Jethro Tull - Thick As A Brick 40th Anniversary Special Edition

Hello folks - just to clarify: the replacement DVD only replaces the 5.1 streams of my TAAB mix with a flat transfer, the stereo is still in mastered form. The glitches present in the original 5.1 mastering meant that EMI had to fix them, which gave me the opportunity to also persuade them to replace the mastered version with a flat transfer (having been on tour the first time the mastering was done, so unfortunately out of the loop). As there were no glitches on the stereo there wasn't the same opportunity there.

While I'm here a couple of other things to address. Somebody mentioned that I had deliberately sped up TAAB to make it sound brighter - though the conclusion (expressed as incontrovertible fact needless to say) is absurd, I can understand where the impression came from, as the remix does indeed run slightly faster towards the end. Or I should say that for the first time ever the TAAB remix runs at the *correct* speed throughout. All previous editions ran gradually slower and slower as the piece progressed, so that by the end the track is running about a third of a semitone flat / slow. We believe this was due to a fault with the tape machine used for the original mixdown.

Someone also mentioned that none of my mixes are "warm" - I'm not sure if that was meant as a criticism, or just an observation, but there would certainly be some truth in this. I'm not in the habit of adding brightness to things for the sake of it (though the ones that have been mastered have gained in that area in a way I can't say I like), so what you hear is pretty close to what is on the multitrack tapes. I'm by no means an expert on the effects of the analogue process on music, having grown up with and learned my trade on digital equipment, but it has become apparent to me in comparing the original mixes with what I hear coming off the multitrack tapes, that when the original mixes were done in the 60's/70's/80's, the process of mixing through an analogue desk onto 1/4 reel to reel running at 15 inches per second appears to have usually resulted in a lot of high end roll off, above 8K especially, and then usually nothing at all above say 14K. I think that this is what many people perceive to be "warmth", but in fact it is itself a distortion and compromise of sorts, and I have yet to find any artist who does not prefer the additional clarity and air at the top end that bypassing the analogue tape mixdown stage gives the music - essentially the way they recorded it. I say this of course with the caveat that many listeners may quite legitimately prefer the sonic signature of the analogue tape high end roll off. After all, give the same piece of music to 1,000 people and ask them to EQ it they way they want it (in other words be your own mastering engineer), and you will get 1,000 different settings. Which is why I largely favour to not EQ anything too much when it comes off the tapes, to have a flat CD transfer, and for the 5.1 to be uncompressed on Blu-Ray and/or DVDA. But at the end of the day as the remix engineer, mastering approach and format is something I can only suggest to the labels and artists (which is not to say that they aren't listening, and I do think things will take a turn for the better on the next Tull release, the issues with TAAB have been noted by all involved).

Hope that helps - best wishes for the new year!
SW

 

Steven... thanks for your detailed comment. Can't wait to hear news from your next mixing projects and the "Raven..." deluxe set.

 

Great to read Steve's comments.

 

Mr.Wilson, many thanks for great work!!!

 

Thanks for your comments, Steven! Does this mean that you will definitely be remixing "A Passion Play"?

 

A class act.


Rock Stamberg

 

Thank you, Steven.

 

Exact opposite for me.l I love this album, I was raised on it. This release has provided me hours of enjoyment with the flat tramsfer of the original mix. I don't need anything else.

 

Thank you for your insight. Your efforts are much appreciated. Even with the glitches and the controversial mastering, I love this 40th anniversary box set. The dvd has barely been out of the player for the past month, I usually listen to the new stereo mix. Good to hear about a possible/planned new Tull re-release and maybe we will get a lossless surround version next time (it was great that you could persuade Sony to release ELP and Tarkus in the DVD-A format - unbelievable!)

 

Thank your for chiming in here, Steven. And thanks for all your great work!

 

Thanks for your comments Steven. Loved your work on Aqualung! Shame about the EQ / compression changes made to TAAB. Hope your future work escapes unscathed the heavy hand of those who seem to have lost their high frequency hearing.

 

Anyone know if the corrected version is available at Amazon.com (USA) yet?

 

The question remains: what do those of us who bought this from a local ma-n-pa brick and mortar store do to get a replacement disc? I could return it as defective but they'd take a hit.

 

Exactly. I voiced a similiar opinion a few pages back. I want to support my local store, but I'd also like a non-defective 5.1 DVD. So far, only online customers have gotten replacements.

Aditionally, it is very hard for a small store to return product for credit, even when the problem is known. I bought a double CD a few years ago that only contained one CD. My local shop replaced it, but they had to eat the loss as the distributor refused to accept it back as "defective."

 

i must say that I was in for a surprise today.... my 27$ TAAB as finally shipped from Amazon.ca.

Worth the wait, I guess!

 

Cool! Mine says shipping soon.

 

Yes. My vinyl copy did also. I gave up on it, but I just let the order sit, just in case and it shipped. Nice

On another note, I got tired of waiting to get a replacement DVD for the 5.1 mix I also got from Amazon.ca quite awhile back, so I re-ordered from Amazon.co.uk. It arrived today and it was the fixed DVD. I didn't really listen extensively, so I can't comment on the overall sound quality - but I specifically zipped to the end of the 5.1 track to hear the "yeah" at the end. In that way I was sure I got the re-done DVD.

 

Contacted Amazon about the DVD fault, asking about how any replacement DVD would be sent from EMI, and was instead credited with the full purchase price including postage and told to keep the disc. No wonder Amazon has so many clients.

 

I brought mine from JBHifi and they have no idea about any replacement discs. Thank you Steven Wilson for your incredible honesty and being so up-front to us music freaks, your one of a kind mate !

 

Same here. Was given a refund with no instructions to return disc. Was told to reorder, but looks like item is no longer avail to order from Amazon. I'm guessing it will be when new discs are in.

 

I wrote Amazon USA about 10 days ago and didn't get any clear answer, no refund so I've written again to try and get it clarified. I do see that they have a new listing for the set, with a Jan 2 release date:
http://www.amazon.com/Thick-Brick-4...=1356739303&sr=8-18&keywords=thick+as+a+brick

 

Just wondering if anyone has received their replacement from Burnng Shed?

 

Steven, thank you very much for your message. Can't honestly say I understand all of your comments but I thoroughly enjoyed reading your post.
Your recent work on the Tull and ELP albums is greatly appreciated and I look forward to the next Tull project you mentioned.

 

Can you advise if this the new glitch free product? When received.

 

have the defective discs been replaced in new copies? when is it safe to buy??