Mine arrived this morning. Haven't read it yet but listening to the CD now... it's great! It sounds like it's all (or mostly) recordings from the period, probably with recent tweaks from JC in places. Cope is a bit of a trickster, as we know, so it's sometimes hard to know what's what (not that it matters).
Like several of the recent Cope's Notes, it totally works as a standalone album. In fact, it would have been more in keeping with the parent album as disc 2 of the deluxe edition CD, rather than some of the scratchy dictaphone cuts that were included. Such a shame the mastering on that was butchered because there's good stuff on there. The original CD/LP, Fear Loves This Place EP, and now this, are maybe all you need.
Also in keeping with some Cope's Notes, the CD tracklisting is a bit confusing - 13 tracks listed on the back, 14 listed inside the booklet, 12 tracks on the CD! The first track is actually 'Rites / London Underground / Generation of Freaks v. The High Society' combined.
Highlights include the version of Poet Is Priest with overdubs from Thighpaulsandra recorded in 1995, and Albany (really great), also with Thighp overdubs recorded in 1997... and a lovely radio session version of Gimme Back My Flag, and amazing live version of Upwards at 45 Degrees to finish. But the whole thing is great. Ba-Ba-Ba-Buy.
