One record at a time: 145. Eurythmics - Peace

I was pleased when Eurythmics re-formed after an 8 year hiatus, but this elation was tempered by a fear they would 'go rock' again. Once I heard the comeback album "Peace", I was confused. Was this rock, pop or something else? 

Whilst this music is hard to pigeonhole, it clearly is not 'synth pop' or electronic music. Ultimately, I found this disappointing. The tunes are good, the vocals are exceptional and the production skilful; but its just not my kind of music.

Despite the CD being released in 1999, an LP wasn't pressed until this 180g version from 2018.  This is another half speed master from Abbey Road and, unlike my copy of "Savage", it sounds OK. Not good, not bad, just OK. I really don't see the point in going to the expense of creating a new half speed master and then giving it to GZ Media to press up. 

The highlights of this album are the soaring "17 Again" and "I've Tried Everything". The Beatles pastiche "Forever" is best forgotten along with the disappointing heavy rock of "Power to the Meek" and "I Want it all". All in all, there's more to dislike than enjoy here for me. 2/5

This brings our trawl through the Eurythmics back catalogue to an end. Next time we get to move on to something more varied and....electronic.

One records at a time: 144. Eurythmics - Greatest Hits

As I already owned all of the music on this record and the track choices were less than inspiring, I dodged it when it was released in 1991. However, everyone else in the UK seemed to buy it and it sold in its millions. 

For whatever reason I did end up buying the 12" singles of "Love Is A Stranger (Remix)" and "Sweet Dreams '91" which were released as part of the corresponding promotional campaign (the CD singles didn't have remixes and were just EPs full of tracks I already owned). I only acquired the CD of this album in 2014 and bought a copy of the LP in 2019.

I'm not really sure what criteria where applied when selecting the tracks for this compilation but I assume space is reserved for singles that reached the Top 40 in the UK. However, "The King and Queen of America" and "Revival" should have qualified under this rule but aren't included.

The problem with basing a compilation purely on successful singles is that it presents a very myopic view of a band. There's so much more to Eurythmics than these hits. Singles like "Julia" and "Shame" are amongst the bands best songs despite not being commercially successful. There are many inspirational album tracks and sonic experiments that illustrate Dave and Annie's ability that don't get a look in here. But let's face it, this isn't a mixtape. This is a Greatest Hits album and is designed to sell. And sell it did. It's just regrettable that some people's awareness of the band will be restricted to these songs alone. 3/5

One record at a time: 143. Eurythmics - We Too Are One

I received the CD of this album as a Christmas present in 1989 and I listened to it a lot; and I mean A LOT. Therefore I recognise that familiarity and rose tinted spectacles will cloud my judgement here.

Whilst this record represents a move back towards a 'band recording' the end result is much better than the last time Dave and Annie attempted such a thing. Unlike the horror show that is "Revenge", the compositions on this album are strong enough to withstand the antiquated rock production and the album is an unqualified success.

Things kick off with the title track which is a lively rock outing with more than enough keyboard overdubs to keep me interested. However, as a general comment, I would say that Annie doesn't need backing vocalists and they sound completely misplaced here. Next track "King and Queen of America" sounds like a calculated effort to appeal to the all important American market with its rasping brass arrangement and driving beat. Generally I'm not a fan of acoustic drums and they sound especially insipid on songs like this.

"(My My) Baby's Gonna Cry" ensures that the band's penchant for parenthesis continues and Dave even gets to sing. This song was released as a single in the USA and there is a nice remix that is more dance orientated. In my teenage years I was a little bit obsessed by "Don't Ask Me Why" and hearing it now, I understand why. This song and its execution are flawless. I still treasure my limited edition 12" bought all those years ago (for some reason I found CD singles really hard to come by in the late eighties and early nineties and I always ended up with the vinyl).

"Angel" is one of those haunting but strangely inspiring songs which sees Annie deliver an exquisite vocal. "Revival" made for an odd choice as a single as it didn't strike me as being especially catchy and it suffers from backing vocals that are too intrusive. "You Hurt Me (and I hate You)"  is a nice song that delivers a stinging retort most of us have wanted to deliver from time to time. "Sylvia" is a vivid tale that was strong enough to make me wince a little when it played in my headphones on the walk to school all those years ago. Unfortunately "How Long?" is a little like album filler and doesn't quite cut the mustard for me. 

The pinnacle of the album comes with the final song "When the Day Goes Down" which is nothing short of a masterpiece; I can't tell you how many times I have fast forwarded a cassette to get to this song. The atmospheric introduction gradually builds into a soaring anthem that I find strangely affecting. "All the people of this lonely world, have a piece of pain inside." 4/5

One record at a time: 142. Eurythmics - Savage

When I bought Dave Stewart's autobiography a couple of years ago, the section I was most keen to read was about the creation of my favourite Eurythmics album "Savage". After the car crash that was "Revenge", Dave and Annie decided to return to a more experimental electronic sound. Dave's book confirms that this change in direction was a conscious decision following the realisation they had become too much of a Rock 'n Roll band.

I first bought this album on CD in 1989 from Britannia Music Club and here I will be playing a copy of the original vinyl which I bought in 2014 (when I seem to have been buying all of the Eurythmics back catalogue). I also own a remastered 180g vinyl from 2018, but the least said about that pressing the better. Somewhere in the loft I also own a copy of the video album which I watched endlessly in my youth.  

The experimental nature of this album is perfectly illustrated by the opening track "Beethoven (I Love to Listen)" which features a thundering Synclavier backing track and Annie's spoken vocals. The second track "I've Got a Lover (Back In Japan)" sees Annie channel her inner Aretha Franklin (as well as highlighting the bands love of parenthesis). The juxtaposition of the twee delivery and disconcerting subject matter on "Do You Want To Break Up?" make for a great song. "You Have Placed a Chill in my Heart" sounds like a hit record and "I Need a Man" is the kind of radio friendly track record companies would have been desperate for. 

The synth funk of "Put the Blame on Me" provides perfect contrast to some of the darker songs such as the title track and "I Need You". The single "Shame" has always been one of my favourites and it remains drastically underrated in my opinion. "Wide Eyed Girl" is probably my least favourite track but it still remains head and shoulders above anything on "Revenge".

Some might see the largely instrumental track "Heaven" as filler, but to me this is one of the best tracks on the album. Dave wrote most of the music for this album on his own, and it is my guess that when it came time for Annie to make her contribution the track couldn't be moulded into a conventional song structure. As a consequence we end up with a fantastic slice of pre-house dance music. A perfect album deserves a perfect ending and "Brand New Day" does not disappoint. Things begin with Annie singing acapella before layers of vocal harmony give way to Dave's dreamlike Synclavier arrangement. Perfect. 5/5

One record at a time: 141. Eurythmics - Revenge

I'll be upfront and say I've never liked this album. My summary of it would be: a dreadful eighties rock/pop crossover with near constant saxophone solos, endless harmonica riffs and sloppy drumming. This is a traditional rock and roll 'band in room' recording and was clearly designed to be easily replicated on the road (I think Dave even says as much in his autobiography). Electronic music this is not...

"Missionary Man" has some synth elements but they are overwhelmed in the primordial rock soup of the backing track. "Thorn In My Side" is a great song but a bit of Mellotron is the only nod to electronic music. The dreadful "When Tomorrow Comes" merely serves to remind us that we have moved a million miles from "Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)". Things improve slightly with the next track "The Last Time" as it features a squelchy synth line and some DX7 tubular bells alongside the primitive acoustic drums and obligatory harmonica. "The Miracle of Love" is a ballad that just makes me want to throw the record out of the window: it's just dull twaddle.

The upbeat "Let's Go!" opens side two but the sonic ingredients remain depressingly familiar and as a consequence, the end result is indistinguishable from the rest of the dross on here. "Take Your Pain Away" is excruciating to listen to and whilst "A Little Of You" is slight more palatable, it remains tedious with only a little orchestra thrown in for variety. I can't bring myself to listen to "In This Town" but I don't remember it offering any improvement on what has gone before. Only the closing track "I Remember You" has any interest as it has an enchanting melody and the harmonica has finally been ditched. Unfortunately, as the last track on the vinyl, this song suffers from terrible distortion on my copy and thus the only decent track is ruined. Quite fitting. 1/5

One recrd at a time: 140. Eurythmics - Be Yourself Tonight

I bought this copy of the standard UK vinyl from a charity shop in Manchester in 2014. The record and sleeve are in very good condition and there is no way I can grumble having only paid a couple of pounds for it.

This is the first album where Eurythmics began to push the synths to one side and move in a different direction. Obviously, I've never been a fan of such  betrayal the move away from electronic music, but lots of groups seem have done it.

Depeche Mode and a-ha decided to move into rock music to enhance their credibility, but ultimately jettisoned what made them good in the first place.  Heaven 17 resorted to a blue eyed soul pastiche in a desperate (but ultimately futile) attempt to salvage their careers and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark flirted with 'Britpop' for one album before deciding to call it a day. 

The cynic in me thinks that Eurythmics move to a more rock orientated sound and roping in established artists such as Stevie Wonder, Elvis Costello and Aretha Franklin was merely a calculated effort to sell more records in America. If this was the aim, then the band succeeded as the album recorded sales of over 1 million in the USA

For an electronic music enthusiast, things don't get off to the most promising start with the guitars, drums and brass of the first track "Would I Lie To You?". I can't warm to "I Love You Like A Ball and Chain" and whilst "Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves" is undoubtedly a fantastic composition, it's execution is just too conventional for me. Conversely, "It's Alright Baby's Coming Back" is more 'electronic' than I remember, even if it is dragged down by the flaccid rhythm section of drums and bass guitar.

Synths still hold strong and dominate songs such as "There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart)" and an Emulator II gets a good workout on "Conditioned Soul". So, whilst its true to say the sonic pallet has wandered into mainstream rock, the synths haven't been jettisoned completely. This is a hybrid album that served as a precursor for the horrors to come. 3/5

One record at a time: 139. Eurythmics - 1984 (For the love of Big Brother)

Prior to its release, there was a suggestion that this record would not be attributed to Eurythmics as the music had been commissioned for a feature film. As the film was produced by the Virgin Group, the soundtrack was released on Virgin Records outside of Eurythmics' exiting deal with RCA.

However, the resulting score was so despised by the director of the film that he used it begrudgingly and even went as far as creating a 'directors cut' using an orchestral score that excised Dave and Annie's contribution.

So should "1984 (For the love of Big Brother)" be considered oeuvre? Given the finished product carries the Eurythmics moniker and the fact that lead single "1984 (Sex Crime)" is featured on the band's official greatest hits compilation suggests Dave and Annie accept it as canon. To me this is Eurythmics' fourth album.

Whilst a large portion of the music is instrumental, it is imaginative and oozes a suitably malevolent atmosphere. Dave described it as: "The kind of record you put on when you're in a weird mood." Here I will be playing a copy of the original UK vinyl that I acquired from eBay in 2015 - but I'm not feeling any more weird than usual.

"I did it just the same" provides the perfect introduction with its funky bassline, Oberheim DMX drum sounds and Annie's amazing ad libs. "Sex Crime (1984)" is a bit of an anomaly because it is a fully formed pop song that doesn't really conform to the expected soundtrack mould. As a result of this discordance, the title track was cut from the film and was only featured in the trailer. Here I can have some sympathy with the director as I imagine it would be hard to incorporate an uptempo song into scenes dominated by bleak dystopian landscapes and unkempt protagonists.  

When I first heard the CD of this album, "For the love of Big Brother" was definitely my favourite song. Initially I thought the sitar must be a sample but it transpires that Dave took to using an electric sitar in 1984 so I assume he used it here. This track is somehow otherworldly and in a genre of its own making - it is a thing of dark brooding beauty.

"Winston's Diary" is a short ambient piece with some Yamaha DX7 harmonica noodling over the top and is fairly inconsequential. The next rack is the more substantial "Greetings From a Dead Man" which features Annie's much sampled backing vocals. Here Dave allows himself to use his guitar and some percussion to help frame the Sequential Circuits Six-Trak patches. "Julia" is a sparse ballad that sees Annie's vocal doubled on a vocoder with passages of punctuation from a piano. This is a nice song but was a very strange choice for a single and it proved to be unpopular with the record buying public. I may be wrong, but I think this song is the last time Annie played flute on an Eurythmics record.

The rhythmical "Doubleplusgood" makes from some welcome relief but Annie's faux English accent in the verses is a little disconcerting. Personally I find the repetitive samples at the end of the song very irritating - but this sort of nonsense seemed to happen regularly when artists first discovered samplers (see Yazoo "I Before E Except After C", Paul Hardcastle "19" etc.).

The (wholly justified) misery returns with "Ministry of Love" which trundles along with atmospheric bleeps, discordant stabs and some amazing vocals. The horror of "Room 101" is depicted by Dave's wailing guitar and some twinkling synths before a storming DMX beat kicks in and the door is slammed shut. 3/5

One record at a time: 138. Eurythmics - Touch Dance

I mentioned in another post that remix albums were all the rage in the mid eighties as extended versions became increasingly popular on the dance floor and with the record buying public. Eurythmics record company decided to wring some additional profit from the highly successful "Touch" album by releasing "Touch Dance" in 1984. As this was a commercial exercise, Dave and Annie were not too enamoured with it and this remains the only Eurythmics remix album issued. 

As a result of the band's displeasure, "Touch Dance" was hard to find on CD when I started buying Eurythmics releases in the late eighties. In fact, I had to settle for a cassette of "Touch Dance" for many years until I finally purchased a copy from eBay eight years ago.

Much like contemporary remix albums, this record features mixes that aren't a drastic departure from the album versions. In the early eighties the "extended" mix was favoured by DJs and more radical mixes that transformed the aesthetic were not as common as today.

"The First Cut" is remixed by François Kevorkian and adds a good two minutes to the playing time by grafting on a new introduction and a series of breaks. There is another New York style extended mix of "Cool Blue" by John "Jellybean" Benitez which, given the source material isn't my favourite, is mediocre. Benitez also tinkers with the fabulous "Paint a Rumour" by creating various edits, adding occasional effects and playing with the faders. However, as the original of this song is over seven minutes long, this mix couldn't really be described as an 'extended version'. For "Regrets" we revert to Kevorkian who manages to bring out more of the sinister side of the track and make it sound less one dimensional than the album version. 

In terms of source material, that's our lot. The remaining three tracks are instrumental mixes of "First Cut", "Cool Blue" and "Paint a Rumour". When I first saw the tracklisting on my cassette circa 1988 I assumed these last three mixes were merely those on the first side with the lead vocal muted. However, I was wrong. These instrumental versions are completely different and almost as good as the featured vocal mixes. As I have mentioned, I'm not too keen on "Cool Blue" but the other two songs stand up to this treatment and reveal new layers that you might not have heard in the original. 3/5

One record at a time: 137. Eurythmics - Touch

I bought this copy of "Touch" from a shop in Manchester around ten years ago. However, in 1985 this record belonged to Saeed Ashiq who lived in Victoria Park. I know this as not only did Saeed stamp the cover with his name, address and phone number, but he also signed and dated the inner sleeve. I'm not aware of Saeed having found fame and fortune yet, but when he does, my signed copy of "Touch" will be worth a few pounds. Until then I am left with a good condition record with a slightly defaced sleeve.

This album opens in fine style with the classic single "Here Comes The Rain Again". This is a controversial opinion, but I feel this song would be better without the orchestra or at least with it turned right down in the mix. You can tell this song was recoded with same synthesizers and drum computer as "Sweet Dreams" and I would have preferred it if the electronics had a little more room to breathe. But still, this is a great track. "Regrets" delivers some classic eighties slap bass and mute trumpet alongside the electronics, but I always find this song very repetitive and overly long. 

"Right By Your Side" employs some Voyetra-8 derived steel drums to add a calypso flavour and there is some annoying saxophone thrown in too. For me the instrumentation ruins what could have been a good track. "Cool Blue" is a bit lethargic and once again there is a bit too much acoustic brass employed for my taste. Another hit single "Who's That Girl?" closes side one with its perfect blend of pop melody and synth driven backing track.

Where some of the tracks on the first side have a tendency to sound frivolous and insubstantial, the real action is on the flip side. "The First Cut" drives along and possesses a raw edge that makes it sound more credible as 'serious' electronic music. "Aqua" was used as a b-side to "Who's That Girl?" is some territories and it was probably best left there as it is a bit dismal. "No Fear No Hate No Pain (No Broken Hearts)" banishes the doldrums as it builds into a crescendo with pizzicato strings, twinkling synths and Annie's voice all complimenting each other perfectly. Closing number "Paint a Rumour" is a funky and soulful track that finds Annie at her vocal peak. 4/5

One record at a time: 136. Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)

My first exposure to Eurythmics was in 1983 when the video for "Sweet Dreams (are made of this)" played on Saturday morning children's television. I was entranced by the stunning visuals and thought the music was amazing.

As I grew older and my musical tastes matured, I continued to keep a watching brief on Eurythmics. I seem to think I bought "Savage" on CD as my first foray into their back catalogue and by the time "We Too Are One" came out I was a confirmed fan. So essentially, I always liked Eurythmics, but only started buying their records as the group began to disintegrate.

In some ways "Sweet Dreams (are made of this)" is both a beginning for Eurythmics and their zenith. With this album Dave and Annie finally found commercial success, but in terms of electronic music, nothing else in their back catalogue came close to matching this. Yes, "Touch" is impressive and "Savage" partially revived the electronic sound; but no other album is as consistent in its genius as "Sweet Dreams". Here I will be playing a standard, common or garden original pressing of the album that I acquired from eBay in 2014.

The album begins with "Love is a Stranger" which is a great song but a curious choice for a single (don't let the peak chart position of this song fool you, it was initially released before the album and did nothing; it only became a hit after the album was released). Having said that, the first two singles from the album "The Walk" and "This Is The House" are even more bizarre selections. Whilst all three of these songs are masterful in their production, they aren't the immediate, radio friendly ear worms that would have garnered commercial success. At the time Dave and Annie were making music at home using an eight track and a small selection of synthesizers. There was no master plan or co-ordinated effort, they were just releasing material as they created it. Things only took off when Dave threw a bass line into the sequencer and Annie overdubbed a synth riff and began singing the line "Sweet dreams are made of this". 

The second track "I've Got an Angel" features Annie's flute and some gritty synth bass that provides the perfect counterpoint to the polished vocal. I must confess, I didn't realise the next track "Wrap it up" was a cover version until I wrote this article. This track features the inimitable Green Gartside singing a duet with Annie to great effect. For some reason I have always liked the abstract, and vaguely sinister "Jennifer". This song is almost the equivalent of in impressionist painting with lyrics that are vague enough to allow the listener to interpret them and create their own story. 

The album closes with two mid-tempo tracks in the form of "Somebody Told Me" and "This City Never Sleeps". The former song is a tense affair which relies upon the juxtaposition between a laconic Juno-60 bassline and Dave's bluesy slide guitar. The oppressive atmosphere of  "This City Never Sleeps" is somehow disturbing and soporific in equal measure. Both songs seem to wind the album down and make a perfect ending.

A short time after the final track has come to an end, you can just about make out the sound of underground trains and there is even a "secret message". As I only owned the album on CD in the early nineties, I had no way of playing this reversed message and it wasn't until I recorded a WAV file into my PC and reversed it in 1995 that I finally heard Dave saying: "I enjoyed making that record. Very good.". And he's right, it is a very good record. 5/5

One record at a time: 135. Eurythmics - In The Garden

You will be unsurprised to hear that when I was at school, music was a frequent topic of conversation. My school days coincided with the peak of the Eurythmics commercial success and albums such as "Be Yourself Tonight", "Touch" and "Savage" would occasionally feature in our conversations.

However, there was always one Eurythmics album that was regarded with suspicion and doubt. "In The Garden" predated the bands success and nobody dared risk their precious pocket money on such an unknown quantity.

However, as I had a reputation for being a voracious consumer of music, there was an assumption by some that I owned the album. One day I was asked directly if I had heard the album and what I thought of it. The question was posed in a way that suggested reverence to my opinion. Full of adolescent self importance I lied and said, "Yeah, I have it and it's quite good." 

Some weeks later the same kid came back to me and said they had splurged their pocket money on a copy of "In The Garden" and either I had lied or my taste was poor. I remained diplomatically silent on the issue, but did feel guilty enough to purchase the CD in a strange effort to wallow in the same misery. Unfortunately I no longer own that original CD, but I did pick up the vinyl from eBay six or seven years ago and I will be playing that for this review. The dynamics on the vinyl are a little flat but this probably reflects the mastering style of the time rather than incompetence. Happily my copy doesn't seem to have any scratches and is in very good condition through out.

Before we start it is worth noting that this album was recorded before Dave and Annie adopted synthesizers and achieved commercial success. The music on this record is in a more typical rock style and it is no wonder it failed to satisfy teenagers looking for another "Sweet Dreams (are made of this)".  

Whilst the songs here might lack immediate appeal, they do still hold some interest. Things don't get off to an auspicious start as "English Summer" is a little languid and Annie's vocals lack confidence. But if you persist the chorus does deliver some charm before the songs peters out. Things kick up a gear or two with "Belinda" with its chugging guitar riffs and robotic drumming. There's no doubt this is a catchy tune that would have been great if it was recorded using synths rather than by a conventional rock band (even if Robert Görl is playing drums).

"Take Me to Your Heart" benefits from a synth driven backbone that is only slightly undermined by the uninspired bass guitar. Here Annie seems to be finding her voice and sings as if she believes in the material rather than just churning out album filler. The song is a little one dimensional but you can definitely hear the hints of what was to come in later albums. "She's Invisible Now" harks back to the sixties with some nice synth arpeggios thrown in, but Annie's vocal has reverted back to brittle sounding whispers. Side one closes with "Your Time Will Come" which builds into quite a good song, but like many here, it's little raw and under developed.

On the flip side "Caveman Head" does have a nice little synth riff running throughout, but it is essentially the same groove running without variation for four minutes. The highlight of the album for me is "Never Gonna Cry Again" which was also released as a single. I first heard this song on the post-split 'cash in' album "Live 1983-1989" in which Annie lets rip with a fantastic flute solo that is sadly missing on the album version. The next track "All the Young People (of Today)" comes and goes without making much impression but the French vocals and natty melody of "Sing-Sing" are very accomplished. We finish off with the middling "Revenge" which would later be re-recorded more successfully as "Revenge 2" for the album of the same name in 1986. 3/5

CD Rot

A few weeks ago I wrote about the idea of buying music largely as mp3's rather than in any physical format. I am failing miserably in this endeavour as the ever growing pile of amazon packages my postman is delivering testify. 

 

Now, the idiocy of my expanding CD collection is no longer solely limited to lack of space. I have begun to encounter the first incidence of what I think is CD rot in my collection. On opening up an Eurythmics CD I must have bought sometime in the late 80's, I noticed it had a distinct brown/copper tinge that I do not remember it having. I can find no pictures of the actual CD of this release on the net and am slowly convinced it is succumbing to bronzing. The disc does have a tendency to produce read errors but is also scratched a little so I can't identify if the problem is the scratches or the presumed bronzing. 

Either way the CD is easily replaced and is not especially significant. However, if one day I open up the cupboard and find a few hundred CD's unreadable and brown, I am not going to be impressed. If these discs are bronzing because of a known manufacturing error should the record company not offer us recompense? Faulty workmanship of any other sort would demand redress.

Whilst a blown hard drive may wipe out my music collection, I can at least make multiple copies of my music to offer some sort of safety net. If my CD's rot and become unplayable I am stuffed. This digital collection idea makes increasing sense. Anyway must go. Postman is at the door with a package from amazon.

Sell me it again Sam

Having recently purchased the ‘remastered’ versions of Blancmange’s three albums and with New Order’s ‘collectors’ editions in the post, I have begun to consider why I’m buying music I already own. 

In recent years, I have purchased numerous ‘remastered’ CD’s including the entire back catalogue of Depeche Mode, Eurythmics, Pet Shop Boys and Yello, along with various reissued versions of albums by Front 242, Level 42, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark and Gary Numan. These are the CD’s that immediately come to mind, I am sure if I thought further there would be many more. The amount of money I have spent is quite staggering and yet I already own much of the music I am buying; I am being sold the same thing twice. So why am I a sucker for reissued albums and singles? 

Well firstly, there is the lure of previously unreleased material or remixes that are otherwise difficult to acquire. Secondly, these CD’s boast that they offer considerably enhanced audio quality. We are also enticed by new or improved artwork, which provides a feeling of luxury or elitism. 

Yet the reality is not always the experience we are promised. On purchasing a new ‘remastered’ CD, I often find myself immediately jumping to the bonus tracks. Often it becomes apparent why this ‘unreleased’ material was not made available originally: its crap. I have even come across CD’s where the master tape is obviously missing and thus a recording has been made from a vinyl source. Hardly the high fidelity experience you are enticed with. 

Similarly, 99% of reissued CD’s seem to have been created by people unfamiliar with the artists work or just plain incompetent. Often you will find that tracks have substituted for their ‘single mix’ or an uncredited alternate version with absolutely no explanation. Remixes are often labelled incorrectly, glaring omissions are made or the running order has been altered. Not one of the reissued CD’s I have purchased have been immune from one, or more of these mistakes. So record companies take note: if you want people to buy even more of the music they already own, get someone competent to compile it.