Nico - The Marble Index (Remastered and Expanded) Out 19th February

I've noticed this edition advertised on a few websites but have yet to find out what the extras are. Anyone know? Anyway this classic album is getting the remaster treatment from Rhino at budget price. There's also going to be a compilation released on the same day, but only from the years '68-70. Out 19th February '07.

 

I'm curious about the bonus material, too. This is one of my favorite albums and I have several editions. I think that possibly the most scarce version that I have is a French pressing on blue vinyl.

Someone actually had a mono edition of this on eBay about a year ago. If any of the mono tracks are dedicated mixes, maybe we will get some of those.

Cheers,
Chris

 

Expanded? How much more despair can you fit on a single CD?

...Just kidding. This is good news.

 

nice, glad to see nico getting the treatment from rhino. the standard Marble Index CD already has some "bonus tracks" but i'll be interested to see what else they dig up.

anyone else think The End is Nico's most intriguing album?

 

Thanks for the info! I can hardly wait. This album is probably in my top ten ever.

It's incredible, but I think my money is on The Marble Index. But all three with Cale are amazing!

 

Actually, come to think of it, the old Elektra cd was really nice. The sound quality was decent to my ears (though I haven't heard any other sources), and it had two bonus tracks and really interesting liner notes. I wonder if there are more extras on this one?

 

Hi evenreven,

I mastered that CD, unless it has already been re-done.
It would be interesting to hear how the new ones compare.

(I don't recall the nature of the tape I was given to work from.)
Interesting record though.

Barry
www.soundkeeperrecordings.com
www.barrydiamentaudio.com

 

Barry! Thanks for mastering that one; I really love the album, and you did a faithful transfer, retaining all the otherworldly terror that I love so.

 

Hello Barry!
Mine is an Elektra cd from 1991, no mastering credit but with a mention of "CD reissue supervised by Howard Thompson". I suppose that's yours.

This is one of my most listened to CDs, and the sound quality is very pleasing to the ears. All the abrasive sounds are in Cale and Nico's arrangements, with none in the mastering. Add to that the bonus tracks and the liner notes and it made one sweet package. Something about it sounds slightly "subdued", though, maybe a tape issue? Either all tapes are like that - most likely -, or Elektra supplied a second-generation tape. This is a really minor point, though!

Unless Rhino have some new bonus tracks up their sleeve, I doubt I'll be getting this. But I love Nico and Cale so much that I'll probably get it if Rhino can produce a track of them coughing.

Cheers,
Even

 

Not sure about intriguing, but it was the first one I ever bought (1976), with absolutely no idea who the heck she was. I had just discovered Eno and bought it because he played on it. The title track was the weak point for me, but everything else impressed me a whole great big bunch. Then I picked up Cale's 'Fear.' After that I found out who the Velvet Underground was (thank you, Lilian Roxon's Rock Encyclopedia). It was a long time after that before I found a copy of 'Marble Index.'

 

might be one of the top ten albums ever made imho

 

Wow, this is a surprise. Maybe the 'expanded' part will just be Roses In The Snow and Nibelungen? Hopefully there's some other gems from this session still in the vault. Lookin' forward to finding out. February's turning out to be a big month...

 

What sites are you seeing this at? I see 'The Frozen Borderline 1968 - 1970' on Amazon UK.......other than that, nothing. Maybe 'The Marble Index' will just be included in that comp?

 

As this is a project I've been producing over the last few months, allow me to give you the straight dope:

Nico - The Frozen Borderline: 1968-1970 is a 2CD package.

Disc 1: The Marble Index remastered, plus 11 bonus tracks. Four of those 11 are songs not included on the original album (Two of those have never been heard before [full-on Cale arrangements; quite astonishing.]) The other two--"Roses In The Snow" and "Niebelungen"--did appear on the 1990 edition, but the versions here are different ones. Most dramatically: the version of "Niebelungen" issued in 1990 was a capella; the version here is the complete take with Nico on harmonium). The remaining seven tracks are alternate versions of each song on the album (except "Prelude").

Disc 2: Desertshore remastered, plus 6 solo demo versions recorded in 1969.

The remastering was done by the very wonderful--and twice-Grammy-nominated this year--Dave Schultz at Digiprep (with me sitting there kibitzing). As is generally the case with any of the reissue projects I produce, it's "Hoffman Forum-friendly," with no maximization or added digital gunk....just a concerted effort to match the sound and dynamics of the original vinyl.

Here's a technical note that will undoubtedly interest some of you: Because Jac Holzman was always ahead of the technological curve, "The Marble Index" (like other Elektra titles of the period) was one of the earliest albums recorded with Dolby. As fate would have it, Digiprep is the current owner of Elektra's old Dolby rig, so we were actually able to play the master tape of
"Marble Index" back through the exact same piece of equipment it was originally recorded with 39 years ago!

I'm not sure if the February 19 release date is 100% correct, but it should be pretty close to that.

This is a UK/European release only. There's no US release planned, as far as I'm aware.

So there you go. Hope you guys like it...

-Andy Zax
http://archivesofoblivion.blogspot.com

 

Wow. Great news! Thanks for sharing. What else is in the pipeline? Thanks again for the great Paris 1919 reissue..

 

Thanks for all of that info, Andy. I'm especially looking forward to all of those extra tracks on "Marble Index".

Any word about liner notes for the package? With all of the effort going into this set, I'd hope for something interesting.

Cheers,
Chris

 

great news, Andy Zax, the man behind the Talking Heads brick.

 

Holy moly, this sounds great. I've got the original vinyl and CDs of these two classics, and it totally amazes me that this double CD issue was judged worthy of commercial release. Thanks Andy!

 

WOW! Amazing news! 11 bonus tracks for The Marble Index alone?! I'm gonna buy several copies and give them to my friends!

 

Thanks for the info Andy. I'll definitely go for that 2 CD set but is The Marble Index also getting a release on its own as it's being advertised on play.com ?

 

Great news! I love the sound on the 'Paris 1919' remaster, so I have high expectations for this!

I assume I should hold on to my 1990 edition of 'Index' for the original bonus tracks, then? (And the 1971 Peel Session EP as well?)

 

Hi Evan,

That's the one. And thanks for waking up an old memory cell. I have a picture in my mind of the person who was my contact for that project but I couldn't remember his name after all these years. It was Howard.

Best regards,
Barry
www.soundkeeperrecordings.com
www.barrydiamentaudio.com

 

Johnnyyen: There won't be a separate "Marble Index." Just the anthology. (Not sure where play.com is getting their info).

93curr: If you care about such things, you might want to keep your 1990 CD for the different versions of those bonus tracks ("Roses In The Snow" on the new package has a slightly better mix; "Niebelungen," as I've mentioned, is radically different) and for the booklet. And you should definitely hang on to your Peel Session EP!

-AZ
http://archivesofoblivion.blogspot.com

 

OMG! Amazon.co.uk, here I come!

 

awesome, great news that Desertshore is part of this package as well. i like that one a lot, too.