*updated* Don’t Be Afraid - We’re Here to Help
That’s right kiddies. Don’t be scared.
The newly remastered Don’t Be Afraid will be available for download from the iTunes Music Store and Amazon on April 1st, 2008.
This is no joke.
More to come soon.
2008-03-28 at 1.03 pm
Nooooo.
Will you at least have a CD copy available for those of us who don’t run Windows or Mac OS? :[
2008-03-28 at 1.15 pm
My faith in humanity has just gone up by ten points.
Ten more points are waiting patiently in the wings for a non-iTunes rerelease.
2008-03-28 at 2.51 pm
What precisely was done for this “remaster”? That word worries me. These days, with the so-called “loudness war”, some remasters are much worse sounding than the original. For example, Iron Maiden’s remasters from the mid-90s (those CDs with bonus video tracks). Horrible stuff.
‘Don’t Be Afraid’ hits the roof, it even clips at some points. Making it any louder - that is, compressing the dynamics - will harm the sound quality.
2008-03-28 at 5.16 pm
Stormwatch makes a good point. Everyone is in love with compression now adays. Especially with a mind towards MP3 formats where most of the EQ bands are blended together or stripped out anyway. I sure hope this sonic masterpiece retains it’s BITE!
2008-03-28 at 6.10 pm
.7Z the bonus CD and attach it to the ‘full album’ download ..?
2008-03-29 at 11.33 pm
Amazon sells unprotected MP3s, right? Maybe you need a download application, but there is a Linux version. I guess other Unix are out of luck, unless you can download with the application.
2008-03-31 at 1.50 pm
The goal of remastering was to maximize fidelity, without regard for volume. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the result, which is clear and punchy without being squashed.
2008-04-01 at 2.41 pm
So is the version on Amazon the remastered version? How do I tell if I’d be buying the right one?
2008-04-01 at 5.29 pm
@Brian:
I’m rather impressed; the remaster seems to have brought out more of the subtlety present in the original.
2008-04-06 at 4.30 pm
Maybe someone could upload a sample of original vs. remaster, so others could check the difference? I suppose, for example… “Closing In”, 3:30 to 4:30, would be a good comparison.
Amazon’s preview sucks here, because they only play the beginning of the song. And doesn’t do much for DBA, with all the spoken intros…
2008-04-07 at 1.40 am
It’s like hearing the album for the first time (which is saying a lot, for this dedicated fan). The remastering provides for a richer listening experience, with a great many sonic details now clarified. I wouldn’t have thought it possible without hearing it. The sound is fresher, livelier, clearer, and punchier. The remastered “Closing In” is nothing short of stunning, by the way! Many thanks for this wonderful surprise.
2008-04-07 at 4.03 pm
Is there any bonus songs?
2008-04-09 at 5.25 pm
InSoc’s greatest album…to date! Oh how I wish Kurt would have kept this going. Don’t Be Afraid is a masterful piece of musical art….it’s just beautiful from beginning to end. And to hear it re-mastered?
Thanks Kurt
2008-04-10 at 2.44 pm
hey guys, i just downloaded the album from Amazon. It sounds great. one problem though, on Empty at the 2:55 mark, there is a noticable skip in the audio. i downloaded the track from iTunes, and it is there as well. just making you guys aware as i am sure you would want to know and fix it.
oh and its the one of my favorite albums of all time, other than that it sounds amazing!
thanks.
2008-04-11 at 12.53 am
I have the skip Andrew mentioned, too. I thought it was a glitch in my iTunes player at first, then noticed that the skip remained. Other than that, the album sounds sublime.
2008-04-13 at 7.16 am
I’m trying to have a friend I-tunes it for me. He says there’s a “don’t be afraid” but the year for it is 98(ish). Is this the re-mastered version or is the original up there?
2008-05-17 at 12.37 pm
Why hasn’t anyone answered if the DBA re-edition disc is for real or just an April Fools Day joke!
2008-05-27 at 9.52 am
Anyone know if that skip on “Empty” has been fixed?
2008-05-27 at 1.42 pm
1. Sorry about the skip, guys. I guess that’s here to stay. I blame Kurt.
2. There will be a CD version of this release later this year from Dancing Ferret Discs.
3. All the downloadable versions of DBA available on the net are the remastered version. The old one has been removed (except obviously for used copies on Amazon, etc.)
PJR
2008-07-03 at 7.27 am
Just got the new physical CD in the mail. The skip in “Empty” is on the disc, too, and the last two tracks are swapped. Track 10 is “Kebabtraume” and track 11 is “White Roses”.
2008-07-03 at 1.33 pm
yeah, i just got my hands on the physical 1.3 and Andy is correct. guys, this just seems sloppy. i am more than willing to shell out any amount for anything insoc and i am very disappointed.