[tweetmeme]Back in the summer of 2010, Andy Partridge announced that XTC’s 1986 album Skylarking was being reissued later that year “as it was intended to sound, but never has due to human error” — a new double-vinyl pressing that corrected the polarity that had been reversed on all prior releases of the album, resulting in a thinner sound that was light on bass.
Nearly four years later, that new version of Skylarking is finally coming to CD, Partridge announced on Saturday via Twitter: “Corrected polarity SKYLARKING CD being pressed up right now folks.”
No further details have been announced, including whether the new CD reissue will include the original “banned” artwork (as seen above) that was restored for the vinyl reissue in 2010. The new CD edition presumably will be sold through Partridge’s Ape House Records, which handled the Skylarking vinyl reissue and a more recent 5.1 Surround mix of Nonsuch.
As for other reissues in the pipeline, a 5.1 mix of 1979′s Drums and Wires is coming “soon,” according from a tweet last week by Partridge: “DRUMS 5.1 soon man,rawer but good, I’ve heard it.”It’s not clear whether Drums and Wires will also be receiving the vinyl reissue Partridge first suggested was coming in 2011.
Corrected polarity SKYLARKING CD being pressed up right now folks.
— XTC (@xtcfans) February 22, 2014
So many have asked,so i'll answer this 'corrected polarity' on SKYLARKING question so I don't have to keep answering the same. It goes…
— XTC (@xtcfans) February 23, 2014
…there were wiring problems in TR's studio,probably with new recorder set up he was trying.Which means that once the stereo mix tape…
— XTC (@xtcfans) February 23, 2014
…left his studio,it could never sound as good/the same.Unfortunately NO mastering engineer in the world caught this problem {XTC new…
— XTC (@xtcfans) February 23, 2014
…that something didn't sound right!}.The problem was caught and rectified by masterer John Dent for the recent vinyl release.Thus we are..
— XTC (@xtcfans) February 23, 2014
…using his corrected and greatly improved version for this CD release. This mangled polarity is a common studio problem according to John.
— XTC (@xtcfans) February 23, 2014
