Customer Reviews

Sea Monsters

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In response to the other reviewer here who complained about the remastering job on this album, I am posting my take on it here.

I purchased the original USA issue of this CD, on the First Warning label, and bought this import version as a replacement after losing the first one. In comparison, I'd say that the remastering for this album has been done extremely well. The older copy I had was mastered using some sort of compressor/stereo-expander device, which was obvious, since you could hear the effect clipping at some points.

This version clears up the high end tremendously; a lot of gray area in the high midrange now seems to have more clarity, and the compression is a big improvement, also. I do not think any area, highs or lows, has been over-emphasized.

Then there is the music. I can't really speak about "Seamonsters" without some bias: I simply can't think of any rock album from the early 1990's which can stand as its equal. My affection for this album really goes beyond words; it literally changed my tastes in music. It's quite obvious that pairing the Wedding Present with Steve Albini was a masterstroke that produced one of the greatest (and most underrated) albums in all of rock music. Those who have previously complained about the drums being too loud may not be familiar with this sound, which is part and parcel of a typical Albini mix, finding the true impact of rock music in the rhythm section and the sound of a good too-loud guitar, and not the emoting of the vocalist.

I think what I admire most about "Seamonsters" is the conviction. It doesn't really matter about the lyrics, the chord changes, or anything else. What matters is not what they are saying, but the way they say it--four guys putting their all into it, hammering away furiously, expressing some kind of inner drama that transcends the genre. A timeless, unappreciated classic, and a great album dying to be heard.

The remastering weakened the album in several ways. The percussion is too bright. The bass became stronger than necessary. The vocals are not loud enough. Basically, the whole album sounds like you're only listening to the drums. I want my music!! It really soured my enjoyment of the Wedding Present. Whoever produced this reissue I'm gonna say not so nice things about. Don't buy this. Buy a used copy of the original issue. *sigh*

You wake up from a big buzz and another breakup and wind up on the couch playing "Seamonsters" and drinking beer. You look at the jewel case, Christ, the thing is sixteen years old. Where the hell have I been? The drummer socks it and sounds really good. Guitars are all squall and feedback and both lock in wicked rhythm. David, pardon me, though, sounds like he's worn out with the years himself. It was either a trick, like Michael Stipe singing a lot of stuff that wasn't lyrics back in the early days of REM, or maybe an embarrassment about a voice that isn't very good, or maybe producer Steve Albini just wanting to emphasize the industrial pummel of the instruments, but David, Gedge I mean, at best sounds like an adjunct musical instrument and at worst like a croaking mumbler. I've revered the damn thing as long as anyone else on here, so please don't criticize me, and in retrospect it is really, incredibly good, but our ringleader should have spoken up singing for posterity. What was he hiding his angsty love lyrics for?

A friend of mine gave me a CDR of "Seamonsters" some years ago when he heard me admit that I hadn't heard of the Wedding Present. Something was wrong with the mp3s he used to assemble it, so I picked up a replacement copy on Amazon. It's my first Wedding Present album, and as best as I can tell, it's as good a starting point as any to get to know them.

It's produced by Steve Albini, and it shows for the most part. The drums sound loud and the guitars can come to an absolute roar. It doesn't quite have the tossed-off quality of "In Utero" or "Surfer Rosa" by Nirvana and the Pixies respectively, but its dynamics are still confrontational. A weird match for David Gedge's voice, but there's probably a good reason that Albini has helmed more than one of their albums.

No weak tracks though. It's melancholic in tone, but not in a way that nauseates me (like the Cure). Maybe it's because of the slap-your-face production. Maybe it's because Gedge's lyrics get obscured and I'm better off not knowing what he's saying. Whatever, just try "Seamonsters."