Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries

the surround on the Japanese 7" fancypants SACD has the same phase thing as the old Sony SACD.. i don't know about the sound of the stereo, only remember ever playing any of them in surround.

 

Jeff Beck ‎– Blow By Blow
Label:
Epic ‎– ES 85440
Format:
SACD, Multichannel, Album, Reissue, Remastered
Country:
US
Released:
2001
Genre:
Jazz, Rock
Style:
Fusion, Jazz-Funk, Jazz-Rock

This is the sacd I have.

I'm not really a high tech guy. I was heading down that path a long time ago, but it was interfering with me just loving music. I became too cynical and picky, so I cut music off fora year and recalibrated.
It is certainly helpful at times to be in the know, but I just wasn't able to balance it.

I certainly appreciate the info. I would never have guessed. I wonder how many other discs have these kind of errors?

 

That's sort of bad news, money-wise. I'd like to hear the stereo layer, but not for $50. Esp if it's gonna be the same as the 2001, which is subpar, imo.

 

I wouldn't say the AP is a breathtaking difference, but it does correct a phase issue, even if subtle. And the difference, esp in terms of the immersiveness you described, is absolutely discernible. Worth having, if you like this album. Me, I've been obsessed with it since it was first released.

 

Look I know it's Monday, but I have a day off

The Downward Spiral


Studio album by
Nine Inch Nails
Released March 8, 1994
Recorded 1992–1993
Studio Le Pig (Benedict Canyon, CA) The Record Plant (Hollywood, CA) A&M (Hollywood, CA)
Genre Industrial rock alternative rock ambient industrial metal
Length 65:02
Label Nothing Interscope
Producer Trent Reznor Flood

The Downward Spiral is the second studio album by American industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails, released on March 8, 1994, by Nothing Records and Interscope Records in the United States and by Island Records in Europe. It is a concept album detailing the destruction of a man from the beginning of his "downward spiral" to his death by suicide. The Downward Spiral features elements of industrial rock, techno and heavy metal music, in contrast to the band's synthpop-influenced debut album Pretty Hate Machine (1989), and was produced by Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor and Flood.

In 1992, Reznor moved to 10050 Cielo Drive in Benedict Canyon, Los Angeles, where actress Sharon Tate was murdered by members of the Manson Family. It was used as a studio called "Le Pig" for recording Broken (1992) and The Downward Spiral with collaborations from other musicians. The album was influenced by late-1970s rock music albums such as David Bowie's Low and Pink Floyd's The Wall in particular, and focused on texture and space.

The album spawned two singles, "March of the Pigs" and "Closer", in addition to the promotional singles "Piggy" and "Hurt". "March of the Pigs" and "Closer" were accompanied by music videos, with the former shot twice and the latter's heavily censored.

The Downward Spiral was a commercial success, and established Nine Inch Nails as a reputable force in the 1990s music scene, with its sound being widely imitated and Reznor receiving media attention and multiple honors, while diverging into drug abuse and depression. It has been regarded by music critics and audiences as one of the most important albums of the 1990s, and was praised for its abrasive and eclectic nature and dark themes, although it was scrutinized by social conservatives for some of its lyrics. A remix album titled Further Down the Spiral was released in 1995.

The Downward Spiral was conceived after the Lollapalooza festival tour as Trent Reznor thought of a "negative vibe" felt by the band when they were in a European hotel. Nine Inch Nails live performances were known for its aggressive on-stage dynamic, in which band members act angry, injure themselves, and destroy instruments. Reznor had a feud with TVT Records that resulted in him co-founding Nothing Records with his former manager John Malm, Jr. and signing with Interscope. He wanted to explore a fictional character whose life is psychologically wounded and developed a concept about the album's themes; he later used the concept as lyrics. The concept was based on Reznor's social issues at the time: he had personal conflicts with band member Richard Patrick and was known for enjoying alcohol.[1][2][3] When developing The Downward Spiral, Reznor struggled with drug addiction and was depressed as he wrote songs related to personal issues. His friends suggested that he could take Prozac (fluoxetine), an antidepressant, but this choice did not appeal to him.[4][5] He wanted the album's sound to diverge from Broken, emphasizing mood, texture, restraint and subtlety, although he was not sure about its musical direction.[6] The album was made with "full range" and focused on texture and space, avoiding explicit usage of guitars or synthesizers.[7]

Reznor searched for and moved to 10050 Cielo Drive in 1992 for recording Broken and The Downward Spiral,[8] a decision made against his initial choice to record the album in New Orleans.[9] 10050 Cielo Drive is referred to as the "Tate House" since Sharon Tate was murdered by members of the Manson Family in 1969; Reznor named the studio "Le Pig" after the message that was scrawled on the front door with Tate's blood by her murderers, and stayed there with Malm for 18 months. He called his first night in 10050 Cielo Drive "terrifying" because he already knew it and read books related to the incident. Reznor chose the Tate house to calibrate his engineering skills and the band bought a large console and two Studer machines as resources, a move that he believed was cheaper than renting.[10]The studio was also used for the recording of Marilyn Manson's debut album Portrait of an American Family, which Reznor co-produced. Marilyn Manson accepted Reznor's offer of signing a contract with Nothing Records.[11]

Reznor collaborated with former Jane's Addiction and Porno for Pyros drummer Stephen Perkins, progressive rock guitarist Adrian Belew, and Nine Inch Nails drummer Chris Vrenna.[6] Belew's first visit to the studio involved playing the guitar parts in "Mr. Self-Destruct", and he was told to play freely, think on reacting to melodies, concentrate on rhythm, and use noise. This approach improved Reznor's confidence in the instrument: he found it to be more expressive than the keyboard due to the interface.[12] Belew praised Reznor for his "command of technology," and commented that the music of Nine Inch Nails made innovations "that are in [his] realm."[13] Vrenna and Perkins played drum parts recorded live in the studio; the tracks were rendered into looped samples. Reznor took a similar approach to recording guitar parts: he would tape 20- to 25-minute-long sessions of himself playing guitars on a hard disc recorder with the Studio Vision sequencer.[14]

Most of the music was recorded into a Macintosh computer using a board and manipulated with music editor programs on the computer. Unique effects such as analyzing and inverting the frequency were applied to the tracks to create original sounds. The band would "get an arrangement together" and convert it into analog tape.[15][14] Reznor sampled excerpts from guitar tracks and processed them to the point of randomness and expression.[16] Among the equipment Reznor used for recording the album are Pro Tools, Digidesign's TurboSynth, a Marshall rack head, the Prophet VS keyboard, and various Jackson and Gibson guitars.[13]

In December 1993, Reznor was confronted by Patti Tate, who asked if he was exploiting Sharon Tate's death in the house. Reznor responded that he was interested in the house as her death happened there. He later made a statement about this encounter during a 1997 interview with Rolling Stone:

While I was working on [The] Downward Spiral, I was living in the house where Sharon Tate was killed. Then one day I met her sister [Patti Tate]. It was a random thing, just a brief encounter. And she said: 'Are you exploiting my sister's death by living in her house?' For the first time, the whole thing kind of slapped me in the face. I said, 'No, it's just sort of my own interest in American folklore. I'm in this place where a weird part of history occurred.' I guess it never really struck me before, but it did then. She lost her sister from a senseless, ignorant situation that I don't want to support. When she was talking to me, I realized for the first time, 'What if it was my sister?' I thought, '**** Charlie Manson.' I went home and cried that night. It made me see there's another side to things, you know?[17]

Flood, known for engineering and producing U2 and Depeche Mode albums, was employed as co-producer on The Downward Spiral. It became his last collaboration with Nine Inch Nails due to creative differences.[6] A "very dangerously self-destructive," humorous short song written for the album, "Just Do It", was not included in the final version and criticized by Flood in that Reznor had "gone too far." Reznor completed the last song written for the album, "Big Man with a Gun", in late 1993.[18][19] After the album's recording, Reznor moved out and the house was demolished shortly thereafter.[9] The Downward Spiral entered its mixing and mastering processes, done at Record Plant Studios and A&M Studios with Alan Moulder, who subsequently took on more extensive production duties for future album releases.[20][21]

• Trent Reznor – vocals, all instruments, drums (on "Piggy"), arranger, producer
• Mark "Flood" Ellis – producer, hi-hat (on "Closer"), ARP 2600 synthesizer (on "The Becoming")
• Chris Vrenna – drums (on "Hurt"), programming, sampling, additional drums (on "Burn")
• Adrian Belew – texture generating guitar (on "Mr. Self Destruct"), ring mod guitar (on "The Becoming")
• Danny Lohner – additional guitar (on "Big Man with a Gun")
• Andy Kubiszewski – drums (on "The Downward Spiral")
• Stephen Perkins – drum loops (on "I Do Not Want This")
• Charlie Clouser – programming, continuity
• John Aguto – engineer
• Brian Pollack – engineer
• Sean Beavan – mixing
• Bill Kennedy – mixing
• Alan Moulder – mixing
• Tom Baker – mastering
• Bob Ludwig – high-resolution mastering (reissue)
• James Brown – 5.1 mix (reissue)
• Neal Ferrazzani – assistance (reissue)
• Russell Mills – paintings
• David Buckland – photography
• Gary Talpas – package

1. "Mr. Self Destruct" 4:30
2. "Piggy" 4:24
3. "Heresy" 3:54
4. "March of the Pigs" 2:58
5. "Closer" 6:13
6. "Ruiner" 4:58
7. "The Becoming" 5:31
8. "I Do Not Want This" 5:41
9. "Big Man with a Gun" 1:36
10. "A Warm Place" 3:22
11. "Eraser" 4:54
12. "Reptile" 6:51
13. "The Downward Spiral" 3:57
14. "Hurt" 6:13
Total length: 65:02

• The opening sounds of "Mr. Self Destruct" are a sample from the film THX 1138 in which a man is being beaten by a prison guard.[24]
• The sample of screams that plays throughout "The Becoming" is from the film Robot Jox, when a giant robot falls on a crowd of spectators.[116]
• The sample at the beginning of "Big Man with a Gun" comes from a studio-altered recording of a porn star having an orgasm. According to the album booklet, this "sample" is titled "Steakhouse" and is credited to Tommy Lee.[21]
• Japanese pressings of the album contain a cover of Joy Division's song "Dead Souls", originally included on the soundtrack to the film The Crow. The track is placed in between "Big Man with a Gun" and "A Warm Place".[117][118]
• The break in "Reptile" contains an audio sample (starting at 5:06) of a woman falling down a hill from the 1974 film The Texas Chain Saw Massacre.[119]
• The first Australian pressing has track length errors. Affected tracks do not play at their beginnings when selected individually ("Big Man with a Gun" has the beginning of "A Warm Place" tacked on, likewise all the songs up to "Hurt" start 41 seconds earlier than they should. "Hurt" itself has 44 seconds of silence on the end as a result); however, the disc plays and flows correctly as a whole.[120]

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This is a great album, but i don't revisit it much these days, I am just not that angry anymore .... well more correctly, I find anger to be futile in the system of the world these days.
There is a lot of music that is still close to me, that I don't necessarily listen to much anymore, it isn't a grading of the music, more just the mindset or where am in life I guess.

When this album first came out I was very much a huge fan, and the follow up the Fragile is probably more up my street these days, as there is a lot of ambient soundscapes that really are effective and emotive. I certainly hope that it gets a 5.1 release, but i won't hold my breath for that.

The album is somewhat like a form of cathartic primal scream therapy, which isn't to say it is all aggressive, it certainly does have some tender moments, but most of those moments are moments of pain. The production is very modern, but it is very well done. Reznor is a pretty clever musician that uses what he has and knows to create his multilayered emotional explosions. To be honest there isn't a lot after this that I am familiar with, except the previously mentioned Fragile, and I also picked up With Teeth in 5.1. I have listened to the album, but haven't found a time where my mindset was wanting to listen to it when the time was available. So based on that I really couldn't say where Reznor's muse has been on the last few albums he has done.

At the time this was a completely different listening experience for me, it incorporates a lot of the riff laden hard rock that I grew up with, but also it has a good degree of sample and digital production and recording that has become very popular in the modern era. Without being fully versed in the genre's that this probably belongs to, I think this was a step forward from the Broken, and Pretty Hate Machine projects, and I dare say it was very inspirational to many pursuing this form of music.
It really is a well constructed and written album, even if it is not necessarily everybody's cup of tea. Yes it has plenty of hard rock/metal aggression, and yes the lyrical content is not going to make everyone smile, but its execution is quite brilliant.
I am looking forward to revisiting this album, because to be honest although I purchased the 5.1 upon release, I haven't listened to the album probably since the nineties. So this will be an interesting affair.

The surround album came out in many forms, and I have the dualdisc dvd-a. It's availability is ...
Discogs
dual disc - dvd-a from $10
https://www.discogs.com/Nine-Inch-Nails-The-Downward-Spiral/release/452990
sacd from $18 (US)
Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
sacd from $14 (European)
Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
sacd from $50 (Japan)
https://www.discogs.com/Nine-Inch-Nails-The-Downward-Spiral/release/3219381

Sacd New on amazon $25
https://www.amazon.com/Downward-Spi...d+spiral+sacd&qid=1567439363&s=gateway&sr=8-2

Sacd new at acoustic sounds $30
Nine Inch Nails NIN-The Downward Spiral-Hybrid Multichannel SACD|Acoustic Sounds

So really if this is your cup of tea, it is still available new, and at very good second hand prices.

5.1 Mix done by James Brown, Neal Ferrazzani, Trent Reznor
Mastered by Bob Ludwig

Mr Self Destruct
We start with a hammering effect, and some grunting in mono up front, and then the song explodes.
You can hear that this is beautifully and cleanly edited, as was often the case in the nineties. It gives everything a sharp, clean sound, that is the epitome of digital mixing and editing
The song is a violent, abrasive track with ott drum machine programming.
The guitars are in the rears for the chorus and the rest of the song is like well controlled white sound.
The fade out is an edited and looped guitar riff that is very effectively used in the surround field. It has a razor chop ending, much like I want you (she's so heavy) the beatles.
In the middle of the song there is a very quiet mellow section also.
This track has incredible dynamics and is an assault on the senses.

Piggy
Where Reznor rises above many of his industrial rock contemporaries here is the overall album dynamics. For example this is a slow slinky mellow groove, and a polar opposite to the opening track.
Shaker percussion left. Very good sub.
Left side sfx swell.
We have a very narrow field here at first and then the second verse expands with sounds and effects.
Very effective use of sounds, and sound effects, give a fully encompassing sound, with sfx and white sound fx filling the surrounds.
Then some wonderful use of percussion to tear up the feel of the song, coming from all angles.
This breaks down to a simple keyboard riff that is front and centre with effects sends radiating out to the rears.

Heresy
Solid sub use here.
With vocal fx sends to rears and percussion in left rear.
Those razor sharp guitar edits thump out of the rears.
Percussion in both rears.
Purely on a level of surround production this album is sensational, but as to whether one likes this kind of music, well that's another thing altogether.
A break down in the middle, gives us a sensational piece of percussive sound field listening.
This album and its songs have more layers than any onion.

March Of The Pigs
This used to be my favourite track
We start with a mechanical drum sound and synth bass.
It explodes into an ever building thrash of guitars, again all around.
Then breaks to a beautiful acoustic piano with a nice vocal, again filling the surround field.... then the song pauses ... then explodes again . Sounds everywhere.
Breaking again to the acoustic piano section.
Quite brilliantly constructed.

Closer
This was the big hit single.
Again mechanical drums up front.
Synth riff comes in, with a percussion effect to the left.
Hats left rear. Vocals effects sends and doubles in rears.
Synth riff in the middle the room.
Sliding synth sound slipping between the rears.
Counterpoint rhythm synth in the rears.
The breakdown section is very effective with the best up front, the sliding synth sounds either side, and another counter rhythm synth up front.
Little voices either side underneath it all.
Then some race car synth sounds attacking from either side. Synth swell slides from left rear to right rear.
I mean so far as a surround mix goes this is sensational.
Now embellished with percussion bouncing either side of your head.
Ending with a simple keyboard sound up front and sliding synth sounds all round, leading straight into ....

Ruiner
This is another synth metal type song.
Melody up front, counter melody synth, in the form of held chords in rears.
This is totally over the top.
Vocal effect sends, percussion, synth sounds all hitting from all angles, but it is melodic and quite brilliant.
We break to another mellow section with just a base up front. A synth sound to the left. A chronically over modulated lead guitar right rear. Drum set left rear.
It is bizarre but it does work.
Then we break back to where we were in the original scheme of the sound. This leads to a form of coda, with layer upon layer of synths and vocals coming from all angles, and then another razor cut ending.

The Becoming
Percussion right rear. More great sub.
Synthetic bass and percussion.
Sfx in rears.
Any more immersive and you would need an escape clause.
It is hard to imagine this even fitting in the stereo field.
Percussion left rear.
Incredibly effective in getting this across.
Breaka down to various percussion around the whole field.whispered vocal through your head.
Noise synth lead break of sorts.
Sounds sliding everywhere.
Machine gun like percussion all round.
More sliding effects circulating sounds over an acoustic guitar. Everything is moving like a disturbed quagmire. Ends with percussion in left rear

I Do Not Want This
Piano left drum machine and vocal up front. Vocal effects sends to rears.
Those guitars hit the sides again and then fall back to the somewhat mellow piano and percussion again.
Sfx from either side.
So many effects and changes, this is really hard to convey.
Another really dynamic piece of work.
Another explosion into pained guitar sounds in the rears over the percussion up front. Drops down to the sub, and wow just too much to describe here.
Needless to say the soundfield and the mixing desk are getting a hardcore workout.

Big Man With A Big Gun
Sliding vocal effects through all channels over a drum machine beat. Thumping synth bass.
A wall of distorted guitars breaks out. There are also vocal tracks everywhere.
You think it can't build more and then it just does. Then it stops suddenly again.

A Warm Place
We enter here immediately. We have warm synth and guitar swells all around. A simple and pretty keyboard melody is played up front.
We have essentially an instrumental here.
We have a pulsing sub bass, and relaxing but still slightly disturbing bed of synth sounds, the is somewhat a mutation of eighties synth pop.
We then end with a break down of those synths into a throb

Eraser
Strange percussion up front, sfx in the rears. Then a drum kit modified sound kicks in up the front. Then we get a synth bassline operating in more of a mid frequency.
Then we get a fragile sounding guitar riff come from the front, with a percussive guitar coming in the rear. The sound gradually becomes more spacey and reverbs and delays come in and it has a somewhat hypnotic effect.
The all breaks away to percussion all round and a minimalist bass and keyboard and vocal up front.
This then explodes into a a wall of distorted guitars coming from all angles and vocals distorted.
Another chop ending.

Reptile
A quite percussive sound almost like someone chopping wood to the left.
Then a distorted synth effect up front breaks in with percussion and effects in the rears. Pounding synth bass over this wall of percussive sounds all around us.
Guitar power chords up front for the chorus and sfx all around.
This breaks back into this percussive surrounding wall of percussion.
A doom laden guitar riff comes in up front.
Again the chorus of sorts breaks in.
It is impossible to describe how effective this surround is. There is like a short gentle sfx lead break of sorts. Then the guitar riff comes in, and then again the, sort of, chorus.
Then the surround field horse crazy with vocals and sounds over the top of that surround percussion that is still soldiering away.. breaking into

The Downward Spiral
A percussive sound effect up front, with somewhat ambient music excerpts quietly under this.
It could be a horror movie soundtrack right here.
Then a guitar come in at the front, and there is small swell of synth strings.
A yell right rear, and a wall of music where the modulation of everything has been effected, so far as eq, and any natural sound. This is again like an instrumental... effective and disturbing

Hurt
We have a quiet distorted ambience here, and a quiet vocal over it.
The first time I listened to the album I stopped it, and put something else on to make sure my speakers hadn't exploded from the amazing dynamics and sound experiments this album has.
This track is somewhat gentle. We have a very quiet guitar like backing and a gentle "hurt" vocal.... ambience is the main effect here.
Then the sort of chorus kicks in again.
Piano sounds and other things all round.
A change of feel here, but in keeping with the feel.
Then there is a part you'll never forget, that I was waiting for as a guitar years through the ambience and we slide into a loop of noise that submits to some wind sfx... and it's all over.

This album is incredibly intense. It is damaged and damaging. It really is a brilliant artistic statement and the surround mix is executed better than any damn movie.
This album is an album of pain and disenfranchisement. An ode to the lost and hurting and the things that make them hurt. It is full of more anger and pain, that seems genuine rather than just for effect, but it is effecting and effective..

I really don't recommend this album for everyone. It has lyrically disturbing themes, based on this hurt. It is like the descent into addiction based on a hatred for all the world has become, full of bitterness and rage, full of pain and explosions of anguish and anger.

It is essential listening for anyone into music and sounds. It is like a culmination of Tangerine Dream, meets the sex pistols, meets motorhead, meets ultravox etc etc

The mix is superb. I doubt it is an album that will be listened to frequently by many, but it is an album that delivers the goods in every way. The extreme sounds, the extreme dynamics..... in fact it is extreme in every way. It is a masterwork of sorts, that on some levels I highly recommend. If you have a tendency to move into depression, it may set you off, so be warned. This is heavy in every way brilliant, but also in every way disturbing...
I don't know how better to describe it.....

@negative1 do you get into this at all? I know you like a lot of synth music.

 

Well i need something different after all that intensity.

Behind Closed Doors


Studio album by
Charlie Rich
Released 1973
Genre Country
Length 31:30
Label Epic
Producer Billy Sherrill

Behind Closed Doors is a 1973 album by Charlie Rich. The album received the Country Music Association award for Album of the Year; the title track (written by Kenny O'Dell) was also named CMA's Single of the Year, and Rich was named Best Male Vocalist for his performance on the album. Rich won the 1974 Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance Male and also took home four Academy of Country Music awards for this album.

In 2002, the album was certified Quadruple Platinum by the RIAA, commemorating U.S. sales of over four million. Charlie Rich contributed "Peace On You" to this album. Charlie's wife Margaret Ann contributed two of her songs to the album as well, "A Sunday Kind of Woman" and "Nothing In The World (To Do With Me)". Charlie's teenage son contributed the song "You Never Really Wanted Me" to the album as well.

• Charlie Rich - vocals
• Billy Sanford, Dale Sellers, Harold Bradley, Jerry Kennedy, Ray Edenton - guitar
• Pete Drake, Lloyd Green - steel guitar
• Bob Moore - bass
• Hargus "Pig" Robbins - piano
• Buddy Harman, Kenny Buttrey - drums
• The Jordanaires, Nashville Edition - background vocals

Technical

• Charlie Bragg, Lou Bradley - engineers
• Bill Barnes, Peggy Owens - photography

1. "Behind Closed Doors" (Kenny O'Dell) - 2:56
2. "If You Wouldn't Be My Lady" (Jimmy Holiday, Eddie Reeves) - 2:53
3. "You Never Really Wanted Me" (Charlie Allan Rich) - 2:27
4. "A Sunday Kind of Woman" (Margaret Ann Rich) - 3:09
5. "Peace On You" (Charlie Rich) - 3:59
6. "The Most Beautiful Girl" (Billy Sherrill, Norro Wilson, Rory Bourke) - 2:43
7. "I Take It On Home" (Kenny O'Dell) - 2:52
8. "'Til I Can't Take It Anymore" (Clyde Otis, Dorian Burton) - 2:30
9. "We Love Each Other" (Buddy Killen) - 3:08
10. "I'm Not Going Hungry" (Freddie Hart) - 2:12
11. "Nothing In the World (To Do With Me)" (Margaret Ann Rich) - 2:41

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I only know a couple of songs on this album, and I haven't had a chance to listen to it yet.
This is the Dutton/Vocalion issue of the the Quad mixes of two Charlie Rich albums This one and Every Time i Touch You (I Get High). It is essentially a two for one disc, with both albums in quad. Ordering form Dutton/vocalion it is incredible value. I also Picked up The guess Who American woman twofer and Weather Report ... they have a lot of sacd's listed and the majority are quad, and they appear to be very well done.

At only about $15 new direct it is hard to complain about the wonderful pricing. I ordered direct and was very happy with them.
duttonvocalion.co.uk store: Charlie Rich - Behind Closed Doors & Every Time You Touch Me (I Get High) [SACD Hybrid Multi-channel] | New releases - Popular | CDLK4630 |
Through amazon it is $22 and still comes from Dutton Vocalion
https://www.amazon.com/Charlie-Rich...osed+doors+sacd&qid=1567446559&s=music&sr=1-1

Quad remix engineer Lou Bradley
Producer Billy Sherrill
Remastered from the original master tapes by Michael J Dutton

I don't have much more to say, as I have never heard this before, it is my first Charlie Rich album, and aside from always liking the title track, I know little about the man or his music.
This seems like the tonic to follow the brain melting

Behind Closed Doors
Piano front left. Drum kit right rear.
Pedal steel left rear. Ahhhhhh soothing stuff.
Strings all round. Bvox right side.
Slightly unusual placement, but very good.

If you wouldn't Be My Lady
Piano front. Nice sub on the bass. Kick drum right rear, cymbals left rear.
In fact drums across the rears.
Bvox right.
Pedal steel front left.
It is as I say a slightly unusual mix, but it sounds very good. Very clear and balanced.

You Never Really Wanted Me
Piano up front.
Really nice vocal. A melancholy ballad here. Strings swell either side.
Bvox in right and the rears.
This is a really beautiful mix.
Drums on the left this time.

A Sunday Kind Of Woman
Pedal steel up front. Piano up front.
Acoustic guitar left drums left side and front left. Strings again all round and bvox all round.
Gentle lead guitar left rear.
This is a very full sound and mix.
Guitar right side also.

Peace On earth
The piano sounds to be across the whole field at the start.
Guitars either side. Bvox all round.
There are even some moving surround effects on here. Drums left.
Very full warm surround mix.

The Most Beautiful Girl
Guitars either side, piano up front. Drums left.
Pedal steel right side. Strings right side.
This is a very deep and broad sounding mix.
A bit of a soft rock classic on my book.... I suppose it's country... but you know what I mean.
Great sounding album.

I Take it On Home
Some honky tonks piano left front. Drums left rear. Vocals front, with an effects send to the right side.
Strings both sides.

Til I Can't Take It Anymore
Piano front. Pedal steel right side. Drums right side. Acoustic left side.
Bvox left side.

We Love Each Other
Strings right side, guitar left side. Drums right rear. Bass left side. Strings in front also.
Piano up front.
As unusual as these mixes seem at first in light of modern mixing styles. This is actually a very effective mix, and the sound is quite beautiful.

I'm Not Going Hungry
Pedal steel left, with organ right drums right rear. Bass left side. Guitar up front.
The instruments seem to really fill a certain space in the field, and they do it well.

Nothing In The World (To Do With Me)
Bass and drums up front. Piano up front . Strings either side.
This really is a soothing album, with great sound.
Charlie certainly has a very good voice, and very effective in these songs.

As i say this album is very seventies, it has that country tilt, but it is a beautiful soothing sound and feel. The placement of the instruments is somewhat unusual from a modern mixing mentality, but the mixes sound full and immersive, in some cases very immersive, and it all sounds balanced. One you grow comfortable with the fact that the drums don't need to be in the front, and with this kind of music, as opposed to rock, hard rock, they aren't explosive percussive assaults, the positioning isn't really a negative in my view.
A very well mastered and produced album, and the mix is effective.

 

Also don't forget to run through any of the albums we have done, if you feel drawn to

Reference to the albums

Alice Cooper - Welcome To My Nightmare Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries
Allman Brothers Band - Live At Fillmore East - Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries

The Beatles - The Beatles (White Album) Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries
Beck, Jeff - Blow By Blow Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries
Bowie, David - The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries
Browne, Jackson - Running On Empty - Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries

Charles, Ray - Ray Sings, Basie Swings - Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries

Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries
Doobie Brothers - The Captain And Me Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries
Dylan, Bob - Blonde On Blonde Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries

ELO - debut album 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

Fagen, Donald - The Nightfly Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries
Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries
Fleetwood Mac - Rumours Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries

Genesis - Selling England By The Pound 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

Hendrix, Jimi - Electric Ladyland - Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries

Iron Maiden - Dance Of Death Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries

Jethro Tull - Minstrel In The Gallery Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries
Joel, Billy - The Stranger Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries
John, Elton - Madman Across The Water Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries

King Crimson - Red Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries

Lynyrd Skynyrd - Southern Surroundings Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries

Moody Blues - A Question Of Balance Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries

Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries

Queen - A Night At The Opera Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries

REM - Green Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries
Rich, Charlie Behind Closed Doors Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries
Roxy Music - Avalon Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries
Rush - Moving Pictures 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

Talking heads - Remain In Light Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries
Tangerine Dream - Phaedra Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries
Townsend, Pete/Lane, Ronnie - Rough Mix Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries
T Rex - Electric Warrior Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries

Wakeman, Rick - Six Wives Of Henry The Eighth Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries
Waters, Roger - Amused to Death Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries
Who - Quadrophenia Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries

XTC - The Black Sea Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries

Yes - Close To The Edge Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries

Zappa - Quaudiophiliac 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

 

Don't forget to vote for next weeks seven choices here Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries

 

Some Great Reward


Studio album by
Depeche Mode
Released 24 September 1984
Recorded January–August 1984
Studio Music Works (Highbury, London) Hansa Mischraum (Berlin)
Genre Synth-pop[1] industrial[2]
Length 40:18
Label Mute
Producer Daniel Miller Depeche Mode Gareth Jones

Some Great Reward is the fourth studio album by English electronic music band Depeche Mode. It was released on 24 September 1984 by Mute Records. The album peaked at number five in the United Kingdom and number 44 in the United States, and was supported by the Some Great Reward Tour.

Depeche Mode

• Martin Gore
• Alan Wilder
• David Gahan
• Andrew Fletcher

Technical

• Daniel Miller – production
• Depeche Mode – production
• Gareth Jones – production
• Ben Ward – engineering assistance
• Stefi Marcus – engineering assistance
• Colin McMahon – engineering assistance

Artwork

• Brian Griffin – photography
• Stuart Graham – photography assistance
• Martyn Atkins – design
• David A. Jones – design
• Marcx – design

1. "Something to Do" 3:47
2. "Lie to Me" 5:04
3. "People Are People" 3:52
4. "It Doesn't Matter" 4:45
5. "Stories of Old" 3:14
6. "Somebody" 4:28
7. "Master and Servant" 4:12
8. "If You Want" (writer: Wilder) 4:41
9. "Blasphemous Rumours" 6:22
---------------------------------------------
Depeche Mode started out with Vince Clarke as the primary mover on their debut album Speak and Spell, and I don't know about anywhere else but Just Can't Get Enough was a hug hit in Australia back in 1981 ... I know this because I was in grade seven... about 12 years old and it was played at school socials, on the weekly music programme on ABC tv and it was a sizeable hit.
For a good while folks thought the band were a one hit wonder, but that wasn't to be the case, and they were pretty big in their native England, while slowly making inroads into the US market, and it seems very few of the eighties synth pop bands made very big inroads in the US so that is an achievement in determination just of itself.
Clarke left the band shortly after the debut album and put together Yazoo, with Alison Moyet, and Upstairs At Eric's was pretty much a worldwide hit with the hit single Only You leading the charge. I believe they may have been called Yaz in the US, and that may have become confusing late when Yaz, who I believe was categorised as house music had a hit with the song The Only Way Is Up.
Anyhow the band were left in limbo for a little while, but decided to continue on. They had developed their own sound that was entirely synth based, and in the still guitar dominated eighties, that was a bold move. Martin Gore became the chief songwriter and over the next couple of albums they honed their sound, and Gore refined his writing. All the albums are certainly worth a listen if you like synth music, but they were slightly patchy and didn't yield any real international hits as such. The band had taken on a slightly darker sound after the peppy Clarke's songs had been atken from the band, but they soldiered on and now are really well known all across the world, and deservedly so. They helped pioneer the so called Industrial sound, and managed to get a few hits around the place, and some really top class albums.
This album is were things really started to fall into place for them. They managed to get their sound and writing a little more focused and mature and really put together a good album. The single People Are People was a hit, I don't know to what extent really but the stats say it was very big across Europe and the band managed to get it to 13 on the Billboard hot 100. Master and Servant also did quite well for the band, and then there was the double a-side of Blasphemous Rumours/ Somebody. Somebody being the first single from the band with Gore on the lead vocals. Dave Gahan being the regular singer.
The album was top ten across Europe and England, it reached 19 on the Australian charts and managed to get some US attention reaching 54 on the Billboard chart in the US.
Obviously later the band had much greater success all the way around with some fantastic synth pop albums, particularly Violator, which was pretty much top ten everywhere. My personal favourite is where I came in and in the vote this week Songs Of Faith And Devotion..... but that's something else again.

Songs of Faith And Devotion is the first Depeche Mode album I bought, because I was more of a rock guy and although I really enjoyed and had the singles collection, I was dubious about their ability to put together a good album. After taking the plunge with Songs of Faith and Devotion, the band had decided to reissue their albums in a deluxe type set up with bonus tracks, and documentary style videos about the making of the albums, and the thing that caught my eye 5.1 surround mixes. These came in two forms either the sacd / dvd (with dts 96/24) or the cd/dvd (with dts 96/24 packages). these releases came out in the early 2000's and I ended up getting the sacd versions.... later unfortunately due to that immigration I have spoken about the sacd's had to go for a while, but upon getting settled in the US, I replaced them with some sacd's and some dts 96/24 discs, and I think it is a great collection of music, even if it isn't my most typical listening. I will listen to anything I like that entertains me in whatever way....

Again it is a while since these got a proper concentrated listen spin, so I will say that I remember them being very good and leave it there for now.

This is still available new, but is starting to move into the out of print status i Believe
Amazon still has the dts version, but I think the sacd's are only available second hand now
Starting at $10
https://www.amazon.com/Some-Great-Reward-Depeche-Mode/dp/B00EJ39ASC
discogs cd/dvd (US) from $28
Depeche Mode - Some Great Reward
sacd/dvd (argentina) from $125
Depeche Mode - Some Great Reward
sacd/dvd (Europe) from $22
Depeche Mode - Some Great Reward

I have the cd/dvd version here, so I will be listening to the 96/24 dts version.

5.1 mix and engineer Kevin Paul and Roger Johnson
Mastered by Simon Heyworth

Something To Do
Bvox in rears. Extra synths rears.
Nice healthy sub on the kick.
Excellent balance.
The breakdown has some nice little effects.
Obviously this is going to be the epitome of eighties sound and production, but I enjoy that anyway.
We get percussive effects either side also.
Of it's kind this is an excellent sounding mix.

Lie to Me'
Some bouncing between the front speakers with the main rhythm synth.
A nice synth effect left rear.
Graham's vocal gets a triangle treatment with effects sends to the rear.
Hats in the left rear.
Bell tone synth all round.
There is some really nice percussive instrument sounds coming through the fronts and rears.
Bvox in the rears.

People Are people
This is a very percussive track, and it has some logical front and rear interplay.
The glissando effect the leads up to the main body of the song spreads through the sides to the rears.
Bells in rears.
The glissando effect again... excellent.
Some great left/right mixing through the middle.
This is an excellent mix... if this version is ten bucks, it's worth getting just for this track.

It Doesn't Matter
Excellent distribution of percussion tracks here. The bulk of this track is percussion effects, tuned and not tuned styles. A solid bass, and again excellent sub balance here.
This is quite an ingenious use of percussion sounds as the bed of a song.
Gahan's voice is always quite pleasant and here it works well in the field of percussion.
Some melodic synth takes over in the front after the vocals end.
A brilliant piece of work that really shines in this format.

Stories Of Old
Really nice use of that triangle vocal mix again.
We move from a synth pad to another really nice percussive sound field.
This ends up being a blend of the melodic synth and the percussive effects.
Some nice staccato synth embellishments also.
Another excellent mix, and I personally don't accept the above reviews saying this isn't a solid album.
It has sonic continuity, and wonderful balance.

Somebody
Right side we get sounds like like trains and ships and ocean sounds.
Beautiful sounding full piano.
Here's vocal is very good.
We have sfx on the left side now, sounding like a cocktail party I think.
This is quite a beautiful song.
Sfx across the rears now.
The sfx almost distract what a beautiful song of longing this is, but it also gives the idea of the hustle and bustle of life interfering
A wonderful sound.

Master and Servant
Some interesting vocal effects here shifting from front to back. Some slapping sounds going from side to side in the rears.
Plenty of use for the surrounds with a lot of subtle movement, and various sounds from various angles.
Some really excellent mixing effects here.

If You Want
Nice moody intro. A bass type synth in front, with some drone like swells up the sound.
Almost an eastern feel to the vocal.
Again wonderful use of synthetic percussion.
The instrumental passage is every bit as avant garde as many Zappa tracks.
They really capture some interesting sonic soundscapes here. Their is really some interesting melodic structures and interplay also.
Another great mix

Blasphemous Rumours
Dancing keyboard sounds. To a percussive chime in the right rear. Again nice sub balance.
A swell of synth comes in nicely.
A really nice percussive swirl around the room.
This dark sounding stuff really suits Gahan's vocals.
The chorus comes in wonderfully full and melodic.
Again a really wonderful use of the surround pallete and this song, already a bit of a classic, really comes to life.
The flow fade works really well to pull us back out of the album.
Then we get a little epilogue of music with a basic synth melody some sfx and that then fades out with a sort of sniffing sound.
Excellent piece of work

Again this isn't everybody's cup of tea, but I have a lot of time for these guys and I think they are brilliant at what they do. They may well not have started the industrial sounding pop music, but they certainly made it more accessible to a wider audience. There is strength in some of the more simplistic things the guys do, which isn't a criticism, they manage to piece together some simple ideas and construct quite complex pieces.
If there was any criticism of this at all, it may be a little on the bright side, but with so much digital equipment, that doesn't seem unheard of.

If you like synthesiser music, and if you have ever liked these guys, to me this is a very strong album, I really don't but the idea that this was some singles with some filler. It is a solid across the board album of its genre. If you just like surround mixes with a lot of action all around the surround field, and you are not anti-synth, this is worth checking out.

@negative1 I know you will know more about these guys and this album than me, so please correct any errors I may have made with the information, and please feel free to give us your take on the album, and especially the ix if that is in your wheelhouse.

 

I had the day on the sofa today, and amongst other things, I enjoyed sitting with my eyes closed and immersing myself in...

Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon (Quad mix)
Mike Oldfield - Five Miles Out (5.1 mix)

Absolute bliss.

 

I'm beginning to think Winstanley only has a mono audio system...there is NO WAY he can be taking all those notes on all six channels with these albums this fast...

 

It's an effort, and not as detailed as I'd like... but some of these albums it would take an hour to do a song lol

 

Who voted for this? As it so happens, I have this disc. Not what I was going to do today, but I listened to it for probably the second time ever. Like Yoshimi, this surround mix falls in the category of sound collage. It definitely uses surround as an art form. The instruments/sounds don't stay in the same place. The finale to Mr. Self Destruct is pretty amazing. So if you are going to listen to it, surround is the way to go. If, that is.

On the bright side, it turned out to be a good day to expand my Depeche Mode collection

 

I did the ones everyone voted for this week.
I had time, I did the ones I felt like listening to

 

I knew that

 

You go, Mr. Mark.

It’s a smorgasbord. Not everyone’s going to like everything on the menu, but there’s something there for everyone.

 

That's what I hope for.
I know everybody has different tastes, and I am somewhat of a freak lol

 

Kind of astonishing that it wasn’t released until 2018, eh? It’s a polarizing MD album, so I’ll refrain until it gets reviewed. And yes, I love it, too.

 

Yeah, the music has no melody, and you can't hum it - yet it was a big-selling album for Miles (eventually going platinum) so there are plenty of people who get it. If you're thinking all of Davis' music is going to sound like Kind of Blue you're in for a disappointment. But as a surround sound experience, it's breathtaking. Two drums, both in different speakers, two electric pianos, also separated. He'll play the trumpet in one speaker, and the echo is heard in yet another speaker, etc. It's the most immersive quad SACD I own. The folks over at Quadrophonic have it listed as the second best surround sound disc after Dark Side of the Moon in their polls. The Miles disc(s) is even better than the Floyd, only people like the music on Dark Side better, thus the higher rating.

 

Many thanks Mark for your awesome reviews, you have put so much effort into this and it's greatly appreciated !

 

You're welcome

 

Another great review! The Downward Spiral is an assault on the senses, both in it's musical and surround delivery. I agree, at age 50 it's not an album you just casually throw on anymore, however, when you do reach for this album, it never disappoints.

 

I played this one for the first time last night, also to unwind after some harder edged tunes. You can really appreciate the fine production in the quad mix. The strings, slide, and backing vocals really shine and Charlie's voice sounds fantastic. These Dutton Vocalion releases are all instant buys for me.

 

Don't forget to vote for next weeks seven choices here Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries

 

I never know quite what I'm going to get with Mike's remixes! Sometimes 21st century Mike has very different ideas about the sound he wants and it seems like rhythm instruments get louder in the mix than melodic ones in the surround reissues. ("Family Man" is an example.) I did think his surround re-do of Hergest Ridge was better than the original, though.