Here is the
fifth (and last?) volume of DAC’s collection of the Art Collins Tapes, offering
a set dedicated to Tattoo You outtakes
that come from the 1981 sessions
which in the Art Collins original tapes were on discs numbers 5, 20 and 21. The
classic outtakes of Tattoo You can be found on All Inside Our Crazy Dreams (DAC
021), which had as front cover the artwork of the original analog 2LP made in
Germany, which can be taken as counter stone for this release, it came out in
2005, its title being taken from the lyrics of Black Limousine, and presented a
nice collection of outtakes although with too much hiss. This release sounds better
thanks to the tape having been equalized, but not too much, so there are many
sound details that were missing in All Inside Our Crazy Dreams that can be dug
here with the overall sound cleaner and clearer. There are here 32 high quality
stereo soundboard tracks well worth, too bad they are still lossy, despite the
label’s claim that they come from master tapes.
It is well known
that the basic tracks of the album Tattoo You are different from the unused outtakes
from albums like Goat’s Head Soup, Black And Blue, Some Girls and Emotional Rescue
when those album were produced. The production here was different because of
the disagreement between Mick and Keith, which began to be noticeable around that
time, and the production method adopted where recording engineer Chris Kimsey
carefully dug up past tapes and added overdubs to them. This is probably why
there are here a lot of remixes and overdubs that were added endlessly to get
the best results and this work is a compilation of takes and mixes that were
not used for the regular album.
This Vol.5
contains a greater number of takes with regards to All Inside Our Crazy Dreams,
but compared to that is a slightly better output. In fact, here the high
frequencies can be heard in great clarity.
The different mixes
that are noted on the label’s credits present subtle variations like overdubbed
guitars that are not easy to spot, or count-ins and vocals which make them
different too. It's remarkable that each time you listen you'll discover
something new. The sound is generally better than the ones we knew before and it's
still interesting to listen to them anyway.
Let’s check the tracks
again:
Hang Fire and
Black Limousine sound better than on All Inside Our Crazy Dreams (DAC 021) like
No Use in Crying which has an additional piano that can be listened to in the
background. Neighbours is slightly better with regards to Place Pigalle (VGP
362) offering also a proper end; same for Slave which sounds better than All
Inside Our Crazy Dreams (DAC 021) being also a bit longer and with a different
sax played by Sonny Rollins like on Waiting on a Friend and Neighbors and they
include the cut ad-lib parts, there also seem to be a percussionist here, possibly
Mike Carabello.
The three tracks that
follow on Disc One (number 7, 8 and 9) are jams that were also featured on Art Collins
Tapes and More (EVSD 1288-98), but better sounding. The first with just guitars,
the second and third ones with a saxophone (the third one much funkier) which
come from the Emotional Rescue sessions featuring Bobby Keys, they clock in at 4.47,
8.44 and 8.57 respectively.
Next is another
version of Slave which sounds better than All Inside Our Crazy Dreams (DAC 021)
being also a bit longer (9.47) but also a bit different, featuring many
percussions; Black Limousine here though seems the same as the version found on
All Inside Our Crazy Dreams, although stereo separation is sharper.
Other interesting
tracks to listen are # 1 and # 2 versions of Waiting On A Friend, both of which
start with a different studio chat. Version # 1 has no chorus and a long fade
out, it also starts faster than # 2 which has a chorus. None of these feature a
sax; version # 2 is close to the so-called take II with a quick fade out, but
there is also a minor difference in the mix, since Mick's vocals continue
through the end (4.47).
By the way, in label’s
description there are many tracks marked as alternate mix, but the difference
is difficult to spot, however the beginning of Start Me Up # 2 here starts suddenly;
this is in great sound quality that is considerably better than the previous
one found on All Inside Our Crazy Dreams, but it is hard to note the difference
from the previous version of this take.
On Disc Two Start
Me Up # 5 seems also to appear on silver for the first time. Neighbours has
additional vocals if compared with version II, sporting double vocals at the
beginning with the guitars reversed on left and right.
Heaven too is a
bit different not containing any sound effect heard in the previous versions of
take II, so this can rightfully be considered an alternate mix.
Hang Fire and Tops
are in better sound than the tracks heard on other bootlegs, although it is not
clear why the latter was called no. I since the very first take of this song is
the instrumental version from late 72 Jamaica sessions; the two takes of Slave
with new vocals come from the 1980 sessions.
The version of Waiting
On A Friend here too is better sounding than the one found on Place Pigalle.
Both Black
Limousine and Neighbours are said to be alternate mixes, although it’s hard to
spot any difference with previous versions. Hang Fire here has some overdubbed
guitars while Tops seems to be a low pitch version of Track 5, just like the
last track, Start Me Up which is a faster version of the last track on Disc One.
This release too
is a must-have item with new classic alternates collection that conveys another
aspect of this popular album that represented the Stones in the early 80s. As
far as packaging is concerned the label recently changed style, this one reminds
the front cover of Tattoo Out bootleg which came out about 20 years ago; however
the sources are incorrect for the most part.
