Roxy Music debut album, Deluxe/Super Deluxe Edition (March 2018)

And it's here! The Amazon box looked almost perfect but the wimpy box inside with the set was beat up from sloppy ass handling getting it to the Amazon dispatch site in Vancouver from Universal Music in Ontario. The set got small ding and couple of tiny dings. I'll live though...
The book is quite nice, quality, lots of great pictures (my kind of book). I like the disks inserted into the back cover. Played the album CD. I like it a lot its sounds really good. I have the LP of this only, so first time hearing this version. Listening to the demos and out-takes right now. These are sounding good too. I'm happy...looking forward to the 5.1

 

The SW 5.1 is magnifiicalWhat a pleasure! The instrument separation in the room is excellent. Wow! It's the best! I don't know what more I could ask for (7.1?). Love the videos as is (they are old tech). This is just an absolute great sounding album...
Quality set...a gem. That's why a paid the price despite. I'm alright. I have this...and i like this record better now than before.

 

Well I've only had the time to listen to the CD discs and they are pretty great. The DVD will be played tonight. I still don't understand WHY they put the awful Ludwig disc in this set. Most fans would already have it (and some tossed it) so it would make sense to have a stereo mix of the Wilson remix. The book is pretty terrific. A great, detailed biography of the band.

Mine arrived on the cheap from Phil Manzanera's website with a signed postcard and the classic Manzanera wearing bug eye sunglasses image.

Pretty terrific. Bryan Ferry, you should have provided the same quality at the same price.

I'm a huge Bryan fan but I love Phil, too so it is worth it to me.

 

I would love to the SW stereo mix too. What treat that would be seeing how I really dig this mix. I have this on LP Canadian Reprise early re-issue which I have to turn up after listening to the CD.
Man, the CDs I been acquiring lately have been impressive particularly the SW mixes.

 

So: Beautiful package, for sure. Like many others, I'm very disappointed at how half-assed the music curation was. If they would've included a Blu-Ray instead of a DVD, they could've included high-res versions of everything on the CDs (including a flat-transfer of the album) as well as lossless high-res of both stereo and surround SW mixes. As a consumer, knowing how affordable (and feature-packed) the Yes, King Crimson, XTC, Gentle Giant, and Jethro Tull packages were, it's hard to interpret this as anything other than a cash-grab. And I think it's the worst of the culprits in that department, too: The Simple Minds and Tears For Fears boxes were similarly sparse, but at least they were reasonably priced. Rush only includes the surround Blu-Ray in the "Super Deluxe" box set but, again, they include tons more stuff (including four discs of remastered vinyl) at about the same price as this Roxy set.

 

A small point but does anyone know why there is a black line in the lower right hand corner of the BBC disc. At first I though someone had taken a felt tip to the sleeve but then saw it is illustrated this way in the book.

 

Is one of these the flat transfer that you've been talking about?

Roxy Music - Roxy Music

Roxy Music - Roxy Music

 

Yes the first one (UICY-40122) only. "2014 DSD remaster".

The other is just a re-press of the 1999 remaster.

There is also a non-Platinum SHM-CD and a SHM-SACD (single layer) with the same flat transfer.

 

It is a comb

 

I think the Live at Bataclan is very cool. A true live show (many Roxy shows were lip synced including some on this disc) and a good performance. Eno is show prominently doing vocal with Ferry.

The 5.1 mix is beyond good and possibly verges on incredible. In general Wilson does not go crazy likes he does on some of his Yes output (especially the Yes Album which is quite processed in the 5.1 mix). But this does reinforce to me that the original has been presented in a fairly decent sound quality in mix for a long time. But on a few cuts Steve Wilson does add new bits and pieces which is nice.

I am only hoping that a second release will include a CD with the stereo and mix and hi res of the 5.1 mix and stereo mix with no compression on blu ray. Or maybe a SACD with the same would work for me. Also Ladytron and Numberer Wilson remixes of course.

I do get why they released an old mix in stereo. Wilson did muck about with the album in 5.1 which might have upset some buyers. But the next version should include it.

I think the mix of the BBC tracks is way better than other collections that I have. Much better EQ and probably sources.

 

Since the Box Set is way too expensive, with your comments on the BBC Sessions, would you recommend the 2-CD Set where the 2nd Set includes BBC Sessions(that also includes a few Peel Session Songs), even if not interested in the main album(1999 Remaster) in the 2-CD Set, since I own the Complete Recordings CD Box Set and the West Germany 1st CD(1984?).

 

Yes the BBC sessions are cool. But I have had those in my collection from various releases (including DJ only releases) for quite a long time. So I regard the BBC sessions as a core part of the Roxy repertoire.

The mix of the album on the first disc? I would personally rather have the revisionist but very cool Steve Wilson mix in stereo.

I don’t now what mixes are on the complete recordings box set. I have a few versions lying around; they don’t sound all that different to me. The first album really was done pretty well in the first place. Amazing for the time actually.

 

Original mixes, flat transfers, and that is what makes the box so much better tan the Ludwig versions.

 

I was extremely lucky. Importcds did not cancel my $66 pre-order. Sorry it won’t help you, I’m just still reeling that I got it at this price.

 

I have the complete recording box and all of the SHM-SACD’s too. Any idea if these Japanese SACD’s using the same flat transfer as the complete albums box set?

 

What do you like the sound of better? The box set discs or the SHM-SACDs?

 

Really nice box set but is anyone noticing a distinct lack of phil manzanera on the 5.1?

 

SHM-SACD’s are my definitive, go to version. The box set is for non-critical listening. It's just that I forgot if the mastering is the same on both. I suspect it is.

 

I do think those Japanese SACDs are very very fine indeed.

Roxy is reentering my regular rotation again as this thread has fired me up a bit.

 

You and me both!

 

Depends on which SACD's you got--the most recent ones, i.e., within the same year or two of the boxed set.

 

It's curious that they used the Ludwig considering that it has "Virginia Plain" on it and the original LP did not.

 

Oh the Americans demand their Virginia Plain. No singles for them.

 

IIRC all of the SHM SACD’s were released at the same time which was about the same time the box came out.

I also have the Avalon and Best Of in the super jewel case. Those were imports released by Virgin when the format was new about 15 years ago. No idea about the mastering on these.

 

I have those two earlier SACDs. I play the Avalon in 5.1 a lot. I think the Best of Of was more like a super CD than a true hi res treat like Avalon