@Clive: Contagion Definite Edition?

[DocSnyder]

Hello Clive,

first of all: Congratulations to Pepper's Ghost! I like it very much, I think the heavier sound fits very well to Arena.

Now my question: Do you plan to release a double-CD of Contagion containing the songs from Contagious and Contagium and maybe some more extra songs? Right now I have burned two CDs containing all songs, but an official double-CD would be much more handsome in my shelf ;-)

[Peter]

The is a fanclub release called 'Contagion Max' that Clive mixed. Now that the fan club is being reorganized, the release is unavailable at the moment. Maybe it will show up on the Verglas shop some time, Clive?

[Clive]

Absolutely correct....

[Appelmoes??]

I want it, I want it, I want it!!!! 

[Deenfan]

I was astonished at the quality of the material that didn't make it onto the original disc. Some of the more upbeat and fresh stuff to come from Arena in quite a few years. A definite edition, a "director's cut", makes sense!

[Clive]

Thank you 
Our policy has been to avoid writing studio double albums... I've always felt that you can usually condense a double into a better single. Just my opinion...
Ironically, I'm probably going to break this rule with the 'HRH Project' (Nothing to do with Royalty.. ) ... Still, that's another story....

[Moonloop]

Agree. I think double albums were fine when they were of vinyl length, ie, 2x40mins. A lot of CDs are approaching that length anyway now so you're almost getting a double album by default.

The Flower Kings "Unfold The Future" for example was a double album and each CD was around 75 mins, THAT was really hard going..!! Same sort of thing with IQs "Subterranea", that would have made a superb single disc.

Most albums I grew up with were between 35 & 45 mins and I still find that sort of length to be an optimum listening time for an album (habits, eh  ). Unless what I'm listening is stunning, I tend to reach boredom/restless threshold at around 50 mins..!!

(I'll still buy Contagion Max though  )

[Deenfan]

There can be no discussion on the mathematical fact that the best songs from a double album would make a single album with a higher average rating for the tracks. The flow of a complete album as such is another matter and may be both ways, so I won't make a point out of that. But I'll ask you a question:

What about all the great material you leave out? Barring that all the songs you remove are good riddance, the fact that this single cd will not include some great material, too, must count for something?

That said, I've been gathering several double cd's onto one minidisc (80 mins), and liked the resulting product better. It's only, when it comes to Contagion, there's nothing to leave out. This is not licking butt in any way (puke). The album is rock solid. And "Ascension" became even better as an ending to all the songs! (I burned an audio DVD of the whole thing! (Thank you for not copy protecting it!))

[Moonloop]

What about all the great material you leave out? Barring that all the songs you remove are good riddance, the fact that this single cd will not include some great material, too, must count for something?

Um...maybe. I'll have to think about it. At the moment, I'm struggling to think of any double studio CD which doesn't contain some "filler" material. Whether or not I would actually miss some of the 'lost' material is another matter - you're quite right about that 

Sitting on the fence momentarily, I'd have to say I'd prefer a "strong" single CD album with 'left overs' put on a bonus disc - that way you get all the material but the album itself is a strong one with no superfluous tracks. 

Cheers.. 

[Clive]

Sitting on the fence momentarily, I'd have to say I'd prefer a "strong" single CD album with 'left overs' put on a bonus disc - that way you get all the material but the album itself is a strong one with no superfluous tracks. 

That's how we felt....

[Appelmoes??]

But now I will have the 'normal' album + the 'extended' album. It's a little double this way. I'll probably give the 'normal' one away and hope to make another fan to step into the Arena.

[Deenfan]

I see the point. Just wanted to shed some light on that other side of it.
I agree the most important thing would be that the songs became available in some form, like the Contagium/Contagious stuff. So you did a good thing, absolutely. And possibly it was the best way to go about it. But, personally, I felt an immediate urge to reforge the whole sword, so to speak. I wanted to hear it all in sequence (after getting into the "new" tracks a bit), and I must say it's quite an experience. So maybe "Contagion" is the only one?? Even better!
You mentioned IQ - Subterranea. Yes, that's one I've made a minidisc of, and it rocks! (I guess I left out about 25-30 minutes of the original double album. Disposable material.)
But Contagion... well... Awesome single album + awsome extra material = Awesome double album!
Another thing I'm sure I don't need to point out to Clive, is that this a bit of a special case, since the extra material originally was a part of the whole thing. The single album "Contagion" is an abridgement of a bigger whole. Maybe that's why it works so well to glue it all together, in the prescribed order. And like I said, there is no weak material. I never noticed anything amiss with Contagion, but now I realise that it craved the extra energy that can be found in the leftouts. Either way it's fantastic, so Moonloop, your search ends in a surprising find: The double studio CD without "filler" material... ...was a single cd! -With the odd expansion pack released at a later stage!

Oh, and good idea, Appelmoes??! But, don't give away the one you've got. Buy a new normal version and give away! Agreement, Clive??

[Appelmoes??]

Oh, and good idea, Appelmoes??! But, don't give away the one you've got. Buy a new normal version and give away! Agreement, Clive??

Then I'd still have 2 Contagions I'll give it away and the music will insure that more Arena albums will be bought

[gelert]

Then I'd still be 2 Contagious

[Appelmoes??]

Put that beer away Gelert Or maybe not, your post's are kinda funny!

[Wilford Jr.]

Does anybody have any new information on the Contagion (the max) CDs?  I would love to have them.

BTW this is my first post so I hope I have done this correctly.   

Wilford Jr.

[kmorse]

Last we heard, it's still being worked on.

[Deenfan]

 

Just pastime...

[keyboardistmatt]

I think you should have put the at the beginning as well...