omar wrote:I was waiting for you to get yours Scott and post some opinions and then i'd perhaps order it.
I just got the CD. I gave it a quick scan and here's the differences I noticed:
Track 4 - Romance: There's a very quiet part that opens the song on the vinyl LP, very low but it almost sounds like a machine starting up in the distance before the low-end sound that kicks the song off. That parts is absent, approximately 3 seconds.
Track 5 - Trail to Istanbul: Right at the end on the LP, there are 3 loud drum hits and the song continues with a very gradual synth fade. On the CD the song ends with the 3 drum hits, cutting the last 20 seconds of the fade off.
Track 6 - Secret Days: There's a brief sort of chirp sound that opens the song right before the drums start. That first second is missing from the CD and it starts right at the drum sound.
Track 13 - Science (7" mix): The version on the CD is not the actual UK 7" version, it is the Aussie single version with a small edit towards the end. It's identical to track 17 on the CD (which is correctly listed as the Aussie single mix), aside from the aforementioned slight edit. The original UK 7" version has more in common with the LP version.
I was pleased to see the CD is very dynamic, no over-compression, which was a big concern of mine. Aside from the few issues mentioned above, I wouldn't suggest anyone avoid the release. Just be aware that it is slightly different than the LP. Though I haven't played the CD in full yet, the general sound quality is very good.
UPDATE: There is a note in the back of the booklet stating the cutting of the last 20 seconds of Track 5 was intentional. Being a purist, I disagree with the decision but what can you do.