Brian Eno is MORE DARK THAN SHARK

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Mojo NOVEMBER 2017 - by Paul Trynka

LODGER (TONY VISCONTI 2017 MIX)

Underrated triptych-closer subtly remixed by its producer in 2015-2016.

Defiantly quirky and intellectual, Lodger has also been famously overlooked, a problem producer Tony Visconti has often blamed on a rushed mix. His new rework is subtle and quietly stunning, liberating the album's innate vibrancy and freshness. The sound is now honed, rather than beefed-up - each song elegantly reframed and decluttered. Fantastic Voyage, for example, loses its lumpy guitar and piano arpeggios from the foreground, with simpler guitar drones counterpointing the vocals. Likewise, Carlos Alomar's stomping on-beat drums on Boys Keep Swinging ring out proud and clear, free of the boxiness that impairs much of the original album. The most significant change, though, is the clarity of Bowie's singing; not louder so much as closer, sitting right at the front of your speakers. He sounds so present and alive that it's bound to put a lump in your throat.