The Most Important Moments in a Life - A History of FSOL

[Pandemonium]

You misunderstood me guys
I thought Dell DID order the signed version because he got all that extra stuff,
I don't claim that the signed versions have more stuff, simply because I don't know, yet...

[Tito Lozano]

hope you are well tito haven't heard from you in a minute!

-Hey Seedy bro here things no change to better , is more like stand by paused life about crisis in Spain never ends!
Look forward best times but well ;Hope you have great time there on Usa my friend,Cheers

You misunderstood me guys
I thought Dell DID order the signed version because he got all that extra stuff,
I don't claim that the signed versions have more stuff, simply because I don't know, yet...

- Yeah Pande you said only "guess"; i hope standard comes with extras but looks like signed copies win the cup

[Dennis]

How long is the CD? (in minutes I mean, not inches )

[dell1972]

Well, all the extras I mentioned (from memory, an Ephidrina postcard, Amorphous Androgynous postcard, Papua Translations postcard, EBV sticker, Lifeforms A14 poster Dead Cities ideas/plan thing, I'm sure there's more) all came sealed in polythene with the book and CD.

I've listened to the majority of the CD this morning on the way into work, and it's mostly segued together. There are definitely some differences on the versions we have heard. My Pono player got confused though and decided to start playing them in a random order, so I'll have to reboot and try again. Blame Neil Young. I think the CD is at least 50 minutes long.

[epitome]

The CD is about 38 minutes long. In fact, my only gripe with it, is that it's a little bit short - shame they didn't add tracks like Plough, Mulleck Well, etc (which would've fit really nicely on here) to make it a longer album.

Bring is definitely quite a different version - it's really good (as was the original).
Grindatone I've heard before - I'm thinking it's the third track from the Archived 8 EP.

Other than being shorter than I would've liked, I absolutely love the CD - it's up there with the best of the Environments series, in terms of quality music. There isn't a track on there that I don't think sounds amazing. Oh, and Falling Upwards Aria seems like a great way to end the whole thing.

Maybe the other mp3-only bonus tracks from the Environments, Archives and Artworks albums that weren't included on here will end up on another release similar to this one at a later date? (fingers crossed)

[Enofa]

Well, continuing the theme of me never knowing anybody with worse luck with the post, mine didn't arrive today.
38 minutes? Wow. That's the shortest FSOL album by a long margin then...

[mcbpete]

My Pono player

Woah, someone actually bought one

[epitome]

Well, continuing the theme of me never knowing anybody with worse luck with the post, mine didn't arrive today.
38 minutes? Wow. That's the shortest FSOL album by a long margin then...

Too bad yours hasn't arrived - can't see why it should take any longer than anyone else's

Yeah - and I really do wish it was longer. The longer an FSOL album is the better, as far as I'm conerned. Well, within reason Gives me more time to get lost in that world.

Anyway, on the plus side, the short length is the only disappointing thing about the new CD - the music is all grade A stuff

[Enofa]

I'm still waiting on the parcel sent last Saturday too. It happens to me regularly.

[mcbpete]

I've not had my copy either Ross - maybe they planned for them all to arrive over the world at around the same time but forgot that the non-uk postal service is about 100 times faster than ours is !

[dell1972]

Yeah, the Pono player's a bit erratic sometimes and does look a bit worn now, but things do sound very good on it, FSOL in particular sounds amazing on it. Not sure if it's the player itself or listening to the tracks in flac quality for the first time, but it is a noticeable improvement. Warm deep bass particularly on the earlier stuff, and lots of subtle high frequency effects that weren't so obvious before.

Your very own music is actually being played on the thing Pete at the mo.

As for the album... The main differences in the existing tracks on this album are:
Viewed from Across the Room is a bit shorter, though that may be ambient sounds included at the end of the previous track
The last minute or so to "I turn to face the sun" is new and it eventually ends in children playing.
Bring is over twice the length, with the opening 2 minutes sounding very Murmurations like, and the final two minutes being new too. It sounds like one of their more Amorphous like tracks now.
Sea and LSD I think has had about a minute cut out near the start I think
Grindatone is indeed the final song in the Archived 8 bonus EP
Abandoned Housing Blocks of Prypiat is about a minute and a half shorter. It sounds quite different: it now starts with a Russian woman (perhaps?) saying something, and the original ending is cut out.

The last track Falling Upwards Aria has Alisha Sufit singing wordlessly gives this a nice everyone in this worldesque end, crows calling, very brief song.
Talisman has an ambient start with a fairy abrupt slow piano and bass drum led track with electronic squeals and what sounds like the strummed rattling noise from My Kingdom.
A Somnambulist Drift is a lovely summery ambient track.
Triospheres has repeated electric guitar patterns over ominous bass sounds.
Taken Leave of all Senses is great, manages to evoke just that: somebody sat in care home - ambient piano with high pitched uneasy strings and guitars.

[epitome]

I've not had my copy either Ross - maybe they planned for them all to arrive over the world at around the same time but forgot that the non-uk postal service is about 100 times faster than ours is !

I'm in the UK though. And 2-3 days seems a fairly normal delivery speed for things shipped from the UK, sometimes one day if sent first class.

I suppose it's possible some orders were shipped on Monday but some weren't shipped till Tuesday?

[mcbpete]

Oops, forgot that !

[Enofa]

Seems everybody got a different bundle of extras, no poster for me, although some photo prints of artwork, a Dead Cities postcard and some stickers.
What's the 'Dead Cities ideas' thing then?

[Enofa]

Well, the album is marvellous. The new version of Bring is bonkers, the digital EP version sounds like a demo in comparison. Love the new piano outro on Turn to Face the Sun. Not a bad track there, I'd say it sits comfortably alongside the Environments albums. Continues the progression in sound of Env 4 + 5, the mix of piano/guitar/violin/drums and chunky analogue electronics. A Somnambulant Drift is really beautiful.

Just got started on the book, lots of fascinating curios in there, really worth a read if anybody's still unsure. Typically opens with the cover of Environments 6 ('first edition', which means it'll probably change by the time it comes out, ha). A double page scan of the press release for Tales of Ephidrina, which goes into some (slightly confusing) detail about the album's structure, which is what the flow chart in the sleeve is meant to look like. All the between-track environments have titles, which is where stuff like '13th Century Kitichi' comes from. EBV originally stood for Earth Beat Vision! Working titles and tracklist for Accelerator crossed out from some old DATs ('While Others Cry' was 'People Pray', 'It's Not My Problem' the more generic 'Trance'). Second FSOL album due in September '93, then January '94 - a handy reminder that they've always done this and it isn't just a recent thing! Also amusing how Tales and Cascade were compared to prog rock back then, yet the press was so surprised when The Isness came out. Ha. And how about a version of the Lifeforms cover with the title on it? Surprisingly it works quite well...

It's a hefty book, loads of reviews and articles on each page, plus loads of press pictures, album art, photos of DATs, video screencaps and all sorts. Going to take a few hours to get through the whole thing back to front. A really fantastic package, anyway.