Beaucoup Fish - 4 CD Remastered Deluxe Box Set (8/25/2017)

[Mike]

Originally Posted by philth

In relation to all the Kittens discussions going on, Darren Emerson once told me that Kittens was effectively "his track". Might go some way to explaining why it dated differently to the other tracks if it was developed more as a DJ friendly track. Just a thought.

I don't consider Kittens a DJ friendly at all. Perhaps it started as such but developed into something different.

I have read / heard in interviews in the past that Darren had a fondness for the track, particularly when he was "road testing" some tracks during DJ sets.

For me, the track that has dated the most is Moaner, and I was disappointed that there were no off-cuts or early versions in this box set, particularly as there is the awesome Relentless Legs mix.

I also feel there is more of a story to tell with King of Snake, another track that was "road tested" in some form, and had clearly gone through significant changes before the album version. The Garage version shows how far the band were trying to push the boundaries.

[khouri]

Originally Posted by Mike

I don't consider Kittens a DJ friendly at all. Perhaps it started as such but developed into something different..

Yeah, now that you mention it, hard to imagine Kittens playing in a nightclub, at least here in the US. But then again Underworld music has always been better than club music.

Originally Posted by Mike

I also feel there is more of a story to tell with King of Snake, another track that was "road tested" in some form, and had clearly gone through significant changes before the album version. The Garage version shows how far the band were trying to push the boundaries.

Hadn't thought of this but you're right. A Nuxx-style evolution disc would be most welcome, and would probably include some variation on the back half of Ramajama. Fabulous idea.

[twicezero]

1998-11-02 Reeperbahn - Mojo Club, Grosse Freiheit - Hamburg, Germany - is really good quality, though I can't work out if its a mix of 2 shows.

The 2nd version of King Of Snake is interesting, as the track listed as Improvisation after continues into Ramajama... Same as the temptation gig but a clearer recording...


However I can't find any shows from before that that have interesting versions of king of snake? Anyone suggest any?

[joethelion]

Originally Posted by Mike

For me, the track that has dated the most is Moaner, and I was disappointed that there were no off-cuts or early versions in this box set, particularly as there is the awesome Relentless Legs mix.

My theory as to why there aren't any "Moaner" variations on the deluxe edition:

I wonder if there's a bit of U2's "Mofo" in the DNA of "Moaner"*

{bit of a reminder, U2 + UW collaborated on a song, where Bono walked around outside singing / speaking lyrics into a microphone, while the rest of the band jammed inside the studio. The track didn’t get released because “it sounded like an UW remix of a u2 song, instead of a collaboration” (or something to that effect).}


I had always assumed that U2 had basically finished what we know as the album version of “Mofo”, then that was used as source material for their collaboration… But, now knowing how late U2 were still mixing & recording material for “Pop”, and how early UW’s recording sessions for what would become “Beaucoup Fish” - I’m not so sure that was the case.

It’s much more likely that U2 only had elements of a song, which were brought to UW for them to ‘jam out’ until they created “Mofo”

I mean... is it just me, or does the outro of the "Album Version" of Moaner (off the single & the Batman soundtrack) sound a lot like "Mofo"?

Or even... U2's "Pop Muzik" - the super long outro (which also uses the "Mofo" baseline) - sounds very UW-ish to me...


* kinda like how it was recently 'discovered' that the Rolling Stones' "It's Only Rock 'n Roll (But I Like It)" was originally a Bowie / Jagger collab, but Keith insisted that it should be a "Stones song" - so they just added overdubs onto the original