Adam & the Ants - Dirk Wears White Sox
|
Our Price: $15.99 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $7.48 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for Dirk Wears White Sox
Free Music Review: Dirk Wears White Sox
Hit: 3 Stars
While it's good that the original U.K. version is represented here, as well as 7' single versions, I am disappointed with this release. The remastering process should enhance the sound quality of a cd, not add unwanted noise. Often, when older music is remastered, the person at the controls seems compelled to increase the volume higher than was on the original. The result of this ignorant practice is extraneous noise on the final product. I like my cds to sound crisp and clear, this one does not. Free Music Review: Tastefully, respectfully, and very well done
Hit: 5 Stars
FANTASTIC! And, at last!! This remastered reissue finally gives us Dirk Wears White Sox on CD; all the original songs in their correct order. The mastering retains the dynamics of the original mixes much better than the earlier CD version on Sony/Columbia's Rewind imprint (and sounds infinitely better than the American version with the color cover). It has much of the musical feel of the original vinyl; other reissues just didn't - pardon the pun - 'do it' for me. There are some great photos, and the graphics are all very crisp. The only thing that I've found to complain about is that they failed to really nail the definitive version of the Antmusic EP (aka "the B-sides") in the bonus tracks -- the version of Kick that appears here is an alternate mix or something. It's inclusion is interesting as an obscure track, but the version that appeared on the original vinyl is unquestionably superior. The real bummer about this is that the only other place where Kick appears on CD is on "In Bondage", and the quality there is disappointing... But anyway, I can't express what a joy this CD is to have and hold! If you're curious, really, there's no reason not to buy a copy of this album. It's a real gem.Free Music Review: So nice to FINALLY have a listenable CD of this album!
Hit: 5 Stars
All I can say is IT'S ABOUT TIME that remastered Adam and the Ants CDs are finally available. Of course, they're only available here as imports, but oh well...
The original version of this album (on Do it! records) has always been one of my favorite albums of all time. It's sharp, witty, dense, angular, and very dark music at times but most of the tracks stand up as well today as they did in '79. The only exposure most Americans have had to this album was the remixed and resequenced (by Mr. Ant himself) version which was put out over here in the early 80's. That version was OK, but the sound quality was beyond awful. My biggest pet peeve was the song "Digital Tenderness" - it had always sounded completely limp, with not much treble and almost no bass to speak of.
Well folks, I'm here to tell ya, this remaster is a revelation for fans of this album. I just could not believe how good this sounded when I got it in the mail a few weeks ago. It seems that ALL of the grunge and harmonic distortion we always heard on these tracks is just completely gone now. The highs are extended and natural and the album now actually has bass! If you are as big of a fan of this album as I am, what the hell are you waiting for? You need this, now.
The bonus tracks are also excellent, as all the songs which were cut from the US version are now here, as well as a few important singles, and the re-made versions of Cartrouble and Kick!
Overall, definitely the biggest sonic improvement of all three new Ants remasters by a long shot.
Stunning.
Free Music Review: Sounds Good 25 Years Later
Hit: 4 Stars
I hadn't heard this album since the early 80's, and I was curious if I would feel the same as I did when I was 10 years old.
I was very pleasantly surprised at how much I still like it. It's probably the most consistently good Ant record. It might not be quite as creative as Kings of the Wild Frontier (which many think is their greatest), but it's also not as silly. It comes across as a fairly straight forward, if quirky, not-quite-punk record that still sounds fresh 25 years later.
The first half of the album is virtually flawless. Beginning with the double classic Cartrouble, Parts 1 and 2, we go from weird & funky to rocking in 5 minutes. Digital Tenderness is a surprisingly normal rock song, one that reminds me of melodic techniques Kurt Cobain would use more than 10 years later. The same can be said for Day I Met God. I'm not sure Kurt actually liked the Ants (or would have admitted it), but the similarities are there, nonetheless.
Through the vaguely Black Sabbath sounding 9 Plan Failed and the jazzy Tabletalk, these songs run the gamut, and they are all original and intelligent.
The second half of the album doesn't quite hold up, an unfortunate trend of Antmusic. Cleopatra is good enough, a slow rocker that tries to be shocking, as does the worst song on the album; the goofy uninteresting and unclearly intentioned Catholic Day. After the so-so Never Trust A Man (the third song in a row that is more about the lyrics than the music), things end pretty well with the mildly funky Family of Noise and the odd The Idea.
As for the additional songs, this version of Xerox is 10 times better than an earlier version I had heard, with the addition of a bridge taking it to that next level. The inclusion of the Antmusic EP songs (Kick & Friends) was a nice surprise. And while the alternate versions of Cartrouble are okay, they really show that they got it right the first time. The final version of Cartrouble 2 (featuring Marco & Merrick) is interesting, however as it forshadows the sound that the Ants would be adopting with their next album.
This album shows that there was a good reason we liked Adam and the Ants. They didn't rock as hard as their contemporaries the Sex Pistols, but their music was more diverse & creative. If only Adam hadn't become so contrived (see my review of Manners & Physique), he might have become one of the greats, but it I guess it wasn't meant to be.
Free Music Review: UK Version
Hit: 5 Stars
I just had to comment on the review before mine saying that a lot of these songs are on "Antics in the Forbidden Zone" (which is just a compilation album).
The thing is, a lot of the other songs on this album are available _only_ on this UK version of Adam and the Ants' first album, so the fact that this album has finally been released on CD is very important to all of us hardcore Adam fans! Wooooo! (And I've always preferred this first version of the album over the second version.)