quote:

Originally posted by FragileKidA:
it'd probably be a top 10 album of the year for me.

Same for me. Top 5 even.

Is there a big difference in vocal audio quality in the reissue? I think that re-downloading it might help me appreciate the album more if I can hear the vocals better. I must say, this band killed at the p4k festival this year.

quote:

Originally posted by FragileKidA:
You obviously aren't looking for the right music and need to listen to more. Duh.

I disagree, I'm listening plenty. I'll give you that its a personal thing, so somebody else out there might be in love with dozens of albums they've heard this year. For me, I'm just not finding a lot. I haven't had that week or two, or even a month where you feel like you're overwhelmed with so many great new albums that you feel like you can't keep up.

So an album like Hospice that I like a lot will probably make my top 5, when if it were released in say 2002 or 2005 or 2007 it would most likely fall around 15 or later. Still, its early. I haven't given up on 2009 yet, its only August.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: hophead,

Oh no, I was merely joking; just doing the whole "You're dumb if you think it's a bad year for music" sarcasm. I agree that 2009 hasn't been that great of a year, just a tad better than 2008 probably.

I second public access' question, does the reissue sound a lot different? I bought one of the first CDs when they self-released it. But if it sounds a lot better with this re-issue then I wouldn't mind shelling out the money for a vinyl copy.

I've looked and can't find anyone addressing the issue of the sound difference between the original and the reissue.

Anyway. for the record Hospice is easily a top 5 album for me as well. I don't think it's one of the most enjoyable albums, or even an album that forces me back constantly. But it's a masterpiece of an album.

I never actually heard the early version of the album so I have no information about the difference in sound quality. Sorry!

I do believe the vocals are placed at the front of the compositions with the reissue. Many times, there are small differences but with this album, it made a world of difference. I would highly recommend the new version but then again, if you bought the first version just download the new version and save it to your HD. No sense in paying for the same album twice.

Had we reviewed the earlier version it would most surely have scored somewhere between 5-6 because of the production. But once The Antlers sent us the new disc we knew that we had to set it straight. It's great knowing you can affect so many people.

Can somebody who's not a complete twat chime in here? I've been listening to both versions and the difference does not seem to be anything major. It's completely laughable that having the vocals adjusted a few decibels transforms it from a mediocre record to a great one.

quote:

Originally posted by Elitist_Pretentious:
It's completely laughable that having the vocals adjusted a few decibels transforms it from a mediocre record to a great one.

I adjusted your mom last night.

Yeah, I heard both versions, and though the new version seems a bit crisper (the dynamics sound fuller), the difference in quality is negligible.

The record has been growing on me, btw.

I know the dishonorable Mr Ewing has been discharged, but can anyone with the new mix please confirm for me whether or not his "claim" that the vocals in the new mix were more upfront holds any water?

The only gripe I had with the old mix was precisely this aspect (i.e. the vocals being a little buried) and if this was improved even just a little then it may make purchasing the new mix worth it.

quote:

Originally posted by melvolume:
I know the dishonorable Mr Ewing has been discharged, but can anyone with the new mix please confirm for me whether or not his "claim" that the vocals in the new mix were more upfront holds any water?

The only gripe I had with the old mix was precisely this aspect (i.e. the vocals being a little buried) and if this was improved even just a little then it may make purchasing the new mix worth it.

I'm with you. I bought this album when it came out, and I wonder if the "remastered" version is that much different.

Now I don't really seem to care about the vocal mix, I've listened to this album so much. God damn this is a really good album.

While it's a great album, I probably won't listen to it as often because of the emotional content. I can't listen to For Emma, Forever Ago, Milk-Eyed Mender, Plans, or () for the same reason...they evoke an emotional response that's too intense.

Oddly enough, even though someone mentioned Funeral as a sad album, I can & do listen to it quite often without experiencing an intense emotional reaction.

There are some great live studio recordings over at The Interface right now. Check it out Here.

They are worth checking out. The band has obviously spent a lot of time with these songs since recording the album. So the four songs found here are very different from the original studio records. I especially like the more drum heavy version of "Sylivia". It also reminded me how much I admire this album.