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"The Legendary Pink Box"
While I have always loved the music on the Pink Box, I have always hadissues with the CD version.
Originally released in 1989, between theGolden Age and Crushed Velvet Apocalypse albums, the vinyl was a tripleset. LP 1 featured new recordings of old songs, LP 2 featured old songsfrom cassette-only releases on wax for the first time, while LP 3contained brand new songs (with one exception). Inside the box was abig booklet with a photo collage, lyrics and a brief discography. Twoyears later, when the music made it to CD, the tracks were rearranged,thus blurring the thematic intentions. Regardless, the disc includes anumber of live favorites like the spectacular re-recording of "CloseYour Eyes, You Can Be a Space Captain," the monumentally epic 21-minute"Premonition 13," and one of my favorites from the early days, theproto-pop of "Voices." The reissue from Soleilmoon's Caciocavallo labelis now available, thankfully bringing the music from the first andthird LPs back in print. By now, however, all of the songs from thesecond LP have surfaced on various other Chemical Playschool and othercassette reissues, so the only purpose this release serves is to keepit in print. Somehow I feel it still doesn't compliment the themesenough, however, and the flood of new printed material is slightlyexcessive. All the lyrics are now included as well as two new pull-outminiature posters, reproduced from the artwork in the original LPrelease. It's an essential album for any LPD fan and provides a greatintroduction for those interested in their music, but I think it couldhave been either retired or evolved this time around. -
Originally released in 1989, between theGolden Age and Crushed Velvet Apocalypse albums, the vinyl was a tripleset. LP 1 featured new recordings of old songs, LP 2 featured old songsfrom cassette-only releases on wax for the first time, while LP 3contained brand new songs (with one exception). Inside the box was abig booklet with a photo collage, lyrics and a brief discography. Twoyears later, when the music made it to CD, the tracks were rearranged,thus blurring the thematic intentions. Regardless, the disc includes anumber of live favorites like the spectacular re-recording of "CloseYour Eyes, You Can Be a Space Captain," the monumentally epic 21-minute"Premonition 13," and one of my favorites from the early days, theproto-pop of "Voices." The reissue from Soleilmoon's Caciocavallo labelis now available, thankfully bringing the music from the first andthird LPs back in print. By now, however, all of the songs from thesecond LP have surfaced on various other Chemical Playschool and othercassette reissues, so the only purpose this release serves is to keepit in print. Somehow I feel it still doesn't compliment the themesenough, however, and the flood of new printed material is slightlyexcessive. All the lyrics are now included as well as two new pull-outminiature posters, reproduced from the artwork in the original LPrelease. It's an essential album for any LPD fan and provides a greatintroduction for those interested in their music, but I think it couldhave been either retired or evolved this time around. - samples:
