Revised albums

[Wicker Man]

There's been much talk on the 'Favourite album' thread of how certain LPs might have been more highly regarded had the track lists been different. I wouldn't want any of 'em any other way, now, and have grown to love the somewhat rum shape of 'DYLRM', for example, but I'd like to see how all youse clever bastards might have done things differently. Here's your opportunity to show off, then - choose an LP and present your ideal version of it. The only rules are you have to pick contemporaneous numbers - you can't suddenly have Hammy writing 'Mongk II' in 2003, for example - and you have to stay within the boundaries dictated by an 80-minute CD. No two-disc 'deluxe' versions, not yet. You can pretend the band had worked on different demos from the 'Machineries' sessions though, if you must.

Could 'Decline' have been improved with the addition of 'Salty Water'? Would 'DYLRM' really have benefitted from having 'Lucky Bicycle' on it? Where would 'Gale Warnings' have appeared on your perfect 'Open Season'?

Here's my rejigged 'Valhalla', anyway. Word on the street seems to be that it would have worked far better as a shorter album, so I've made it even longer and ditched a song widely regarded as one of Hammy's masterpieces. I have done this because I'm an evil genius and, if you have a listen, you'll see that I'm right.

1. (Hidden track) Cleaning Out the Rooms (instrumental piano demo)
2. Zooo-ooooos
3. We Are Sound (long version)
4. Georgie Ray (single version)
5. Stunde Null
6. Mongk II
7. Baby
8. Living Is So Easy (that other mix)
9. Cleaning Out the Rooms
10. Bear
11. Observe The Skies
12. Let the Tears Roll
13. kW-h
14. Heavy Water
15. Retreat

Have we done this before?

[LikeAnotherLanguage]

I thought about this for MoJ recently, and came up with something like this:

1 Spring Has Sprung
2 Facts Not Right
3 What You Need The Most
4 Wishful Thinking
5 Warm Wind
6 Radio Goddard
7 Light Above
8 Monsters of Sunderland
9 Lullaby For What You Are
10 Machineries Of Joy

End on a high, less likely to send me to sleep. Sorted. I think Warm Wind makes a nice atmospheric mid-album break, rather than wrapping the whole thing up in a slightly spooky fashion.
Rejigged Valhalla looks lush, apart from the gaping omission of Once More Now of course. And I reckon it could do with a third, Red Rock Riviera-ish version of Cleaning Out The Rooms.

[Wicker Man]

You can never have too much 'Cleaning Out the Rooms'. Very interesting MoJ rejig, there - 'Spring Has Sprung' makes a great opener and I think you're right about the title track being a good way to close, though I love 'Warm Wind' so much I can't imagine the album finishing any other way, now: it's structured in such a way it could echo on into infinity.

Your version does strike me as a little Hammy-lite, though. Having said that, I grudgingly left 'Once More Now' off my 'Valhalla' simply because three seven-minute-plus Ham tracks seemed to be pushing it a little, and of the two I just like 'Retreat' more. 'Once More Now' could replace it as the great lost track on the 'Zeus' ep (or the 'Who's In Control/Luna' ep, as it would be in my alternative universe).

Thanks for the response, anyway, LikeAnotherLanguage. I can only assume everyone else is still fine-tuning their rejigs. I'd like to see someone have a go at 'Open Season', next.

[Wendelin of Trier]

I'd like to see someone have a go at 'Open Season', next.

1. How will I ever find my way home? (Organ intro)
2. North Hanging Rock
3. Gale Warnings in Viking North
4. Like a Honeycomb
5. It Ended on an Oily Stage
6. The Land Beyond
7. How will I ever find my way home?
8. Be Gone
9. Oh Larsen B
10. Victorian Ice
11. Please Stand Up
12. True Adventures

13. Secret Bonus Track starts 20 mins after the end of True Adventures - To get to sleep

Starts quietly, builds slowly, up to the 'big bit' in North Hanging Rock. A majestic opening, if you will. Then ker-pow, Gale Warnings. After all that excitement, its time for one of their greatest moments, Like a Honeycomb. Unbelievably, that is followed by greatest moment no 2, Oily Stage. By this time the listener thinks this is the greatest thing they've ever heard. We now 'dip', purposely, into serene waters, the land beyond, before waking up again with the throwaway HWIEFMWH.
Another outstanding moment with Be Gone, followed by some romance with Larsen B. Stick in a bit of a funny/throwaway one again with Victorian Ice, then we're ready for the pop tune, the last hurrah, before slowly, quietly drifting away again with the magnificent True Adventures.
To weird out people who think the record has finished and have gone off to attend to their tomatoes or gone to sleep, 20mins later the 'odd choice for a secret track at the end of an album' 'To get to Sleep' begins.

A bit of a journey that. But tbh, I wouldn't change the track listing at all.
The Open Season album, it's artwork and the gigs, esp at High Rocks and Carnglaze hold such a mythical status in my mind, I really cannot begin to describe.

[LikeAnotherLanguage]

I find your reimagining of Open Season intriguing. Initially aghast at Land Beyond and True Adventures being separated, and I feel like To Get To Sleep might be a bit of a letdown after by far the best track on the album, not to mention those 20 minutes, but I'll listen to a playlist of it later and see how the thing works.
And yes, I didn't notice I'd rather neglected Hammy on my MoJ version. It's nothing personal. I'm just not too fussed about Hail Holy Queen or Loving Animals, and there's lots of the demos I prefer.

[Wicker Man]

A bit of a journey that. But tbh, I wouldn't change the track listing at all.
The Open Season album, it's artwork and the gigs, esp at High Rocks and Carnglaze hold such a mythical status in my mind, I really cannot begin to describe.

Same here, though that there rejig looks like a winner to me. I'm going to queue it all up as you suggest and give it a spin, too. I like a slow build, me, and have already burned a cdR copy with the organ intro at the beginning so I don't have to re-rewind every time I play it - that's how 'Open Season' has always started, as far as I'm concerned.
I reckon I'd have the slight but beautiful 'Crystal Horse' as the hidden bonus track, though - can imagine it provoking mystical dreams in the drowsing listener.
Right: 'DYLRM' director's cut, someone?
I think we might have scared zep_girl off...

[Cold Ethyl]

Right: 'DYLRM' director's cut, someone?
...

The Great Skua
No need to cry
Open the door

10 in format.

[Wicker Man]

Right: 'DYLRM' director's cut, someone?
...

The Great Skua
No need to cry
Open the door

10 in format.

Tsk - you!

[Wendelin of Trier]

Right: 'DYLRM' director's cut, someone?
...

The Great Skua
No need to cry
Open the door

10 in format.

The Great Skua (re-recorded)

one sided 7" format

[Wendelin of Trier]

I think we might have scared zep_girl off...

probably the jumper talk.

'we need loomin' (as in weaving), baby we ain't foolin'..'

[Wendelin of Trier]

'..when moving through Cashmere'

[Wicker Man]

The Great Skua (re-recorded)

one sided 7" format

Tsk - you!

[Matty]

I do enjoy *ahem* threads like this..

I used to think in my foolish yoof that Blackout let Decline down (I know, I know..) and Childhood Memories would serve it better, but no, leave Decline as it is!

Open Season is a good one to do; I remember it getting quite lambasted round these ways when it came out, to the extent that someone from the band (Seretary maybe?) had to tell people to pipe down about it not being as good as Decline - not that people are being revisionist, but it has aged well hasn't it.
Saying that, it's probably the one I'd change the most..

Oily Stage - perfect opener, one of my favourite BSP songs in fact
Be Gone - yep, nice way to keep the movement going
Crystal Horse - lovely song, a nice soother
Please Stand Up
North Hanging Rock - the segue of those 2 songs is brilliant
How Will I Find My..
Over In The Corner
Gale Warnings
The Land Beyond
Larsen B
True Adventures

..but then no Victorian Ice or When I Go Out.. hmm, tis a puzzler

x

[LikeAnotherLanguage]

Right: 'DYLRM' director's cut, someone?
...

The Great Skua
No need to cry
Open the door

10 in format.

1 Hearing Aid
2 No Lucifer
3 Waving Flags
4 Down On The Ground
5 Save The Purple House
6 Atom
7 Everybody Must Be Saved
8 No Need To Cry
9 Open The Door
10 The Pelican
11 The Great Skua
12 (Bonus track) Ooby Dooby Doo

I'm a genius.

[Wicker Man]

1 Hearing Aid
2 No Lucifer
3 Waving Flags
4 Down On The Ground
5 Save The Purple House
6 Atom
7 Everybody Must Be Saved
8 No Need To Cry
9 Open The Door
10 The Pelican
11 The Great Skua
12 (Bonus track) Ooby Dooby Doo

I'm a genius.

Ooby Dooby Don't.
Almost a genius, perhaps, and 'Hearing Aid' is an inspired and worthy kickoff, but I'd have 'Everybody Must Be Saved' as the hidden bonus. Good effort there in trying to stir up the comparatively flat second half, though.
If I said you could have 'Lucky Bicycle' on there, would that influence your running order at all?
Flatland Juz will be cross at the omission of 'Charlie Potatoes'.

Oily Stage - perfect opener, one of my favourite BSP songs in fact
Be Gone - yep, nice way to keep the movement going
Crystal Horse - lovely song, a nice soother
Please Stand Up
North Hanging Rock - the segue of those 2 songs is brilliant
How Will I Find My..
Over In The Corner
Gale Warnings
The Land Beyond
Larsen B
True Adventures

..but then no Victorian Ice or When I Go Out.. hmm, tis a puzzler

x

Tis indeed, though 'When I Go Out' has always sounded like a b-side to me, much as I love it.
Good effort, though, I'm a gonna programme your version and Wendlin's and listen to them back-to-back. Not today, though, I'm a bit busy - probably the week after next.
Personally, though I've come round to 'Please Stand Up' in the past couple of months, I'd have it as a standalone single and replace it with 'Gale Warnings' which I think suits the shape of the album better. Three 'indie anthems' is enough for one Open Season, as far as I'm concerned.