The 2017 remaster was overseen by acclaimed producer Steven Wilson and Chris "Privateer" Kimsey, the album's original producer.
The opening track, "Pseudo Silk Kimono," benefits immensely from the 24-bit depth. The ambient noise floor is lower, meaning the atmospheric introduction breathes with a haunting spaciousness. When the band kicks into the hit single "Kayleigh," the dynamic range prevents the drums from sounding "brick-walled" or overly compressed—a common complaint in the "Loudness Wars" of modern pop. The listener can hear the attack on the drum heads and the natural decay of the reverb on Fish’s vocals. It transforms "Kayleigh" from an 80s radio hit into a visceral, live-in-the-studio performance.
The second half of the album features darker, more complex suites like "Waterhole (Expresso Bongo)" and "Lords of the Backstage." In high-resolution, the complex, syncopated percussion patterns are easily distinguishable. The album culminates in the triumphant "Blind Curve" and "Childhoods End?," where Rothery’s emotive guitar solos pierce through the mix without any harsh digital clipping or sibilance. Conclusion Marillion - Misplaced Childhood -2017- -FLAC 24...
The album's original qualities were praised, with critics noting its lean, impactful songwriting. As one review in Louder magazine put it, it "floats on exemplary taste" and "makes every punch count". The 2017 remaster's high-resolution audio was singled out for praise, with reviews highlighting the "accentuated depth" it brought to tracks like "Heart of Lothian".
Engineer Andy Pearce (who worked on the 2017 Marillion reissue series) deserves praise. He avoided the loudness war trap. Peaks hit satisfyingly hard (“Kayleigh” has new emotional weight in the chorus), but quiet passages (the spoken-word section in “Childhood’s End?”) remain pristine, revealing subtle tape saturation and studio ambience lost on earlier digital transfers. The 2017 remaster was overseen by acclaimed producer
Guitarist Steve Rothery’s soaring, melodic solos serve as the perfect emotional counterpoint to Fish’s theatrical vocals. Meanwhile, Mark Kelly’s atmospheric keyboards, Pete Trewavas’s driving bass lines, and Ian Mosley’s precise drumming anchor the ambitious arrangement. Why the 2017 Remaster Matters
Marillion - Misplaced Childhood (2017 Remaster) Deluxe Edition 24-bit/96kHz FLAC When the band kicks into the hit single
note that the 24-bit/96kHz version is a "pristine, crystal clear" improvement over previous editions.
Revisiting a Masterpiece: Marillion’s Misplaced Childhood (2017 Deluxe Edition) in FLAC 24-bit
A comparison of this release with Steven Wilson's ?