Ultravox – Quartet

OK, maybe I'm being dumb here but I'll ask the question for the sake of clarity. Is this actually an analog master i.e. from tape or from a digital source? And for the sake of brevity I presume the answer would be the same for the other recent half speed masters?

Finally, a word on the music, and let's head straight for the reason to get this clear vinyl 4 LP, records 3 and 4 - What a live album! It seems that Ultravox did 4 nights at the Hammersmith in Dec 1982, 2, 3, 4 & 5th. I did a comparison with the Monument soundtrack, both the 6 and 9 track vinyl versions, and where the "original" live album/augmentation is loud, strong, coherent but lively muffled and almost to the brink of distorsion, very live sounding, this full set version/mastering is perfectly clean, balanced and despite that such a revelation might sound like it's not as "live" as the Monument, I'd say...have no fear!
The keyboards/pianos are razor sharp, as are the vocals - not only Midge's but frankly, it's more obvious here that the other boys were filling in quite a lot. There iscrowd noise and i does not sound like a studio take at all, it is very live indeed, but where Monument is monumentally :) reverbarting the crowd, and not like you were in the crowd, cause that would sound specifically different, but the new mastering rather delivers what believably is how the music actually sounded, with all quirks present, apart from a staggering and thunderous meltpot experience, maybe?
I gave the new live a full go, came back a few hours later with Monument on the other platter, and, yes, some tracks appear to be the same show (?), not that it really matters as the treatment is so different, but I reckon at least The Voice and Vienna to be the same show, but not The Song - the arrangements seem to differ too much, but that is beside the point.
I actually now give more props to the original Monument album as I never did such an endeavour for details before, but the full setlist / new mastering (Dec 5th all the way? :) is pure pleasure and then I generally don't care too much for any live album, but these 4 LP reissues, Vienna, RiE and now this, are all spot on.

The inner gatefold sleeves of this box set are so tight that they have to be forcibly pulled out. This will cause warping in the future, and possible splitting of the case. On the plus side, the discs are crystal clear (recent Chrysalis clear vinyl releases have had a yellowish tinge) and look fantastic. And the presentation is of very high quality.

Great sounding set, but very annoying not to find the Extended Version of 'Reap The Wild Wind', but a near identical Single Version on disc 2. Why was this not included as it is in the same running order on the CD version (which I'm not buying). Could have also substituted a Long Version of 'We Came To Dance' for similar reasons, just to make it more varied for us vinyl only purchasers! Feel a bit short changed.

The record sleeves are extremely tight in the outer box. Really struggled to get them out without damaging them.