"Quadrophenia: The Director's Cut": Official Press Release for Boxset

It's up at www.thewho.com.

http://www.thewho.com/index.php?module=news&news_item_id=501

The text reads as follows:

“Quadrophenia is the Who album I am most proud of” – Pete Townshend

A stunning ‘Director’s Cut’ of the landmark 1973 album produced, authorised and overseen by Pete Townshend.

After the 1971 album ‘Who’s Next’, Pete Townshend returned to the ‘rock-opera’ concept, so dramatically realised through ‘Tommy’, with another ambitious double-album masterpiece. Based around the story of Jimmy – QUADROPHENIA tells the tale of a young mod and his struggle to come of age in the mid-1960s.The story also takes its influence from the band’s early fans from the original mod era, and its themes of teenage angst and disaffection still resonate strongly today.

The project was intended to reflect the four characters of The Who and features some of Townshend’s most inspired, personal song-writing - way ahead of its time in scope and purpose.

This is one of the most widely recognised albums of The Who’s career because of its classic depiction of mod culture, its renowned imagery and the magnificent music and powerful performances.

The album is hugely significant in popular culture, influencing many other artists, musicians and film-makers – inspiring the classic 1979 British film by Franc Roddam and the UK ‘mod revival’ of the 1970s.

“This 2011 revisit to The Who’s 1973 Quadrophenia recording is inspired by current and continuing interest in the project,” explains Townshend. “The Who performed a concert version of the piece at the Royal Albert Hall in 2010 for the Teenage Cancer Trust with excellent reviews, and the success of that event led to the prospect of a Who tour in 2012 based on the album. The last such tour was between 1996-1997.”

The album is scheduled for release via Universal Music Catalogue on November 14th, 2011. The box set gives a unique insight into the creation of this landmark album and will feature a re-master of the original double album, Pete Townshend’s previously unheard demos including songs that didn’t make it onto the original album, an exclusive eight track 5.1 sound DVD, a deluxe hard-back book, previously unseen personal notes, photographs, memorabilia and other exclusive material that will be announced over the coming months.

‘Quadrophenia: The Director’s Cut’ will be the definitive version of the album and a must for any self-respecting fan of The Who and beyond.

To accompany the box set, double vinyl, 2-disc digi-pak and digital versions will also be released.


The galling part is the "eight track 5.1 sound DVD." What the hell? Why not include the entire album? And just watch: one of those 8 tracks will be "I Am the Sea." Seriously, that, right there, has me thinking of passing on the whole thing. I'll wait for more news, though.

 

To me, this is the funny bit:

I really like Quad. But depending on the pricetag of this, I may no longer have respect for myself after it's issued.

 

Maybe if enough people bitch, they'll include the whole album on the DVD. Y'know, logically.

Wasn't this mixed for quadrophonic, or am I making that up?

 

What is a self-respecting Who fan? The way this may look it could be one who refuses to buy this product!

Not saying I won't buy this version.

 

Maybe they meant "eight track AND 5.1 sound DVD"

 

The definitive version of the album, I guess, will always be the original double LP with its fantastic (albeit frail) packaging and photos.

Tim

 

What a missed opportunity. If ever there was an album calling out for the surround treatment, it's Quadrophenia. There's no way I'm shelling out for this bloated, exorbitant package now.

 

Seriously disappointed that they didn't mix the entire thing in 5.1. Makes no sense to me.

Unless those demos go far beyond what I already have on the Scoop collections and on 'other' discs, I'm gonna pass. Which is insane, because Quadrophenia is one of my favorite albums of all time. I really need to write this to the proper person so they know they actually took a release I was incredibly excited about and made it feel like it's completely unnecessary.

 

80 pounds in the UK:

http://store.universal-music.co.uk/...-who-quadrophenia-box-set/invt/0602527803173/

I don't see the original album cover in the photo. Maybe it will be part of the book?

 

Agreed. I can't imagine anything else topping it. Dunno why they don't just use the MFSL version for this reissue.

 

Well I'm gonna buy it anyway.

When it said Directors Cut I thought the OOP Film was being rereleased.

 

..eyes must be playing tricks on me 'cause that cant be right.

 

I preordered from Amazon UK this morning and with shipping it came out to $101.00.

 

I believe mixed, yes. Never released, tho.

IIRC, Townsend was dissapointed in the results of the matrix quad-encoded test pressings he heard. Would have been a great album for a discrete quad release; I look forward to the 8 5.1 tracks we'll get, assuming the d*mn box doesn't cost an arm & a leg.

 

What the H... 8 songs!!! The only reason I wanted this was for the WHOLE album in surround sound. So now I get 8 songs and Demo's that I most likley alread have. Oh well I guess there is the book.

 

If it really will be just 8 tracks in 5.1 then it's nothing more than a big disapointement.
What a mistake!

 

Is there any chance that the album was recorded using an 8 channel multitrack?

I realize that would have been more likely to be using 16/32/48 by that point in time but maybe The Who was using a studio that was happy with 8 channels.

I'm guessing that sentence in the sales blurb might have gotten mangled from something that started as " a 5.1 channel surround sound DVD mixed from the original 8 channel multitrack studio tapes"

I really can't believe it would be an 8 song disc.

 

That's what I hope!!!

 

I was expecting the whole thing not 8 songs.

 

I would be willing to believe that, except that Pete Townshend's original blog entry announcing this thing indicated that Bob Ludwig or someone was mixing "selected tracks" for 5.1. Most of us at the time, reading that with horror and a sinking sensation, thought, "Okay, well maybe he's just doing a test run." Now this seems to confirm our worst suspicions. I've written Universal about it. We'll see if I get a response.

I really fear this was Townshend's smug, aristocratic decision. Even his blog entry reeked of patronizing arrogance. "Trust me: You're going to love it." The unspoken addendum to that line being, "Because I say so. Now here are your table scraps."

 

I was thinking the same thing.

 

+1.....I was so excited at the prospect of getting a 5.1 (..hopefully high-res..) version of the FULL Quadrophenia album. Quadrophenia is one of my favorite albums of all time, so when news of the project broke I had my hopes raised.

This news just dampens any excitement I had for it. It's another wasted opportunity. Maybe the multi-tracks just don't exist for some of the Quadrophenia songs? Or perhaps they are just rushing to get this out in time for the Holiday buying season. The Tommy deluxe release with the 5.1 and stereo SACDs was great, and I was hoping for the same with Quadrophenia.

 

I'm not the first to suggest this, I know, but my hunch is that the full album in surround will follow at a later date--so that more money can be squeezed out of the fans.

Again, just a hunch.

 

Me too.

I also hope this isn't another DTS 5.1 instead of Blu-ray or hi-rez whatever. Might as well just bundle that with a cassette if they do...

 

I mean, exactly what is the selling point of this thing? Some new demos? The vinyl? A coffee table book? Are they at least including some live material? Unless there's something I'm missing, I can't see how they can justify charging $100+ for something like this.