Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by mark winstanley, Jun 15, 2019.

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  1. bluerondo

    bluerondo Forum Resident

    Location:
    Rossville, GA
    So you like the DVD-A better than the Steven Wilson 5.1? I have both, and I think that the DVD-A is great but Steven’s 5.1 is a bit better. By the way, I believe that the DVD-A version is included in the Steven Wilson CD/Blu-ray set.
     
  2. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Yea, the dvd-a is included on the bluray, but I forgot.
    No, I don't prefer the dvd-a version. I was merely thinking that I had gotten rid of a version unnecessarily, before being reminded that I still had it.
    With three or four hundred surround albums, it can get tricky remembering ever detail :)
     
  3. bluerondo

    bluerondo Forum Resident

    Location:
    Rossville, GA
    True dat.
     
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  4. Ed Hughes

    Ed Hughes Senior Member

    Location:
    phila.pa.
    Can’t believe I just found this thread. Also didn’t know that ELOs first was available in surround.
    So another SH forum thread that cost me money. All kidding aside this is a great thread.
    Well done @mark winstanley
     
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  5. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Cheers mate
    Hope you get a chance to have some input :righton:
     
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  6. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

  7. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Well I am officially an idiot, the Jerry Douglas album is not in surround. My apologies.
    I got halfway through a big write up and couldn't find the surround mixer ... and looked more closely ... durn .... Filed in the wrong spot ...
     
  8. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Dance of Death

    [​IMG]

    Studio album by
    Iron Maiden
    Released
    2 September 2003 (Japan)
    8 September 2003 (Worldwide)
    Recorded January – February 2003
    Studio Sarm West Studios, London
    Genre Heavy metal
    Length 67:57[1]
    Label EMI
    Columbia Records (US)
    Producer Kevin Shirley, Steve Harris

    Dance of Death is the thirteenth studio album by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released first in Japan on 2 September and then 8 September 2003 in the rest of the world excluding North America (where it was released a day later). The album was recorded on magnetic (analogue) tape.[2]

    Their second studio release since the return of vocalist Bruce Dickinson and guitarist Adrian Smith in 1999, the album features the band's first-ever fully acoustic track, "Journeyman", as well as "New Frontier", their only song co-written by drummer Nicko McBrain. As with Brave New World, its predecessor in 2000, the record was produced by Kevin Shirley, who has worked with Iron Maiden on all subsequent releases.

    The band first confirmed that they would be working on a follow-up to 2000's Brave New World with producer Kevin Shirley on 27 November 2002, announced alongside a small set of European tour dates for the following year.[3] On 6 January 2003, Shirley confirmed via his website that the band would begin recording that month,[4] followed by the announcement that the basic tracks had been completed on 5 February[5] and that the release was to be mixed in April.[6] On 31 May, the band announced that the album, recorded at Sarm West Studios, would be entitled Dance of Death,[7] after which the release date was issued on 17 June.[8]

    The band undertook the Dance of Death World Tour in support of the album, which included many theatrical elements inspired by the record's songs. During "Dance of Death", Bruce Dickinson would wear theatrical masks and a cape while moving around the stage; at the end he would dress as the Grim Reaper for the final chorus.[9] During "Paschendale", Dickinson would wear a traditional British Infantryman trench coat and helmet (although he revealed in the Death on the Road documentary that it was actually Hungarian),[2] as worn during World War I, and the set would be decorated with barbed wire.[9] The tour led to a live album and DVD, entitled Death on the Road, released in 2005 and 2006.

    The computer-generated cover art was provided by David Patchett,[10] who allegedly asked for his name to be removed from the album's credits after the band decided to use an unfinished version,[11] which was received negatively.[12] Dickinson later called the cover "embarrassing".[13]

    The album was released as a DVD-Audio disc in 2004, including 5.1 mixes of each song.[14]

    Iron Maiden
    Production
    1. "Wildest Dreams" Adrian Smith, Steve Harris 3:52
    2. "Rainmaker" Dave Murray, Harris, Bruce Dickinson 3:48
    3. "No More Lies" Harris 7:21
    4. "Montségur" Janick Gers, Harris, Dickinson 5:50
    5. "Dance of Death" Gers, Harris 8:36
    6. "Gates of Tomorrow" Gers, Harris, Dickinson 5:12
    7. "New Frontier" Nicko McBrain, Smith, Dickinson 5:04
    8. "Paschendale" Smith, Harris 8:27
    9. "Face in the Sand" Smith, Harris, Dickinson 6:31
    10. "Age of Innocence" Murray, Harris 6:10
    11. "Journeyman" Smith, Harris, Dickinson 7:06
    Total length: 67:57
    -----------------------------------------------------------
    Although I am probably not really a Metalhead as such, I do enjoy a lot of the bands in the genre, and these guys are great.
    I enjoy pretty much everything in their catalog, but I wasn't fond of the singer that replaced Dickinson in the nineties. This album is actually probably one of my least favourite by the reunited band, but I still think it is a great album. Montsegur and Paschendale are probably my stand out tracks, and I am looking forward to revisiting them in the 5.1 zone.

    I know that metal seems to be the forums illegitimate, but nonetheless this is an excellent album, that has the raw power of a good rock band, combined with some of the intricacies of prog, and the air raid siren vocals of Bruce Dickinson. Powerful, melodic and perfect for this band.
    I don't know what else to really say about this album, but hopefully someone has some interest and add their two cents to the thread.

    Wildest Dreams
    With three guitars we have a logical one up front, and one either side set up. Nicko's kick is making the sub work.
    Some cymbal work on the left side.
    To some degree, i wish someone other than Shirley has mixed this.

    Rainmaker
    What we are getting with this mix is a surrounding fatness. There is a decent spread of guitars in the harmonised sections. Listening like this makes me question Shirley's recording techniques.

    No More Lies
    The opening of this track sounds very good. A little more defined. The spread guitars and background synth, some delay effect on the vocals all working in the soundfield well.
    This is another album to sit forward to.
    We again get a wall of grind, which is effective ... i am not a recording or mixing expert, but it sounds like Shirley missed an opportunity for some magic with this.

    Montseger
    I turned the sub down for this song, and that's much better. The kick was overdriving everything. Based on that i think Shirley got a bit heavy on the kick in the sub, but surround mixing is a difficult art. Pulling the sub down a bit has given the mix much more definition.
    We get much more clarity with a very nice surround guitar harmony set up.
    This is the the thing that would make Maiden great candidates for a 5.1 mix.
    With that sub pulled down the guitars get some breathing space and sound very good. It also made the vocals a little less muddy.

    Dance Of Death
    The guitars again have a nice spread here. We start with a little dancelike riff/chord progression and it works nicely.
    Synths through the back sound nice.
    Synths and power chords for the rears. The layered riff section is very good, but a little more clarity would have lifted it up more.

    Gates Of Tomorrow
    A pounding wall of chunky guitar. It works well, but Shirley could have spread the harmony guitars for better effect, in my opinion.

    New Frontier
    The left and right side rhythm guitars have mice definition here.
    This mix suits this song well.
    The breakdown works well and the held first note of the lead break rolls around us from the left all the way round to the front. This mix works nicely.

    Paschendale
    The is my favourite track on the album, so my fingers are crossed here.
    The impact points work well, with some nicely defined punctuation guitar from each speakers. Some subtle keyboard overdubs add to the mix nicely.
    Nice we get a great sounding mix of the harmony guitars here.
    Certainly immersive.

    Face In The Sand
    Nice opening mix with the synth left side, and some harmonic guitar plucks either side while the bass thumps along in front.
    Then as the intensity builds we get punctuated guitar hits from different angles. I think this song works better in the surround, with some of the subtleties coming out well.
    Some nice work in the breakdown again.

    Age Of Innocence
    Cymbal rolls left side. Nice blend of guitars. A nice harmony guitar section after the lead break.

    Journeyman
    This is an interesting track as i think it's the only completely acoustic track in the band's catalog.
    Acoustic left opens us up, we get some nice strings in the rears.
    Nice acoustics either side with the strings in the rears works nicely.
    This is a very nice mix. In the breakdown we get strings left, with the bass up front and then it fills out nicely all around us.

    That is an interesting listen on several levels. Listening closer I can hear what some Maiden fans have complained about with Shirley at the helm of production, but it isn't a complete loss by any means.
    The mix is certainly immersive, but a little unimaginative. I think he should have listened to some other recordings before embarking on this to get some ideas, unless of course it was a last minute thing thrown in the mix (so to speak).
    We have some grand moments, but predominantly he has gone for a big fat rhythm guitar surround mix, and it does work well, but with a little more finessing he could have had a much more interesting arrangement going on. I must say also, that this is Steve Harris's baby, so I don't know how much input the band had, but Harris normally has his hands in the projects also.
    With the three guitarists all playing lead, I think he could have had them in a position that worked in the surround environment, rather than having all the lead guitar essentially coming from the front and centre. I don't think it would have detracted, but perhaps they tried it and didn't like it.
    If you like the band and the album, I think it is worth a listen. For the most part I think that metalheads would probably enjoy that fat guitars all around styling. At least we were getting good usage of the surrounds and it wasn't merely ambient mixing.
    As I say, I think it is essential to just peel the sub back a little from normal, so that the kick drum doesn't cause the sonic muddiness that I had for the first three songs.


    There are some of these around. About fifty dollars on Amazon Uk. Starting at sixteen dollars on Discogs.
    https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dance-Death-AUDIO-Iron-Maiden/dp/B0000C83KH
    Iron Maiden - Dance Of Death

    As I say, this is a good mix, but it could have been better. It is probably worth getting if you are a fan of the band, or a fan of this particular album.
    I would love to see someone with a bit more surround expertise get hold of some Maiden albums - Somewhere In Time, Seventh Son, Brave New World and Book Of Souls immediately come to mind as good possibilities.

    @Cheevyjames - have you heard this mate. Do you have any input for us.
     
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  9. Cheevyjames

    Cheevyjames Forum Resident

    Location:
    Graham, NC
    @mark winstanley I don't have a 5.1 setup (yet) so I haven't heard DOD. I will say, I don't need to hear it to know that Shirley has no clue when it comes to Maiden. He's fine with other bands, so it leads me to think it's a combination of Shirley and Harris that's the problem.
     
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  10. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Brothers in Arms

    [​IMG]

    Studio album by
    Dire Straits
    Released
    13 May 1985
    Recorded October 1984 – February 1985
    Studio AIR Studios, Montserrat
    Genre Pop rock[1]
    Length 55:07 (CD)
    47:21 (LP)
    Label Vertigo (UK) Warner Bros. (U.S.)
    Producer Neil Dorfsman, Mark Knopfler

    Brothers in Arms is the fifth studio album by British rock band Dire Straits, released on 13 May 1985 by Vertigo Records internationally and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States. It charted at number one worldwide, spending a total of 14 non-consecutive weeks at number one on the UK Albums Chart(including 10 consecutive weeks between 18 January and 22 March 1986), nine weeks at number one on the Billboard 200 in the United States and 34 weeks at number one on the Australian Albums Chart. Brothers in Arms was the first album certified 10-times platinum in the UK[2] and is the eighth-best-selling album in UK chart history, is certified nine-times platinum in the United States, and is one of the world's best-selling albums, having sold more than 30 million copies worldwide.[3][4][5][6]

    The album won a Grammy Award in 1986 for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical, the 20th Anniversary Edition won another Grammy in 2006 for Best Surround Sound Album, and also won Best British Album at the 1987 Brit Awards.[7][8] Q magazine placed the album at number 51 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever.[9]

    Dire Straits
    Additional musicians
    Nature of contributions uncredited on album; contributions added where known.
    1. "So Far Away" 5:12
    2. "Money for Nothing" (Mark Knopfler, Sting) 8:26
    3. "Walk of Life" 4:12
    4. "Your Latest Trick" 6:33
    5. "Why Worry" 8:31
    6. "Ride Across the River" 6:58
    7. "The Man's Too Strong" 4:40
    8. "One World" 3:40
    9. "Brothers in Arms" 6:59
    Total length: 55:07
    -------------------------------------
    I have a history with this album, back in 1985 when this album was released I had become a big fan of the band. The albums Love Over Gold and Alchemy were huge to my ears, and this was the next album in line. So Far Away came out and it was cool, and then it all changed forever. Money For Nothing came out with so much attention that it possibly became one of the most over-exposed songs of the Twentieth Century. The song was everywhere, the riff was used in sporting events. MTV picked up the (at the time) state of the art video, and the song and the album exploded all over the world.
    This album has a very respectable position in the all time biggest sellers of all time having certified sales of 17.7 million copies. selling over a million copies in five countries. One of those countries is Australia... which means at one stage one in twenty Australians own Dire Straits Brothers In Arms.
    Anyway it was hugely successful. I went to the Brothers in Arms concert in Perth twice, and it was great, but they didn't play Telegraph Road either night, which disappointed me, but anyway....
    In 2005 for the twentieth anniversary of the album it was released on sacd in 5.1, I believe there was also a dvd-a dual disc release, but I'm not sure I ever saw one.
    I bought my copy pretty much straight away, but here's the thing. Although I knew it was a great album it took me about another five years to actually listen to it. I hadn't listened to the album since probably 1987. Radio burnt me out on it. I stopped listening to the radio in the late eighties, because they had this habit of burning me out on songs and bands, and I pretty much haven't listened to the radio in thirty years. Anyway enough of that.
    With Knopfler constantly striving for better sound quality, the decision was made to record this album on a totally digital set up. The cd became the flagship cd release, and probably helped sell more cd players than one could count. Personally Love Over Gold is my favourite Dire Straits album, in fact one of my favourite albums of all time, and I sincerely hope one day we'll get that in 5.1, but in reality, from their debut all the way to Brothers In Arms is a seriously solid line of work that should stand the test of time, and be in most collections, at least one or two of their albums anyway.

    5.1 Producers Chuck Ainley, Mark Knopfler
    5.1 Mix Chuck Ainlay
    mix assistants Jon Bailey, Rupert Coulson
    Mastered by Bob Ludwig

    Amazingly enough this album is still readily available, so there is no ridiculous exploded costs.
    https://www.amazon.com/Dire-Straits-Brothers-Arms/dp/B0009A21R6
    Dire Straits-Brothers In Arms-Hybrid Multichannel SACD|Acoustic Sounds
    https://www.walmart.com/ip/Brothers-in-Arms-SACD/176989327
    Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms

    My memory tells me this is an excellent mix, but as with most of these titles, my time to listen has been extremely limited due to work, and not having a 5.1 system at work :) .... hmmm, hey Mr Bossman? ...
    One of the reasons for this thread is making myself make time to listen to these albums, and get that time and enjoyment out of them. So here we are writing this out at 7am Sunday Morning after four hours sleep, with a bit of a hangover ... hooking in to the task at hand.

    So Far Away
    Instantly we have that beautiful clean sound.
    Yea, as I remember a beautiful mix.
    We have a great spread here, with a synth pad left, a guitar right, b vox rears, the drums get a realistic spread, and fills and cymbals wrap around to our right. A really nice clean sub sound.
    Just a beautiful clear clean, balanced mix. A credit to everyone involved.

    Money for Nothing
    Sting sings to us from the left, and series of rhythmic synths encompass and in some instances circle us. The intro drums have a really nice left - right thing going on. Not spacey or weird, just like you're sat between the toms.
    The iconic guitar riff is balanced either side of us, with the little synth sounds coming in left and right rears really nicely.
    There are some really nice uses of the field here. Nothing tricksy or weird, just a solid 5.1 mix that reflects the original idea of the stereo mix. A couple of swooping side to side synth sounds, but all contextually in sync with what we would expect for a good soundstage. Magnificent stuff.

    Walk of Life
    The opening keyboard chords have a nice warm enveloping sound. The keyboard riff stereoed in the rears, and the rockabilly guitar solid up front.
    B vox in the rears. Again all beautifully balanced.
    Little lead lick to the left side.
    I find it hard to believe that anyone claiming 5.1 isn't a realistic soundfield could flaw this mix. It's magnificent.

    Your Latest Trick
    A lesser known song, but a fantastic piece of work.
    Sax upfront. The early little guitar lick to the left, with reverb channelling to the right.
    This is a great drum mix.
    As the vocals come in the sax moves to the rears really smoothly, like the sax player has walked out of the way.
    The incidental guitar in the rears is marvellous.
    This mix, you can comfortably sit back for the premium position.
    The introduced counter melody keyboard comes in nicely in the rears.

    Why Worry
    Probably not everyone's cup of tea, but this is one of my favourites off here.
    We have the acoustic rhythm guitars beautifully balanced left and right, with that wonderful lead up front. The keys/synths caressing the rears.
    B vox filling the rears really nicely.
    This is an exercise in pure beauty.
    The little synth arpeggio seems to slowly pan from the side to the rears, very subtly. They really thought about this mix.
    Awesome job.
    Such a delicate piece of music, handled brilliantly.
    We get a nice warm lead guitar in the right, during the beautifully controlled play out.
    The drums kick in late and solid. Such a great piece of arranging.

    Ride Across the River
    An often ignored track, and it is a little different, but excellent.
    Drums and percussion are extremely effective here, using the space extremely well. Horns on the right. A nice splashy reverb on the guitar, feeding signals nicely to the rears.
    Cricket sound in the left rear.
    This is a mesmerising sound and mix... damn i hope they pull out something for Love Over Gold.
    Delay splashes from the fade out guitar giving us some sweet surround accents.
    An ideal mix. Using solid elements and ambiance to fill the soundfield.

    The Man's too Strong
    An acoustic sounding like the player is here starts us off.
    Probably my favourite track off the album.
    When the punch section comes in we are swamped in the sound wonderfully.
    The piano sounding excellent also.

    One World
    A song a lot of Straits fans were unsure of, even disliked, but this is an excellent uptempo track to keep the dynamics varied on the album.
    Nice synths across the rears.

    Brothers in Arms
    For the longest time my favourite track on the album, and still up there. This track is so good and at the concert it was so great, it is and was an emotional journey.
    The synths slowly fade up, and move from the fronts to the rears gently. The thunder rumbles in front, and Knopfler's guitar sings gently up front.
    The song moves into a gentle vocal section, with synths and what I assume to be a piano accordion lay a lovely bed.
    The second verse comes in with a smooth intro of drums.
    Another album that keeps with a solid soundfield, with synths staying predominantly in the rears.
    The lyrics and the guitar are the stars of the show here. Knopfler's beautiful touch and tasteful note choices, just bleed emotion and textural bliss.

    As i stated at the start, i thought this was a good mix, but that is understating it. This is a brilliant mix.
    The sound, production, songs, playing and mix are masterclass workshops in how to do this properly, for this style of music. We don't have any fancy swirling effects, or wontan displays of OTT this is surround on display. We have a masterfully balanced, thoughtful and subtle production aimed at making this album sound perfect.
    When i say subtle, i don't mean barely able to be heard, i mean there are movement effects, but they are gentle and tasteful, and only in spots that accentuate the song/album.
    This is magnificent, and even if you think you overheard this stuff in the eighties, this mix gives it a fresh burst of life.
    This is an essential surround release an i highly recommend it for anyone.
    It would be interesting to know if Chuck Ainlay has done any other work in surround, and what it is like.
     
  11. Galactus2

    Galactus2 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Virginia
    That exact^ Brothers in Arms on SACD is another one of those 'go-to' discs I use to showcase to n00bs how great both hi-res and surround can be.

    The opening song is about all that's needed to get their attention....and hold it.
     
  12. Audiowannabee

    Audiowannabee Forum Resident

    Location:
    Florida
    BIA my very first sacd...a definite must own for surround

    A TEN
     
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  13. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    [​IMG]
    More Images

    Lynyrd Skynyrd ‎– Southern Surroundings: The Ultymate Skynyrd Collection
    Label:
    Geffen Records ‎– B0017003-50
    Format:
    CD, Compilation, Reissue, Remastered
    DVD, DVD-Video, Reissue
    DVD, DVD-Audio, DVD-Video, Multichannel, Album
    Country:
    US
    Released:
    2012
    Genre:
    Rock
    Style:
    Southern Rock

    [​IMG]
    Lynyrd Skynyrd ‎– Southern Surroundings
    Label:
    Geffen Records ‎– 602547253248, UMe ‎– 602547253248
    Series:
    High Fidelity Pure Audio
    Format:
    Blu-ray, Blu-ray Audio, Compilation, Reissue, Multichannel
    Country:
    UK & Europe
    Released:
    22 Jun 2015
    Genre:
    Rock
    Style:
    Southern Rock

    1 Saturday Night Special
    2 Gimme Three Steps
    3 Swamp Music
    4 Gimme Back My Bullets
    5 The Ballad Of Curtis Loew
    6 You Got That Right
    7 That Smell
    8 All I Can Do Is Write About It
    9 Simple Man
    10 Free Bird
    Blu-Ray Audio Bonus
    11 Sweet Home Alabama (Live)
    ----------------------------------------
    Sadly as with a lot of 5.1 releases, this baby I found by complete accident. When I first saw it, I thought it may be one of those random cheap and nasty record company rip offs, trying to cash in on a new format, by catching unsuspecting listeners, but giving them a third rate item, in the name of quick bucks. Sadly there were a lot of these dodgy releases, that weren't remixed surround, but remastered stereo in a surround field. That is another reason I wanted to do this thread, to try and help those a little nervous of parting with their hard earned dollars to buy substandard rip off products.
    Before I purchased it, I did some research and read a few reviews and I was satisfied that it was a properly done piece of work.
    Again my memory tells me that this is a well done piece of work, but in all honesty I have only listened to it once before, so I am very much looking forward to having a listen today.
    I know that last sentence made some of our American folks on here want to punch me in the face, but I apologise, I am not from the US, and Sweet Home Alabama was all I knew for the longest time. Years and years ago I bought an early cd of One From The Road, and it was one of the most awful, empty supposedly professional cd's I had ever heard, and whether rightly or wrongly it made me forget about the band for the longest time. I have heard Freebird ladies and gents, but apparently nowhere near as much as folks in the US have.
    When I got over here the whole "play Freebird" thing went over my head, because I may have heard it half a dozen times in my life.
    There is no doubt that Skynyrd are a great rock band, but as is always bemusing to me the US, UK and Aus all seem to have certain artists that just don't get played, or don't break through and remain virtually anonymous outside their own country to the vast majority.

    I have the bluray audio, because frankly I didn't even know that the dvd-a with the 2cd pack (up there) was even available.

    This compilation was
    Produced by Jeff Fura
    the 5.1 mix (and new stereo Freebird) is mixed by Elliot Scheiner
    96/24 Mastering by Bob Ludwig

    Saturday night Special
    A warm blanket of guitars, front, left side, right side, very nicely balanced.
    This is one to sit slightly forward for.
    A bit of a synth sound right side, surprised me.
    This is really cool song.
    A nice balanced sub sound.
    The guitars sound very cool, because the little intricacies of each players style come through nicely.
    Excellent balanced mix.

    Gimme three Steps
    Cymbal in the left side.
    Left side guitar takes an early lead.
    Again very nicely balanced guitar in the same three positions.
    Another really cool song. I assume these guys are called southern rock because of the lyrics, because this is just good time rock with an edge. I guess there is Smidgen of country, but this is straight up rock, with an edge to me.

    Swamp Music
    These guitars sound great. Nice tight playing, nice balanced mixing.
    A couple of little harmony sections work nicely.
    The guitar on the left puts in some nice fills.

    Gimme Back My Bullets
    Pretty much the same set up here, with piano on the left side ... he switches to organ on the chorus.
    This mixing suits the band and their sound. Raw and tight, no frills but great balance.

    The Ballad Of Curtis Loew
    This is a great great song. I was introduced to this by a guy at work, and loved it the first hearing.
    We get the dobro up front.
    A guitar with tremolo on the left.
    Nice balanced crash cymbals either side.
    They keeping a solid soundstage here. Three spread guitars, and keys on the left.
    Drums tight in the middle, cymbals either side. The singer gets a really nice mix in the middle.
    This is another album where we get great clarity, but with the names involved, one would expect that.

    You Got That Right
    Slide up front, prominent rhythm gtr at the start on the left.
    The piano is just to the right side here.
    The slide is just right of centre with a mild effects send to the right rear.
    On occasion the piano seemed to be across the middle, but my meniere's is playing up today.
    Excellent harmony guitar mix in the outro

    That Smell
    We get another balanced mix here. The main rhythm guitar left.
    Some b vox either side.
    Nice interplay between the guitars either side in the breakdown.
    Nice lead break. Some sweet playing. Second lead a bit more biting.
    Good stuff.
    Great song
    Another excellent mix of harmony lead guitars in the outro

    All I Can Do Is Write About It
    Again we have the basic soundstage the same. A fiddle to the left, subtle guitar front right.
    Really good country rock ballad, in the truest sense of the word.
    Nice key change and piano player gets some time to shine up the front.

    Simple Man
    A really cool melancholy ballad here.
    The guitars balancing really well again.
    The riff after the first vocal section sounds great.
    Organ comes into the field on the left.
    Scheiner is an excellent surround mixer. Wilson seems to get more cred, but i guess he has been more focused on the 5.1 mixes. Both excellent mixers in this field.
    The kick has slightly more sub on this track but not in such a way as to spoil the mix

    Free Bird
    Back in 1990 we played this at a pub gig by request. Learned it one night, played it the next. Probably didn't do a great job, but it went over well with the Aussie bikers we were playing for.
    Acoustics either side. Slide just left.
    Sounds like a mellatron on the left just before the big build up.
    The big guitar rave up is everything you would expect and sounds excellent.
    For the experts. Is there an edit about three quarters of the way through the guitar rave up?

    Sweet Home Alabama (live)
    Although this song has been done to death, it is a stone cold classic and we get a good live version here. Off One From The Road?
    We get the same soundstage as the studio tracks with the first lead on the left. The piano on the right. Nice bass guitar here.
    Second lead guitar from up front..
    They end up trading off just left of front left, and front right actually.

    This is a great collection of rock songs, southern or otherwise, and we have just a taste of country in there also. The mix is solid. The flow of the album is very good also.
    I'm not generally one to go for compiles, but in this instance with a band I am not completely familiar with, and the only thing available in surround this is an excellent album on all counts. Great songs, very apt and good mix and it hits the spot. At a bout an hour long, it also feels like a good value listen for those with no attention deficit issues.

    I highly recommend this to Rock, Southern Rock and Skynyrd fans. You aren't getting the intricacies of something like Brothers In Arms, but you are getting a solid sensible straight up rock mix, that satisfies the surround listener, without being overly complicated.

    The 1 cd + 2 dvd set
    [​IMG]

    It looks like it is out of print, but available for $44 on amazon
    https://www.amazon.com/Southern-Surroundings-Ultimate-Skynyrd-Collection/dp/B008T1TN3W
    Three on discogs starting at about $16
    Lynyrd Skynyrd - Southern Surroundings: The Ultymate Skynyrd Collection
    Available on ebay around the $40-$50 mark
    Southern Surroundings: The Ultimate Skynyrd Collection by Lynyrd Skynyrd (CD, 3 Discs) for sale online | eBay

    The Bluray
    One left in stock at amazon for about $30
    https://www.amazon.com/Southern-Surroundings-Blu-ray-Lynyrd-Skynyrd/dp/B00V5ON9TY
    eight on discogs starting from $11
    https://www.amazon.com/Southern-Surroundings-Blu-ray-Lynyrd-Skynyrd/dp/B00V5ON9TY
    a couple on ebay starting around the $14 mark
    Southern Surroundings Blu-ray Audio by Lynyrd Skynyrd Jun 23 2015 for sale online | eBay

    a good copy at some of the lower prices there would be an absolute bargain for any fans of surround and Skynyrd.


     
    TGH7, ti-triodes, mrcond and 5 others like this.
  14. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Reference to the albums

    Jackson Browne - Running On Empty - Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries
    Ray Charles - Ray Sings, Basie Swings - Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries
    Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland - Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries
    Sly And The Family Stone - Greatest Hits - Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries
    The Allman Brothers Band - Live At Fillmore East - Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries
    Gentle Giant - The Power and The Glory - Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries
    Alice Cooper - Welcome To My Nightmare Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries
    Yes - Close To The Edge Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries
    Queen - A Night At The Opera Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries
    Bob Dylan - Blonde On Blonde Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries
    Emerson Lake And Palmer - Brain Salad Surgery Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries
    The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries
    David Bowie - The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries
    ELO - debut album Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries
    Genesis - Selling England By The Pound Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries
    The Beatles - The Beatles (White Album) Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries
    TheWho - Quadrophenia Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries
    Iron Maiden - Dance Of Death Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries
    Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries
    Lynyrd Skynyrd - Southern Surroundings Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries



    If the mood takes you, please feel free to give us your summary of any of these albums that we have done. For our purposes here, please try and give us information about the mix, in as much or as little detail as takes your fancy.
    If you feel so inclined, review the album, and the mastering or anything else about the album that you feel drawn to.
    Cheers,
    Mark
     
    Tuco and highway like this.
  15. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    This weeks seven choices we're going to throw a few in that just missed out on prior votes, and I am going to mix up their partners in case that was the reason why they missed out.
    Select your choice with a like, that way it keeps it nice and easy to see what everyone wants.

    Cheers
    Mark
     
    Last edited: Aug 4, 2019
  16. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Johnny Cash - Live At Folsom Prison
    Tom Petty - Damn The Torpedos
     
    Larry Geller, drum_cas and zobalob like this.
  17. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Miles Davis - Bitches Brew
    Doobie Brothers - Captain and Me
     
    Tom Favata and Audiowannabee like this.
  18. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon
    Steely Dan - Gaucho
     
  19. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Xtc - The Black Sea
    Moody Blues - A Question Of Balance
     
  20. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Talking Heads - Remain In Light
    Mahavishnu Orchestra - Birds Of Fire
     
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  21. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Jeff Beck - Blow By Blow
    Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
     
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  22. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    and a wild card entry

    The Best of Aretha Franklyn
    Nick Drake - A Treasury
     
    zobalob and Audiowannabee like this.
  23. jmrife

    jmrife Wife. Kids. Grandkids. Dog. Music.

    Location:
    Wheat Ridge, CO
    Twenty pages in, and still no Avalon or Hotel California?
     
    mark winstanley likes this.
  24. mark winstanley

    mark winstanley Certified dinosaur, who likes physical product Thread Starter

    Both great, both will get a look.

    Technically if we're talking about famously good mixes in 5.1 there are many many albums we haven't got to yet, but we will.
     
    Galactus2, Audiowannabee and jmrife like this.
  25. Audiowannabee

    Audiowannabee Forum Resident

    Location:
    Florida

    Its a great disc...i have the blu ray...didn't know about cd n dvd pkg either...love Skynard...good all rock n roll

    Freebyrd infamous song....right up there with stairway to heaven...if ur not familiar w freebyrd ur not into rock n roll or did not grow up in the good ole usa

    I like this disc a 9 on ratings....good ole rock n roll & freebyrd in surround
     
    mark winstanley likes this.
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