Mental Jewerly re-release in July 2017, [Update: Release date is August 11, 2017] Options

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Ed has announced that Mental Jewelry will be re-released for the 25th Anniversary.

It will include a full live performance from the Roxy in LA (a 1992 show). Chad Taylor found the recording on 2 inch tape and has mixed it. There will also be unreleased tracks from that era.

Interview can be heard here:

Y108 Rocks - Interview with Ed Kowalczyk

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A post from Chad Taylor

https://missinginkshop.com/live/store

I recently had the honor of mixing "LĪVE at the Roxy," the companion CD to the Mental Jewelry, 25th Anniversary release.

The 2" multitrack tapes of this Los Angeles show were in the bands extensive tape storage locker at Think Loud Studios. I found and reviewed nearly 100 cassette tapes from our earliest shows at CBGB's, finally unearthing this rare multitrack recording. In those days (1991) the only way to record at that quality was to bring a remote recording truck. Something a young band without much success, could hardly afford. Thankfully, our record label (Gary Kurfirst and Phil Schuster) helped us document the band.

After transferring the analog audio into Pro Tools, I got my first listen of our youthful teenage spirit. I was amazed at the sheer energy the band was creating through a multitude of layered polyrhythms (something we must have learned from the Talking Head's Jerry Harrison).

I left, unaltered, all the flaws and mistakes that a young band might make in the final mix. This show was too raw, and perfectly imperfect to try and doctor.

The band was already playing very loud on stage, and I had to deal with heavy audio leakage from all of the on-stage microphones. Thankfully, the rooms mics picked up the full bandwidth energy of the band and the PA system (mixed by tour manager, Peter Banta rip).

Most live recordings duck these microphones, until the audience clapping or cheering comes to the forefront; for this recording, I'd have to do the opposite. I had no choice but to keep the raw, unfiltered dynamics and excitement loud in the mix.

My favorite moment is the live performance of "Negation," a track from Four Songs. Thanks to Phil Schuster's encouragement, we included rare tracks that evening, performing nearly every song the band had in its small repertoire.

Negation is unrehearsed and the entire song is based around improvised patterns. When Ed begins singing, "I can't live on your words - anymore," you can literally feel the band begin to soar behind the passion of his vocal. It's LIVE at its very best, at least in that era. We launch into an earth shaking jam that can only happen when a band is free from the constraints of expectation or success.

I dare you to crank that track up and not feel moved to jump up and down, or dance! We certainly can't go back to being that version of ourselves but thank heavens it was well documented. Hope you enjoy listening (and dancing) to it, as much as I did mixing it!

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