They also played a brand new song which was heavy as hell and damn good as well.
agreed! used to be called "Black Sunshine," now it's "The Dream Machine." probably one of the best songs i've heard out of the band since the Zeitgeist-era highlights ("Gossamer," et al).
re: MCIS deluxe—
wow.
worth the $100 package i think. the vinyl, not so much... especially since people are still experiencing issues just like with the Oceania vinyl.
the bonus tracks are nuts. "Ruby" take 7, the "Cupid" re-mix, "Chinoise," "Speed," "MCIS" nighttime version, the "Cherry" and "Marquis in Spades" re-mixes, "Tonite Reprise" take 1, "Galapagos" instrumental demo, etc. — every disc has enormous highlights. there are only a few tracks that bug me.
the mastering sucks ass though (just on the bonus discs - like Pisces Iscariot). squashed to hell, all the quiet songs are as loud as the loud-ass songs, etc. Howie Weinberg and whoever influenced his mastering on this need to be slapped.
the remastering on the actual album is fantastic though. it's actually about the same volume as the original, but with much clearer EQing. that's what one should expect from a pro like Bob Ludwig.