Two new versions of a decades old album in one year - is that overkill?
After the remastered version of their 1987 classic "Opus Dei", which also included remastered remixes of the time plus sixteen live versions of songs from the album, in December Laibach also released another double album with actually newly recorded versions plus new remixes - "Opus Dei Revisited".
The obvious question: Is this even really necessary?
LAIBACH - Opus Dei Revisited (2LP) (2024)
Since the Slovenes appearantly are in the process of rehashing their whole discography phase by phase, let me extend this question accordingly!
As I have thouroughly discussed in my most-read review of this whole blog, the revisited versions of tracks from Laibach's self-titled debut and "Nova Akropola" are among the best and most laibach things, the band has ever done.
In my humble opinion everything the band has done afterwards however hardly needs to be reworked into completely new arrangements, at least as far as new studio recordings are concerned. Live Laibach have always been adapting their own material according to their recent sound anyway. And what we're hearing on the first half of this release is exactly that: the "Opus Dei" interpretations as the current line-up of the band with Milan Fras and Marina Mårtensson on shared lead vocal duty is performing it.
As I have thouroughly discussed in my most-read review of this whole blog, the revisited versions of tracks from Laibach's self-titled debut and "Nova Akropola" are among the best and most laibach things, the band has ever done.
In my humble opinion everything the band has done afterwards however hardly needs to be reworked into completely new arrangements, at least as far as new studio recordings are concerned. Live Laibach have always been adapting their own material according to their recent sound anyway. And what we're hearing on the first half of this release is exactly that: the "Opus Dei" interpretations as the current line-up of the band with Milan Fras and Marina Mårtensson on shared lead vocal duty is performing it.
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| Laibach live 2024 |
Like I've reported from Copenhagen and Hanover I'm certainly happy with those new versions. But given that the original studio versions barely cried for improvements, Laibach may have changed the sound and instrumentation of the tracks, which sound less brute and more electronic now, but largely refrained from touching their structure or melodies. So this is far from the deconstruction and complete reshaping of their older material we heard on "Laibach Revisited".
It's still interesting, especially on the B-side with its really exciting take on "Transnational", but ultimately this whole endeavour mostly falls under the category of welcome but unnecessary luxury.
So what does that mean going forward? While I'd love to see long-abandoned songs from any album return to Laibach's setlist, I doubt that any further release needs the revisited treatment. "Opus Dei" really feels as far as one should go and is already balancing on the edge of necessity.
Regarding remasters there's certainly more potential, but not that much too. As I have mentioned before "Let It Be" would be the one album, which I would really love to have remastered, since the original production just isn't that great. "Kapital" obviously asks for a huge box reissue, since the original LP, CD and cassette releases all had those different mixes, versions, even tracklists. So even though I have all three variants, I would wholeheartedly understand a special reissue in that case.
Everything afterwards however should better be left untouched. From "N.A.T.O." on the productions all still hold up, while the need for any radical re-evaluation of the arrangements dwindles.
But back to the album at hand:
You might have noticed that I didn't say anything about the meaning and importance of "Opus Dei" yet. I didn't do so, because there had already been so many opportunities to write about "Leben heißt Leben", "Geburt einer Nation" and so on during the past year, that I just don't see the need to wring out more thoughts about the topic out of my head again. Laibach feel the same. They already had extensive liner notes accompanying the remastered release, so why do it once more?
In consequence this is a slimmer package than the remasters of both "Opus Dei" and "Nova Akropola" (from 2023): no gatefold or booklet, just the once again updated cover artwork with the two records inside plus a little fridge magnet with the artwork. Which is nice, but hey Mute Records, I would have actually prefered a free download of the album instead! Why do more and more labels keep punishing buyers of vinyl versions this way?
Apart from that at least the vinyl version doesn't miss any content compared to the CD this time. There are no bonus tracks, no full extra discs of music missing, which had been an issue with various Laibach albums before.
And speaking of bonus material: Sides C and D are actually just as important for "Opus Dei Revisited" as the first record - and if you're already content with having experienced the new band arrangements live they might even be the main reason to consider purchasing this album. Not the group, but original "Opus Dei" producer Rico Conning revisits the album's master tapes here to build new remixes, which explore the material in a variety of different ways, sometimes closer to Pop or Ambient, in other instances jumping wildly between moods and sounds between aggressive guitar noise and danceable beats. Again "Transnational" is a highlight, this time with obvious references to Kraftwerk's "Autobahn". But also "F.I.A.T.", the mighty finale of "How The West Was Won" or the fantastic Electronic transformation of "The Great Seal", which closes the album after a slightly altered running order, stand out.
So all in all, yes, it's hard to resist this release as a fan. Even though naught of this update was needed and it expectedly fails in clearing the high mark of similar predecessors, after all this still is a very worthwhile album based on an undeniable classic.
In hindsight it might have been more impressive to put all the material - remaster, remixes, revisited and live versions - into one big box. Yet given how it took to make "Laibach Revisited" and how expensive that box got, this 2-album-solution probably was for the best.
It's still interesting, especially on the B-side with its really exciting take on "Transnational", but ultimately this whole endeavour mostly falls under the category of welcome but unnecessary luxury.
So what does that mean going forward? While I'd love to see long-abandoned songs from any album return to Laibach's setlist, I doubt that any further release needs the revisited treatment. "Opus Dei" really feels as far as one should go and is already balancing on the edge of necessity.
Regarding remasters there's certainly more potential, but not that much too. As I have mentioned before "Let It Be" would be the one album, which I would really love to have remastered, since the original production just isn't that great. "Kapital" obviously asks for a huge box reissue, since the original LP, CD and cassette releases all had those different mixes, versions, even tracklists. So even though I have all three variants, I would wholeheartedly understand a special reissue in that case.
Everything afterwards however should better be left untouched. From "N.A.T.O." on the productions all still hold up, while the need for any radical re-evaluation of the arrangements dwindles.
But back to the album at hand:
You might have noticed that I didn't say anything about the meaning and importance of "Opus Dei" yet. I didn't do so, because there had already been so many opportunities to write about "Leben heißt Leben", "Geburt einer Nation" and so on during the past year, that I just don't see the need to wring out more thoughts about the topic out of my head again. Laibach feel the same. They already had extensive liner notes accompanying the remastered release, so why do it once more?
In consequence this is a slimmer package than the remasters of both "Opus Dei" and "Nova Akropola" (from 2023): no gatefold or booklet, just the once again updated cover artwork with the two records inside plus a little fridge magnet with the artwork. Which is nice, but hey Mute Records, I would have actually prefered a free download of the album instead! Why do more and more labels keep punishing buyers of vinyl versions this way?
 |
| Laibach live 2024 |
And speaking of bonus material: Sides C and D are actually just as important for "Opus Dei Revisited" as the first record - and if you're already content with having experienced the new band arrangements live they might even be the main reason to consider purchasing this album. Not the group, but original "Opus Dei" producer Rico Conning revisits the album's master tapes here to build new remixes, which explore the material in a variety of different ways, sometimes closer to Pop or Ambient, in other instances jumping wildly between moods and sounds between aggressive guitar noise and danceable beats. Again "Transnational" is a highlight, this time with obvious references to Kraftwerk's "Autobahn". But also "F.I.A.T.", the mighty finale of "How The West Was Won" or the fantastic Electronic transformation of "The Great Seal", which closes the album after a slightly altered running order, stand out.
So all in all, yes, it's hard to resist this release as a fan. Even though naught of this update was needed and it expectedly fails in clearing the high mark of similar predecessors, after all this still is a very worthwhile album based on an undeniable classic.
In hindsight it might have been more impressive to put all the material - remaster, remixes, revisited and live versions - into one big box. Yet given how it took to make "Laibach Revisited" and how expensive that box got, this 2-album-solution probably was for the best.
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