Daniel Amos Message Board | Print: Alarma Chronicles thoughts and dreams.

Posted by jparker on 07-18-2008 at18:31:

Alarma Chronicles thoughts and dreams.

I've already got the book set, as well as the individual CDs of all four. But here's my 2 cents toward what I'd love to see regarding these coming back out. For the packaging ... has anyone else seen any of the Japanese reissues that have come out over the last few years (maybe longer)? They're released in the original vinyl artwork, but shrunk down to CD size. It's like a little album, with gatefold sleeves and all that sort of stuff. Exact replicas of the original records, just smaller. That has to be my all time favorite way of repackaging rereleases. The artwork on the CD itself is made to look like the inner section of the original records generally, and the CD is often in a little plastic sleeve much like some LPs were (I normally HATE any packages where the CD slides out of something instead of coming on a spindle, but with the plastic sleeve, these work very well). I have a couple releases by the Smiths like this... a few Cyndi Lauper reissues that just came out... and there's a huge stash of John Lennon reissues at the local FYE in this style as well. Anyway, point being they look freakin' great!
I would love to see all four of the Alarma Chronicles released in packaging in that style, just like little LPs. All the original artwork, a pressing of the Chronicles story in the same size (but big enough to be legible), some new notes, writings, etc., bonus tracks, the usual. Then put all four, and the bonus stuff, in one little box. THAT, would be sweet.

[another format that i liked would be like the Jerry Garcia - All Good Things box, if anyone is familiar with that. digipack CDs... little soft-bound book... nice outer box. that would be a good plan B.]

I guess the common thread in those 2 is that all the CDs come with their original artwork reproduced. That's one thing I didn't like about the book set... the new blue book instead of the real covers... but anywho... just my rambling 2 cents on what my dream Alarma reissue looks like in my head when I envision it.

Posted by Dr Rich on 07-18-2008 at21:16:

Yeah, I love the book, but I also have The Alarma Chronicles on LP.
It's nice to have the artwork nice and LP large! Cool

Posted by Ritchie_az on 07-19-2008 at01:28:

I'd love to see the Alarma Chronicles Book Set rereleased because it is so cool. But if that isn't possible, how about something different (yet kind of similar) like Kansas' Sail On book set? I could see one CD being "The best of the Alarma Chronicles," another CD being rarities and demo versions of songs (perhaps even a couple remake of songs....), and a third disc being a DVD of live perfomances from that era, with interviews of band members between each song. Then, in the book, the Alarma Chronicles stories (or dreams?) could be printed as well as some of the artwork.

Posted by Ritchie_az on 07-19-2008 at03:02:

And, while we're talkin' 'bout "Alarma Chronicles thoughts and dreams," how about an Alarma Chronicles volume 5? It would be an all-new recording from Daniel Amos (maybe Jerry and Rob could contribute, as well). I mean, Mr. Buechner's Dream is a tough one to follow, so a new Alarma Chronicles album would be a good choice for the next DA cd. I'm sure Terry could come up with a logical concept that would follow Fearful Symmetry and fit within the Alarma Chronicles theme.

Posted by wakachiwaka on 07-19-2008 at12:18:

quote:

Originally posted by Ritchie_az
And, while we're talkin' 'bout "Alarma Chronicles thoughts and dreams," how about an Alarma Chronicles volume 5? It would be an all-new recording from Daniel Amos (maybe Jerry and Rob could contribute, as well). I mean, Mr. Buechner's Dream is a tough one to follow, so a new Alarma Chronicles album would be a good choice for the next DA cd. I'm sure Terry could come up with a logical concept that would follow Fearful Symmetry and fit within the Alarma Chronicles theme.

Well, once you've reached the end of time and explored heaven (Fearful Symmetry), there's really only one place left to go, and I'm not sure that would make for a very entertaining listen...

Shocked

(EDIT: Besides, "Neverland Ballroom" already took us there...)

Posted by Dr Rich on 08-08-2008 at06:19:

quote:

Originally posted by Ritchie_az
And, while we're talkin' 'bout "Alarma Chronicles thoughts and dreams," how about an Alarma Chronicles volume 5?

There already is one! Tongue

Posted by crunchee on 09-27-2008 at10:48:

quote:

Originally posted by Ritchie_az
And, while we're talkin' 'bout "Alarma Chronicles thoughts and dreams," how about an Alarma Chronicles volume 5?

i thought leave here a stranger was volume five.

Posted by Audiori J on 09-27-2008 at22:41:

I have a japanese set of the first four beatles albums in those tiny record sleaves. I do like those quite a bit. I really like reproducing the original artwork for releases like that as close as can be. Especially for an album that by the fans of the band is considered a classic. When I bought Alarma the first time, 50% of the experience for me was looking at the artwork.

It seems as though a lot of times people like to 'update' artwork for reissues to make it more 'modern', but generally I think that is a mistake.

Posted by jiminy on 09-29-2008 at13:03:

just airbrush out the cigarettes and we'll be cool.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/celebritology/2006/03/smokefree_beatles.html

Posted by DwDunphy on 10-01-2008 at15:50:

A chill went down my spine as I pondered the thought, Alarma Chronicles Volume Five. With visions of Jar-Jar Binks running through my head, I beseech you, may it never be. When something ends, let it end.

Posted by Audiori J on 10-02-2008 at21:54:

That would be the Alarma Chronicles Prequel.

Posted by joey on 10-02-2008 at22:16:

Cool

quote:

Originally posted by Dr Rich

quote:

Originally posted by Ritchie_az
And, while we're talkin' 'bout "Alarma Chronicles thoughts and dreams," how about an Alarma Chronicles volume 5?

There already is one! Tongue

yup............. Pleased

Posted by jon eddies on 10-02-2008 at23:22:

airbrush out the cigs...

Jiminy, that article reminded me of the Phil Keaggy tune on Sunday's Child, Big Eraser.

Posted by jon eddies on 10-02-2008 at23:23:

Alarma Vol 5

yea, and wouldn't that be taking too many trips down Memory Lane. Cool

Posted by Dr Rich on 10-03-2008 at16:24:

RE: airbrush out the cigs...

quote:

Originally posted by jon eddies
Jiminy, that article reminded me of the Phil Keaggy tune on Sunday's Child, Big Eraser.

Great song! Cool

Posted by jparker on 01-08-2009 at23:27:

agreed on the artwork

Yeah, when things get re-released and the artwork gets changed i always get annoyed. the WORST had to be those M8 reissues with that gold square around the edges. who on earth thought that was a good idea? i haven't been on here in a little while, now after re-reading that I'm still loving my original idea of the Japanese Mini-LPs. I want to try to find Kansas - Monolith in that format too. The US CD still has that little "disc" logo on the cover and that just bugs the hell out of me.

Posted by audiori on 01-09-2009 at00:12:

At one point they wanted to do something far worse than that... they wanted a border of "M8s" all the way around the cover. Roll Eyes

At least that was one thing that was corrected before manufacturing.. sometimes crap like that would be done right before it headed to the manufacturer and without approval of anyone connected to the bands. It was so hard to keep them from just ruining everything...

Posted by MarkyMark77 on 01-09-2009 at10:03:

I really like the mini album version of CD's, because I love vinyl. I like CD's in this format better than any other. An Alarma Chronicles set like that would be excellent.

BTW, I have seen M8 discs with the M8 border all the way around. Whoever did their design stuff pretty much had no clue. See the design work on the LRRH reissue. Did they have any more fonts besides Arial and Times New Roman?

Posted by audiori on 01-09-2009 at10:28:

Anything good that came out of them in terms of artwork came from Brian Heydn... and in some cases, it was like pulling teeth to get them to leave it alone. In some cases, they would monkey with stuff without anyone knowing it and we'd see it for the first time when it arrived from the manufacturer.

In the case of LRRH... I don't know who did what. We heard that it might be rereleased, and then it showed up on our doorstep. It was really a disaster in every way. I know a few people liked it just because they had missed that album.. but, its such a shame that this was the version they had to own.