This finally came in the mail . . . and am I ever happy I bought this! I've had the boxsets for years and years, even though the sound on the CDs is notoriously poor. I subsequently picked up the Spellbound compilation a while back because of the 20-bit remastering.

. . . But this new version is lightyears better-sounding than anything else out there. For something recorded 25 years ago, it all sounds fresh and new again. Even "I Wouldn't Dream of It" and "How Can I Resist Her," lesser Enz songs if such things could ever be, sound brilliant. It's like I've never heard them before.

From a great amplified bass-end on "Shark Attack" and "Poor Boy," to some properly thumping drum fills on "What's the Matter With You," to Noel's percussion being brought forward in the mix a bit more . . . it all sounds fantastic, even in comparison to the versions released on Spellbound.

Featuring songs remastered in 1997, Spellbound is fine and dandy, infititely better than previous CD releases (which were all quickly done, flat sounding and inadequate). But these newer October 2003 24-bit remasters surpass everything -- and just get me drooling for more!

Let's hope that Festival-Mushroom find it in their hearts to agree to a fresh remaster of Time & Tide, the true Enz masterpiece.

. . .


If you have the chance to pick up a copy of this, do so. We want to encourage the powers that be to get around to the rest of the backcatalogue.

Thank you Eddie. Thank you Peter. And thank you to everyone else who helped make this release possible. I bow to you!

I finally ordered the cd. Hope it will come in a 2 or 3 weeks.
It was hard getting the cd in a real store. My conversation went like this:

Me: I would like to order the remaster of true colours of Split Enz
Shop owner: We don't have that in the store
Me: I know, that's why I want to order it.
Shop: Ah, it's that album with Message to my girl is on it.
Me: No, that's on an other album.
Shop: Yes it is, I'm 100% certain of this.
Me: It's on it a cd called Conflicting emotions that was released later.
Shop: Not it's not, I'm sure it's on this one.
Me:
Shop: Ah (looks in the computer). Here it is.
I'll order the normal version for you, it's a lot cheaper.
Me: No thank you, I would really like the remaster
Shop: But we have to import it.
Me: I know, but I want the remaster..
Shop angry: Okay, okay I'll order it, but it's expensive 'bout 18 euro

.....

Next time I will buy it on the internet.

Ah the joy of shops.

Our local Vigin "megastore" comes complete with a row of Psuedo goths, with several dozen facial piercings each, who sneer unless you are buying an Evanescence album.

HMV is lightly better - full of red-looking mothers looking for "NOW!" compilations and thirty somethings, buying Ministry of Sound albums, like they are some kind of Elixir of youth.

I got the remaster from Virgin in Picadilly Circus, and they had marked it up as the old one, so it was only �8.50. (Nearly as good as when I got the Beatles anthology #1 for �2.99 - thank you John Menzies, Wrexham!)

It is very good, and well worth 18 euros. Although possibly not having to deal with wierd shop assistant.

Hm, if it's that good, I should hunt down a copy... though I don't know if it's available in Japan. Intriguing!

Well, if you were like me in Japan and don't have an easily payable credit card bill, you can always get it from Amazon and pay C.O.D. Otherwise, I'm sure Tower would have the import (probably cheaper) or there's always the usual suspects online from Australia.

It definitely has set the standard for Enz remasters. All these years of putting up with shoddy packaging and bad mastering are hopefully about to come to an end. A great booklet with full (and accurate) lyrics, band photos, full credits...brand new digital remastering from the original session tapes...full, original LP packaging reinstated. Absolutely fabulous!