xyloto

I couldn't really discern a massive amount of difference between the leak and the radio versions, but I did notice little changes..... now... When I've listened to the album, it does seem to me that there are a couple of things which could be improved upon (I'm talking about quality/editing, not lyrics/Rhianna, I'm NOT getting sucked into THAT insane debate). HOWEVER, for it to "leak" now, a couple of days before its first official release, and not a couple of weeks ago, leads me to believe that this is a legit copy, ripped off one of the thousands of CD's currently sitting in shop store rooms. One reason the radio tracks MIGHT sound different is because music played on the radio is highly compressed before/during a broadcast. This can alter some tracks sound quite dramatically sometimes, which is why the radio versions might sound different to the "leaked" versions. Again, I'm not saying whether the leak is or isn't the final copy, I would just be very surprised if, at this stage, there was a different copy somewhere.

I think it looks quite nice. I was sort of expecting the silver 'MX' to be a cardboard slip cover over the top of the entire case, but o well. And part of me (the OCD part) kind of wanted the disc to be a plain color, like the rest, but it still looks pretty cool.

I like it, and it will probably grow on me more, but it just doesn't "sit" right with me yet. I think it lacks some of the urgency and punch of the live version. I quite like how it seems to build towards a climax, but the first half is just slightly "hollow" for me at the moment.

I still think 'Paradise' and 'Every Teardrop is a Waterfall' are bloody brilliant. I can imagine that if they weren't used as singles, then some of the people that aren't keen on them, hearing them today for the first time, would love them.

After one complete listen the tracks which stood out for me were 'Charlie Brown', 'Princess of China', 'Up in Flames' and 'Don't let it break your heart'. I've (obviously) heard 'Us against the world' and 'Major Minus' before, but in the context of the album they seem different somehow, and I think they'll grow on me. The only track (of the "proper" ones anyway) that i'm slightly indifferent to at the moment is "U.F.O", but it may improve with repeat listens. The only disappointment for me is "Hurts like Heaven". The vocals at the start are wimpy and "thin" sounding, yes, it does build up slightly, but it lacks the immediate "punch" the live version seems to have. But apart from that, I think it's a pretty brilliant album.

This was on the vinyl/pop-up album pre-order page. I've edited it a bit for clarity. Numbers and Punctuation! It's like Christmas. Hope this helps you for your font. It's a bit fuzzy, but I think it works ok as a guide.