Nonetheless - Expanded Edition

[retrofuturist]

Greetings,

in an ideal world, we'd have a hybrid of both - more of the electronics and punch of the demos, coupled with the orchestrations and polish of the finished product.

I hope Neil and Chris are reading this.

Left To My Own Devices, Minimal and Integral were masterclasses in bringing all these factors together... it *can* be done.

Where's Trevor?

As it is, I'm sure Neil and Chris like the final album (hence releasing so many singles from it) and also like their demos (hence sharing them for us to hear). My main issue with Nonetheless echoes something Drico said... they're not really the strongest batch of songs to start with. I'm not sure what any producer could have done with them to make this a top tier PSB album. IMO James Ford did a fine job making massaging them into a cohesive and refined album.

Retro.

[stussyboy]

Neil said at one point that listening back to the album in full at first he wasn’t sure about the production, and I kind of get what he meant. Personally, I don’t dislike it, I just think it’s the more analogue sound, that with the sparser production, means it just doesn’t really sound like PSB.

I only have 2 criticisms of the album - I prefer Neil single-tracked on a vocal, and I’d swap over/add a couple of b-sides for album tracks, ie. Beauty, Sense of Time.

I maintain that A new Bohemia and Love is the law are still in the pantheon of PSB classics.

Pantheon…..now there’s a title for the next greatest hits….

[Ramzy]

I don't really understand this idea that Nonetheless is somehow less electronic than their previous albums? Some of the more typical dance music language has been stripped out of the demos but there's nothing particularly acoustic about what's replaced it, beside the strings - which are pretty ubiquitous in a lot of PSB albums. Aside from Release, the only record of theirs I've ever thought was noticeably acoustic in its core instrumentation is Fundamental - yet people are citing that as an example of how to get the balance better! Nonetheless is definitely cleaner and smoother sounding than the Price trilogy. But less electronic? I'm just not really hearing it.

[Nickname]

Greetings,

in an ideal world, we'd have a hybrid of both - more of the electronics and punch of the demos, coupled with the orchestrations and polish of the finished product.

I hope Neil and Chris are reading this.

Left To My Own Devices, Minimal and Integral were masterclasses in bringing all these factors together... it *can* be done.

Where's Trevor?

Trevor has been doing the new version of "Do they know is Christmas?". I suppose it'll be a Number 1 in Christmas again like the others.

[Sandy Shaw]

Greetings,

in an ideal world, we'd have a hybrid of both - more of the electronics and punch of the demos, coupled with the orchestrations and polish of the finished product.

I hope Neil and Chris are reading this.

Left To My Own Devices, Minimal and Integral were masterclasses in bringing all these factors together... it *can* be done.

Where's Trevor?

Trevor has been doing the new version of "Do they know is Christmas?". I suppose it'll be a Number 1 in Christmas again like the others.

A few years ago Neil mentioned heading of to meet Trevor Horn for a contribution to a secret project, but it was never revealed what that one was!

[ChrisLove]

Ok i listened to all the demos and i can tell there are few elements in some of the songs i would like to be on the album like whisperings echoes in Dancing Star, better rythm at the start of New London Boy even the rap version is more clear, Why am i dancing? also sounds more clearly especially Neil vocals, too much orchestra in Loneliness in the album version Neil vocal on the demo is better presented (the chorus!), Bullet for N starts really interesting without guitar less electronic at 2:26 minute the song don't slow down but it goes like it starts that is the biggest mistake on the album version also i think it have too much guitar on the album. Other than that i like the songs for what they are mainly A New Bohemia, Feel and Law is the law i wouldn't change a thing in them.

[glennjridge]

I've really been enjoying that youtube video where its just the strings/orchestra and selected piano/little sound flourishes of all the songs, you can really hear the strings by themselves and little things that were buried in the mixes more clearly now.

[negative_0ne]

i am enjoying the demos, some of them are better than the album versions.

but to make a better album, you would have to combine some of the b-sides,
some of the originals and demos, and could probably have about 10 great tracks.

which is what i'm doing, is taking stuff from the singles.
---

yes, all the remixes could be a separate disc, but i'm hearing diminishing returns.

they don't seem to be putting much of an effort into most of them, and same with the remixers.

the b-sides have been much more interesting..


that said..

love adreniline - or adreeenoleen as neil says it.

and the dark end of the street is excellent too..

can't wait to make some instrumentals and extended versions too....

later
||| | ||
n egative 1

[g_m]

i am enjoying the demos, some of them are better than the album versions.

but to make a better album, you would have to combine some of the b-sides,
some of the originals and demos, and could probably have about 10 great tracks.

which is what i'm doing, is taking stuff from the singles.
---

yes, all the remixes could be a separate disc, but i'm hearing diminishing returns.

they don't seem to be putting much of an effort into most of them, and same with the remixers.

the b-sides have been much more interesting..


that said..

love adreniline - or adreeenoleen as neil says it.

and the dark end of the street is excellent too..

can't wait to make some instrumentals and extended versions too....

later
||| | ||
n egative 1

That's what I've had to do now the demos have been released. I've removed SHP and TSOH as they are in my opinion, awful. Chucked a couple of b-sides on there instead and I think the remix of NLB works well in context with the demos.

01. Loneliness (Demo)
02. Feel (Demo)
03. Why Am I Dancing? (Demo)
04. New London Boy (Boy Harsher Remix)
05. Dancing Star (Demo)
06. A New Bohemia (Demo)
07. Through You (Extended)
08. Bullet For Narcissus (Demo)
09. Love Is The Law (Demo)
10. Sense Of Time

Happy for people to absolutely slate it - "it's not the album they intended" etc etc, but if it means it's a tracklisting I can actually look forward to listening to and enjoy infinitely more than the original release, then it works for me.

[OakeyDokey]

He doesn't really say adreenaleene does he? Why he hafta go all Ammerigun on us as a septugenaeian?

[glennjridge]

its not correct here either, OR Casanover in hell
we say adrenaLIN

[ea39]

Neil doesn't really seem to know why he pronounces it that way either....

20241124_181450.jpg

[TwizzleUK]

Anyone want to have a stab at a full 'Nonetheless (Further Listening)' style chronological playlist including all 40-45 odd tracks, B-sides bonus tracks and demos (excluding non-PSB-produced remixes)?

[TwizzleUK]

Interesting to hear all the demos, but each and every one of those songs is far superior in the final, James Ford produced album versions.

[glennjridge]

Thanks ea39...,mystery solved!