Peter Gabriel 2023 new album i/o on vinyl: Dark Side and Bright Side mixes compared.
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- Опубліковано 25 сер 2024
- So, back in 1980 I went to my first gig: Peter Gabriel, he was my favourite artist of the time and quite frankly, he probably still is.
So, after some 21 years after his previous studio album 'Up' it is with enormous excitement I get to listen to his new album, i/o on vinyl, but not just one version, there are two stereo mixes, the Bright Side and Dark Side mixes of the entire album.
Being such a huge Gabriel fan I couldn't resist buying both and here I discuss and compare the two versions.
I'd love to hear what you feel about the two (or the three if you include the Dolby Atmos mix). please let us know in the comments.
I purchased my copies of i/o from: ravesfromthegr...
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I was 14 when So came out, and I’ve loved Gabriel ever since. There’s some of his best work on i/o, in my opinion. Saw him live last year in Frankfurt. What a show!
Gabriel will always be the first gig I ever went to! Thanks Adam.
@@DaveDenyer My first ever gig too.
The ‘This Way Up’ tour, 2nd of July, 1987, Birmingham NEC 🖤
Thank you for your review, Dave. Really interesting!
Here's my plea in favour of the Bright Mix.
In my opinion, the Bright Mix is more what this album is really about. This album is about songwriting, layers, arrangements and orchestrations. It's the heritage of Scratch My Back and New Blood. The Bright Mix highlights all the parts of the songs, the voice and all the instruments, in a very effective and balanced way.
The Dark Mix enhances more the foundations of the songs: percussions, bass. It brings us more to the esthetics of PG3 and PG4, where the songs were more skeletal, more about textures, more drum-based. To achieve that, the Dark Mix has to remove a lot of parts Peter recorded for this album.
I suspect that a lof of people prefer the Dark Mix because they are nostalgic of PG3 and 4. And maybe the moniker "dark" plays a role too. It's more... serious. It could explain why a lot of people think that the Bright Mix is more poppy, although it isn't. Actually, the Dark Mix meets more the requirements of current pop esthetics with its focus on bass.
It's not that I don't like the Dark Mix too. If it'd be the only version of the album, it would still be the album of the year for me (with Steven Wilson's The Harmony Codex). It's a mix with more personality, but it's Tchad Blake's personality above all, not Peter's. With his Bright Mix, Mark "Spike" Stent puts himself more in the background, letting Peter's art shine. Sometimes the Dark Mix achieves the Bright Mix's aim almost better: the dark version of And Still, for example, is better balanced than the Bright one (I don't like the emphasis on the bass drum in the Bright Mix).
One more thing in favour of the Bright Mix. When Peter played the new songs live, they retained the elements that were removed in the Dark Mix (for example the bass in So Much, the percussions in This Is Home, the cello in the intro of Love Can Heal). Maybe a sign that the Bright Mix matches more the way Peter sees this album...
Wow, thanks for such considered and well-thought out response. I shall consider this when next listening to the Bright Side mix.
Excellent review. Same here. I prefer the Bright side. Do you have the European - Made in Germany LPs for both mixes?
@@jptabjaI have only the HiRes FLAC from Qobuz. No vinyl.
When I first heard the album, I liked it (bright side), and I didint even know there was a dark side, when it comes time I’m choosing the bright side which is what I first heard and liked🤔
Good point: to be honest I'm not sure which version I first heard (it would've been as individual tracks released on UA-cam), probably Panopticom, the 'bright side'.
Very good review Dave! Peter Gabriel is one of my top artists “period” too, and this wonderful album is a great achievement. I bought both versions like you but I only played them once to inspect their condition. I enjoyed both versions very much, since the music is so lovely, but I got a similar impression, the dark side had this special feel for the sound that was more interesting for me. I’ll play them more and pay attention to your comments. By the way, my wife is an artist too, painting and sculpture, and I’m trying to get her back to be more active, nothing better than having music and art in the house. Happy New Year!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts Mahab, and I hope your wife gets back into her art. Happy New Year!
I was the same on first listen thought it sounded like the last album but on getting the album really liked it. For me the Dark Side mix is the best.
Hi Jon, thanks for the feedback. I do agree, I'm still preferring the Dark Side mix.
@@DaveDenyer I see your price sticker said Raves from the Grave. I live in Somerset about an hour away and go there often. I was there on RSD. Great Aladdins cave of a shop
@@JonPickles it certainly is!
Thanks for this Dave, I was looking for a good comparison of the vinyl versions. Whilst I have OGs of all the other PG studio albums, I am loathed to buy both mixes of this on vinyl, even though Gabriel is one of my favourite artists and IMO this is the best album of 2023. In an attempt to come to a decision I bought the dual CD pack to “test the water.”
I couldn’t listen to the Bright Side CD all the way through in one sitting. I felt (& still feel) it is overly compressed & sounds like it has been mastered for radio. After 4 tracks I had heard enough & had to go back to it later. I do still play odd tracks off the Bright Side but feel the Dark Side is a much more interesting listen & hangs together better as a whole album. Your review confirms my opinion & will now order the vinyl DS version. Thanks again & best wishes for 2024.
Thanks for your feedback. I think your ‘mastered for radio’ comment is spot on. Glad you found the review useful.
Hi Dave, agree with your impressions. From what I can detect is that Bright Side version has that continuesly mids oemph present. This added push makes the sound less transparent for sure, but also less easy to ear to pick up all little details that are very interesting or I would say important in this album. And most probably what you were missing from Dark Side is the less neutral presentation in it, which I believe is very obvious. More sharpness or would I say guitar kick that wakes your attention to the rest of the detail and instruments inside. Also agree if he could mix nr. 3 with just less neutrality that would make the sound more attractive or something. Dark Side is what I preffer by far. Thx and Happy New Year!
Thanks for the feedback @jabensergei
Nice review Dave,echoes a lot of my thoughts really,i played them both a few times and i prefer the dark side mix,as you say not that the bright side is bad,its just i sort of listened to the bright side mix whereas i felt the dark side mix,hard to explain but it connected much more on an emotional level,that base is just like a mist drifting towards you across the room then just wraps around you and the music and Peters voice just seemed to connect with me more,wonderful album
Thanks for the feedback David. You explain it well.
Hi Dave. Thanks for your review. I tested the two versions with Four kind of horses and Love can heal....the sound of the Bright Side mix for me is far better than Dark Side mix. I agree PG voice is more present/upfront on the Bright side mix. I have a Rega P10 with Apheta 3, Rega Aura Phono Pre amp , Rega Aethos amplifier and Revel Speakers Performa 228 Be. The Bright side mix impressed me...the dark side not at all. I stay with the Bright side. I dont like the dense sound of the dark side....I do not get the good on that dense ...muddy sound...no air at all. Dark side is OK for me but did not impressed me. Agree with you....PG shoud have released the BEST mix....nothing more than that. My Revel speakers dance in 3D with the Bright Side mix...with the Dark side mix they get bored (kind of digital sound!) :)
Hi, thanks for the detailed feedback, especially about your system. That’s very interesting…
Thanks, Dave, a wonderful review! I, also, think PG should have released only 1 version, his best version. Maybe later, he could have released an alternate version. I want to hear from every artist what they believe to be their very best version of their talent and efforts. I saw him in Denver on his I/O tour, a wonderful show. BTW, you left off in your discography one of my favorite PG albums, his soundtrack from Rabbit Proof Fence, "Long Walk Home".
Thanks for the feedback Michael. I must give Long Walk Home a listen!
Dave if I put a blindfold on you and played tracks randomly from both albums would you be able to identify dark or bright versions. I haven't bought a copy yet but my taste and your review would lead me to the dark side. Best thought out review I've read. Thanks.
Hi Mike, that would be an easy one to be honest. The differences are pretty massive. Think a moderately bright sounding album and one that’s as massive, powerful and deep as anything you’ve ever heard.
I have two different CD's of "UP" - which were ripped / bootlegged, with one being an alternate mix. Does anyone know anything about that? I couldn't find any info on that. I'll have to ask the guy that gave them to me. I don't remember the difference being extreme.
Sorry, I don’t know anything about that.
hello dave!,very anxious to know your next lp cleaning regime! do you stick with your own method,or are you considering to send records to steve from PVF? it worry"s me however that he is using ethanol in his mix! on the other hand your own method combination of the loricraft/degritter seems sufficient enough!i know its a little of topic,ha,ha/thanks dave
Hi Frank. Good question: I will continue to work with Steve looking deeper into this subject. For example, I am following up on Steve's suggestion that ethanol is different or even superior to IPA for example, so I am currently experimenting with this.
Essentially we both share the belief that a thorough 'chemical clean' followed by thorough rinsing is best. I am impressed (and a bit envious) of Steve's lab, and am trying to get the best results from the more domestic situation that I do have.
My new current regime is 2-3 cycles on the Loricraft (with the addition of an optional Tergikleen solution stage, and some ethanol (about 20%) in the rinse stage), followed by rinsing in the Degritter: typically 2 or 3 cycles. I've also added about 5% Ethanol to the Degritter rinse fluid too).
I will send some records to Steve though, just to find out if / by how much things can be improved...
great good to know dave! thanks for your swift reply! btw/are you giving up on the PUREGROOVE -solution?@@DaveDenyer
Hi Frank, good question: I am still using Pure Groove.
The Loricraft part of my process is: first a Pure Groove wash (perhaps 2 minutes brushing rather than my previous 1 minute), then optionally, I'll give it a second clean with diluted Tergikleen - to be honest I'm not sure this adds much if anything, then a third clean / rinse of 80% distilled water, 20% ethanol plus a couple of drops of Ilfotol (about 0.03%). Then, on to the Degritter....
I think it’s ridiculous that PG released these tracks one by one in crappy compressed forms for one whole year before giving us the whole album! And the two mixes is just as ridiculous. Completely agree with you there. There should’ve been one final mix and that is the album! There wasn’t multiple mixes released for UP in 02 and US in 92 for example! Lol. I bought the 3 disc version for when the day comes I get a full surround atmos system. I have an OPPO UDP 205 that could definitely play the inside mix! I just need the speakers and amps! I also went cd because these were digital recordings. No point in getting vinyl in my opinion. Also with pressings these days… if its not being pressed at RTI or QRP I ain’t buyin! Can’t risk getting a bad pressing. Does it even say where IO was pressed? That matters!
Hi, thanks for your feedback.
Just for the record, I do still buy vinyl records of digital recordings as I feel they very often sound better than the equivalent CD (or HD download). Having heard various versions I'd say that does apply in this case. Both the Bright and the Dark Side mix LPs sound better than any of the digital versions I've heard. They have a "pressed in Germany" label, so I assume (but don't know) it's Pallas.
Do you think there is artistic merit in releasing both versions, or is it just a cash grab?
From what I hear (from local record shop) very few people buy both. So it doesn’t seem like a cash grab, but I do kinda wish PG had made a final choice.
@@DaveDenyerAgree with you completely. I went for the Dark Side LP and won’t be buying the Bright if only for the reason that they are expensive. Nice pressing by Pallas though and the booklet is on good quality paper so he / his record company haven’t cheaped out.
Cool, i won't be buying either one, the album cover kind of creeps me out for some reason, so i won't be looking at that either.
LOL. Fair enough!