Omega band question
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URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=90137
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Topic: Omega band question
Posted By: TODDLER
Subject: Omega band question
Date Posted: October 16 2012 at 12:20
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200 Years After the Last War ..originally released on the Bellaphon label just arrived in the mail today. I was glancing at the cover and recalling seeing it in 1974 in cut-out bins. I don't know if that is even possible, but I do recall a hard back domestic cover released in the U.S. It has been printed that this in fact was the original release which was banned in Hungary for political reasons. Omega fans who have recently purchased the new cd release disagreed with that and made claim to the track listing being incorrect and further stating that "Suite" was not featured on the original 1974 release. 200 Evvel az vtolso haboru utan released on cd in 1998 supposedly was the original idea for the album by choice of the band regarding songs and their order. This version of 200 years is a bit more heavy sounding like Deep Purple. The new cd release which hails from 1974 is more progressive sounding and almost completely diverse from the 98 release.
Which tracks were contained on the very first official LP release? If both of these releases I have described above are not the original...then what is? ...and how would I figure that out? Omega fans claim that Wikepedia is wrong and that fans who discovered the band decades after the fact have printed false information about 200 Years After the Last War. Many of the old fans claim that songs are missing from the new cd release of the so called original and that due to the confused nature between domestic and European releases that most people reviewing their albums haven't a clue themselves. Omega fans who make this claim do not own the original release themselves but insist that the track listing is all wrong ...not remembering it in detail yet claiming they grew up listening to the album and that the 2 seperate versions available to us on disc are not the original. huh?
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Replies:
Posted By: NotAProghead
Date Posted: October 16 2012 at 13:57
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I don't know what Wiki guys say, but let's sort it out. I guess there is some misunderstanding because of mixing English and Hungarian titles. 1. "Omega 5" - 1973 - fifth Omega album: http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=3732" rel="nofollow - http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=3732  2. In 1999 it was released under the title "Szvit": http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=3733" rel="nofollow - http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=3733  It's remixed, has different cover and different songs' order (I have no idea why). There are no additional tracks. 3. "200 Years After The Last War" - 1974 is the second album released by German label Bellaphon: http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=3759" rel="nofollow - http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=3759  It contains English versions of songs from "Omega 5" (the longest track, "Suite") and other albums. The rest is an earlier story. 4. In 1972 Omega planned to release "200 Évvel az utolsó háború után" ("200 Years After The Last War" in English) as a studio album: http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=3773" rel="nofollow - http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=3773  But because of a song "Szex-apo" ("Sex-daddy") it was banned by Hungarian Pepita label. The record was shelved and saw the light of day, remixed and remastered, only in 1998. 5. As an alternative Omega released, in that same year 1972, live album "Élö Omega", containing the same songs (excluding 2 tracks, "Szex-apo" and "200 Évvel az utolsó háború után"): http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=3731" rel="nofollow - http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=3731  Though it was recorded live (supposedly live - some bad tongues say it's a studio record with added crowd noises) it is considered as the 4th Omega general release (Ω IV) because it contained new, previously unpublished songs. If you'd like to get this album better try to find an LP or 2012 CD by Austrian label Enigmatic Records, because they have good stereo sound. The sound of 1992 CD reissue by Mega (Hungary) is awful - it's just a poor mono record with added echo effects, avoid like a plague. I hope now the things are more or less clear.
 ------------- Who are you and who am I to say we know the reason why... (D. Gilmour) |
Posted By: TODDLER
Date Posted: October 16 2012 at 14:16
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Thanks for clearing up the confusion! |
Posted By: Vibrationbaby
Date Posted: October 18 2012 at 14:35
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The Omega catologue can be just as confusing as the Hawkwind catologue. Especially for someone just getting into the band. I'll have to correct NotAProghead regarding the 1972 ELO Omega LP. it was actually recorded in the studio on January 17 1972 with the audience tracks taken from actual live shows.. If you have an original copy this is more evident than on the CD remaster. I got mine from a Hungarian friend from Debrecin who had to get his ass out of Hungary because the secret police wanted to put him in the slammer because he had a BIG mouthl. It's blue on silver rather than maroon on silver and the cover is sort of metallic with no credits or track listings. Track listings are on the label. The English Omega albums from Omega ,1973 ( red cover ) to Omega Live At The Kisstadion,1979 were produced by Peter Hauke who was familiar with the band as far back as the sixties. The first three English Omega albums excluding ( Red Star From Hungary that was released on Decca Records in England in 1968 accompanied by a short tour ) Omega ( Red cover ), 200 Years, Omega III and Hall Of Floaters In The Sky were recorded in 1973 ,1974 & 1975 the latter being recorded in England at the Chipping Norton studios if I remember correctly and didn't have anything to do with concurrent Hungarian releases. They contained English language versions of Hungarian albums recorded from 1972-75 including a track titled Never Feel Shame from Hall Of that did not appear on any Hungarian language LPs but was released in the Hungarian language on a later compilation. Time Robber, Skyrover, Gammapolis had identical music tracks with the vocals dubbed over in the respective languages. My friend from Hungary told me that the live Hungarian ELO Kisstadion and English Live At The Kisstadion came from two different shows in which they did half of each show in English and half in Hungarian but don't quote me on that . The track Rush Hour does not appear on the English CD version because of space restrictions. 200 Years was also released in Brazil in '75 I think but I don't know of a US pressing. I know that Bacillus pressed 200 years three times with the last pressing being non-quad The only two north Amereican pressings of Omega albums were Skyrover ( with shooting star cover ) and the Omega compilation with the Poenix cover on the Canadian Passport label in '75 and '78 respectively. The album Working was also produced by Peter Hauke but for WEA Germany. Tony Carey ( ex -Rainbow ) helped them with the English language versions of the tracks which appeared on the Hungarian Omega !) AZ ARC album. Songs had a totally different meaning in English and had a more pop sounding approach. I asked Laszlo Benko about the Boney M connection and he set the record straight here http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=69275" rel="nofollow - www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=69275 Hope this might help as well. There's also a German language album from '73 that I didn't get until '97 on CD. I dunno one could go crazy. I believe there might also be some Japanese pressings as well because they actually played in Japan in the early seventies!  ------------- |