Customer Reviews

The Flat Earth - Remastered & Expanded

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Boy, was I glad I hung on to my original CD from 1985. Along with "The Golden Age Of Wireless," these two Thomas Dolby titles were among the very first CD's I ever purchased. At the time of the first listen to the vinyl album of "The Flat Earth," I was a tad disappointed that Dolby's professed love of Joni Mitchell (whom he soon would produce - see "Dog Eat Dog") had led to an album loaded with extremely moody and low key songs. There were a lot more traditional instruments involved with the making of "The Flat Earth," which wasn't really what I was expecting. With the exception of "Hyperactive," which sounded like a "Wireless" leftover, "The Flat Earth" barely sounded like the quirky kid we'd fallen in love with on the first album.

Still, the album had a certain jazzy depth that I kept coming back to. Maybe I didn't love it on the first listen. Or the second, or for that matter, the third. But by the end of the first week, I was hooked. I think side one of the original album became glued to my turntable for the remainder of the summer of 1984, as the intrigue of "Dissidents," the sensitivity of the title track and the lonely alienation of "Screen Kiss" kept me enthralled. I was fortunate to win a CD player in a radio contest a year later and found this disc in the racks....and it's not left my library since.

I have since become enamored of Dolby's interpretation of Dan Hick's "I Scare Myself" to the point that I prefer it over the original. I also still can find myself bouncing along to "The White City," which took some flack at the time for what many perceived as a drug reference. What actually stopped me from a full-on five star recommendation on the original CD was the reason I originally purchased the LP..."Hyperactive" actually sounds so out of place here that it robs "The Flat Earth" of that elusive fifth star for me. But don't let that stop you. If you're a fan of "Avalon" by Roxy Music or "Hats" by the Blue Nile, you'll probably be glad "The Flat Earth" is back and remastered.

As to that remaster job, it's fantastic. For a change, "remaster" doesn't mean "made louder," it means the CD was cleaned up, given better definition, given more detail. The scratchy trumpet on "I Scare Myself" is even more haunting. The bass on "Hyperactive!" snaps even more than before, as does "The White City." Dolby contributes new liner notes and info about the original songs and the eight extras. The bonus tracks include the original re-mix for "Dissidents" and 7 more songs...and for a change, most of them are worth hearing! There's one song that had never even been recorded, the live "Marseille." Add a couple of hard to find soundtrack items from "Howard the Duck" and "Gothic," and this version of "The Flat Earth" maintains its reputation as Dolby's moody masterpiece.

It is great to see this album finally treated to a remastered re-release. I picked this up sound unheard when it first came out back in the 80s, expecting more "She Blinded Me With Science"-styled synthpop. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised by the sophisticated and reflective approach Dolby exhibits on this quite excellent album. Plus, I have been looking for the remix of Dissidents for 20+ years after my original 12" suffered major heat damage. To find it included here is icing on the cake!

Thomas Dolby is a genius who writes songs that can be fun,intelligent and emotional all at the same time. This album creates soundscapes that pull you into his world and let you grow..and then some fun. The remastered version sounds better and the extras are worth it even for casual fans of the great TD. Buy It

This entire album is worth the price alone simply for the gem "Field Work", which Thomas Dolby and Ryuichi Sakamoto gave to us so very long ago. Since the single has been out of print and very difficult to find, this is the next best thing. Brilliant!

I was a fan of this album from it's original release. If you've been disappointed by various remasters from other artists and labels this is one to make you smile. This album sound better than ever before and the bonus tracks are actually worth having. Unfortunately many labels see a remaster as a quick and dirty way to try and garner some additional sales. If they did a bit of research in my opinion they'd find customers willing to buy a remaster usually care about sound quality, customers who don't care aren't likely to re-buy the same item as they don't perceive a difference/benefit. The sound quality on this remastered CD is great, many remasters have edgy top ends or are overly compressed to allow for a higher signal level and therefore loudness. So I now treat remasters with caution meaning lost sales and revenue. From the additional liner notes it looks like Thomas Dolby took an interest in the remaster and it shows. No qualms about recommending this remaster. If you liked this album but never bought it - this is the one to have.

This is a great example of Thomas Dolby's work in the 80's. He stretched the limits of what was possible back then, and this CD really shows a mastery of the CD medium. From a music engineering standpoint, this is a great one to have.

I suggest you pick it up!

Dolby is a genius and I have never tired of his music. His lyrics are brilliant as is his ability to tell a story. His music is just as fresh as the day it was recorded and that is the measure of all great art.