Customer Reviews

Into the Gap (Deluxe Edition)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

First, since Amazon lists an incomplete tracklisting at the time of this review, here's what you get with this 2-CD deluxe set:

-Disc One-
'Into The Gap'
01 Doctor! Doctor! 4.39
02 You Take Me Up 4.26
03 Day After Day 3.49
04 Sister Of Mercy 5.07
05 No Peace For The Wicked 4.05
06 The Gap 4.45
07 Hold Me Now 4.45
08 Storm On The Sea 5.32
09 Who Can Stop The Rain 5.44

'The Cassette Remixes'
10 Leopard Ray 3.19
11 Doctor! Doctor! [12" Version] 7.50
12 Panic Station [Day After Day] 4.43
13 Down Tools 4.23
14 Hold Me Now [12" Version] 9.45
15 Funeral Dance [No Peace For The Wicked] 3.14

-Disc Two-
'The Cassette Remixes' continued
01 Compass Points [The Gap] 4.58
02 Still Water [Storm On The Sea] 3.49

'The B-Sides And The 12" Mixes'
03 You Take Me Up (Machines Take Me Over) [12" Version] 7.22
04 Sister Of Mercy [12" Version] 9.24
05 Let Loving Start [12" Version] 8.53
06 You Take Me Up (High Plains Mixer) [US 12" Remix] 8.28
07 Nurse Shark 4.06
08 Passion Planet 3.43
09 You Take Me Up [Instrumental Remix] 6.18
10 Out Of The Gap [Megamix Extended Version] 8.57


Finally, a record label that invests some time and effort in order to correctly put out a reissued album ... well, almost. I'm talking about Edsel Records, a division of the independent U.K.-based Demon Music Group. Licensed from Arista head Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Demon-Edsel went the extra mile by compiling a 2-disc collection of the Thompson Twins' 'Into The Gap' project with extensive liner notes and great packaging to top it off.

I must admit that I never thought I would add a Thompson Twins studio album to my collection. The list price and excellent b-sides, cassette remixes, and 12" remixes are the real incentives here, since I do not own the majority of this music in my collection. I was only a couple years old when this album was released, so I have no memory of the time of the release of this album. However, I grew up with the hits from this album on the radio, so I was curious about the album tracks and bonus tracks which I haven't heard.

The remastering here is okay, adding clarity to the recordings. I must admit that the remastering treatment is not among the best upgrades that I've heard. In fact, it is rather disappointing. Most of the tracks sound good, but personally I think that they could have benefited from a little extra kick and bass. The mastering volume is rather low by today's audio standards, which may or may not be positive, depending on your own music tastes. Personally, I'll go for the punchy, wide sound, but if you're looking for that kind of mastering here you will be let down. Furthermore, a few of the bonus tracks sound like they could have been pulled from vinyl sources, perhaps do to the original master tapes being lost. However, most of the 12" versions sound fine and don't appear to be pulled from vinyl. CD mastering credits go to Alchemy Soho.

(In order to test to see if much could be done about the sound I worked a few of the tracks in an audio editing program. I was able to give them the "lift" that they so deserved. Perhaps that's the problem here -- that is, most of the songs were simple transfers from the original master tapes without an actual professional "remastering" upgrade, hence why they sound limited in their sonic dimensions. It's worth noting, too, that this release fails to mention any remastering in either it's product discription or on the outside of the package itself.)

With liner notes by Damian Thomas, the booklet extends to a fold out double-sided poster, highlighting the band's single sleeves, vinyl pressings, cassettes, and other memorabilia from the era. Album credits and the original single and promo releases from which the bonus tracks are pulled are stated as well. This isn't just a simple straight reissue but rather an enhanced version of the project.

Usually when I see these types of reissues the record companies tend to mess up something by leaving out an essential b-side or a hit 12" mix. Fans may then have to wait several more years before the missing tracks appear on yet another reissue. Some of the best material may remain in the vaults, for whatever reason, and never see the light of day on CD. For the very first time, all the mixes from the cassette and 12" singles are available on this deluxe 2-CD set.

The full 12" 9.45 version of "Hold Me Now" is presented here. In the past few years I've seen a lot of compilations use a shorter, edited 7-minute version of the track, claiming that it was the 12" version. Fortunately, Edsel did their research and gave us the full track in all it's extended glory. This is the first time that I've heard the near 10-minute version of the song, and it's great!

Again, I'm not the biggest Thompson Twins fan, but I can see when a reissue is done right in terms of packaging and tracklisting. The sound quality, in my opinion, could have been much better, so that's my only complaint. Despite this problem, the bonus material is still too good to be true, so I hate to rate it fewer than 4 stars since the booklet and overall design is still fantastic. It's really a shame that Demon didn't bother with a professional mastering engineer to give this release the audio upgrade that it so deserved. If you are concerned that this release won't meet your audio quality standards you may wish to skip this purchase. However, the tracklisting itself may be too hard to resist!

P.S. Check out the Quick Step & Side Kick 2008 Demon-Edsel reissue as well.

As passionate as I am about new wave, retro and synth-pop, there is no greater album to me than the Thompson Twins' 1984 release "Into the Gap". Now going on 25 years, the record still creates vivid images of places into ether and beyond in layers of spacey atmospheres, beautiful guitar melodies, alternative percussive rhythms and dreamy choruses by lead vocalist Tom Bailey and his colorful antic sidekicks Joe Leeway and Alannah Currie. Alex Sadkin's production is masterful, capturing the distant seaside presence of where the trio recorded the album in Nassau in the autumn of 1983. Finally, nearly 25 years later, the record has been re-released in a remastered version complete with b-sides, 12'' mixes, heavenly instrumentals and limited releases. Although the Thompson Twins owned the world and the pop charts, don't be underestimated. The talent speaks not in the fashion, but in the music that made this album my personal favorite of all time.

Other reviews are critiquing the quality of the sound on a few of tracks. However, the fact that this collection captures over 90% of the material recorded (that we know of) for the period that we'll simply call "The Gap", I shant try and decompose the very minor 'hissing' on one or two tracks and debate selected US / UK / Japanese versions. Given the fact that this LP is nearly a quarter of a Century old now, it is of great pleasure and honor that Edsel Records have spotlighted this album and given it this vinyl-reunion on compact disc for the first time.

I have very keen hearing. The actual album and cassette remixes and most of the 12" versions sound fine; however, "You Lift Me Up (Machines Take Me over Remix)," sounds awful. The beginning of the song has a flutter to it with a few crackles. This was "NOT" remastered. As for "Sister of Mercy (Extended Version)," there is a slight screeching sound in the background. It sounds like the leveling was rised too high. It's my favorite song. I'm so mad that it sounds this way.

This is a great collection, if you want rarities, but by no means was this product remastered. Sorry!! I'm only giving this collection 3 stars.

I would have given this reissue of one of the defining albums of the 80's five stars had it not been for the awful job someone did of the vinyl rip for "You Take Me Up"(cd two,track three).

Very poor job on this track and I can't help but think that the "near enough is good enough" or "no-one will notice,will they?" approach for this particular cut has been taken.

For the sake of collectors like myself,it's great to finally have all these Thompson Twins extended versions and the cassette only tracks on cd and I would have no problem if there was some form of disclosure on behalf of the people behind these recent reissues.Just tell us that some of the tracks may have been copied from vinyl for the sake of giving us all mixes that are available!Surely that's not asking too much? Perhaps they are scared that too much info may put potential buyers off if they know some tracks are extracted from vinyl records.

Let's face it,we would all like as many mixes as we can get.If a vinyl rip is done correctly with a high quality turntable and a pristine copy of the record then I have no problem,but the job done on "You Take Me Up" on the second disc of this release is appalling!

Otherwise,this album sounds better than it did in the 80's but you have been warned!

**As a footnote,this release is not the only "Remastered/Reissued" cd out there with vinyl tracks ripped on to cd.Buyer beware!

This re-issue is one that I have been dreaming of for over twenty years. Finally the huge collection of Thompson Twins B-Sides and remixes released in support of this classic album have been collected in one place (with one exception). Oddly, for such a complete set, it is missing the 12" remix of "The Gap." Though that track was widely available of the "Greatest Mixes" CD, it is an odd omission. The same collection also includes the 12" Extended Edit of "Hold Me Now", which is also not represented here. Remember, this is a re-issue, not a remaster. Don't expect this to sound better than the original CD you likely already have. This release is all about the loads of tracks that have never before been presented on CD, or any other digital format for that matter. Many of these tracks were relegated to cassette or 12" releases only until the release of this 2CD set. You will find one or two of the tracks have obviously been mastered from vinyl sources. The "Out of the Gap Megamix" certainly suffers from this. However, all of the tracks sound better than my old vinyl copies, so I'm quite happy. In the end, the rarity of the music seriously outweighs the few audio shortcomings that are present. Apart from the aforementioned "Megamix" they really aren't incredibly noticeable. Don't let the other audiophile reviews scare you off. Highly recommended!

There has been some talk that certain cuts on
this reissue were taken from vinyl sources. I could
not detect this upon listening to my cd copy.
If you are buying this set to relive the fabulous
sounds found on Into The Gap, you won't be dis-
appointed.
I was pleasantly pleased at the sound throughout
the 2 cds and while I could have lived without the
bonus cd, the price made in a no brainer. Don't get
me wrong, the second cd is enjoyable, I just won't be
listening to it nearly as much as cd 1. I would give
cd 1 5 Stars and the 2nd cd 3 Stars, thus the 4 Star
rating.

It's so good to finally have the original cassette 'B' sides on CD.
I have waited a long time to get these and it was worth the wait.

Length:: 1:23 Mins

It's about time the Thonpson Twind join the frey and re-release all the old albums with b-sides and such, been a long time overdue! It's so wonderful to hear all these old tunes and some that ive never heard before!

It's too bad that the remix of "The Gap" (which had been on their now discontinued cd, the mixes) was left off. That was a great version I was really hoping to get on cd.