The Wildhearts

Call me daft, but....

I just realized now that all the tracks on the suckerpunch single blend into one another.

Today while listening to the Jap best-of I began to think about how they threw so many tracks out of order and how for the life of me I still can't understand why they disposed of the epic "my baby is a headfuck/suckerpunch" on both best-of's even though both tracks made both releases. It was shortly after thinking about this that I began to realize the end of Beautiful Thing You sounded a lot like the start of Two-Way Idiot Mirror, and 29X the pain sounded like it was blended from the same. It makes me want to go get the single, even though I have all the tracks from it already.

It led to another inquiry: how does Suckerpunch sound on this single? Is it just like we hear on the compilations, or does it have a single version that doesn't fade in? For example, Sick of Drugs and Inglorious are made to blend on FFL, but unblended versions of both exist.

While we are on that note, I thought I'd ask if any pre-breakup WIldhearts singles sounded any different from their album counterparts. I think that I'd know by now if they did, but just making sure.

seventieslord wrote:Call me daft, but....

I just realized now that all the tracks on the suckerpunch single blend into one another.

Today while listening to the Jap best-of I began to think about how they threw so many tracks out of order and how for the life of me I still can't understand why they disposed of the epic "my baby is a headfuck/suckerpunch" on both best-of's even though both tracks made both releases. It was shortly after thinking about this that I began to realize the end of Beautiful Thing You sounded a lot like the start of Two-Way Idiot Mirror, and 29X the pain sounded like it was blended from the same. It makes me want to go get the single, even though I have all the tracks from it already.

It led to another inquiry: how does Suckerpunch sound on this single? Is it just like we hear on the compilations, or does it have a single version that doesn't fade in? For example, Sick of Drugs and Inglorious are made to blend on FFL, but unblended versions of both exist.

While we are on that note, I thought I'd ask if any pre-breakup WIldhearts singles sounded any different from their album counterparts. I think that I'd know by now if they did, but just making sure.

I think I noticed once that one of those two shorter numbers from Luckies, Sick Of Drugs or Red Light Green Light, seems to have had a full remaster, maybe even remix for the single or the best of or something... I'm not sure, but I know the tone is pretty different. I discovered it while compiling a mix CD and trying to figure out which version I liked better.

I'll look into it now and get more details...

nuno75 wrote:

seventieslord wrote:Call me daft, but....

I just realized now that all the tracks on the suckerpunch single blend into one another.

Today while listening to the Jap best-of I began to think about how they threw so many tracks out of order and how for the life of me I still can't understand why they disposed of the epic "my baby is a headfuck/suckerpunch" on both best-of's even though both tracks made both releases. It was shortly after thinking about this that I began to realize the end of Beautiful Thing You sounded a lot like the start of Two-Way Idiot Mirror, and 29X the pain sounded like it was blended from the same. It makes me want to go get the single, even though I have all the tracks from it already.

It led to another inquiry: how does Suckerpunch sound on this single? Is it just like we hear on the compilations, or does it have a single version that doesn't fade in? For example, Sick of Drugs and Inglorious are made to blend on FFL, but unblended versions of both exist.

While we are on that note, I thought I'd ask if any pre-breakup WIldhearts singles sounded any different from their album counterparts. I think that I'd know by now if they did, but just making sure.

I think I noticed once that one of those two shorter numbers from Luckies, Sick Of Drugs or Red Light Green Light, seems to have had a full remaster, maybe even remix for the single or the best of or something... I'm not sure, but I know the tone is pretty different. I discovered it while compiling a mix CD and trying to figure out which version I liked better.

I'll look into it now and get more details...

You're right, it's SOD. The UK best of has an "updated" sounding version.

Are any other singles like that? As I said, i doubt it, but just thought I'd ask the more veteran fans.

Yep... Red Light-Green Light definitely sounds different depending on what album it's from.

The version of the song on single and on the Japanese Best Of appear to have been mastered, and perhaps mixed, on different occasions from the versions that appear on all versions of Luckies and on the UK best of. Lots more mids and vocals mixed louder for the single, or maybe the mids just make the vocals seem louder...

Anyway... here's something I threw together to demonstrate. It's a special mix that alternates between both versions at more or less randoms spots.

CLICK

Blimey, you're observant. Never noticed any difference.

Might have to dig out the singles later and have a listen..

seventieslord wrote:It was shortly after thinking about this that I began to realize the end of Beautiful Thing You sounded a lot like the start of Two-Way Idiot Mirror, and 29X the pain sounded like it was blended from the same. It makes me want to go get the single, even though I have all the tracks from it already.

If you've got a cd burner, couldn't you just rearrange the tracks? I don't think they've done anything to them except change the order (which did strike me as odd, but as the Jap best of is band approved, I guess they think it's ok...)

It led to another inquiry: how does Suckerpunch sound on this single? Is it just like we hear on the compilations, or does it have a single version that doesn't fade in? For example, Sick of Drugs and Inglorious are made to blend on FFL, but unblended versions of both exist.

While we are on that note, I thought I'd ask if any pre-breakup WIldhearts singles sounded any different from their album counterparts. I think that I'd know by now if they did, but just making sure.

Yep, Suckerpunch fades in on the single too.

Well, the single version of I Wanna Go... has a beep over 'cunts'.

Ean wrote:If you've got a cd burner, couldn't you just rearrange the tracks? I don't think they've done anything to them except change the order (which did strike me as odd, but as the Jap best of is band approved, I guess they think it's ok...)

I could jsut rearrange them, but the blend wouldn't be perfect. No matter what I did, I'd have split-second gaps there.

I wonder if nuno can help?

seventieslord wrote:I wonder if nuno can help?

I used to ask myself that back in 93/94 when i was a fan of Extreme, still am, dont ask it so much now though as hes to busy helping Perry Farrell

seventieslord wrote:

Ean wrote:If you've got a cd burner, couldn't you just rearrange the tracks? I don't think they've done anything to them except change the order (which did strike me as odd, but as the Jap best of is band approved, I guess they think it's ok...)

I could jsut rearrange them, but the blend wouldn't be perfect. No matter what I did, I'd have split-second gaps there.

I wonder if nuno can help?

I recommend burning with iTunes.

I could join all of the tracks into one file, but as long as you're dealing with MP3's you'll have the gap unless you go with iTunes, Apple being the only one who's gotten to the bottom of the whole gap problem, as far as I know.

That's quite irritating, if I rip from the single to WAVs, then use Nero to burn a cd and remove the 2 second gaps, I get a perfect flow, but there're tiny gaps in the tracks on the Japanese CD, so as you say, it doesn't flow properly.

Your best bet is probably itunes, but I don't know whether it can remove gaps that weren't inserted during the encoding process?

nuno75 wrote:

seventieslord wrote:

Ean wrote:If you've got a cd burner, couldn't you just rearrange the tracks? I don't think they've done anything to them except change the order (which did strike me as odd, but as the Jap best of is band approved, I guess they think it's ok...)

I could jsut rearrange them, but the blend wouldn't be perfect. No matter what I did, I'd have split-second gaps there.

I wonder if nuno can help?

I recommend burning with iTunes.

I could join all of the tracks into one file, but as long as you're dealing with MP3's you'll have the gap unless you go with iTunes, Apple being the only one who's gotten to the bottom of the whole gap problem, as far as I know.

I don't think itunes can do it. I'm trying it now, but I have no money down on this one. In my experience with burning, all programs, even when "0 second gap" is selected, will always put a very tiny gap there. The only way to get a pristine copy of the suckerpunch EP in one track would be to rip it all as one. A ripper like audiocatalyst, where you can select the start and end point of each track using any sector of the CD, can do this for you. In fact, this is the most useful feature of the program, and is the primary reason I still use it.

ok, looks like itunes finished burning while I was typing. Let's see how it did...

bah! it sucks! As Ean said, there are tiny gaps on the jap version. Ripping the single as one track would do it. Anyone care to try? I feel like these were meant to be enjoyed as one track and to have an unbastardized version as an mp3 would be tops.

seventieslord wrote:

nuno75 wrote:

seventieslord wrote:

Ean wrote:If you've got a cd burner, couldn't you just rearrange the tracks? I don't think they've done anything to them except change the order (which did strike me as odd, but as the Jap best of is band approved, I guess they think it's ok...)

I could jsut rearrange them, but the blend wouldn't be perfect. No matter what I did, I'd have split-second gaps there.

I wonder if nuno can help?

I recommend burning with iTunes.

I could join all of the tracks into one file, but as long as you're dealing with MP3's you'll have the gap unless you go with iTunes, Apple being the only one who's gotten to the bottom of the whole gap problem, as far as I know.

I don't think itunes can do it. I'm trying it now, but I have no money down on this one. In my experience with burning, all programs, even when "0 second gap" is selected, will always put a very tiny gap there. The only way to get a pristine copy of the suckerpunch EP in one track would be to rip it all as one. A ripper like audiocatalyst, where you can select the start and end point of each track using any sector of the CD, can do this for you. In fact, this is the most useful feature of the program, and is the primary reason I still use it.

ok, looks like itunes finished burning while I was typing. Let's see how it did...

bah! it sucks! As Ean said, there are tiny gaps on the jap version. Ripping the single as one track would do it. Anyone care to try? I feel like these were meant to be enjoyed as one track and to have an unbastardized version as an mp3 would be tops.

I can take the whole single and combine it into one gapless MP3. I'm honestly surprised that iTunes didn't do it for you. Do you have the latest version? They have a special technology now, patented and everything, specifically for getting gapless playback.

Anyway... whatever... so you're saying you want the whole Suckerpunch single as one long MP3 file?

nuno75 wrote:

seventieslord wrote:

nuno75 wrote:

seventieslord wrote:

Ean wrote:If you've got a cd burner, couldn't you just rearrange the tracks? I don't think they've done anything to them except change the order (which did strike me as odd, but as the Jap best of is band approved, I guess they think it's ok...)

I could jsut rearrange them, but the blend wouldn't be perfect. No matter what I did, I'd have split-second gaps there.

I wonder if nuno can help?

I recommend burning with iTunes.

I could join all of the tracks into one file, but as long as you're dealing with MP3's you'll have the gap unless you go with iTunes, Apple being the only one who's gotten to the bottom of the whole gap problem, as far as I know.

I don't think itunes can do it. I'm trying it now, but I have no money down on this one. In my experience with burning, all programs, even when "0 second gap" is selected, will always put a very tiny gap there. The only way to get a pristine copy of the suckerpunch EP in one track would be to rip it all as one. A ripper like audiocatalyst, where you can select the start and end point of each track using any sector of the CD, can do this for you. In fact, this is the most useful feature of the program, and is the primary reason I still use it.

ok, looks like itunes finished burning while I was typing. Let's see how it did...

bah! it sucks! As Ean said, there are tiny gaps on the jap version. Ripping the single as one track would do it. Anyone care to try? I feel like these were meant to be enjoyed as one track and to have an unbastardized version as an mp3 would be tops.

I can take the whole single and combine it into one gapless MP3. I'm honestly surprised that iTunes didn't do it for you. Do you have the latest version? They have a special technology now, patented and everything, specifically for getting gapless playback.

Anyway... whatever... so you're saying you want the whole Suckerpunch single as one long MP3 file?

I haven't updated my itunes in a few months, but it wasn't itunes' fault that it didn't work. I think it was the inherent gaps from the jap best-of. I can't see any program overcoming that.

And yes, very much so, I would love to get the whole single as an mp3.

nuno75 wrote:Yep... Red Light-Green Light definitely sounds different depending on what album it's from.

The version of the song on single and on the Japanese Best Of appear to have been mastered, and perhaps mixed, on different occasions from the versions that appear on all versions of Luckies and on the UK best of. Lots more mids and vocals mixed louder for the single, or maybe the mids just make the vocals seem louder...

Anyway... here's something I threw together to demonstrate. It's a special mix that alternates between both versions at more or less randoms spots.

CLICK

oh yeah, forgot to reply to this one earlier - talk about observant! I never noticed... and I look for these things!

so just to make sure we're clear, one version is on the single and the japanese best of, and another version is on FFL and the UK best of?

seventieslord wrote:

nuno75 wrote:Yep... Red Light-Green Light definitely sounds different depending on what album it's from.

The version of the song on single and on the Japanese Best Of appear to have been mastered, and perhaps mixed, on different occasions from the versions that appear on all versions of Luckies and on the UK best of. Lots more mids and vocals mixed louder for the single, or maybe the mids just make the vocals seem louder...

Anyway... here's something I threw together to demonstrate. It's a special mix that alternates between both versions at more or less randoms spots.

CLICK

oh yeah, forgot to reply to this one earlier - talk about observant! I never noticed... and I look for these things!

so just to make sure we're clear, one version is on the single and the japanese best of, and another version is on FFL and the UK best of?

Yes. I know a little about recording, mixing and mastering... and it appears to me we have a clear case of a single version and album version... the single version being geared more toward fresh ears, fitting in sonically with whatever is on the radio... and the other is a bit fatter and more likely to please a longtime fan's seasoned ears.