Kingsize - Expanded Edition

[mrfiresky]

well this arrived today after a lengthy delay.

as this is my joint favourite album of all time it was met with some considerable excitement in the firesky household

its a one disc set in a plastic jewell case and the remastering is quite simply fantastic...although kingsize is an album prime for remastering as it has many wonderfull subtle layers that come out on repeat listening.

Even the cover picture and info on the reverse are super bright and jumping off the paper

Indeed the mastering on all 3 so far has been superb...c'mon kids is due out tomorrow

the hidden track "janquil"?? is no longer a hidden track and plays as track one followed by blue room in archway (also track one)

Annoyances.... as with the others I would liked to have has all six albums with their b sides and extra tracks chronologically perfect but I am bit anal like that.

So we have 17 tracks including the three extra cuts from the Free Huey single but nothing from the Kingsize single

Free Huey is listed on the tracklisting as "Radio Edit" and there is no "put your arms around me....

Such a truly indispensible album of pure genius...amazing to think martin "doesn't like it" his "heart wasn't in it" and it "wasn't good enough" ...sorry chief I couldn't disgree more.

I would however take Free Huey and The future is now off the album and put them as B sides and add In A galaxy far far away as the new track 13.
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we spent a lot of time trying to make our guitars sound like trumpets...then someone told us we could actually use real trumpets

[Tommy BOO]

is 'put your arms around me and tell me everything's going to be ok' on it?
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"Tommy Boo has played a pivotal role in my life. I've looked up to him since I was a kid and he has inspired every note of music I have ever written. The man is a fucking genius" -BC

[mrfiresky]

thomas booington....go to the bottom of the class....

please read paragraph 9 of my monologue and you will find your answer....
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we spent a lot of time trying to make our guitars sound like trumpets...then someone told us we could actually use real trumpets

[Bev]

Mine has come too. I was slightly disapointed by the sleeve notes - rather than any insight about the album's recording or songs, it's just another potted history of the Boos. Surely anyone buying the Kingsize reissue is likely to be aware that Wake Up Boo! was a hit single...?

But anyway yes, great music. Although I wouldn't ditch The Future Is Now, I love that track.
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Scattershot Writing: www.jameseverington.blogspot.com

[Tommy BOO]

[mrfiresky]

my brother came over this weekend and we gave this a spin....we tried to work out the number of copies remastered would sell would sell worldwide and reckoned between 500 - 1000 tops....

well done cherry red for releasing this

I actually think Everything's Alright Forever would sell substantially more as it's recognised as a bit of a "shoegaze" classic and all that sort of stuff is back in vogue in a culty sort of way...

so come on cherry red lets have EAF for Xmas
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we spent a lot of time trying to make our guitars sound like trumpets...then someone told us we could actually use real trumpets

[Bev]

[Tommy BOO]

Well, I'm not sure if I'm allowed to do this, but anyone who wishes to have some of those b-sides that didn't end up on these deluxe editions, just pm me and we'll arrange something... I bet most (if not all) of you have already heard them anyway.
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"Tommy Boo has played a pivotal role in my life. I've looked up to him since I was a kid and he has inspired every note of music I have ever written. The man is a fucking genius" -BC

[mrfiresky]

C'mon kids arrived yesterday...haven't listened to the main album yet...but listening to those B 'sides took me right back to 1996..

Hann't played most of them since that period and its amazing how a song takes you back...had a vivid flashback of driving to play sunday league footie with the boos on loud..

I miss the Boos....fair play to martin he has given us one indespensible album since the split (AFM) and a number of good tunes but other than that nothing has hit those boo heights IMO..

Incidentally Martin has been responsible for providing me with 4 indespensible albums....no other artisit dead or alive has managed this..

enough rambling for now x
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we spent a lot of time trying to make our guitars sound like trumpets...then someone told us we could actually use real trumpets

[Bev]

[mrfiresky]

I saw that and I'm going to email...
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we spent a lot of time trying to make our guitars sound like trumpets...then someone told us we could actually use real trumpets

[Melz]

Finally got around to taking the new Kingsize and C'mon Kids reissues off the shelf for a spin.

Kingsize first, lovely to hear Tranquillo starting the party without having to rewind. Sound quality is magnificent and the cover-art looks as striking as ever. Even though I've had a mailing-list postcard of the Kingsize / Free Huey art sat on my shelf since 1998, and seen it pretty much every day, I still was transfixed by the CD cover printed here.

The three bonus tracks fit in very nicely, with Sice's gentle vocal on the opening of Spanish Lizards being the perfect way to continue after The Future Is Now. Everything Falls Away has always been a favourite of mine, and In A Galaxy Far Far Away definitely rounds things off in style. "Let me in, I'm tired and cold" is now the new Final Line of the album, and it works very very well.

Onto C'mon Kids. Every track again sounds crisp, sharp and with as much bite as they ever had back in 1996. As for the second CD, the B-sides and remixes are all in CD-order going from What's In The Box CD1, CD2, C'mon Kids CD1, CD2 and Ride the Tiger CD1 and CD2. These are actually my favourites of all the Boo B-sides, and it's great to hear them getting recognised again. Also, the remixes bring back good memories of listening to the singles on repeat for hours on end - particularly that really funky Mekon remix of C'mon Kids.

Any issues I had with these packages have already been addressed: a significant absence of Put Your Arms Around Me And Tell Me Everything's OK, Superintendent, Tomorrow, Last Night I Dreamt Of God, Skywalker and French Canadian Bean Soup. Perhaps Cherry Red might consider these tracks for an uber-rarities disc? Together with EAF or Ichabod & I?
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"It's too beautiful to stay inside..."

[Bev]

It's weird, Tranquillo, is the one thing I don't like - to me, KS starts with Blue Room in Archway, which is already a slow start but such a great track. I'd have prefered Tranquillo as a bonus track at the end...

Other than that, I agree with almost all you say mate...

Happy Christmas
Bev
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Scattershot Writing: www.jameseverington.blogspot.com

[Melz]

Curious thing, those bonus bits at the start. I definitely see your point about Kingsize officially starting with the "Doo doo dah dah, dah dah" on 'Blue Room in Archway', and that together with the strings, the mental drumming and the lyric "Feels so much colder now you're away" is a pretty-damn-near-perfect way to open a record. Just like 'Check it Out' is the official intro to SFA's 'Guerrilla' whereas 'The Citizen's Band' is more of a bonus track (albeit a great bonus track).

I do like 'Tranquillo' though. It's a bit like when you go to the pictures and they tell you to switch off your mobile phones before the film starts. "Have you switched off your radio? Have you switched off your TV? No more distractions? Ready? And... go! Doo doo dah dah..."
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"It's too beautiful to stay inside..."

[Bev]