark Horse releases - 'Assembly' 2LP

Post by Telecaster »

I'm sure the album has had work across the board. Little things just seem different to me. Maybe Joe's solo efforts will get more high end treatment.

I do hope Mick's post Clash work, gets similar attention from a record label one day.

Marky Dread
User avatar
Messiah of the Milk Bar
Posts: 58887
Joined: 17 Jun 2008, 11:26am

Re: Dark Horse releases - 'Assembly' 2LP

Post by Marky Dread »

Telecaster wrote:
27 Mar 2021, 1:05pm
I'm sure the album has had work across the board. Little things just seem different to me. Maybe Joe's solo efforts will get more high end treatment.

I do hope Mick's post Clash work, gets similar attention from a record label one day.
Hear hear.
Image

Forces have been looting
My humanity
Curfews have been curbing
The end of liberty


We're the flowers in the dustbin...
No fuchsias for you.

"Without the common people you're nothing"

Nos Sumus Una Familia

TeddyB Not Logged In
User avatar
Graffiti Bandit Pioneer
Posts: 2013
Joined: 06 Feb 2009, 8:42pm

Re: Dark Horse releases - 'Assembly' 2LP

Post by TeddyB Not Logged In »

Edit.
Last edited by TeddyB Not Logged In on 27 Mar 2021, 5:38pm, edited 1 time in total.

TeddyB Not Logged In
User avatar
Graffiti Bandit Pioneer
Posts: 2013
Joined: 06 Feb 2009, 8:42pm

Re: Dark Horse releases - 'Assembly' 2LP

Post by TeddyB Not Logged In »

Love Kills has not been remixed for Assembly. It sounds a little fuller than on 001 but that’s all. Anything that went back to the multi-track would sound more different. Love Kills is the big irony in the post-Clash story. Mick produced it for Joe, played and sang, and then Joe gave it to Chris Lord Alge to remix it, echoes of what he did with Glyn Johns, though Glyn has better taste. Anyone who buys too heavily into the myth that Joe wasn’t commercial minded should take note.

Mick’s work with BAD and offshoots was done almost entirely for Columbia/Sony, so I wouldn’t ever expect anything like 001. Joe owned his Mescaleros masters, which form the basis for his comps, adding some licensed bits and pieces.

Marky Dread
User avatar
Messiah of the Milk Bar
Posts: 58887
Joined: 17 Jun 2008, 11:26am

Re: Dark Horse releases - 'Assembly' 2LP

Post by Marky Dread »

TeddyB Not Logged In wrote:
27 Mar 2021, 5:38pm
Love Kills has not been remixed for Assembly. It sounds a little fuller than on 001 but that’s all. Anything that went back to the multi-track would sound more different. Love Kills is the big irony in the post-Clash story. Mick produced it for Joe, played and sang, and then Joe gave it to Chris Lord Alge to remix it, echoes of what he did with Glyn Johns, though Glyn has better taste. Anyone who buys too heavily into the myth that Joe wasn’t commercial minded should take note.

Mick’s work with BAD and offshoots was done almost entirely for Columbia/Sony, so I wouldn’t ever expect anything like 001. Joe owned his Mescaleros masters, which form the basis for his comps, adding some licensed bits and pieces.
Thanks for the clarification here Teddy. I like Love Kills it's a strong track. But it's a real shame that Mick has been mixed so low in the mix. I hope Mick's original mix still exists.
Image

Forces have been looting
My humanity
Curfews have been curbing
The end of liberty


We're the flowers in the dustbin...
No fuchsias for you.

"Without the common people you're nothing"

Nos Sumus Una Familia

Telecaster
Dirty Punk
Posts: 142
Joined: 26 Mar 2018, 3:14pm

Re: Dark Horse releases - 'Assembly' 2LP

Post by Telecaster »

Hey, sorry if my ears have mislead anyone. The EQ of the master does make the mix sound fuller. As I don't know what Mick played I should have not speculated if it had been remixed or not, whoops!

There does seem to be some good work going on soundwise for this compilation though. It's an enjoyable record and along with Marky's BAD compilation, they both will get a lot of plays.

Heston
User avatar
God of Thunder...and Rock 'n Roll
Posts: 38356
Joined: 15 Jun 2008, 4:07pm
Location: North of Watford Junction

Re: Dark Horse releases - 'Assembly' 2LP

Post by Heston »

Telecaster wrote:
27 Mar 2021, 6:42pm
Hey, sorry if my ears have mislead anyone. The EQ of the master does make the mix sound fuller. As I don't know what Mick played I should have not speculated if it had been remixed or not, whoops!

There does seem to be some good work going on soundwise for this compilation though. It's an enjoyable record and along with Marky's BAD compilation, they both will get a lot of plays.
Mastering can change aspects of a mix, sometimes it's easy for your ears to be deceived.
There's a tiny, tiny hopeful part of me that says you guys are running a Kaufmanesque long con on the board

TeddyB Not Logged In
User avatar
Graffiti Bandit Pioneer
Posts: 2013
Joined: 06 Feb 2009, 8:42pm

Re: Dark Horse releases - 'Assembly' 2LP

Post by TeddyB Not Logged In »

Telecaster wrote:
27 Mar 2021, 6:42pm
Hey, sorry if my ears have mislead anyone. The EQ of the master does make the mix sound fuller. As I don't know what Mick played I should have not speculated if it had been remixed or not, whoops!

There does seem to be some good work going on soundwise for this compilation though. It's an enjoyable record and along with Marky's BAD compilation, they both will get a lot of plays.
Not at all. I also think the mastering EQ on the song is more enjoyable now on Assembly. And at least Mr. Lord Alge let us hear Mick play and sing, though who knows what tracks he pared down. Maybe Joe was concerned over whether Mick sounded too loud on the backing vocals. I do wish they hadn’t made the digital as loud as they did though. I doubt that was Paul Hicks’s idea. (Though he is very prominently credited for mastering). Maybe it was Dhani’s. Maybe it was the archivist that works for Luce, the one who mastered 001.

Marky Dread
User avatar
Messiah of the Milk Bar
Posts: 58887
Joined: 17 Jun 2008, 11:26am

Re: Dark Horse releases - 'Assembly' 2LP

Post by Marky Dread »

Can't comment on the vinyl but the CD sounds way too loud as it's brick walled.

Shame.

I've checked all the tracks on Assembly and they are brick walled. Comparing "Coma Girl" against all the other releases.

Original CD single - brick walled
Streetcore CD - brick walled (same as single)
001 box set - brick walled (Worst offender)
Assembly - brick walled (very slightly less others)

Why can't they find someone more sympathetic to these recordings?
Image

Forces have been looting
My humanity
Curfews have been curbing
The end of liberty


We're the flowers in the dustbin...
No fuchsias for you.

"Without the common people you're nothing"

Nos Sumus Una Familia

Marky Dread
User avatar
Messiah of the Milk Bar
Posts: 58887
Joined: 17 Jun 2008, 11:26am

Re: Dark Horse releases - 'Assembly' 2LP

Post by Marky Dread »

Compare all the variants to the mix I did in 2018.
Attachments
Coma Girl variants.png
Coma Girl Marky's remaster 2018.png
Image

Forces have been looting
My humanity
Curfews have been curbing
The end of liberty


We're the flowers in the dustbin...
No fuchsias for you.

"Without the common people you're nothing"

Nos Sumus Una Familia

Post Reply