I'm mixed on it.

Disc 1:
I'll make this fairly brief; Any remaster I've ever heard that is done by Rhino is always top notch. Most are above that, and are just plain glorious. This one is pretty much no different. Even with the naked ear, there's definitely a clearer sound.



Disc 2:
Tracks 1-7 are listed as the Foundations Forum show from September 1990. That is all accurate. It's nice getting these tunes on a release that's better than a bootleg. However, they're only somewhat better. They still sound a little rough for something being put on an official disc. I'd like to think they could have taken the time to try and clean them up a little.

Tracks 8-12 are listed as from the Moscow show in 1991. This is only true for a few of them. This is indeed the Alive and Hostile EP, but not all the songs on the original Alive and Hostile EP were from Moscow. Even worse, the ones that aren't from Moscow are the SAME FUCKING RECORDINGS as the Foundations show on tracks 1-8.
- 8. Domination is from Moscow
- 9. Primal Concrete Sledge is from Moscow
- 10. Cowboys from Hell is NOT from Moscow. It is the same recording as track #4 on this disc.
- 11. Heresy is NOT from Moscow. It is the same recording as track #7 on this disc.
- 12. Psycho Holiday is from Moscow.

From anything I've ever read, Pantera played four songs in Moscow. The one not included on this is Cowboys From Hell. The only place that is available (to my knowledge) is on Part 2 of the I'm Broken/Slaughtered single. (Part 2 also has Psycho Holiday and Part 1 has Domination and Primal Concrete Sledge.) Heresy, again, from everything I've ever read, was not played at the Moscow show. I was surprised to see it listed on here when the press releases were coming out, and excited to hear it.

There's also no touch-up done to the Moscow tracks from the original releases on the I'm Broken/Slaughtered singles. The volume is slightly louder on this release, but that's it.



Disc 3 (The Demos):
The production is pretty solid on these, especially for being demos. I'm not through it all yet but Cemetery Gates is a definite must-listen. During the main verses there's an interesting acoustic track that's different from the original. There's also no acoustic intro like on the original, and Phil's vox are dialed back just slightly from the harshness of the original refrains.

For the hardcorers there's The Will to Survive. Cowboys From Hell doesn't sound too different to me. That's the case for several of the songs. A lot of them are just a rawer version of the final product. You definitely get a cleaner/closer listen to Phil's vocals on these, however you want to describe that.



So, the question I was asked is, "Is it worth it?" I sort of have to preface my answer. When I saw the extra live goodies that were being attached to this, I was fairly pumped. After hearing them and seeing what we got, I'm sort of disappointed in that portion of it. Like I said with Disc 1, the Rhino remaster is as good as they typically always are. I've thought for a while that CFH could use a solid remaster if the original integrity was intact. It was. The demos are an interesting aspect, and like I said, have pretty solid sound. I find discs 1 and 3 to have the most value here, at least put up against my current collection. I already had the Moscow tracks released here in their same finished format, and had the Foundations stuff on bootlegs. Like I said, the quality here is a little better, but I was really expecting more with both of these.

The 3-pack edition was listed at $24.99 and I paid $20.99 today. Since I'll sell my original copy of CFH, this will probably be around $17 or $18 for this. I'd say it was worth it.

Plea to Pantera: When you get to the Vulgar and FBD remasters/re-releases, please don't just release the Biomechanical remixes on Vulgar and the four Brixton tracks that could all be found on other releases, as the extras for those respective albums. There's gotta be some goodies out there that no one has heard and few have had access to.

fixed

Anyways thanks for the review. I think I'll pass on this one because I already own the original CFH and I could probably just download the 2 extra cds. Where did you get it for $20.99 though?

Best Buy. My local place didn't get any in. I would have paid him the few bucks more because I like to support the locals, but I'm also impatient and don't wait around for him to get shit in. He knows when the goods come out. If I had asked for it today he'd have had to order it and at best it would get in next Tuesday. I've got the dough "now". I might not have it "next" Tuesday.

Maybe it's just me but this remaster seems overly compressed or something. Vinnie's high-hat seems like it is clipping badly (or very HOT) and to me is almost unlistenable. Almost like a burst of static. Rex seems more "in the mix" and disctinct though which is a good thing.

Regarding the demos, is the intro track on there, the one that they used to play before coming on?

gonna pick this up today PanfuckinterA

Wouldn't surprise me. A fair few Rhino remasters (that I know of) have just had the volume pushed way up, which can alter the dynamics of the original.

I was hoping this one might have been different, but it's not going to change the fact that I can still listen to the original release.

Whats wrong with you? Keep the original.

I hadn't given disc 2 a listen when I read your review, but good catch on the 2 Foundation songs being used twice. Strange that something like that made it to the final product, unless it was done on purpose. My feeling is no one ever bothered to check the tracks on the Alive&Hostile ep to see if any of them were Foundations tracks.

The remaster sounds like another modern day brickwalled mess. Domination, for example is completely ruined on the remaster. Especially the last 1:30 or so from the solo to the end. If I were you Labatt, I'd hold onto my original, it just sounds better.

As for the demos...I've had them for ages. So far I'm divided on their sound. The "Intro" is there, for the person who asked, but it's tacked onto the beginning of Shattered, which I kind of don't like. Also, their is a buzzing sound that runs through the Intro that is very annoying and distracting. This isn't in my original bootleg copy. The Will To Survive has been credited as a lost track from 1989, it obviously is not from the same sessions, and should have been left off the release. It sounds out of place.

I think their heart was in the right place with the release, the package looks great, but the original is still better.

did anyone care to listen to disc 2 before they released this??? I mean come on...are you kidding me!!!!

I realize I'm whining and complaining and usually I don't but I don't care.. I mean I'm buying the damn CD AGAIN can the management at least listen to the fucking product they are putting out before they release it. I was actually looking forward to hearing the full MONSTERS OF ROCK show in my car for once.. but ofcourse they never bothered to listen. Monsters Of Rock and the CFH Demo were both released for free on internet years ago.. with the SAME SCREW UP with the Monsters Tracks... 5 years go by and no one cares to listen and find the right tracks. INEXCUSABLE I'M SORRY IT IS christ CFH in moscow is on the Pantera home videos CLEARLY a different performance than on disc 2. It just really makes me mad the band made the music they did enough already. for the management or whoever to OBVIOUSLY not even listen to this thing before it came out is an insult to a long time supporter of the band and frankly they marketed this as containing the full live Moscow show... and thats not the product they released.


not to mention... all these years and Pantera still has NO LIVE DVD (we get a dimebag doll and clothing line, but can't watch ONE FULL CONCERT of his... makes no sense to me)

the foundations forum show should have been included as a DVD/CD same with the Monsters In Moscow. If these 2 concerts are so relevant that they are on the CFH 20th anniversary reissue than just include the full DVD of both concerts (considering they are relasing what, 34 versions of this reissue...make the expensive one include a DVD especially considering the band doesn't have a live DVD and they have the footage).

why not just make another cowboys reissue with THE REAL MONSTERS OF ROCK SHOW and release that as an uber super duper deluxe we actually got the tracklisting correct Box set for 199.99.

I like it, I'd never heard "foundations" and it's entirety
true tho visuals would've been sweet.


and then as far as "marketing" the only marketing I caught wave ov -was the demo cd and remasterings

this is ridiculous, in the end this reissue is just the rematered cd (which already sounded good to my ears, we're not speaking about an underground recording from the 60s) and 2cds filled with stuff I already had, which in some cases is even REPEATED?!?

L O L

I won't buy it.

CD's all kick ass plus the booklet has some cool info from phil vinnie and rex

must have for any PanterA fan

Every place i've looked for it has been sold out so they must be doing pretty well with it

I want to know waht happened to the fourth dvd they where meant to be bringing out. There's parts of it on youtube like. I myself want a full live dvd!