UK LP: Epic, EPC 85567
UK CASSETTE: Epic, EPC 40-85567
Released 5 March 1982
A1. Here Come the People 3.28
A2. Going Round Again 2.57
A3. A Train on Twisted Tracks 3.27
A4. I Repeat 4.30
A5. All You Need Is Love (New Musik) 4.25
A6. All You Need Is Love (Beatles) 5.39
B7. Kingdoms for Horses 4.18
B8. Hunting 4.17
B9. The New Evolutionist (Example 'A') 3.22
B10. Green and Red (Respectively) 3.06
B11. The Planet Doesn't Mind 3.43
B12. Warp 4.26
The album has also appeared twice on CD:
JAPANESE CD: Sony/Epic EICP 7015
Released 19 December 2001
13. The Planet Doesn't Mind (7" version) 3.36
14. The Planet Doesn't Mind (12" version) 4.14
15. 24 Hours from Culture - Part II 3.40
16. Twelfth House 4.36
17. Here Come the People (Remix) 5.27
UK CD: Cherry Red CDLEMD 183
Released 17th January 2011
13. The Planet Doesn't Mind (7" version) 3.35
14. 24 Hours from Culture - Part II 3.40
15. Twelfth House 4.38
16. Here Come the People (Remix) 5.26
17. The Planet Doesn't Mind (12" version) 4.16
UK 2LP: MOVLP2868 (2LP 180g Coloured Vinyl titled 'Warp Expanded')
Released February 2022
A1. Here Come the People
A2. Going Round Again
A3. A Train on Twisted Tracks
A4. I Repeat
A5. All You Need Is Love (New Musik)
A6. All You Need Is Love (Beatles)
B7. Kingdoms for Horses
B8. Hunting
B9. The New Evolutionist (Example 'A')
B10. Green and Red (Respectively)
B11. The Planet Doesn't Mind
B12. Warp
C1. The Planet Doesn't Mind (7" version)
C2. The Planet Doesn't Mind (12" version)
C3. 24 Hours from Culture - Part II
C4. Twelfth House
C5. Here Come the People (Remix)
Track Information / Packaging...
The original LP (Epic EPC 85567) and cassette (Epic EPC 40-85567) were released in March 1982 containing 12 tracks, 6 tracks per side. There are no known other variations on the LP/cassette format. The LP did include an inner sleeve on initial batches, red in colour containing the lyrics on both sides.
Unlike From A to B and Anywhere, Warp remained unissued on CD until December 2001 when it was released in Japan (Sony/Epic EICP 7015). As well as being the first appearance on CD, the release also included 5 bonus tracks. Firstly the 7" version of The Planet Doesn't Mind (released 6 months before the album and very different from the album mix) followed closely by the 12" version. Next is 24 Hours From Culture Part II (B side to The Planet Doesn't Mind single) and then Twelfth House (B side to All You Need Is Love Beatles version). Finally we get a remix of Here Come The People (B side to Warp single). The booklet is very similar to Anywhere ie multi page and includes the lyrics (both in Japanese and English) and an article in Japanese which is presumably the story of the album and/or the band history. One page has a listing of many of the band's singles, including thumbnail photos. Intriguingly the photo for the Carving Knife single has never actually been seen in the flesh.
With time, Warp became quite rare and started to attract high prices on the 2nd hand market, with some sellers asking over 100 UK pounds.
In January 2011 Warp was re-released on CD in the UK on the Cherry Red label (CDLEMD 182). The same bonus tracks are included as the Japanese release, however they are presented in a slightly different order. The packaging is extensive, with a multi-page booklet with copious notes. Because the index point issue has been fixed on this release, it is the definitive version to own to-date.
In 2022 Music On Vinyl released all 3 New Musik albums in 2LP 180g coloured vinyl editions, each release limited to 1500 copies. Warp comes in a translucent red, though it is not as translucent as From A to B. Also there are some black streaks mixed in with the red, though this varies from LP to LP. Track-wise the release is identical to the Japanese CD. The album artwork is faithfully reproduced, including the original insert.
CD Remastering / Sound Quality...
The over-riding opinion on all of the Warp CDs is that the sound quality is excellent (the wave forms can be compared in the Misc Gallery and form the basis of much of the comment here).
However, there is one important caveat to this on both releases - the sound quality of the 7" version of The Planet Doesn't Mind is poor and the suspicion is that it's a de-clicked vinyl rip. There is one other issue with the Japanese release, the track index points are poorly positioned and often include a micro-second of the previous track - a situation which is very evident when jumping through the tracks. This issue has been fixed on the Cherry Red release. In terms of volume the Japanese version looks like a straight forward volume normalisation to 100%. The 2011 Cherry Red wave forms look very similar to the Japanese release and does not seem to have been boosted to the same extreme as the other Cherry Red release (the double CD of From A to B / Anywhere).
Hence, in terms of sound quality, both releases sound very similar - though the track index issue on the Japanese release does make the Cherry Red version superior.
Interest was high for the 2022 expended re-release of Warp on vinyl. The sound quality is excellent, however the single mix of The Planet Doesn't mind is the same LoFi version that appears on CD. So presumably this is a needle drop on vinyl?
Reviews
I know I am in the minority, because I have always thought that Warp was one of the best albums of the 80s. I played it pretty much every day for six months straight when it came out. I taped it and listened to it in the car (the flip side was one of my other fave albums of the 80s (The Stranglers's Feline). But I also know that the "cool" (and I don't mean "hip") synthetic feel of the album turns some people off.
I have always had a soft spot for Linn drum and such, usually because of the low sound quality (rather than in spite of it). Synthetic percussion is a totally different instrument than a drum kit. Perhaps that's why the TR-606 has enjoyed a resurgence of popularity in recent years.
And Warp was an album completely steeped in the synthetic, coupling standard instruments and voices with synthetic. And that's completely in the "old" New Musik tradition. Tony &co always treated the two realms as equal. Synthetic strings, acoustic guitar, human voice, vocoder, etc.
I love the splashing water.
But, and this may be a big factor, Warp was also one of the very first albums I can remember that was digitally mixed. Compact Discs wouldn't arrive for three more years. It is entirely possible that the sound of Warp is marred somewhat by the "hardness" of early digital mixing technology. It is possible that the digital mixing hardware used for the album did not use dithering, and thus the overall sound, while being "accurate", was not ear friendly. Tony was always a groundbreaker, and perhaps he was not merely on the leading edge, but right on the bleeding edge in the case of Warp.
Perhaps that's why the album leaves some people cold.
Besides the fact that it's rather mad.
I love "Green and Red (respectively)". I always feel like I do at the end of The Beatles's "She's So Heavy". I know it's going to end abruptly, it's coming up, soon, here it comes.
"Red".
(John R)