Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries

hmmm..... possibly doable

Blasphemy! I command you to listen to It's A Long Way There right now lol

 

Speaking of sterile Aerosmith releases. I also have the 2 x SACD 'O, Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits' released in stereo.

This is what gives digital a bad name. Very lifeless and sterile. I pop it in from time to time when doing housework or some such as it's a decent collection of the bands' hits. I would never sit down and listen to it though.

 

Don't forget to choose which of the seven pairs you would like to go through this week.

Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries

 

Excellent review, Mark!

I’m new here, but have been a music freak for over 50 years and a surround collector and enthusiast since 2003 or so. In general, I have no issues with a good stereo production. An excellent surround production, however, adds a whole new listening experience to the game. When done right, it’s the equivalent to 3D music to my way of thinking and hearing.

This Abbey Road release is fantastic on all fronts.

 

Welcome to the forum. Please feel free to join in, it it turns your crank

 

Last chance to choose which of the seven pairs you would like to go through this week.

Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries

 

Moondance


Studio album by
Van Morrison
Released 27 January 1970
Recorded August – September 1969
Studio A & R Studios in New York City
Genre Rhythm and blues, soul, rock, jazz, pop, Irish folk
Length 38:14
Label Warner Bros.
Producer Lewis Merenstein (exec.), Van Morrison

Moondance is the third studio album by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. It was released on 27 February 1970 by Warner Bros. Records. After the commercial failure of his first Warner Bros. album Astral Weeks (1968), Morrison moved to upstate New York with his wife and began writing songs for Moondance. There, he met the musicians that would record the album with him at New York City's A & R Studios in August and September 1969.

The album found Morrison abandoning the abstract folk jazz compositions of Astral Weeks in favor of more formally composed songs, which he wrote and produced entirely himself. Its lively rhythm and blues/rock music was the style he would become most known for in his career. The music incorporated soul, jazz, pop, and Irish folk sounds into songs about finding spiritual renewal and redemption in worldly matters such as nature, music, romantic love, and self-affirmation.

Moondance was an immediate critical and commercial success. It helped establish Morrison as a major artist in popular music, while several of its songs became staples on FM radio in the early 1970s. Moondance has since been cited by critics as one of the greatest albums of all time. In 2013, the album's remastered deluxe edition was released to similar acclaim.

Musicians

• Judy Clay – backing vocals ("Crazy Love" and "Brand New Day")
• Emily Houston – backing vocals ("Crazy Love" and "Brand New Day")
• John Klingberg – bass
• Jef Labes – clavinet, organ, piano
• Gary Mallaber – drums, percussion, vibraphone
• Guy Masson – congas
• Van Morrison – harmonica, production, rhythm guitar, tambourine, vocals
• John Platania – guitar
• Jack Schroer – alto and soprano saxophones
• Collin Tilton – flute, tenor saxophone
• Jackie Verdell – backing vocals ("Crazy Love" and "Brand New Day")

Additional personnel

• Craig Anderson – Blu-ray authoring (deluxe edition)
• Bob Cato – design
• Wyn Davis – additional mixing and mastering (deluxe edition)
• Kate Dear – packaging coordination (deluxe edition)
• Steve Friedberg – engineering
• David Gahr – photography
• Lisa Glines – art direction and design (deluxe edition)
• Brian Kehew – additional mixing and mastering (deluxe edition)
• Elliot Landy – photography, remastering and liner notes (deluxe edition)
• Alan Light – liner notes
• Tony May – engineering
• Lewis Merenstein – executive production
• Janet Planet – liner notes
• Neil Schwartz – engineering
• Elliot Scheiner – engineering
• Steve Woolard – production (deluxe edition)
• Shelly Yakus – engineering

Side one
1. "And It Stoned Me" 4:30
2. "Moondance" 4:35
3. "Crazy Love" 2:34
4. "Caravan" 4:57
5. "Into the Mystic" 3:25
Side two
1. "Come Running" 2:30
2. "These Dreams of You" 3:50
3. "Brand New Day" 5:09
4. "Everyone" 3:31
5. "Glad Tidings" 3:13
----------------------------------------
Van Morrison has had a long and distinguished career. His first tour of Europe was at seventeen in an Irish band called The Monarchs in 1963, where he played Sax, guitar, harp, and backup bass and drums. In 1964 Them were formed and managed to have some success both sides of the Atlantic with the singles Baby Please Don't Go, Here Comes The Night and Mystic Eyes. Funnily enough the song the band are generally best known for Gloria, was actually the b-side of Baby Please Don't Go.
On a tour of the US in 1966, Van Morrison and Jim Morrison met at the Whisky A Go Go when the Doors were the support act on the last week. There are many stories about the two considering each other long lost brothers etc, and The Doors drummerJohn Densmore recalled in his book that Jim Morrison was very taken by Van's stage presence - "Jim Morrison learned quickly from his near namesake's stagecraft, his apparent recklessness, his air of subdued menace, the way he would improvise poetry to a rock beat, even his habit of crouching down by the bass drum during instrumental breaks."
When the band returned to Ireland the typical squabbles with management ended up breaking the band up, and Morrison started writing. He signed with Bang Records which was a newly formed label by Bert Burns, who had produced Them, and persuaded Morrison to return to the US to record. Over two days in 1967 Morrison recorded eight songs that ended up becoming the Blowin' Your Mind album. Morrison was a little annoyed, because the songs were supposed to be four singles. He also only found out about the album when a friend called him and told him he had bought it. The song Brown Eyed Girl came from these sessions, and of course is pretty much an all time classic single, played by thousands of cover bands, and getting radio play for decades.
Bert Berns dies and Morrison gets tied up in a contract dispute and financial problems, being blocked from performing or recording by the dispute and situations arising from it. He manages to get his musical footing back and signs with Warner Brothers.
Morrison had to fulfil a publishing contract for Web music, which was a part of Berns and Bang, and Morrison tossed of 31 songs in one session to get it out of the way. These songs came to be known as the revenge songs and were released in 2017 as the Authorised Bang Collection.
His first album for Warner Brothers was Astral Weeks, and as much as it is regarded, and rightfully regarded at that, a classic album, it pretty much died in the water, and the public didn't really respond to it. These days, and for the last forty years as far as I am aware, Astral Weeks always makes the greatest albums ever lists, and probably deservedly so. It really is a wonderfully transcendent album, that has a very special feel and sound, that Van and the band captured really well.....

So we come to Morrison's third solo album, which again is an all time classic, whose songs have been so popular for so long, that people often overlook how great this album is merely due to decades of radio fatigue. Don't overlook this album because of radio folks, it is a magnificent album.
Due to Astral Weeks failure to sell, Morrison moved from the open, jazzy improvisational styling it had, to more concise and written songs ... yea some would call that a sell out, but that is a bunch of bollocks. You write songs because you want people to hear them, and I don't care how arty you are, if nobody is watching it is an exercise in futility. There is a fine line to walk, but in my opinion at least Morrison walked it well. Keeping his vision and style intact he managed to craft an album of such attractive visuals, and such great music, that it has stood the test of time and also found itself in the lists of best albums of all time.
Whereas Astral Weeks had been stream of consciousness lyrics over loose folky-jazz structures, Moondance was a series of songs themed around spiritual renewal flavour in an R&B sauce that was irresistible.
For our purposes here, it is also the first hit album for mixing engineer Elliot Scheiner.

I personally discovered Van in the early eighties when I was consuming and absorbing all the music I was able to, in those early years of musical discovery. I can't pinpoint the time Exactly, but it was before the American Werewolf In London movie, because I remember being really happy that the title track of this album was in the soundtrack of the movie. I had, and listened to the album a lot, because I just thought it had a great sound and feel, and the songs were really well written. I still love this album, and I went on to get a lot of Van albums, but I still have some glaring omissions from his collection which over the next few years I need to fill in the blanks. With Van I find that just hearing him sing is part of the joy of any of his music. I think Van could probably sing the phone book, and I would still enjoy the sound of it.

This album is just barely still available new and comes in a 4cd/ 1 bluray set. With the first cd being the original album. The other 3 cd's being outtakes, and the bluray having the 5.1 and stereo mixes. It comes in the form of a, slightly larger than cd size, bound book form.
Amazon has one copy left for about $47 https://www.amazon.com/Moondance-De...oondance+deluxe&qid=1571567920&s=music&sr=1-1
Discogs from $47 Van Morrison - Moondance
Ebay (new) from $45 Moondance [Deluxe Edition] [Box] by Van Morrison (CD, Oct-2013, 5 Discs, Rhino (Label)) for sale online | eBay

If you are looking for the 5.1, please be aware there was also a 2cd deluxe edition that does not contain the bluray and 5.1 album.

5.1 mix and remastering Elliot Scheiner

And It Stoned Me
We start with piano on our left, drums front and centre.
The horns come in on our right.
The acoustic guitar on the left side.
This, to me at least, sounds beautifully recorded, and there is excellent clarity here.
The horns may be slightly loud, but I don't find that it sounds wrong. On the whole we have a good fill of the soundfield, and a coherent balance in the songs presentation.

Moondance
The piano is seated on the right side here.
Then the guitar comes in on the left after the first half of the verse.
The prechorus has the wind instruments come in.
The instrumental break sounds great with the rhythm section up front, the piano right, and guitar left. Then the sax takes us through to the next verse up front.
I suppose some folks may have wanted the wind instruments in the surrounds, but here I think the balance of the soundfield works better with them up front. The piano and guitar really do work well as the holders of the side locations.

Crazy Love
The drums are in the rears, but sound perfect in this set up, for this song. The bass sounds wonderful here.
The bvox work really well in the sides and front. Guitar on the left and right.
Van's vocal sounds perfect with a little space up front.
A really nice balanced mix, that feels like it really enhances the song.

Caravan
Piano starts us off on the left.
Van up front, with a nice solid drum and bass accompaniment.
The horns come in right side, left side and front, giving a nice warm wrap around feel.
As per usual Scheiner manages to give us a really nice balanced mix, based in a good soundstage, rather than what some see as gimmicks and effects.
As the la la outro comes in, we get a really nice layered and sensibly spread Van wrap around. Excellent.

Into The Mystic
I love this song, one of my favourite Van songs.
Acoustic guitar just wide of front right. Chordal fill acoustic just wide of front left.
Strings gently swell on the right side.
Piano left side.
The horn section is both sides, but a little more dense on the right side
Again really nice mix.

Come Running
Piano just left of front left. Rhythm section up front. Horns right. Bvox sides.
Percussion right rear.
A somewhat overlooked song on this album. Side one is full of radio classics, but side two shouldn't be ignored here.

These Dreams Of You
Harmonica right rear. Guitar left side.
That nice rhythm section up front.
Horns right side. Organ left side.
Another very good song that gets lost on side two for some.
Very cool horn lead break up front, short and sweet.

Brand New Day
Piano left, guitar right.
Another great song, every bit as good as the tracks on side one.
Virtually a gospel track.
Nice bvox in the rears.
Horn comes in left rear on the second chorus. Percussion right side.
Beautiful track, great mix.

Everyone
Harpsichord? just left of left front.
Flute and sax in the rears. A bouncy joyous track.
Interesting accents from the drums that help push the song along. Some great bass also.

Glad Tidings
Hand claps front and right rear.
Horns front and right rear.
Organ and guitar left.
Bvox all round
Some really nice blending here, with a nice warm, full sound.
A nice perky, upbeat song to close the album.

This is a magnificent album, and this mix enhances that well. It is immersive, and balanced, and the focus is on clarity and a solid soundstage that has all the elements one would want in surround from this kind of album.
Recommended for lovers of this album and surround. As it is the only Van available in surround at this stage, I think that makes it essential.
It is a little annoying that it is only in the 5 disc set, but it isn't an extortionate price for what you are getting, and we all know how fast the price will rise once the new versions are extinct.

 

A great surround mix to one of my favorite albums.

 

Band on the Run


Studio album by
Paul McCartney and Wings
Released 5 December 1973 (US)
7 December 1973 (UK)
Recorded August–October 1973
Studio EMI Studios and ARC Studio, Lagos, Nigeria; AIR Studios and Kingsway Recorders, London[1]
Genre Rock
Length 41:08 (UK version)
44:17 (US version)
Label Apple
Producer Paul McCartney

Band on the Run is the third studio album by the British–American rock band Paul McCartney and Wings, released in December 1973. It was McCartney's fifth album after leaving the Beatles in April 1970. Although sales were modest initially, its commercial performance was aided by two hit singles – "Jet" and "Band on the Run" – such that it became the top-selling studio album of 1974 in the United Kingdom and Australia, in addition to revitalising McCartney's critical standing. It remains McCartney's most successful album and the most celebrated of his post-Beatles works.

The majority of Band on the Run was recorded at EMI's studio in Lagos, Nigeria, as McCartney wanted to make an album in an exotic locale. Shortly before departing for Lagos, however, drummer Denny Seiwell and guitarist Henry McCullough left the group. With no time to recruit replacements, McCartney went into the studio with just his wife Linda and Denny Laine. In addition to playing bass, McCartney also played drums, percussion and most of the lead guitar parts himself.[2] On arriving, it was discovered that the studio was below standard, and conditions in Nigeria were tense and difficult; the McCartneys were robbed at knifepoint, during which a bag containing unfinished song lyrics and demo tapes was taken. After the band's return to England, final overdubs and further recording were carried out in London, mostly at AIR Studios.

In 2000, Q magazine placed it at number 75 in its list of the "100 Greatest British Albums Ever". In 2012, Band on the Run was voted 418th on Rolling Stone's revised list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time".[3] A contemporary review by Jon Landau in Rolling Stone described the album as "with the possible exception of John Lennon's Plastic Ono Band, the finest record yet released by any of the four musicians who were once called the Beatles".[4] It was McCartney's last album issued on the Apple record label.

Band members

• Paul McCartney – lead and backing vocals; bass, acoustic and electric guitars; piano, keyboards; drums, percussion
• Linda McCartney – harmony and backing vocals; organ, keyboards; percussion
• Denny Laine – harmony and backing vocals; co-lead vocals ("No Words" and "Picasso's Last Words"); acoustic and electric guitars; percussion

Additional personnel

• Howie Casey – saxophone on "Jet",[28] "Bluebird" and "Mrs. Vandebilt"
• Ginger Baker – percussion on "Picasso's Last Words"
• Remi Kabaka – percussion on "Bluebird"
• Ian Horne, Trevor Jones – backing vocals on "No Words"
• 3 uncredited session musicians – saxophones on "Jet"[28]
• Tony Visconti – orchestrations
• Geoff Emerick – sound engineer

Side one

1. "Band on the Run" – 5:12
2. "Jet" – 4:09
3. "Bluebird" – 3:23
4. "Mrs. Vandebilt" – 4:40
5. "Let Me Roll It" – 4:51

Side two

1. "Mamunia" – 4:51
2. "No Words" – 2:35
3. "Helen Wheels" – 3:44 (additional track only on the US release)
4. "Picasso's Last Words (Drink to Me)" – 5:49
5. "Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five" – 5:28

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ok, so nobody has ever heard of this guy. Apparently he was in a band that had something to do with insects, and made a few albums on his own afterwards. One day folks may come to know some of his music, but it seems unlikely .... look I am being sarcastic... I hope, obviously.
I am one that enjoys the Beatles a lot. I have their UK releases, and have had since the eighties. The double red album was the second album I ever owned and I recently got the US albums box to hear the differences, but was disappointed that the dexterisation (something to do with a blood splatter expert being a killer i think) was taken off ... I believe ... which kind of defeated the purpose.
I think Venus and Mars was the first Mccartney solo album I ever had, followed shortly after by Tug Of War. I was one that bought into the hype as a young fellow, and rated Lennon as the heart of the Beatles, and I didn't really explore Mccartney's solo stuff too deeply until the somewhat recent reissue campaign. I now have most of them, and although I think to some degree some albums get a little bit overblown, and some a little unfairly maligned, Mccartney has had a magnificent career, that any artist should be proud of.
It often seems on this board that the Beatles, and the solo albums by their members are about the only important music ever made, and that can be incredibly annoying, because it really just turns people away from listening to their music, and the reality is that as a band and solo they made some fantastic music .... I would probably listen to them more if not for the overblown hero worship they receive ... maybe that makes me an idiot, but it can become a little overbearing and negatively effect my enjoyment of their, or anybody else's, music.

Band On the Run is more than likely Mccartney's best album. I do believe, or think of Wings as a band, but with a figure as prominent as Mccartney, it becomes a game of semantics, and really it is a little redundant to me anyhow. I listen to albums because of the songs on them, and appreciate the musicianship and writing, and whoever played the music is interesting, but not essential to me.
I am surprised to read that this album is virtually a solo album, but it is pleasing to know that Denny Laine was still involved, because I reckon he is great, and his live version of Go Now (the old Moody Blues song, who he was a member of from 64-66) has always been a highlight to me from the Wings Over America album, and later the Rockshow Bluray.

Important information about this DTS disc! There are two versions of this 5.1 Dts disc. One of the versions has the first couple of notes of the opening song clipped off ... and yes sadly that is the version I have. I believe that another version was released that has this corrected. I would really like any of you experts to stick your hand up and let us know which is which, to save anyone from buying this and getting the wrong one .... my version
Having said that, the clip is more annoying than anything else, and doesn't hugely impact the listening of the album. Obviously I would like to not have this poor and lazy piece of work be part of this disc, but I am not going to throw the baby out with the bathwater either.... So just please be aware of this fact.

This one is long out of print but still available for those with the budget to justify it.
Amazon - from $74 https://www.amazon.com/Band-Run-DTS-Surround-System/dp/B000007SIH
Ebay various from about $85 Wings Band On the Run DTS disc | eBay be aware that this is a general search and not all listed here are the 5.1 discs
Ebay $87 Band on the Run by Paul McCartney/Paul McCartney & Wings/Wings (Paul McCartney) (CD, Sep-2001) for sale online | eBay

Discogs - This is the version I have released in 1996 by Mpl communications - MFI4403 and goes for about $100 Paul McCartney And Wings* - Band On The Run
Discogs - This version released in 2001 has the same numbers 71021-54403-2-3 and MFI4403 .. but I believe that this version is not clipped *If nobody can give us the lowdown please check before purchasing, as I am not sure what the differences are, but I believe it may have something to do with the case it is presented in. My copy is just a regular cd case, and I believe the other is the standard, larger DVD-audio type case ... again please check, for your own piece of mind. Currently unavailable on discogs Paul McCartney And Wings* - Band On The Run

The surround mix is by Alan O'Duffy and Geoff Emerick

So even though there have been many box sets and deluxe issues etc, I don't believe this mix made it onto any of them which seems unusual. Perhaps this clipping error put them off doing much more in this format, which is disappointing really, as that comes down to inattentive, and possibly lazy mastering? Unless it was a pressing error.

Aside from all of that stuff, this is a fantastic album that is really worth owning, unless you of course have Beatle related burnout.

Band On The Run
So we miss the first three notes and come in on the chord slide... shake it off and keep going...
Guitar right side. Wavering synth left.
Really nice bass sound up front. Drums up front. The slide before the first change through the rears.
Synth left, guitar right.
The mess up is disappointing because this is a really nice mix.
The next change with the orchestration is filling all channels.
The acoustic comes in on the left.
The slide of the undertakers sigh, slides in rears, like the first change. As does the chorus lead guitar.
Once the song gets passed the glitch it is great, but the irritation at such a simple, easily spotted and fixed error lingers a little.

Jet
Percussive gtr left horns right.
Synth swell left.
Bvox have effect sends to rears.
Gtr in ah mater section left rear.
Piano right.
Strings in the rears
This is pretty good, but it sounds a little flat, and it seems the mix could have been a little better

Bluebird
Acoustic in chorus left side.
Bridge section has a really nice full change.
Sax comes in right rear, with bvox left rear.
This is a nice mix, particularly for quite an early mix. It kind of sits between the quad days, and the modern 5.1 era.
Nice mix

Mrs Vandebilt
Acoustic left side, and percussive gtr right. Nice bass up front.
Electric piano right.
Cymbals in rears.
Sax on the left.
Ahhh's right side.
This is a nice mix, and I always liked this song. Though "ho, hey ho", could be misconstrued these days

Let Me Roll It
Organ through the rears, but slightly left side accented.
Bass, drums and guitar up front.
Vocals has mild reverbish- delay sending to rears. Bvox sides.
I always loved this song.

Mamunia
Acoustic left rear. Percussion front and right. Bass sounds really nice.
Again a nice mix, for a fairly sparsely arranged track.
Counter vocal in the rears.
Then harmonies all around.
Synth near the end starts just left of left and then moves all around the field, having a nice feel.

No Words
Keys right side. Strings in rears.
This is a more involved mix with a few things popping up around the place, and in context of this song, it works very well.
Guitars pop up on either side, and slide around the rears.
Nice mix

Helen Wheels
Opening guitars in rears, either side.
Main track in first verse up front.
Bvox either side.
Synth right rear, answered by guitar left side.
Another nice mix

Picasso's Last Words (drink to me)
Guitars either side in rears. Bass and vocals up front. Cymbal left side. Drum bits up front.
Talking right rear. Wind instrument left side. Reprise of Jet - strings in rears. Electric piano left. Then the reprise of drink to me continues with the same set up.
Then we get another change up with original instrumentation as set up, and we return to spoken bit right rear and the clarinet? left.
We change again back to the other section and get a ho hey ho reprise, vocals in the rears.
Nice and interesting mix.

Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five
Piano front left. Bass pumping in the middle.synth slides around the field.
The synth comes in and out from different positions. organ in the right rear.
Bvox all round.
Forgot that I really like this track also, it's been a while.
Another nice mix, with a very effective crescendo that really brings all the speakers into play effectively. The we get a band on the run reprise.

I really like this album, and i believe it deserves a surround mix, and this is a good surround mix ... I do think it could be a little better.
I think this is worth having, preferably the unbotched version, but on the whole even with the glitch, I am glad I have this. This was a very early mix in the modern surround world, but I think it holds up pretty well. We have some nice balanced mixes, but I feel the sound could be a little better, although (and I could be misremembering) I think the production could be a little better.
This album aside from the mixing, is actually more in line with the alt, back to basics kind of RAM sound, than I remember, and perhaps for this album that wasn't the best choice. there is some really good writing here, that would very much suit a somewhat Pink Floyd/prog rock kind of production sound in my opinion.
Anyway, this is an excellent album, there are some minor quibbles, but the only major thing is the missing first three notes, which as I say are on a reissued version.

 

Sailing to Philadelphia


Studio album by
Mark Knopfler
Released 26 September 2000
Recorded Ocean Way Studios,
Tracking Room Studios,
Nashville, 1998–2000
Genre Roots rock, folk rock, blues
Length 60:11 (International)
60:25 (USA)
Label Mercury
Warner Bros. (USA)
Producer Mark Knopfler, Chuck Ainlay

Sailing to Philadelphia is the second solo studio album by British singer-songwriter and guitarist Mark Knopfler, released on 26 September 2000 by Vertigo Records internationally, and by Warner Bros. Records in the United States.[1] The album contains featured vocal performances by James Taylor, Van Morrison, and Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook of Squeeze (band).

The title track is drawn from Mason & Dixon by Thomas Pynchon, a novel about Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon,[2] the two English surveyors who established the border separating Pennsylvania and Delaware from Maryland and Virginia in the 1760s. This border later became known as the Mason–Dixon line and has been used since the 1820s to denote the border between the Southern United States and the Northern United States.

• Mark Knopfler – vocals, guitar
• Richard Bennett – guitar
• Jim Cox – piano, Hammond organ
• Guy Fletcher – keyboards, backing vocals
• Glenn Worf – bass guitar
• Chad Cromwell – drums
• Danny Cummings – percussion
• Paul Franklin – pedal steel guitar, lap steel guitar
• Frank Ricotti – marimba
• Aubrey Haynie – violin (1,10)
• Jim Hoke – autoharp, harmonica
• Wayne Jackson – trumpet
• Mike Haynes – flugelhorn
• Harvey Thompson – tenor saxophone
• Jim Horn – baritone saxophone, tenor saxophone
• James Taylor – vocals (2)
• Van Morrison – vocals (5)
• Gillian Welch and David Rawlings – vocals (8,10)
• Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford – vocals (International 6)
• Duane Starling – vocals
• Gillian Welch – vocals
• Chris Willis – vocals[7]

Production

• Mark Knopfler – producer
• Chuck Ainlay – producer, engineer, mixing
• Chubba Petocz – engineer
• Jon Bailey – assistant engineer
• Graham Lewis – assistant
• Mark Ralston – assistant
• Aaron Swihart – assistant
• Denny Purcell – mastering
• Jonathan Russell – mastering assistant
• Andrew Williams – portrait photography
• Eric Conn – editing
• Sandy Choron – art direction
• Harry Choron – design
• Jose Molina – photography (front cover)
• James Gritz – photography (back cover)
• Andrew Williams – photography (portrait)
• Ben Mikaelsen – photography (additional)[7]

1. "What It Is" 4:57
2. "Sailing to Philadelphia" (featuring James Taylor) 5:29
3. "Who's Your Baby Now" 3:05
4. "Baloney Again" 5:09
5. "The Last Laugh" (featuring Van Morrison) 3:22
6. "Do America" 4:11
7. "El Macho" 5:29
8. "Prairie Wedding" 4:26
9. "Wanderlust" 3:52
10. "Speedway at Nazareth" 6:23
11. "Junkie Doll" 4:34
12. "Silvertown Blues" 5:32
13. "Sands of Nevada" 3:56
Total length: 60:25
---------------------------------------------
Knopfler rose to fame with the band Dire Straits, who released a brilliant series of albums. For me the band artistically peaked (somewhat) with the amazing Love Over Gold album in 1982, but they certainly peaked commercially with their next album Brothers In Arms in 1985. They released the album On Every Street, toured it, and then dissolved the band, as I figure that the eighties overkill machine had really overexposed them during the Brothers In Arms years. I know A lot of folks would say that the Debut album, or Communique, and even Making Movies are their best albums, but the thing is all the albums are very high quality writing, playing and production, and well worth hearing if you have any interest at all.
Over the years Knopfler did many movie soundtrack albums, with Local Hero probably being the most well known, and the instrumental Going Home also being a hit to some degree if I remember rightly. Although Knopfler is a deft guitar player, he wasn't afraid to leave guitar off his soundtrack albums, which leaves me believing that he actually cares about the songs, not just his guitar, which is an honourable trait for a guitarist, especially one so good.
He has recorded album with Chet Atkins and Emmylou Harris, and many albums of his own, soundtrack albums and standard releases. Two of his solo albums are available in 5.1, this album, and Shangri La, and I hold out hope, that one day the magnificent Love Over Gold will get a good 5.1 mix, as it is one of my favourite albums of all time.

I assume the surround mix is by Chuck Ainley
Mastered by Denny Purcell and Jonathan Russell

I discovered the band properly when I was given a copy of Love Over Gold on cassette, by a friend. I was familiar with Sultans Of Swing, and enjoyed it a lot, and I had heard other songs on the radio in Perth, but I didn't know them well at the time. After hearing Love Over Gold, I bought the album proper, in fact it was my first cd. Shortly after the live Alchemy album came out, and I ended up buying all the band's stuff. I even bought the sountrack album Cal by Knopfler, and it was excellent, and so very different from anything I had heard before from him.
As I say in the eighties radio killed a lot of music for me, Brothers in Arms being one. When we looked at that album I explained the situation, so I won't go into it here, needless to say radio was booted from my life. The fallout was that for years I ignored Knopfler's solo work, but I have rehabilitated myself in the time since, and can highly recommend Sailing To Philadelphia and Shangri La ... on another point though. Love Over Gold has never been far away from my player, I have never tired of it at all, and it is one of those albums that I can listen to more than once in a sitting and really still enjoy it. I listened to the 180gm vinyl last night while having a few beers with a friend.

Sadly this is another disc that has fallen from availability and on
Discogs it is $83 Mark Knopfler - Sailing To Philadelphia
Amazon $68 https://www.amazon.com/Sailing-Philadelphia-CD-DVD-Audio/dp/B00069A5GE
ebay over $100 mark knopfler dvd audio | eBay ... but there is a copy of Shangri la there for $25 new -check it out, if it is legit, get it, it's great.

What It Is
We open with a nice moderately uptempo track.
We have a nice warm thick sound, with a wall of rhythmic sound.
Synth in the rears.
Organ left. Percussion left, violin comes in from a few different spots during the song.
It sounds beautiful, and Knopfler's guitar sounds great too.

Sailing To Philadelphia
A moderate tempo track, with a relaxed feel. A slight folk feel.
Guitars either side.
Knopfler and Taylor share the vocals.
Brush snare left.
Some nice cymbals get some rears action.
The piano is somewhat everywhere.
Steel guitar in the rears.
Nice smooth clean sub.
These are really nice mixes.
Full immersion, without sounding separated... very smooth production enhancing this great sound.

Who's Your Baby Now
Acoustic gtr surrounding us.
Percussion in the rears
Organ alternates between fronts an rears, like a call and response.
I get the impression this was recorded for surround, not just mixed, sounds excellent.

Baloney Again
Harmonica left rear. Gtr right rear.
Then the beat comes in
Gtr left side, cricket sounding organ? Right side. Also a gtr on the right.
Beautiful warm sub on this album, adding to the sound of the bass and kick, without interfering with other frequencies.
Again a beautifully immersive mix.
Really nice hammond b3 sound in the rears.
The lead guitar has a very intimate sound, warm and full bodied.

Last Laugh
Gtr left, with tremolo
Vocal centre
Everything comes in and we get Van Morrison singing the next verse.
Horns arranged around us playing a very nice chordal arrangement.
Another beautiful mix here.
Great song to. This really is a high quality album if you like Knopfler's style

Do America
Chunky country/rockabilly kind of feel here.
Organ left, gtrs either side cymbals coming in the rears nicely.
Again this is beautifully immersive, and the chord progression at the end of the chorus is excellent.
Some cool synthetic sounds throw a nice curveball into the mix.
This really is a top shelf mix.

El Macho
Gentle chugging track that could almost be off the Dire Straits debut, same kind of feel, with somewhat slightly different instrumentation.
Gtrs either side.
Organ left, tuned percussion right.
Again a lovely immersive factor.
If I haven't said, really nice sub on this.

Prairie Wedding
Gtr left and right, synth front and rears
Smooth mellow track. Certainly not boring sounds too good to be boring.
Lovely understated guitar.
Really nice.

Wanderlust
Tremolo gtr left, acoustic right.
Synth swell all round.
A bluesy kind of feel here.
Nice bass.
Organ chirps right.
Even the really quiet bits have great clarity and the fadeaway punchline song title, you can hear the vocal in spite of its quiet fadeaway type delivery.
Excellent.

Speedway At Nazareth
Synth front.
Acoustic guitar either side.
Folky, alternative track, the sounds good and not out of place.
Nice violin front left.
Some nice harmony vocals.
Brush snare left side.
Somewhat reminiscent of Man's Too Strong, but not too similar.. Excellent arrangement. Wonderful mix. Great sound.
Again wonderful use of the sub.
This really like a perfect headphones without headphones mix.

Junkie Doll
Dirty blues guitar up front. Guitars all around, in this bluesy track with some hybrid stylings really creating an interesting track.
Again marvellous mix, and a great swinging blues groove, that just really sells it.
Nice organ left.
This really is a wonderful mix.

Silvertown Blues
Another haunting type bluesy track.
Some nice ambient effects in the rear.
A great job building the tension here.
We get a nice change into the chorus.
Gtrs either side.
Again wonderfully immersive.
Difford and Tillbrook on the backing vocals.
The song opens up and gets a steady beat.
Cymbals crash in rears.
Knopfler is really writing and arranging well on this album, and Chuck Ainley has done a great job of recording and mixing.
Top shelf stuff.

Sands Of Nevada
We get a really cool intro, and move into a Dylanesque acoustic gtr and vocal up front (times are a changin era)
Again with some great writing the feel moves slightly to give the song a fresh personality.
Again beautifully immersive, and the sound is impeccable.

Well I am happy to say that this is another great new album on the shelf, that finally got a proper listen.
The album sounds like it could be Dire Straits, but then again it doesn't, it's hard to really explain. Released in 2000, this album should have been really big, as it is an exquisite piece of work, but I guess a little left of centre and not really a mainstream piece of work.
I am taken by how well it is recorded and mixed, and produced, and we end up with a wonderful sounding album, with quite captivating songs that manage to cover a lot of ground. We have some rootsy sounding stuff, but it brought into the 21st century with some very tasteful arrangements and instrument choices.
All the guests do a great job of their parts, and I would assume this has something to do with respect for the man behind the guitar. He has always come across as a very down to earth genuine bloke, and the one time I met him for a brief moment, when I was a teen, he was attentive and patient and really did seem to be a pretty straight up bloke.
I have to say I love this album in surround, and I wouldn't go back to the stereo for it ... not that I ever heard the stereo mix, but it would probably be worth getting the vinyl or cd if you feel the price is too high to warrant getting it these days....
I highly recommend it to anyone that likes Knopfler's style, and I feel it would very much satisfy the old school Dire Straits listener also.
Very impressed with this album, and mix.

 

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

Reference to the albums

Aerosmith - Toys In The Attic
Alice Cooper - Welcome To My Nightmare
Allman Brothers Band - Live At Fillmore East
Allman Brother Band - Eat a Peach
Anathema - We're Here Because We're Here
Ayreon - The Source

The Beatles - The Beatles (White Album)
The Beatles - Abbey Road
Beck, Jeff - Blow By Blow
Be Bop Deluxe - Sunburst Finish
Bjork - Vespertine
Bowie, David - The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars
Browne, Jackson - Running On Empty

Charles, Ray - Ray Sings, Basie Swings

Davis, Miles - Bitches Brew
Depeche Mode - Some Great Reward
Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms
Doobie Brothers - The Captain And Me
Dream Theater - Distance Over Time
Dylan, Bob - Blonde On Blonde

Eagles - Hotel California
ELO - debut album
Emerson Lake And Palmer - Brain Salad Surgery

Fagen, Donald - The Nightfly
Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
Fleetwood Mac - Rumours

Gaye, Marvin - Lets Get It On
Genesis - Selling England By The Pound
Gentle Giant - The Power and The Glory

Hendrix, Jimi - Electric Ladyland

Inxs - Kick
Iron Maiden - Dance Of Death

Jethro Tull - Minstrel In The Gallery
Joel, Billy - The Stranger
John, Elton - Madman Across The Water

King Crimson - Red
Knopfler, Mark - Sailing To Philadelphia

Living Colour - Collideoscope
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Southern Surroundings

Moody Blues - A Question Of Balance
Morrison, Van - Moondance

Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Dig Lazarus Dig
Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral

Oldfield, Mike - Five Miles Out
Opeth Pale - Communion

Pat Metheny Group - Imaginary Day
Pineapple Thief - Dissolution
Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon
Pixies - Doolittle

Queen - A Night At The Opera

REM - Green
Rich, Charlie Behind Closed Doors
Roxy Music - Avalon
Rush - Moving Pictures

Sly And The Family Stone - Greatest Hits
Steve Miller Band - Fly Like An Eagle

Talking heads - Remain In Light
Tangerine Dream - Phaedra
Townsend, Pete/Lane, Ronnie - Rough Mix
T Rex - Electric Warrior

Uk - Night After Night

Wakeman, Rick - Six Wives Of Henry The Eighth
Waters, Roger - Amused to Death
Wayne, Jeff - War Of The Worlds
Who - Quadrophenia
Wilson, Steven - Hand. Cannot. Erase.
Wings - Band On The Run

XTC - The Black Sea

Yes - Close To The Edge

Zappa - Quaudiophiliac

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

 

On to some choices for next week I guess ....

Black Sabbath - Paranoid
Deep Purple - Machine Head

 

Derek And The Dominos - Layla
Miles Davis - In a Silent Way

 

Billie Holiday - Lady In Satin
Hiromi - Spiral

 

Steve Hackett - Spectral Mornings
Porcupine Tree - Lightbulb Sun

 

Big Brother And The Holding Company - Cheap thrills (Janis Joplin)
Carole King - Tapestry

 

Neil young - Harvest
Uriah Heep - Gold From the Byron Era

 

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Damn The Torpedoes
Marillion - Clutching At Straws

 

Hemispheres


Studio album by
Rush
Released October 29, 1978
Recorded June–July 1978
Studio Rockfield Studios (Rockfield, Monmouthshire, Wales) Advision Studios (London, England)
Genre Progressive rock
Length 36:08
Label Anthem
Producer Rush Terry Brown

Hemispheres is the sixth studio album by the Canadian rock band Rush, released in October 1978 by Anthem Records. After touring to support the band's previous studio release, A Farewell to Kings, which saw the group gain popularity in the UK, Rush started work on its next album. As with the band's previous studio album, Hemispheres was recorded at Rockfield Studios in Wales and Trident Studios in London with longtime engineer and arranger, Terry Brown. Rush continued its progressive rock sound with the side-long "Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres" and the nine-minute instrumental "La Villa Strangiato".

Hemispheres received critical acclaim from music critics. It reached number 14 in Canada and the UK, and number 41 in the United States. The album's two shorter tracks, "The Trees" and "Circumstances", were released as singles in 1978 and 1979, respectively. In 1993, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for selling one million copies. Rush supported Hemispheres with a concert tour from October 1978 to June 1979. The album was re-released in various expanded formats on November 16, 2018 as part of the band's ongoing 40th Anniversary editions, including the previously unreleased live set by the band at the Pinkpop Festival from June 1979.

Rush

• Alex Lifeson – 6- and 12-string electric and acoustic guitars, classical guitar, Roland guitar synthesizer, Moog Taurus pedals
• Neil Peart – drums, orchestra bells, bell tree, tympani, gong, cowbells, temple blocks, wind chimes, crotales
• Geddy Lee – bass guitar, Minimoog synthesizer, Oberheim polyphonic synthesizer, Moog Taurus pedals, vocals

Production

• Rush – production, arrangement
• Terry Brown – production, arrangement, mixing at Trident Studios
• Pat Moran – engineering at Rockfield Studios
• Declan O'Doherty – engineering at Advision Studios
• John Brand – mixing assistance at Trident Studios
• Ray Staff – mastering
• Simon Hilliard – tape operator at Trident Studios
• Mike Donegani – tape operator at Trident Studios
• Reno Ruocco – tape operator at Trident Studios
• Ray Staff – mastering at Trident Studios
• Hugh Syme – graphics, art direction
• Bob King – art direction
• Yosh Inouye – cover photography
• Fin Costello – inner sleeve and poster photography
• Moon Records – executive production

1. "Cygnus X-1 Book II: Hemispheres"

• I. "Prelude"
• II. "Apollo (Bringer of Wisdom)"
• III. "Dionysus (Bringer of Love)"
• IV. "Armageddon (The Battle of Heart and Mind)"
• V. "Cygnus (Bringer of Balance)"
• VI. "The Sphere (A Kind of Dream)"

18:08
2. "Circumstances" 3:42
3. "The Trees" 4:46
4. "La Villa Strangiato (An Exercise in Self-Indulgence)"

• I. "Buenos Nochas, Mein Froinds!"
• II. "To Sleep, Perchance to Dream..."
• III. "Strangiato Theme"
• IV. "A Lerxst in Wonderland"
• V. "Monsters!"
• VI. "The Ghost of the Aragon"
• VII. "Danforth and Pape"
• VIII. "The Waltz of the Shreves"
• IX. "Never Turn Your Back on a Monster!"
• X. "Monsters! (Reprise)"
• XI. "Strangiato Theme (Reprise)"
• XII. "A Farewell to Things"

9:35
-------------------------------------------------------
I had a sort of listen to this a few weeks ago, and while not concentrating and sitting having a few beers it sounded pretty good.
So as I think it is still available, I though with a spare forty minutes I would have a proper listen and see where we are at.
As I have some bands that have a lot of these 5.1 albums, next weeks polls I will probably start introducing bands we have already looked at.... I am just trying to keep this as broad and interesting as I am able. Please stick your two cents in here and there, so it isn't just me droning on

Amazon still have two at $99 https://www.amazon.com/Farewell-Kin...nniversary+super+deluxe&qid=1571599013&sr=8-1
Discogs from $110 Rush - Hemispheres 40th Anniversary Super Deluxe
it's on Ebay, but stupidly priced, as is often the case on Ebay rush hemispheres super deluxe | eBay

This is one of those slightly irritating super deluxe boxsets where you are getting three slabs of vinyl, two cd's and a bluray ... and most of us just want one of the items. The vinyl and 2cds are available separately but the bluray is not .... anyway. I know I said i wasn't getting it, but I am weak and eager, so, there's that.

5.1 mix Richard Chycki

Cygnus X-1 book II
We get a nice synth slide from the rears into the front.
The bass and drums sound good up front.
Whether by effects sends or multiple guitars, we have guitar all around us, and especially on the arpeggios it sounds excellents.
As the next section quiets down a little, we get a nice synth in the rears also.
Everything sounds nice and balanced, and the soundfield is filled well.
The arpeggio gtrs sound excellent in the rears.
This is the first proper listen I have ever had to this album.
Lifeson's lead guitar comes in hot up the front.
Nice cymbal swells in the rears.
The mix is riding on the guitar to provide most of the surround information, but it does sound very good.
Drum fills roll nicely across the front.
There is some incidental video images for those that like to watch something.
The cymbals get some side and rears action, and still sound whole and part of the drums.
Around the 12 min mark there is some mellow gtr in the rears, and we get an ambient section, with gtr scrapes providing sfx in the rears. Then we get keyboard swells and an effected Geddy vocal.
More ambience with synth or guitar swells giving some nice effects, that have an immersive feel that works well.
Then we punch back into the arpeggio gtrs.
Again Lifeson's lead comes in hot up front, for a short burst.
A big finish with a nice sound, and then we get a nice acoustic and vocal.
Guitars again getting some rears action.

Circumstances
We have a nice gritty hard rock riff. Then Geddy comes in.
We get a nice breakdown with belltones left rear.
When you consider how few track Chycki had to work with this sounds very good, and authentic.
Nice work

The Trees
The acoustic and vocal are all slightly left.
Then we punch in with the rock section.
I am guessing we have the main guitar just left of front left with signal sends to the rears. Cymbals crash around us.
The rears get some nice cymbal touches.
Nice ride left rear.
Lifeson's lead comes on hot up front again.
Some percussive effects in the rears.
However it is achieved, we have a nice immersive mix, that may not be Flaming Lips outrageous, but it is effective in creating the headphones without headphones feel.

La Villa Strangiato
We start with some more nice acoustic.
The sound style is kept consistent.
Synth right rear, bell tones left rear. Hornpipe style synth front.
The guitar and synths work well to create an interesting soundfield and we move in a crescendo that brings in that punchy guitar with the nice run down.
Nice ride left rear.
The volume swell gtr has a nice reverb through to the rears, and moves into a great lead break.
A gentle synth swell in the rears.
The bonus in this format is the space to still hear everything.
Very effective with synth in rears while muted gtr riff upfront.
Then we move into the spy like theme. Geddy takes a bit of a lead, and Peart the magnificent does his stuff, with some nice wide panning of the fills, that sounds very effective.
Synth swells in the rears again during an extended riff section.

Look the box is really nicely presented, the album sounds great to me, but I am not familiar with the original. This isn't a surround mix that has things coming from all over the place all the time, it is based in a solid mix set up, with some things going on here and there. There may be some doubled guitars at points that make the arpeggio sections sound so good, and then again they may be effect send derived, but it does sound good.
I would imagine that a hardcore Rush fan would have to have this. I would imagine that someone that loves the album, would enjoy this as an opening up of the album from the one dimensional stereo.
What it all comes down to, is if it is worth a hundred bucks to you. If this was a stand alone disc of 5.1, I would say, hey get it, it's $25 or whatever, but the fact of the matter is, it is a boxset with stuff you may not be interested in, It isn't so much that it isn't good value, more that I don't think the companies making these things realise they are hobbling their own product by hiding the 5.1 mixes in them
At the end of the day, I am not disappointed that I got it

 

Weren't you supposed to be out working in the yard today?

 

Did that yesterday

 

That SACD sounds downright bizarre.

 

Just checking.
Are we still getting into this folks?

 

Certainly. But if I don't have the albums being reviewed in a given week, I tend not to comment on them.

 

Same here, but I’m enjoying reading the reviews! Keep the thread going