new (ish) iggy collection out on 23 june

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I like the title - Psychophonic Medicine, but the actual collection looks rather hit and miss.

The Paris Palace gig from 1979 and the Old Waldorf gig from 1981 - both have been bootlegged for years and years and I really can't imagine that Cleopatra Records have been able (or have been bothered) to clean up the tapes. The Old Waldorf gig is, as far as I remember, the one that's been on video and DVD before, but seems to have "Winter Of My Discontent" added on to the end.

The first disc however, has a couple of genuine rarities - possibly.

The first four are the probably the 'alternate mixes' that first surfaced on Easy Action's 1977 box set (which aren't actually alternate mixes / out-takes at all...)
Dum Dum Boys (Alternate Mix)
Baby (Alternate Mix)
China Girl (Alternate Mix)
Tiny Girls (Outtake)

But what's this?? Is this genuinely a new unheard track? Or perhaps something we all know under an incorrect title...

It's My Life (Unreleased)

Then the three Tommy Boyce produced songs from Party. Are these genuinely alternate mixes I wonder?

Bang Bang (Alternate Mix)
Sea of Love (Alternate Mix)
Time Won't Let Me (Alternate Mix)

The Ric Ocasek produced 1983 tracks have been out in various places many times before...
Fire Engine,
Warrior Tribe,
Old Mule Skinner

Some Blah-Blah-Blah demos, again nothing terribly rare here...
Beside You,
Cry For Love,
Purple Haze

Is this another B-B-B demo that's been previously issued as "Warm Female" (or sometimes "Woman Dream") We shall see...
Warm Feeling (Unreleased)

And what's this track from 2014 doing randomly tacked onto the end? Bizarre.
Let’s Boot And Rally (with Bethany Cosentino)

Cheers,
Richard

if I'm correct , the Paris 1979 gig was never out officialy...so maybe this is good news , though it will probably be straight from the vinyl boot ( same tracks )
I'll def. go as far as buying it to find out !
regards,

Actually CLeopatra issued the Paris 1979 show on vinyl already last year! I can't figure these guys out. They must have just gotten Iggy to come in and record a bunch of random stuff and they've been releasing it little by little (on a Black Keys tribute LP, a Christmas album, a Who tribute album, and I think another one.) Weird!

didn't know about the Palace show on vinyl...how good is it ? straight rip from the bootleg ?

Before I played the Cleopatra album I hadn't listened to the boot in a long while. I still haven't, actually. But the sound quality on the Cleo is very good. I can't remember the boot's (Paris Palais) quality. I'll have to pull it out and listen to it again.

osterbergermeister wrote:

Before I played the Cleopatra album I hadn't listened to the boot in a long while.  I still haven't, actually.  But the sound quality on the Cleo is very good.  I can't remember the boot's (Paris Palais) quality.  I'll have to pull it out and listen to it again.

The quality of the boot isn't bad, but it's still only bootleg quality, so if this Cleopatra release really is a decent upgrade I might be tempted... Please let us know how the new release compares to the bootleg.
Cheers,
Richard

Hey kids, the 1981 show is not the same one as the Target video. It's actually a better soundboard recording of another show. Anyone know which one?

Just looked in Per's book. It's probably the night before.

Pop Stüge wrote:

Hey kids, the 1981 show is not the same one as the Target video. It's actually a better soundboard recording of another show. Anyone know which one?

That's good news - makes the set much more worth getting. Thanks for letting us know.
Cheers,
Richard

good news kid !

Yea, it's the 24th of November because Iggy sez it's Clem's birthday. Case closed.

I read about this, and was curious.

Thing is, I still don't know either whether it's going to be a rip off or have something genuinely new on it.

Re It's My Life - could be the Animals track - Iggy was clearly a bit of a fan, as he covered 'I'm Crying' in shows circa 1980.

I have bought this now - highly recommended.

Why? A lavish book of pictures - many of which, both colour and black and white, are very good, not widely seen before, and very interesting...different stage shots with Iggy not just in his usual jeans and little else get up, but some weird and wonderful costumes at times, and good offstage shots, including one of a smiling and very respectable, normal Iggy with the sea in the background.

The music? Great stuff: what's pleasing is while some of it is normal bootleg quality / sources, about half of it is way above that standard. What is particularly gratifying is that the Blah Blah Blah demos are the best quality I've heard yet - and not because of any studio trickery / over cleaning up or anything like that, simply because they closer to source / from source, as opposed to whatever generation down from that. Nice gutsy sound to Purple Haze in particular!

Now the Party outtakes / different mixes...as noted elsewhere, good stuff here, and again what is pleasing here they sound straight off studio masters if not damn close to that. The samples on a*a**n suggested otherwise - don't be falsely put off! I don't know why their samples are *so badly* compressed it gives a false impression.

Next up...the San Francisco 81 recording, this is impressive too - it is indeed a different mix and different tracklisting too. I haven't had time to do an A-B comparison yet but what's most notable is this:
Pumpin' for Jill is missing but other tracks are in place instead
The mix differs in that, on Houston is Hot Tonight, the lead guitar is far more prominent...gotta admit I like that jinglly high notes on the original (video / DVD / earlier cd versions) version that Carlos probably played (he is noted as more of a rhythm guitar player), but the point is this is noticeable difference in the mix.
The first version of I Need More is now complete - it now seems the band didn't play a bit of then segue straight to Some Weird Sin after all.

I'm still not convinced the version of San Francisco 81 on here is true stereo, but it doesn't matter - it's clearly a mixing desk recording of this one, and as such things go it's way, way above average, it's a great recording of a great show, and nice to have a slightly different version - most important thing it is actually better sound quality too, a clearer recording.

I'd say go to it, get it...treat yourself to it (or ask for it) as a Christmas present, enjoy!

oh one thing, it does still miss off the Fire Girl demo from the Blah Blah demos (but don't let that put you off). I think I have that somewhere, perhaps someone who's got one of the 1987 shows I've been asking for (see bootleg section) could trade for a copy!

I think the San Franscisco gig on this set is a different gig: I listened a bit more and the differences are considerable - it says in the sleevenotes the San Franscisco gig is 24th November 1981, whereas that's been on video / DVD was always down as 25th November 1981, so that would explain it.
I don't think the Paris Palace gig is a great transfer, it lacks the warmth of the vinyl version (I found I had a vinyl rip of it), but the demo disc and the above gig make up for that, on reflection it's one of the best Iggy archive collections for sound quality and consistency in that overall.