Looking at the description on the official site I read something intriguing...
"An expanded version of the original 2LP of Alchemy to include the existing digital/CD tracklist which includes ‘Love Over Gold’ and the extended versions of ‘Telegraph Road’, ‘Solid Rock’ and ‘Going Home’, with the addition of ‘Portobello Belle’ (released on the Money For Nothing compilation in 1998) as well as the unreleased songs from the performance – ‘Industrial Disease’ and ‘Twisting By The Pool’.
I don't understand which extension can be made to "Telegraph Road", as far as we know that song was in full version in the original Alchemy... Only way to extend it is if you use the version from the MFN compilation which starts with a fade in and the synth sounds, but there is not much missed there. This version ends with a fade out so if they used this version and let it go till the end, yes, it's an extended version of that MFN compilation remix, but the original song was already full, so this is a total NONSENSE.
Same goes to "Solid Rock", how can you extend songs that were already in full version in the original record? Unless they used the sound from the Alchemy bluray, with the sax sounds from the start, but that's not extended but remixed!!!!
"Going Home", well, I understand that if they add the speech before GH, that's an extension.
About "Portobello Belle" it is described as an addition, and with a reference to the MFN compilation (1998???) but it doesn't say that is the edited version from that compilation with the only the intro added.
Unreleased songs from Alchemy makes sense to "Industrial disease" and "Twisting by the pool".
Checking Spotify and Amazon Music (for the new version Spotify doesn't shows the information of not reseleased tracks) lenghts this is the comparation of lenghts for the extended versions:
TRACK ORIGINAL ALCHEMY NEW ALCHEMY
Telegraph Road 13.37 12.56
Solid rock 6.01 5.35
Going home 6.05 5.06
It's quite funny to notice that "extended" versions are SHORTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
About TR, which is 13.37 in the Alchemy original, 12.56 in the new one, it is 12.00 in the MFN compilation so, yes it's extended compared to the MFN compilation, 56 seconds but shorter than the original Alchemy version.
Maybe these new versions are shorter because they have less claps than the original? but that doesn't make the songs extended respect to the original versions either.
Not to mention that is a NONSENSE that they swapped TR and Solid Rock in the track order of the CD, makes sense for the LP but bot for the cd or at least that's how it is listed for the cd.
I guess Guy would had been to busy with other things to make a proper new mix of everything and used already existing material to save time, or maybe the record company had less budget that needed for this project so using already material fit better with the budget, but for me this looks like a weird way to do things.
However, having "Industrial disease" and "Twisting by the pool" and an edited version of "Portobello" is better than nothing.
And also having the extra tracks for OTN and the Rainbow concert with Phil Lynnot is AWESOME, but it's a pity that Alchemy wasn't treated as it deserved.
