The Giltrap Prog Trilogy

This is the place to post items relating to Gordon and his music in a general sense, such as his influences, how he composes, which pieces you enjoy most and why etc.

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Trevor Raggatt
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The Giltrap Prog Trilogy

Postby Trevor Raggatt » Tue Jun 04, 2013 1:50 pm

I was so delighted to see this in the news update...

Visionary, Perilous Journey, Fear Of The Dark

The above three albums are being re released later this year on Cherry Red Records who are a subsidiary of the label that put out Ravens and Lullabies. There will be bonus tracks and archive photos to go with each album, and guess who has been asked to lay out and design them all? None other than Mr Oliver Wakeman... Roll of drums. I can’t begin to tell you how please I am that Oliver is going to be a part of this massive early GG Prog Rock history. Watch this space for more information. A funny old life eh!



To those of you who have not heard them, I can't recommend these three albums enough. I was stunned and shocked the other week to see that they were no longer available. If you've heard them you know that they're a must in any Giltrapophile's collection. If you've not heard them but have even enjoyed Raven's and Lullabies the tiniest bit you'll ADORE these CDs!!!

And good to see that they're getting the full Cherry Red treatment that they deserve. One tiny plea... Gordon, please make sure that the CD of Perilous Journey includes the original 7" single mix of Heartsong. It's a real shame that it's never been properly available on CD or download (apart from that obscure Guitarist sampler from 20 odd years ago).

I have a feeling I know what's going at the top of my Christmas list for this year. I know that I've already got about 3 or 4 versions of each album in various formats/issues... but I think I need to get these nice new shiny deluxe editions too.

Can't wait!!!

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Roger
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Re: The Giltrap Prog Trilogy

Postby Roger » Wed Jun 05, 2013 11:17 pm

Trevor,

Great posting - agree with you 100% :D Taken in isolation any one of these albums is as fresh and innovative as it was 30 odd years back, but put together they form a musical output that was (and still is IMHO) equal with anything that was produced in the 70s.

Roger

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Re: The Giltrap Prog Trilogy

Postby Trevor Raggatt » Thu Jun 06, 2013 8:43 pm

Amen to that, Roger!!! 8)

feedthecats
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Re: The Giltrap Prog Trilogy

Postby feedthecats » Sat Jun 08, 2013 1:58 pm

I've always loved the final track "Visitation" on FEAR OF THE DARK, with its dramatic, heavy drumming and strings. I played my old LP to death (still have it, poor worn-out thing) and was pleased when the original CD came out … only to be very disappointed that "Visitation" had been stripped of all the drums and orchestra. I remember posting here years ago and Gordon said he'd felt that these elements were a bit OTT, so he'd removed them. But my post apparently got him thinking and he hinted at restoring the track to its original album form at some time in the future.

Has that time arrived? With the imminent re-release of remastered versions of FEAR OF THE DARK, PERILOUS JOURNEY and VISIONARY, I'm wondering… will we be finally getting the true, powerful, spin-tingling version of "Visitation"?

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Re: The Giltrap Prog Trilogy

Postby GORDON » Sat Jun 08, 2013 3:44 pm

feedthecats wrote:I've always loved the final track "Visitation" on FEAR OF THE DARK, with its dramatic, heavy drumming and strings. I played my old LP to death (still have it, poor worn-out thing) and was pleased when the original CD came out … only to be very disappointed that "Visitation" had been stripped of all the drums and orchestra. I remember posting here years ago and Gordon said he'd felt that these elements were a bit OTT, so he'd removed them. But my post apparently got him thinking and he hinted at restoring the track to its original album form at some time in the future.

Has that time arrived? With the imminent re-release of remastered versions of FEAR OF THE DARK, PERILOUS JOURNEY and VISIONARY, I'm wondering… will we be finally getting the true, powerful, spin-tingling version of "Visitation"?


I can only apologise PROFUSELY.It is the same as when VP re-released it all those years ago.The cost of finding a 24 track studio with all the original ancient gear would be prohibitive now.Sorry sir. Oh well another sale lost!

Be Well.

G.

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Re: The Giltrap Prog Trilogy

Postby Trevor Raggatt » Mon Jun 10, 2013 5:50 pm

To all and sundry, don't let Gordon's comment...

I can only apologise PROFUSELY.It is the same as when VP re-released it all those years ago.


...put you off. The bonus tracks on these are worth the price of admisison alone... you've got the "disco version" of Fear of The Dark and Gordon's cover of Peter Green's "Oh Well" (I love Gordon's old anecdote on that one...), the gorgeous "On Wings Of Hope" and the rousing "Jerusalem" plus a truly stunning version of "QUest" featuring Gordon and The Wren Orchestra which could be one of my all time top 10 fave GG resordings.

Still can't wait!!!! :D

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Roger
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Re: The Giltrap Prog Trilogy

Postby Roger » Mon Jun 10, 2013 11:38 pm

Well said Trevor!

No disrespect to the brilliant Simon Phillips (I've been a fan of his since the 801 Live album of 1977), but for me "Visitation" is all about the soaring majestic electric guitar solo by Gordon - one of his best and most expressive in IMHO :D In that context I think the track is better without drums, although I don't mind the original :)

Roger

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piotrwargan
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Re: The Giltrap Prog Trilogy

Postby piotrwargan » Fri Jul 05, 2013 7:42 am

Hello,

Seems that "later this year" is the end of July!

Please take a look: http://www.cherryred.co.uk/shopexd.asp?id=4251

Hip hip hurray :-)

All the best,
Piotr

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Oldbones
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Re: The Giltrap Prog Trilogy

Postby Oldbones » Fri Mar 14, 2014 12:09 pm

Trevor Raggatt wrote:To those of you who have not heard them, I can't recommend these three albums enough. I was stunned and shocked the other week to see that they were no longer available. If you've heard them you know that they're a must in any Giltrapophile's collection.

Absolutely right - it was this 'Visionary' trilogy which first made me fully aware of Gordon's music, especially his dexterity and musicianship with a 12 string guitar. Until then, my main influences had been the 12 string instrumental recordings by Billy Strange and Glen Campbell and a 2-LP compilation of instrumentals by a wide range of guitarists. All those recordings are still big favourites and I have them all on vinyl and CD - but the same goes for the recordings you rightly identify as being shining gems in Gordon's discography.

If you haven't heard them yet, try to so so - you're in for a real treat!
It isn't how fast you can play that counts - it's that you only play as fast as you need to play that is important.
Silence can be as eloquent as sound.

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steve
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Re: The Giltrap Prog Trilogy

Postby steve » Fri Oct 23, 2015 12:45 pm

I'm confused a little here. I've just ordered Visionary, Perilous Journey, Fear Of The Dark, The Peacock Party, Airwaves, Live In Oxford, Ravens & Lullabies etc from Esoteric. I'm ever so slightly more than familiar with the first five on that list. In particular the Triumvirate Productions are part of my DNA - I grew up astounded by the brilliance of Visionary, Perilous Journey and Fear Of The Dark. For at least a decade these albums were in constant rotation. When I hear people talking about prog rock I always mention these albums and usually get blank stares back! In my opnion if you don't rate these albums up there with the very best of the 70's, you haven't got ears! You can't talk about prog rock without having some recognition of these stunning records. I listened to my original pressing of PJ last night and listened to Visionary and FOD the night before. They are all still absolutely brilliant examples of Gordon' genius.

BUT, but....here's my problem. If Visitation was modified "post market" on an earlier CD release (I don't have that one), and Esoteric are claiming the latest reissues are all recently remastered "from the original master tapes", how can the new FOD have the modified version of Visitation?

Apart from that one track are there any other changes to the first five albums in my list, aside from the obvious additions of the bonus tracks at the end?
Mirrors should think longer before they reflect ~ Jean Cocteau

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steve
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Re: The Giltrap Prog Trilogy

Postby steve » Mon Oct 26, 2015 10:25 am

Am I permitted to attempt an answer to my own question whilst I wait for more knowledgable or authoritative responses?

According to Wiki (I know, I know.....) Perilous Journey and Fear Of The Dark were not only remastered by Voice Print in 1998/99, they were REMIXED beforehand, hence the decision to use the opportunity to revisit some earlier production decisions to mix down or mix "out" some additional instrumental parts deemed unnecessary from a modern perspective. This is known elsewhere as a "George Lucas"!

According to the same source Visionary WAS NOT remixed. This on the face of it might appear somewhat baffling; why remix two albums of a loose trilogy and neglect the first one? Is it possible that the original master tapes for PJ and FOD were either missing in action or simply damaged in some way?

If Visionary was simply transfered from master tape to digital in 1998, is the new Esoteric CD the same digital master or have they repeated the process to obtain a fresh transfer? Has anyone done an A / B comparison between the new CD and the Voice Print CD?

Gordon has already confirmed that Visitation is the same identical version on the new CD as the Voice Print version. Does this not mean that "remastering" in this instance simply means EQ tweaking and volume level adjustment. I cannot understand how the company can claim the latest CD is "remastered from the original master tapes". Again, has anyone compared the two different CD versions?

Finally, what about The Peacock Party and Airwaves? Are these entirely new transfers from the original master tapes? Neither album was re-released by Voice Print in 1998. As far as I'm aware they were reissued on a "two-fer" by Edsel / Demon. The only comment I can find anywhere evaluating the new release says (I'm paraphrasing slightly) "sounds much better than my 2 on 1 CD".

As I confirmed in an earlier post I have all the above and a few more CD's heading my way very soon. I will be very interested to compare each to the earlier issues but it would also be great to hear from those of you who have already "upgraded" your copies. I can't be the only person interested in this, can I?
Mirrors should think longer before they reflect ~ Jean Cocteau


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