Re-issue of a, already great album.
C. Burnside | the same planet as you. | 12/09/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"When the Orb released their first album, I was not interested because I own the Aubrey Mixes and the first Peel Session. Therefore I wasn't interested in purchasing music that I already have.
This is different. There are some mixes that I have never heard, or have heard on rare singles. What is nice about that is the casual listener has the opportunity to listen to mixes that devoted fans have been hearing for years. In a way I agree with the previous reviewer about the forty minute mix of The Blue Room. I also feel that it would add too much to the album. In a way it would be like eating too much food in one setting. I think a better alternative would be to reissue the Blue Room single on a single compilation as well as including Assassin.
Anyway, this is a great album that is well respected among Orb fans. To the first time listener, it is a well crafted piece of work.
Later."
Perfect Blend, minus some fun
Robert J. Anselmi | New Hampshire, USA | 01/21/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I knew it was inevitable, the deluxe remastering with bonus material seems to be the staple of the music industry these days. And the Orb are perfect candidates due to their prolific output of retakes, remixes, hash browns and do you want fries with that?
So back to the cds. This is a worthwhile purchase, and I found some mixes I hadn't heard before on CD2, which is the only reason I bought it. I had patterns and textures (where Towers of Dub was taken from), and the Assassin single with all versions of the song, so nothing new there. But I had no clue where Majestic and Close Encounter remixes came from and this was a nice delight (though standing on their own, these two mixes are rather drab and low-key). But still it was a delight to find some new material.
Having almost everything in the orb catalogue (and believe me, I mean everything!) it was interesting to find something new. I only hope that Orbus Terrarum finds some nice gems when it is re-released (hopefully it will be).
To answer the reviewer about including the 40-minute version, I think that would seriously have been overkill. Not to mention, there's nothing spectacular about that version. It's a repeat of the 17-minute version with a new bassline. So really, what's the point? But what I did feel was missing was the UFOrb (Bandulu mix) and perhaps another mix of O.O.B.E. to top it all off (from the second peel session would have been nice). The Mad Professor remix of Towers of Dub was a little too chaotic a mix for this kind of CD in my opinion. I have it anyway, so It doesn't matter if it's in there or not.
If I were to guess what's going to be included in the Orbus Terrarum rerelease, it's going to be Montagne D'Or (live from peel session 2), One or two remixes of Oxbow Lake (from the single), and Valley & Plateu (some orbscure live versions). I just hope that there's something new and exciting to find, and not the same old rehash. Guess what I'm really waiting for is the 3rd CD installment of Orb Sessions.
Now to go purchase The Dream."
Great, but they should've included the 40-minute "Blue Room"
Kellryan | Portland, Oregon, USA | 10/10/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is a brilliant, timely rerelease of The Orb's second (and arguably best) album. It certainly deserves to be an electronic/ambient/dub classic for all time! However, despite the great rare mixes and alternate versions added on disc 2, there's a huge chunk of missing beauty that DESPERATLY deserves to be here, and that's the 40-minute long version of "Blue Room". It was the centerpoint of this era for The Orb, and not including it in this rerelease is a egregious error, in my opinion. Also, the reissuing label could've included the Mad Professor dub mix of "Towers of Dub", the Frank DeWulf mix of "Blue Room", and "Assassin" (The Oasis of Rhythms Mix). Oh, and "Assassin" (Bandulu Mix). Granted that might've required a 4th disc...hahaha. The music of The Orb is worth it, though, don't you agree...?"
Track Listings (13) - Disc #1