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Lloyd Cole clarifies box set content

By Paul Sinclair

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Lloyd Cole has posted a note on his website to clear up any confusion over the Rattlesnakes element in the recent Lloyd Cole and the Commotions Collected Recordings box set.

He points out that there was a typo in the booklet due to the US version of Rattlesnakes being used as a reference for the sleeve notes. He says:

“The US (original Geffen, not subsequent Capitol) version  contained several Rik Ocasek re-mixes. And the box set sleeve notes have this credit.

To be clear – there are no re-mixes on the re-mastered Rattlesnakes. The original 1/2″ tape from Genetic Studios were used. Transferred flat to digital and the CD was mastered from this. There was no extra mastering compression or EQ, which is why the album sounds bigger and roomier. The mastering done in 1984 made the tracks tighter, and smaller. This is more noticeable on Four Flights Up and Patience. I consulted the band, we all prefer it this way”

It’s great that Lloyd has cleared this up because I know a few SDE readers were convinced the remixes had been included by accident. Since we’re discussing this set it gives me an opportunity to post some new SDE photos of it. It’s out now!

Read the note on Lloyd’s site.

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22 Comments

22 thoughts on “Lloyd Cole clarifies box set content”

  1. Managed to lay my hands on some vinyl rips of the three Ocasek remixes from the US Geffen vinyl. Compared them to the same tracks from the new box set Rattlesnakes, and let’s just say the similarities are remarkable….

  2. Edu – my capitol CD arrived yesterday. Those three tracks credited as the Ocasek remixes sound just like the two older UK releases (the 1985 and the 2004) I own, so I think it’s another error.

  3. Edu – My Capitol CD arrived yesterday, and those three tracks which are credited as being Ocasek remixes sound pretty much the same as the other CDs I own, so I have to say that it does appear to be a mistake on that disc too. Mr Cole is correct.

  5. It is simply brilliant the care Lloyd Cole has taken in his attention to detail with this box set.
    A fine example of less self-indulgence & more thinking from the fan’s perspective by an artist.
    I hope Lloyd Cole amasses a slew of awards for this collection.

  6. Edu – I just ordered a Capitol cd off ebay and will let you know the answer when it arrives. LC says the Ocaseks aren’t on there, many other sources on t’internet say they are, and as you say, the sleeve says they are. Do Four Flights Up and Patience sound more reverb-y than the rest of the album by any chance?

    There’s another 1980s interview (Spin magazine) with LC where he says he was so appalled by the Ocasek remixes that he considered leaving the band. It’s not clear whether he hated the remixes or the fact that they were released presumably without his permission.

    Robert – no they weren’t included on the 2004 deluxe release. That would have cleared this question up for me.

  7. I have the original Capitol US CD and the sleeve says that the three tracks are remixed by Ocasek. So, is this wrong too? The Cole statement says that only the Geffen tracks were remixed but they are on the Capitol cd too, at least on the cover.

  8. i have the ocasek remixes from the original US Geffen version and the difference is barely noticeable. i remember lloyd himself saying in an interview in the 80s that he couldn’t tell much difference either. Ocasek was hot at the time and signed to Geffen as a solo artist, Lloyd seem to imply the label sorta did it for hype.

  9. I too would be interested in hearing the Ric Ocasek mixes – just out of curiosity.

    The boxed set itself is a treasure. One of my favourites from recent times. The quality of the songwriting alone makes it a worthwhile purchase (in my view).

  10. Are the Ric Ocasek mixes included on the deluxe 2 disc version from a few years ago ? I just got this box and liked it immediately. Rattlesnakes sits easily into my top 100 albums of the 1980’s. Thanks Lloyd.

  12. I suspect I am responsible for this clarification as I raised it with him on twitter. John, it’s not the whole album that got remixed by Ric Ocasek for the US market, just three tracks (Perfect Skin. Patience and Four Flights Up). As those happen to be the three tracks that sound the most different on the remaster (and the latter two sound massively different both to previous CDs and the other tracks on the album) and there was an error on the sleeve in the box set, you can see how one might think the Ocasek mixes had been included by mistake. I’m sure Mr Cole is correct in what he says but I have ordered an old US CD to hear the Ocasek mixes myself as the curiosity got the better of me.

    1. Somewhat unrealistic considering just how many albums he’s released since Mainstream don’t you think? This is about his work with The Commotions so what place would his solo work have in it?!

  18. Wow, I had no idea Ric Ocasek remixed it for the US Geffen release. As an American, that version of the album is how I came to know the band, and I associate it with 1985 (the year it was released here). I’m looking forward to eventually getting this box and having the “original” as intended.

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