Twentyears: three discs anthology

[Dirty Thib]

Full story and tracklist here:

http://www.superdeluxeedition.com/news/ ... anthology/

The selection for the best of is quite cool. Some tracks should have make the cut, but it's always the trouble with the greatest hits.

The "rarities disc" is interesting in that there is at last a CD release for some tracks we only had on vinyl or mp3. The remix disc is great for those who like me have collected nothing.

We knew that the upcoming is a greatest hits tour as Air have not recorded new music, now we have a pretty accurate picture of what they are going to play!

[Antoine]

Hi Thib!

Hope you're doing well!

Thanks for the news! This info is coming out quite late.
It seems to be pretty difficullt to release a "Best Of" album.
CD 1 is a pretty good example of it...

[Mr Rippley]

The track selection on CD1 is kinda weird, 5 tracks from both Moon Safari and Talkie Walkie but only 2 from 10,000 Hz Legend.
Surprised about the exclusions of Modular Mix, Radio #1, People in the City, Surfing on a Rocket and Mer du Japon. Also no Cosmic Bird on the Rarities CD

[Dirty Thib]

Hi Antoine, I'm good, thanks. Can't wait for the Paris gig.

Yeah, the selection manages to be both "classical" and surprising. There are no tracks from Love 2.

[donato]

Hi Antoine, I'm good, thanks. Can't wait for the Paris gig.

Yeah, the selection manages to be both "classical" and surprising. There are no tracks from Love 2.

Would've been nice to get a high quality audio version of the KCRW Tropical Disease recording, or a nice live rendition of it. Love JB's live solo version of it.

[nbktginger]

thanks for the news, the best of itself is of course a great selection but once you have all their records and mp3 versions of them you can anyway make your own best of , so from a selfish point of view i see low value in it, will just be a duplicate opne, quite good to have in the car at anytime anyway... and maybe good for those folks who have some interest in Air but have only couple of records.

The rarities set is great value though, i got most of them in mp3 with low/average quality (except the way you look tonight, since I am one of the 4 folks in the world to have "everybody hertz ", great to have all those rarities at professional quality on one record, looking forward to it. Couple of them i have ever never heard Could have been good to have the 3 rd CD as well in a Deluxe CD package, i won't get 2 vinyles just to get the CD #3 of remixes....

The thing we can hope is that somehow by touring they feel the magic again and get inspired to create new songs by accident. Just like Blur for Magic Whip. As Thib noticed, quite interesting that they did not put any Love 2 song in there. Seems they don't have much consideration for that one. So light is her footfall or tropical desease could have been there instead of alone in kyoto.... but of course that's always subjective. Great to put moon fever in there, better fulfilled tune of le voyage dans la lune.

[gnoe]

[airlad]

I'd like to have seen some more live tracks included too. A few tracks from the 10000 Hz Legend tour would have been nice, but maybe that will come in time.

[Lennylu]

Hi Airheads!

Did anyone end up buying this pricey but desirable box set? I really, really want to, but it's just too much for me right now, especially since I'd like to get all the reissued vinyl as well. If you did, please post pics of your new purchase!

BTW--so happy to find an Air message board. I hope their fans will post more often here. Love the band so much!

[Dirty Thib]

I bought the numbered/limited (how many?) boxset. I advise you to buy it in a retail store, the box is very fragile. Amazon never managed to send me one that was not damaged when arriving at Dirty Thib's. I gave up and bought mine IRL. My LPs are yellow and green transparent, very pretty, and they sound great. The other colors are red, blue, orange, and the last one maybe clear.

The tracklisting for the LPs differs from the one for the CDs. The LPs lack Land Me (a shortened version) and Once Upon a Time, the CDs lack Surfing on a Rocket. That's kind of funny.

There is an interview that is printed at the back of the useless poster (seriously, does someone really believe that's someone who's paying something like 55-60 euros for a record will pin a poster in his bedroom? come on...), but I have yet to read it.

LennyLu, if you are short on money, I advise you to collect the reissued vinyl as long as they are not too expensive (this may change). I bought three of them for now, and the pressing is way better than the original. I don't believe that this boxset is going to gain much value. Vinyl Factory has yet to sell out this expensive Voyage dans la Lune boxset. I believe it'll be the same for that one.

since I am one of the 4 folks in the world to have "everybody hertz

Got two copies of that one (CD and LP), does that make two folks?

[Lennylu]

Hey, I bought a copy of Everybody Hertz as well--on release day--so all 4 are now accounted for!

Thib, I did end up purchasing the Super Deluxe Edition, which arrived on Tuesday. However, the set was shipped in a large bubble envelope and arrived with a big dent and multiple creases. Of course, I ordered a replacement immediately, which came today. No dents, but the dramatic, squeezed-in creases are still there, along with a 'punch' hole in the front. That really skeeves me. At US $85, couldn't Rhino have at least used a harder cardboard material for its outer packaging? All it takes is a squeeze, or poor stacking to damage the shape of the outer box. I ordered a 2nd replacement today but if it's still the same, then I will have to try and find it at a proper store.

There are some great plusses, though. I love the REMIX CD--all the songs have an Air feel (obviously), and I am especially drawn to the slightly off-sounding Latitudes (maybe it's the enunciation). Neneh Cherry, Depeche Mode, Bowie--all great. The poster is huge and useless, but the liner notes are terrific, as is the interview. They really should have made a booklet out of this instead.

The first set came with Red and Clear vinyl, #2376--wondering what the second set, #2329 will include...

With regards to the vinyl--it is strange that they excluded Once Upon A Time and Land Me for Surfing On A Rocket. It's almost like a GHits 1997-2004, with a 'new' track Moon Fever. Also, they should have included the Radio Edit of Surfing On A Rocket on the CD--there was enough time. Or used edits for HDIMYFeel, DBLight, AIKyoto, OUATime, and they could have included SOARocket Edit, Roger Song and Adis Adebah on the main CD as well. Ah well, that's what playlists are for. Too many coulda shouldas!

And I absolutely love Roger Song (I pair it with Ce Matin La on an extended 20years Playlist), and especially Adis Abebah--so simple, yet undeniably affecting. I Love This Band So Much (but missed out on seeing them all this time--and I live in NY).

I wish I had access to Music For Museum. It's the only release I don't have, and I am hoping they will release it to the general public, even as HQ downloads. Such a gaping hole in my collection, I feel. I've never heard it, except for Land Me.

I've also always wondered, since 2004--why does the Single Version of Cherry Blossom Girl sound so poorly mixed? All squashed and indistinct. I actually like the intro, but the mix is just unlistenable when compared to the album version and mix. And that tin-can Kelly radio mix without the piano--sacrilege!

Hope to hear from you, and more AIR fans!

[donato]

I wish I had access to Music For Museum. It's the only release I don't have, and I am hoping they will release it to the general public, even as HQ downloads. Such a gaping hole in my collection, I feel. I've never heard it, except for Land Me.

It's a bit boring I think. I should probably give it another listen though. There are digital downloads of it out there. It's on my computer. I don't remember if someone sent it to me or if I found a torrent download, or what. But you can find it if you look hard enough...there are no amazing stand out tracks for me personally that you would find on something like the title track from the Quartier Lontain soundtrack.