In January we teased the first notice of the upcoming Landscape ultrabox without too much to know about it, other than the general gist of it, and since then we’ve had comments on that post from band member John L. Walters; always good to hear from the actual participants! The other day we got the e-mail with the full details and the box of digital delights will be released on July 21, 2013. And the pre-order is now live in the Landscape website store. And now we have full details on the package.
THE CDS
DISC 1 • Landscape (1979)
- Japan
- Lost In the Small Ads
- The Mechanical Bride
- Neddy Sindrum
- Kaptin Whorlix
- Sonja Henie
- Many’s the Time
- Highly Suspicious
- Gotham City
- Wandsworth Plain
- Caterpillar Tracks [Live In Norwich 1979]
- The High Window [Live In Norwich 1979]
- Kaptin Whorlix [Live In Norwich 1979]
- The Mechanical Bride [Live In Norwich 1979]
- Highly Suspicious [Live In Norwich 1979]
- Stranger [Live In London 1977]
DISC 2 • From the Tea-Rooms of Mars … to the Hell-Holes of Uranus [1981]
- European Man
- Shake the West Awake
- Computer Person
- Alpine Tragedy
- Sisters
- Face of the 80s
- New Religion
- Einstein a Go-Go
- Norman Bates
- The Doll’s House
- From the Tea-Rooms of Mars … a) Beguine
- From the Tea-Rooms of Mars … b) Mambo
- From the Tea-Rooms of Mars … c) Tango
- When the Chips Are Down
- European Man [7-inch]
- Norman Bates [7-inch with narration]
- Electro New Religion
- European Man [12-inch]
- Einstein a Go-Go [12-inch]
- Norman Bates [12-inch without narration]
DISC 3 • Manhattan Boogie-Woogie [1982]
- One Rule For the Rich
- Manhattan Boogie-Woogie
- Colour Code
- The Long Way Home
- It’s Not My Real Name
- Bad Times
- When You Leave Your Lover
- It’s Not My Real Name [12-inch]
- Back On Your Heads [7-inch B-side]
- (A Case Of) Mistaken Identity
- Manhattan Boogie-Woogie [instrumental mix]
- The Long Way Home [instrumental mix]
- Bad Times [‘Good Times’ instrumental mix]
- One Rule For the Rich [instrumental mix]
DISC 4 • Before and After
U2XME1X2MUCH EP (1977) • WORKERS PLAYTIME EP (1978) • LIVE IN LONDON UNRELEASED (1977-78) • LANDSCAPE III (1983)
- U2XME1X2MUCH
- Don’t Gimme No Rebop
- Sixteen
- Workers’ Playtime
- Nearly Normal
- Too Many Questions (Don’t Ask Me Why)
- The Camera Never Lies [Live in London ’77-’78]
- Bagel Street Blues [Live in London ’77-’78]
- Sleazy Feet [Live in London ’77-’78]
- Eugenie [Live in London ’77-’78]
- Watt is Knott [Live in London ’77-’78]
- Goldilox and the Jelly Bean Shuffle [Live in London ’77-’78]
- Tribute [Live in London ’77-’78]
- So Good, So Pure, So Kind [7-inch]
- The Fabulous Neutrinos [7-inch]
- You Know How To Hurt Me [7-inch]
- Feel So Right [7-inch]
- (I’d Love To) Fly Away [7-inch]
DISC 5 • Excursions 2 Other Versions
Rare Mixes • LANDSCAPE III • BITS AND PIECES
- Einstein a Go-Go [‘Einstein on the floor’, 2023 remix]
- One Rule For the Rich [UK cassette]
- Japan [12-inch]
- It’s Not My Real Name [UK 7-inch]
- Colour Code [UK cassette]
- When You Leave Your Lover [UK cassette]
- (A Case of) Mistaken Identity
- Back On Your Heads
- (I’d Love to) Fly Away [12-inch]
- So Good, So Pure, So Kind [12-inch]
- You Know How To Hurt Me [12-inch]
- The Fabulous Neutrinos [12-inch]
- Feel So Right [12-inch]
- Norman Bates [short version without narration, released as 12-inch]
- It’s Not My Real Name [UK cassette]
- Einstein a Go-Go 7-inch [UK ‘no phones’ radio mix]
THE DETAILS
The package is five CDs in card sleeves in the clamshell box format; all designed by John Warwicker, who designed the first two Landscape albums. There will be a 52 page book of liner notes in that box; fat with info and photos. I’m most interested in hearing the band’s first two self-released EPs which were the first six tracks on disc 4. I’ve heard material from the first album, and it’s synthetic instrumental music; poppy but not quite the Technopop that were the second and third albums. But the band’s origins were said to be Jazz Fusion, so I’m wondering exactly what awaits my ears.
Looking over the track listings reveals a wealth of material including live recordings from this band who evolved into such advanced electronics that I can’t have imagined them playing live in the pre-MIDI universe of 1981-1982. There are also lots of alternate mixes, but not everything under the sun. The song “Eastern Girls” from “Manhattan Boogie-Woogie” was conspicuous in its absence. The LP and 12″ mixes were not here, although its B-side was. I have the US promo 12″ of “It’s Not My Real Name” what might be down to US RCA having a go at the title with the band’s masters at their disposal only coming from the UK side of the business. A not uncommon scenario.
But that also takes me to one of the key points here. Every track in the set was mastered from a master tape. To wit:
All tracks were mastered from high-resolution digitisations of the original analogue master tapes. The ‘previously released’ tracks from the analogue stereo two tracks, the ‘remixes’ and ‘instrumentals’ from digitisations of the original analogue multi-tracks, and the ‘live’ tracks were mastered from edited digitisations of the original analogue stereo live recordings.
from the Landscape webstore page
So every note here is mastered with integrity from the best possible source. A not inconsiderate perk in this fallen world! And how much will this set us back? A modest $47.00 for the huge job of pulling this together. And the first 500 copies sold in the band’s webstore comes with the photo print below of the band in their finery, posing with their de facto sixth member; the Roland Microcomposer MC-8; without whom their mature sound would not exist! Every member of the band will sign the free print – yow! That’s great attention to detail.
Do we want this? Of course we do! I’m looking forward to finally getting the “European Man” 12″ version on CD and truth be told, would be buying this if only for that! If this exerts a gravitational pull on your wallet too, then D.J. hit that button!
Post-Punk Monk 
I have only rarely mashed the “purchase here” button on this site as hard as I did on this one. I am pretty far from a Landscape completist; I believe I only have the second and third albums on CD somewhere, but I remember them so fondly for being that bit different to what else was going on in that halcyon period of synth heaven.
Very excited to get this, and at such a reasonable price!
I think I may be easing out of regular CD collecting* and moving into almost exclusively SDLX and other special-edition CD collecting!
*I’ve all but given up on “record” collecting, apart from select singles or EPs of interest, or if a particular album never got a CD release.
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Thanks for promoting this. I ordered this within minutes of receiving the promotional email from Landscape. I hadn’t realised that you haven’t heard the first two ‘ep’s’ or I’d have shared my vinyl rips for you. I won’t give anything away about the music but I will say that all the tracks were recorded live, i.e. with an audience.
I was so fast on ordering the box set I didn’t spot that Eastern Girls has been left off. I can understand their reasoning, though. I believe the US 12″ promo It’s Not My Real Name remix is actually the album version. The only omission, though its only a tenuous one, is they have missed off the ‘Hot Gossip’ Criminal World single and b side, which were recorded (and in the case of the B side written) by the band in 1982. I ain’t gonna complain though as there are absolutely loads of unreleased and first on CD goodies to keep me smiling for months.
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Richard Anvil – As a Landscape and Peter Godwin fan that Hot Gossip single has been on my want list for years! But I rightly see that as peripheral to the conceit of this and there’s probably rights issues with Dindisc owning the master for that one. And “Eastern Girls” is understandably something that was past its sell-by date.
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I’ll rip my 12″ of Criminal World and the B side post it on YouTube.
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Richard Anvil – I can get the 12″ from US dealers inexpensively… I just need the money to do it!
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Just wondering if you’d heard about the Ultravox Quartet BSOG being released in May? I only found out about it yesterday through getting an email from a record shop https://www.crashrecords.co.uk/collections/box-sets/products/ultravox-quartet-pre-order
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Richard Anvil – I’ve seen the listings that have filtered out. Simon Musselle has stated that the release dates were strictly to secure slots with distributors and as it seems too hot in the heels of the RIE ultra box for comfort, I’m adopting a “wait-and-see” posture. It’s sure not in the official web store.
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I’ve already put in my order, which gives a 5th May release date. I should add its really both a Quartet AND Monument BSOG as it includes the compete concert recording for the first time, which was partially released on the Monument mini LP and later CD’s.
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I won’t be buying this however I say thank you very much for keeping it affordable and free from frou frou.
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Tim – Yes, it’s well-priced considering all of the archival restoration that went into compiling it. And getting John Warwicker to design it was a great touch.
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I too ordered this so fast I didn’t notice that ‘Eastern Girls’ was missing. That’s VERY disappointing. It was a single and a great track. Love the 12″ version too. Now both are missing. Are we really saying that it was removed because the band are somewhat embarrassed by the lyrics?!
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Dave Turner – That’s just my guess.
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Yup, I think so too. The album version was included on the Cherry Red CD, so the master does exist, so I’m guessing as the band are in control of this release that they decided not to include it because of its lyrics, which can be interpreted as being racist. Its their decision and I’m sure they thought long and hard about it.
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Richard Anvil –
“What’s so bad about being sexy and racy?”
– Derek Smalls
I’m fine with certain things going away. Some old ways [analog synthesizers] are worth preserving. Others, not.
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The theme of “Eastern Girls” is specifically the fetishization of Asian women, the latter call and response lyrics clearly parodying the preceding lyrics. This was CLEAR to me when the album came out in 1982 (although the use of the term “yellow” always rankled):
“…What is it you looking for?
I want a Eastern Girl,
Why is this a special taste,
I like the yellow race,
What about an English Girl?
They cannot cook Chinese,
Try a girl from Bexleyheath*,
That’s only slightly East…”
* For those unaware Bexleyheath is in South ‘East’ London (a joke).
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The band are completely mum on the absence of “Eastern Girls”, but I’m pretty sure you all have it right. And we all know it happens from time to time, especially when it comes time to revisit recording made decades earlier. In fact, I was recently involved in a 40th Anniversary remix of a highly consequential synthpunk album, and the artist elected to remove one track that included tongue-in-cheek commentary on the people and culture of a particular district in San Francisco. Bands just aren’t interested in dredging that stuff up, because the tender sensitivities of today just don’t allow for it. Sad, actually.
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Kit Watson – Welcome to the comments. When that NDA expires, I’ll hope to hear more about that 40 year old synthpunk album [though I have theories.]
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The UNITS – “Digital Stimulation”.
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K W – As I noted on Discogs. I’ve never heard that album, though I have the releases after that.
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