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Site Related => Discography & Releases => Topic started by: Aaron on November 09, 2013, 01:45:30 PM

Title: A Very Special Christmas: The Story and the Music
Post by: Aaron on November 09, 2013, 01:45:30 PM
Found a new 2013 release in my local HMV of. "A Very Special Christmas" including a DVD and CD. The CD is the regular album. The DVD is a new celebration of 25 years of the album, and includes video footage of U2 including:
- old photos and video clips from the Conspiracy of Hope tour
- clips of "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" video
- clips of U2 playing Pride in 2003 at the Special Olympics opening in Ireland ( at least I think it was 2003)
- clips from an interview with Bono done around 2009 based on the sunglasses he's wearing....
Title: Re: A Very Special Christmas: The Story and the Music
Post by: Aaron on November 09, 2013, 01:46:11 PM
I posted a quick pic of the disc on twitter at the @u2w account.
Title: Re: A Very Special Christmas: The Story and the Music
Post by: Zbych on November 10, 2013, 04:26:26 PM
I've found this info: http://www.target.com/p/a-very-special-christmas-cd-dvd-only-at-target/-/A-14893056?clkid=1CVwkgQjiwgGzpaTOdXB4QqPUkT0E3RBiQdwxk0&lnm=Online+Tracking+Link&afid=Skimbit+Ltd.&ref=tgt_adv_xasd0002
Title: Re: A Very Special Christmas: The Story and the Music
Post by: God, Part II on November 11, 2013, 10:14:45 PM
Any chance the CD is remastered? That would seal the deal for me.
Title: Re: A Very Special Christmas: The Story and the Music
Post by: u2expert on November 12, 2013, 09:34:35 AM
Disc 2: The Story and The Song DVD

1. Intro – The Gift
2. The Creation
3. Music and The Movement
4. The Sequels
5. The White House
6. The New Generation
7. 25th Anniversary – Joy to the World
8. Changing Lives
9. Do You Hear What I Hear

Source:
http://theseconddisc.com/2013/10/30/a-very-special-christmas-reissued-target/

Appears to be a new documentary, though chapter 7 is likely from the GMC TV Special 'A Very Special Christmas: 25 Years of Bringing Joy to the World' documentary.

Cheers,
u2expert

FYI, related item:
A Very Special Christmas (DVD) (2007)
http://www.amazon.com/Very-Special-Christmas-Jon-Jovi/dp/B000WH5AVK
Title: Re: A Very Special Christmas: The Story and the Music
Post by: Brad on November 12, 2013, 03:01:45 PM
Right, GMC. Well, Nashville Network was a close guess...  :P

The GMC special was  60 minutes long if you chop out the commercials. I think it's identical to this new DVD.

That DVD from 2007 is a selection of promotional music videos. U2 is included, but the sound is atrocious and in mono. I wonder if I could rip it and sync it up with the audio from the CD?
Title: Re: A Very Special Christmas: The Story and the Music
Post by: Aaron on November 13, 2013, 08:05:37 AM
Any chance the CD is remastered? That would seal the deal for me.

Track times are identical to the millisecond for me.  I can compare the audio levels, but it doesn't appear that any real remastering went on. 
Title: Re: A Very Special Christmas: The Story and the Music
Post by: God, Part II on November 13, 2013, 12:00:58 PM
Any chance the CD is remastered? That would seal the deal for me.

I can compare the audio levels, but it doesn't appear that any real remastering went on.

It would be great to know for sure. It's not that the original CD sounds terrible, but almost all CDs mastered before, say, 1993, tend to sound somewhat anemic, especially in the bass department.
Title: Re: A Very Special Christmas: The Story and the Music
Post by: Scarlet on November 17, 2013, 10:59:49 PM
should make a decent XMAS gift for friends of fans  :o
Title: Re: A Very Special Christmas: The Story and the Music
Post by: Aaron on December 02, 2013, 10:37:55 AM
Any chance the CD is remastered? That would seal the deal for me.

I can compare the audio levels, but it doesn't appear that any real remastering went on.

It would be great to know for sure. It's not that the original CD sounds terrible, but almost all CDs mastered before, say, 1993, tend to sound somewhat anemic, especially in the bass department.

I took a look at the three copies I have - one I've had for years, one i bought last year that came boxed with AVSX-Mas 2 and a DVD, and the new one.
On all three the track in EAC is 2:20.62 and the peak value is 100%.  I took a brief look at the waveforms of all three and they looked pretty similar to me.  I'm thinking they haven't touch the sound on this, and if they did it's minor.  Just a repack I think.
Title: Re: A Very Special Christmas: The Story and the Music
Post by: Brad on December 03, 2013, 12:38:04 AM
There was an MFSL Original Master Recording version of this released in 1988, only in Japan I believe. I don't think I've ever seen one for less than $200.