Cowboy (2024 Remaster)

[kwerty]

This was never my favourite album at the time, but I think I'm liking the bonuses on here more than on ISISIS and Wild! (I'm torn between the two as to which is my least favourite!).

I really like the TELEX mix of DSYLIKM - one of my favourite new mixes in a while. I like the stripped back sound and structural rearranging. It sounds a bit like listening to an 'unfinished' version with some of the tracks/layers missing, but in a good way!

The Blancmange mix of Rain is fine but doesn't excite me as much as I would have liked, but it's a good album filler on my imagined POP Remixed volume 2. Or maybe it's volume 3 now!

Like @mrblue, I too do actually quite like the 'experimental' Stealing Sheep mix (I think it's far more recognisable as 'Rain' than some remixes in the past have been of the tracks they were meant to be mixes of!), but I can see why some fans won't like it and I can understand the disappointment of such an unusual remix when there are very few new mixes and other albums tracks that could have been remixed instead.

I love the alternate mix of Magic Moments and the clarity of Andy's vocals (and especially some of the backing vocals). I was expecting something that we'd be hard pushed to hear what the difference is compared to the original, so I'm pleased we got this from the archives.

However, I do agree and think the original of MM should have been included as well, in the same way that I think the US album version of Oh L'amour should have been included in expanded edition of Wonderland. I feel like these remastered/expanded versions should be representative of both the UK and US (and international editions) editions of the albums.

Speaking of US versions - although I'm always thankful for the inclusion of things I haven't got already or didn't know existed, there was a very different US single mix of DSYLIKM that could have been included here, as well as the slightly different single/album version of In My Arms. Then there was the US only RH Factor mixes of DSYLIKM.

Still, overall, I found the package of extras more satisfying than those on ISISIS and WIld! - it's just a shame the Tiny Tour wasn't included. I would have been happy with it as an audio only CD if DVD is too much of an ask now. But I've got a theory about what might happen with it...

[MikeyC]

This was never my favourite album at the time, but I think I'm liking the bonuses on here more than on ISISIS and Wild! (I'm torn between the two as to which is my least favourite!).

I really like the TELEX mix of DSYLIKM - one of my favourite new mixes in a while. I like the stripped back sound and structural rearranging. It sounds a bit like listening to an 'unfinished' version with some of the tracks/layers missing, but in a good way!

The Blancmange mix of Rain is fine but doesn't excite me as much as I would have liked, but it's a good album filler on my imagined POP Remixed volume 2. Or maybe it's volume 3 now!

Like @mrblue, I too do actually quite like the 'experimental' Stealing Sheep mix (I think it's far more recognisable as 'Rain' than some remixes in the past have been of the tracks they were meant to be mixes of!), but I can see why some fans won't like it and I can understand the disappointment of such an unusual remix when there are very few new mixes and other albums tracks that could have been remixed instead.

I love the alternate mix of Magic Moments and the clarity of Andy's vocals (and especially some of the backing vocals). I was expecting something that we'd be hard pushed to hear what the difference is compared to the original, so I'm pleased we got this from the archives.

However, I do agree and think the original of MM should have been included as well, in the same way that I think the US album version of Oh L'amour should have been included in expanded edition of Wonderland. I feel like these remastered/expanded versions should be representative of both the UK and US (and international editions) editions of the albums.

Speaking of US versions - although I'm always thankful for the inclusion of things I haven't got already or didn't know existed, there was a very different US single mix of DSYLIKM that could have been included here, as well as the slightly different single/album version of In My Arms. Then there was the US only RH Factor mixes of DSYLIKM.

Still, overall, I found the package of extras more satisfying than those on ISISIS and WIld! - it's just a shame the Tiny Tour wasn't included. I would have been happy with it as an audio only CD if DVD is too much of an ask now. But I've got a theory about what might happen with it...

A good read, thanks for your in-depth analysis!

[ben]

I think it is time for remixed versions of the original albums, very close to the originals, just a bit more oomph and slight variations, perhaps with unused bits, and mix it in Dolby Atmos. The remastered thing was not an improvement that most people would actually hear. Andy talked quite a bit about songs like Rescue Me that were recorded with much more vocals than they used in the end, would be nice to hear some of it.

[Cesar]

[classicpopmag.com] Review: Erasure – Cowboy (Reissue)

César

[MikeyC]

Thanks for posting!
How dare they say I Sayx3 was “muddled”!!

[kwerty]

From the article: "...there’s an argument that Mute should add B-sides and mixes on a third CD. In focussing on new mixes and rarities, they leave out the regular versions of Rapture and Heart Of Glass..."

Hmmm... No, we get the extended mix of Rapture instead, which at its core is the same version anyway and was never released officially outside the US, making this album better for it. As for Heart Of Glass - there never was a regular version. I presume he might be thinking of the radio session, which, as I'm sure he must know, was on the 'muddled' ISISIS remaster bonus disc, where it belongs because that's when it was recorded and broadcast!