Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries

The voting seems like it will be really close this week, so if you do have preferences get on it folks.
Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries

 

pretty much two votes between them all, and a tie at the front. Don't forget to vote folks

 

Well we'll see how we go today. We ended up with 2 sets getting 4 votes, 2 sets getting 5 votes and 2 sets getting six votes, I am pretty sure that's the closest vote we have had, even the other set got three votes

 

Good thing you have an extra hour then

 

Rough and Ready


Studio album by
The Jeff Beck Group
Released 25 October 1971
Recorded April–July 1971 at Island Studios, London
Genre Jazz fusion
Length 36:48
Label Epic
Producer Jeff Beck

Rough and Ready is the third album by The Jeff Beck Group and the first of two by the second Jeff Beck Group. Released in 1971, it featured more of a jazz, soul and R&B edge to counter Beck's lead guitar. As a songwriter, Beck contributed more pieces to Rough and Ready than he had before, or ever would again. Beck enlisted Bobby Tench as vocalist and it is also the first time keyboardist Max Middleton is heard. Other members of this line up are drummer Cozy Powell and bassist Clive Chaman.

• Jeff Beck – guitars, bass guitar and production
• Bobby Tench – vocals and rhythm guitar
• Max Middleton – piano and keyboards
• Clive Chaman – bass guitar
• Cozy Powell – drums

1. "Got the Feeling" Jeff Beck 4:46
2. "Situation" Beck 5:26
3. "Short Business" Beck 2:34
4. "Max's Tune - On original United States releases, this track is titled "Raynes Park Blues" and credited to Beck; subsequent pressings are titled and credited as above."
Max Middleton 8:24
5. "I've Been Used" Beck 3:40
6. "New Ways / Train Train" Beck 5:52
7. "Jody" Beck, Brian Short 6:06
Total length: 36:48
---------------------------------------
More on Jeff Beck here

When Jeff Beck left the Yardbirds, he formed The Jeff Beck Group, who many consider to be the inspiration for the start of the Hard Rock/Heavy Metal movement, although they weren't really a heavy metal band, with their focus being on a crunching heavy blues that was highlighted by Beck's guitar, and Rod Stewart's famously raspy vocals. In 1968 they recorded the album Truth which is pretty much a rock classic these days, to the best of my understanding, and deservedly so.
The band also consisted of Ronnie Wood on Bass and Mick Waller on Drums. The Album also famously had John Paul Jones and Jimmy Page playing on the somewhat famous Beck's Bolero. It also featured drummer Aynsley Dunbar, Keith Moon on Beck's Bolero and Stones Keyboardist Nicky Hopkins.
The album actually did pretty well on the charts also.
By 69 there were tensions between the band, and somewhat famously Beck and Stewart had some kind of issues with each other, but to be honest I have no idea what it was, but although remaining somewhat friends, and recording together again years later, and I believe either a recent and some to come live show together, the days of Jeff Beck Group 1 were numbered and limited to two albums.
Stewart borrowed Wood and Waller to record his debut solo album An Old Raincoat Will Never Let you Down, and famously went on to have a tremendously successful solo career, while being in Faces with Ronnie Wood and members of the Small Faces at the same time. It is certainly an unusual series of events, and I always used to find it all a little confusing.

In 1970 Beck reformed The Jeff Beck Group, but went into a slightly different direction.
After a couple of minor line up changes, the above listed group went into the studios with CBS as a record label and produced Rough and Ready, which came out in October 1971. The band had taken on a somewhat jazz-fusion type sound, and had moved on from the hard rock/heavy blues of the Stewart era.
Many didn't expect Beck to come back from the loss of Stewart, but history shows us one of the finest guitarists ever in the rock field was very adaptable, with a lot of influences, and an unusual skill of reinventing himself in some of the most unlikely ways.
Although not really a chart artist, and certainly not generally particularly pop (although has has made some fairly successful pop songs when the mood has taken him, Beck has remained popular and quite diverse and productive in the nearly fifty years since this album.

Rough and Ready actually finished with a number 23 ranking in the 1971 Paz and Jop poll for albums of the year, an annual critics poll run by The Village Voice.


This album, is just still available. Like most of the Japanese quad reissues it comes with a slightly higher price tag that puts people off, but of the albums I have, they really do seem to be of the highest quality, and although I am no audiophile, all the ones I have sound quite wonderful ... though I will find it hard to get into technical details as to why. Perhaps one of audiophiles on here can explain why these albums sound so damn good ... One of the other quad sacd's we will be going through today Santana Lotus is also from this same series, and again has sensational sound.
These albums come in a 7" sleeve and are generally packed with little bits and pieces of interest. The presentation is very professional, and even just looking at the albums is somewhat satisfying. Bitches Brew that we looked at earlier is also one of these releases.

Available new at Walmart for about $50 https://www.walmart.com/ip/Jeff-Beck-Rough-Ready-Hybrid-SACD/412283229?adid=22222222264426801693&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=b&wl1=o&wl2=c&wl3=74904330799817&wl4=dat-2326704043380979:aud-807615483:loc-190&wl5=42993&wl6=&wl7=113044&wl14=Jeff Beck Rough And Ready sacd&veh=sem&msclkid=1294d4a0e76d1ed2b3f0891e2d2de155
Ebay from about $49 jeff beck rough and ready sacd | eBay
Amazon from about $50 https://www.amazon.com/Rough-Ready-Hybrid-SACD-JEFF-GROUP/dp/B01N02N6SS
Discogs from about $45 Jeff Beck Group - Rough And Ready
Acoustic Sounds $49.98 Jeff Beck Group-Rough And Ready-Hybrid Multichannel SACD|Acoustic Sounds
and I am sure many other outlets.

Mastered by Jack Ashkinazy
Quad sound Supervision Jim Reeves
Quad Remix Engineer Don Young

Got The Feeling
We start with some cool drums and burst into an excellent mix instantly.
The centre channel does have sound.
We have chunky rhythm guitars either side. Cowbell left rear (time for the quote I guess)
Max Middleton across the front.
The bass has nice sub support.
Percussion either side.
A couple of effect guitar notes slide front to right, right rear to left rear.
While beck plays a tasty lead, middleton moves to right side, and we also get a nice clean rhythm guitar left rear.
There is surprisingly a lot going on here, and it sounds great.

Situation
Starts with a kick drum front, and gtr left rear. Then we get a full field.
Piano right side leaning to the rear.
Kick has nice sub support.
Lead guitar has a front positioning with effects sends to right rear.
Again great sound.
These releases are just beautiful sonically.
Piano break has a nice little thing going on with piano right rear gtr left front.
Electric piano lead break up front. Middleton can certainly tear it up.
Some folks gave Bobby Tench some negative reviews for his vocals, but they sound solid and somewhat soulful to me.

Short Business
Gtrs either side in this uptempo race up.
Gtr moves from rear left to front and then moves into a lead break.
This track has a really dense sound. It is very short.

Max's Tune
Drums up front, gtr left rear. Reflective feel here. Keys left front.
Another gtr comes in front right, and there are harmonies, and counter melodies going on.
Keys actually in left rear also.
This is a tension builders. With a somewhat broken feel, and the keys and guitar working together well to create a very good melodic base.
Then we break into a groove somewhere around the 3:15 mark.
This moves back to the more open structure from the start around 4:00.
It works really well, and Middleton takes the melodic reigns here.
The keys cover the left side and guitar right with bass and drums holding fort up front.
We groove again at 5:50, and an electric piano lead come in front right for a lead.
This is a nice thoughtful instrumental, again with a nice mix, and great sound.
It really does sound like Beck is standing on my right.

I've Been used
Gtrs both sides.
This track has a sound that is somewhat crossed between rock, soul and fusion, and it works surprisingly well.
Again great sound. Layers of guitars creating a great wall of texture. Keys up front.
All through we get good sub support for drums and bass.

New Ways Train Train
The drums have effects sends to right rear, sounds mildly unusual, but not bad.
Actually the drums are kind of wrapping around us, with an interesting sound.
This is an interesting mix.
A lot of effects sends creating an interesting surround environment, that sounds very good, but slightly less so than previous tracks.
I am more familiar with this track, as it is on the Beckology box set, which I highly recommend for Beck fans, as it covers the yardbirds all the way through to I think guitar shop.
We get a nice breakdown with percussion in the rear and a little unison part between gtr and bass.
Good mix, but unusual.

Jody
Piano upfront. With bass and drums solid and with sub support.
Beck comes on with a slide with a front right signal with right rear effect send, sounds nice.
Cymbals left side.
The piano seems to have an across the middle of the room feel, coming out of all channels . .. unusual, but good.

This is a great album, but i am huge fan of Jeff Beck and his various directions. I think the first five songs have slightly better mixes than the last two, and I am not sure why, but the last two tracks are still good. The album itself is excellent, and I assume a Beck fan would have to have this version of it.
The first five tracks are on par with anything we have looked at so far from a mix perspective, the last two are very good, but not quite as engrossing from a surround perspective. Still some interesting things going on, but slightly less ear catching.
Well worth checking out. I know fifty bucks seems like a big wad for a quad mix, but history seems to show that these discs will just keep going up in price, especially once they are out of print, so if this interests you, it may pay to get on it before that tragic event comes around.

 

We'll se how we go, it all depends on how keen the mrs is to sleep

 

It truly aggravates me that The Wall is not yet available in 5.1.

 

As far as the surround mix goes - the DVD in the box set is night and day difference. It’s a much better surround mix. I’ve not compared the stereo mastering.

 

I wholeheartedly agree, the Japanese quad SACDs are excellent, the fidelity is stunning and the LP does not even stand a chance. The SQ decoder in my Sansui QRX 7001 does a pretty good job but the true discreteness of the SACD is so satisfying. Great album!

 

Lotus


Live album by
Santana
Released May 1974 (Japan)
Nov. 1975 (Europe)
June 1991 (U.S.)
Recorded July 3rd and 4th, 1973
Venue Osaka Kōsei Nenkin Kaikan,[1][2]
Osaka, Japan
Genre Latin rock jazz fusion funk rock rhythm and blues
Length 121:08 (original LP)
118:51 (1991 2CD reissue)
156:18 (2017 3CD reissue)
Label Columbia
Producer Carlos Santana Richard Kermode Michael Shrieve Doug Rauch Tom Coster Armando Peraza José Areas

Lotus is a 1974 live album by the Latin rock band Santana, recorded at the Osaka Kōsei Nenkin Kaikan, Osaka, Japan in July 1973, during their Caravanserai Tour. It was originally released in 1974 as a triple vinyl LP in Japan only.[4] This version of the album was later released internationally.

In 2017 a limited edition version was released as "Lotus: Complete Edition". This release is a 3 disc set hybrid Super Audio CD with seven previously unreleased bonus tracks. This was also a Japan only release.

• Carlos Santana – guitar, Latin percussion, Echoplex
• Leon Thomas – maracas, vocals
• Tom Coster – Hammond organ, electric piano, Yamaha organ
• Richard Kermode – Hammond organ, electric piano
• Doug Rauch – bass
• Armando Peraza – congas, bongos, Latin percussion
• José "Chepito" Areas – timbales, congas, Latin percussion
• Michael Shrieve – drums, Latin percussion

1. "Meditation" 1:39
2. "Going Home" (from Welcome) Anton Dvorák; arranged by Coltrane, Santana, Coster, Kermode, Rauch, Shrieve, Areas, Peraza 2:53
3. "A-1 Funk" (new track) Santana, Coster, Kermode, Rauch, Shrieve, Areas, Peraza 3:13
4. "Every Step of the Way" (from Caravanserai) Shrieve 11:30
5. "Black Magic Woman" (from Abraxas) Green 3:38
6. "Gypsy Queen" (from Abraxas) Szabó 3:58
7. "Oye Como Va" (from Abraxas) Puente 5:47
8. "Japan" (previously unreleased bonus track) Hayashi, Matsuhima; arranged by Santana, Kermode, Shrieve, Rauch, Coster, Peraza, Areas 4:49
9. "Bambele" (previously unreleased bonus track) Areas, Peraza 4:52
10. "Um Um Um" (previously unreleased bonus track) Leon Thomas 6:51
11. "Yours Is the Light" (from Welcome) Kermode 5:30

12. "Batuka" (from Santana III) Areas, Brown, Carabello, Rolie, Shrieve 0:55
13. "Xibaba (She-Ba-Ba)" (new track) Moreira 4:13
14. "Stone Flower (Introduction)" (from Caravanserai) Jobim, Santana, Shrieve 1:14
15. "Waiting" (from Santana) Santana 4:14
16. "Castillos de Arena Part 1 (Sand Castle)" (new track) Corea, Young, Santana, Coster, Kermode, Rauch, Shrieve, Areas, Peraza 2:51
17. "Free Angela" (new track) Cochran 4:26
18. "Samba de Sausalito" (from Welcome) Areas 4:02
19. "Mantra" (new track) Coster, Santana, Shrieve 7:17
20. "Kyoto (Drum Solo)" (new track) Shrieve 9:58
21. "Castillos de Arena Part 2 (Sand Castle)" (new track) Corea, Young, Santana, Kermode, Coster, Kermode, Rauch, Shrieve, Areas, Peraza 2:51
22. "Light of Life" (previously unreleased bonus track) Santana, Kermode, Coster 3:29
23. "Se a Cabo" (from Abraxas) Areas 5:39

24. "Samba Pa Ti" (from Abraxas) Santana 8:56
25. "Mr. Udo" (new track) Santana, Coster, Kermode, Rauch, Shrieve, Areas, Peraza 3:07
26. "The Creator Has a Master Plan" (previously unreleased bonus track) Thomas, Pharoah Sanders 9:02
27. "Savor" (previously unreleased bonus tracks) Santana, Brown, Rolie, Shrieve, Areas, Carabello 4:15
28. "Conga Solo" (previously unreleased bonus tracks) Peraza 2:45
29. "Toussaint L'Overture" (from Santana III) Areas, Brown, Carabello, Rolie, Santana, Shrieve 7:40
30. "Incident at Neshabur" (from Abraxas) Gianquinto, Santana 16:22
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Santana rose to prominence after a Woodstock set that caught everybody's ear. Their first three albums seem to really have captured the imagination of the record buying public, with an excellent mix of rock and Latin American rhythms and flavours. They famously did a cover of the Fleetwood Mac track Black Magic Woman, that got them a lot of exposure too.
They had pretty reasonable hits with Evil Ways, Oye Como Va and Black Magic Woman.
Many consider those first three albums as the Santana band , and things coming later as Carlos Santana with Santana band variations (please step in and correct me if I am incorrect there guys).
Caravanserai was s light change in direction with a somewhat more fusion type sound, that really came into bloom on the Lotus album. Many would say that Lotus is the peak of the bands career.... but in reality the band, and Carlos have made an incredibly broad spectrum of music over the decades, and had varying amounts of success with those releases. I am one of those that actually really enjoys Moonflower to Zebop period, even though there is a slightly more commercial sound and feel. I just think they successfully captured another really good new sound for the time, even if it wasn't as boundary pushing as some of the earlier albums. Of course Santana had a huge comeback of sorts with the Supernatural album, which was number one all over the world, made possible by some big name collaborations that got a lot of exposure ... I wasn't a huge fan of that stuff, but I was pleased Carlos got some much deserved reward for a lifetime of great music.

Carlos was born in Jalisco Mexico in 1947, and grew up learning violin at age five, and guitar at age eight. His Brother Jorge also became a guitarist.
Carlos was heavily influenced by Ritchie Valens, due to him being somewhat of a breakthrough artist for Mexico in the US.
They moved to Tijuana, bordering California and in 1966 he Formed the Carlos Santana Blues Band. He had grown to love BB King, Mike Bloomfield, John Lee Hooker and many other artists in the blues field.

Carlos signed his band to CBS and shortened the name to Santana, and in January 1969 they recorded their debut album. Bill Graham was a fan of Santana from the beginning and arranged for the band to get a gig at the Woodstock festival before their debut was even released. Graham is actually the one who suggested that the band record the track Evil Ways (Willie Bobo) and the band's debut album was released in August 69 and sold extremely well, reaching #4 on the US album charts.

Neal Schon joined the Santana band in 1971 and recorded the Santana III album with them. The tough dual lead guitar sound gave the band a slightly different feel and more augementations occurred during this period of time.
Tensions had been in the band for a while (prior to Schon joining) and with there also being some management issues, and likely skimming going on. Santana was encouraged to take more control of the band, and this upset the apple cart a little as members wanted it to be more of a band, than a solo effort ....
At some point after the Caravanserai album Neal Schon and Greg Rollie left to famously form the band Journey and were gone before the Lotus and Welcome albums.

In 72 Santana was extremely interested in John Mclaughlin's Mahavishu Orchestra and it moved him into the fusion area. CBS management warned Santana that this new style was going to ruin their position as a top forty band, but in spite of this Caravanserai eventually went on to become a platinum album.

The band and Carlos have a very interesting story and career, and it would be impossible for me to elaborate too much on it, or would be unable to have time to listen to the album lol.

The Santana Lotus Complete Quad sacd is still available, but starting to run out. It seems very expensive, generally running at about $80+ but as a three sacd set that is exceptionally put together with a weird, but rather beautiful packaging and quite brilliant mastering, it is definitely worth it for the Santana fan ... This is an exceptional piece of work from the band, and perhaps has more artistic merit than commercial success, but lovers of fusion, guitar, wonderful rhythms and improvisation, really shouldn't overlook this album.

There is one copy left on amazon for $82.53 https://www.amazon.com/Lotus-Comple...tana+lotus+sacd&qid=1572791044&s=music&sr=1-1
One left at Walmart for $87 https://www.walmart.com/ip/Santana-Lotus-Complete-Edition-Hybrid-Sacd-SACD/124912314?adid=22222222264426801693&wmlspartner=wmtlabs&wl0=b&wl1=o&wl2=c&wl3=74904330799817&wl4=dat-2326704043380979:aud-807615483:loc-190&wl5=42993&wl6=&wl7=666&wl14=Santana Lotus sacd&veh=sem&msclkid=2a66cf733dff13759bb692cde7b20019
13 copies on Discogs starting at $75 Santana - Lotus (Complete Edition)
and on ebay we see the prices already starting to get stupid santana lotus complete edition sacd | eBay

Due to this being a very very long album, and also a live album, I am going to forego the track by track style and just try and give a general appraisal, with perhaps a few references ... lets see what happens.... it would take me at least the whole day to break this down track by track. So forgive me if that is a disappointment...

Remix engineer Tomoo Suzuki
Mastered by Akihito Yoshikawa

So lets see how we go.

We have an introduction from Japanese announcer... the for about a minute you wonder if it is working due to the silence.
Then as with most seventies polite Japanese audiences, as the keys swelling the crowd claps and cheers, and then quietens quickly to listen.
Audience in rears, as one expects.
We start with a nice intro piece and then an English announcer comes in.
We do actually have surround here, contrary to some reviews/reports I have heard.
Track 3 starts with some crazy sfx zipping across the front. We also get some sides action.
Organ swells on the left, also with some percussion. We also have percussion on the right side.
After the first section everything cuts out, and we get a keyboard note very obviously right side.
Carlos starts playing. There is a keyboard on the right side, and another just left of left front.
This does actually have a very nice full sounstage.
We haven't got things zipping around the rears. But we do have very defined keys and percussion on the sides, giving an excellent immersive surround/live feel.

We are currently 4 mins into Every Step of the Way.
Santana holds a disarmingly long note.
Nice cymbals either side. A keyboard section up front, with organ left. The guitar come back in and the keyboard moves back left side. Santana holds another feedback note that fills the room.
It really does surprise me that folks said there isn't much in the surrounds... this is really quite exceptional, for a more traditional/reserved mix.
Yes the bulk is up front, but it is spread wide, and there can be no denying the keys and percussion either side.
The dynamics and clarity are exceptional in my opinion.
The real bread and butter of this band is the groove and, as much as I can tell improvisation. They are linked beautifully.
We get the Black magic woman intro.
Again percussion either side, or still rather. Carlos guitar sounds wonderful.
Keyboard takes a lead on the right.
Vocal comes in.
We move quickly into the Gypsy Queen section.
Stable soundfield with Carlos doing his thing up front.
Percussion either side.
Carlos quotes Freeway Jam, a little nod to Jeff Beck I reckon.
We get somewhat of a percussion lead break.
Oye come va comes in nicely.
The mix sort of seems to flatten out slightly for Carlos' lead breaks, but still wide of the left and right speakers.
At times the percussion and keys are more predominantly sides, and at time, just wide of left and right front.
For me it works well.
The sound is excellent all through for me though.
We get some sends from Carlos' gtr during certain sections also that filter to a more full central room sound.
Japan, is a somewhat oriental sounding vocal track. The soundstage is pretty constant ... and the vocalist produces some very interesting vocalisations. This track is predominantly front, with cymbal shimmers giving the sides some work.
Bambelle , kicks in with nice side percussion.
We get a somewhat chant section with handclaps getting the audience involved, and some nice layered rhythms working really nicely.
A percussion solo starts with one just left of left and one just right of right, and a shaker that rolls around from right side to left front.
Then the drums come in and we get cymbals sides.
Carlos brings his guitar back momentarily. And we are actually into Um um um at this point.
This is a vocal track resting on percussion and keyboard tracks.
Around 5:40 we get an electric piano flourish right side.
Somewhere near 6:00 Carlos comes in and there is a crescendo finish that leads into
Yours is the light. Electric piano comes in on the right. As carlos takes a lead it moves slightly more to the front allowing gtr reverb sends to rears.
A backing vocal improv comes in left side. Short and sweet.
Organ takes some left side space, and the electric piano balances on the right.
There is a slow fade to end disc one.
As disc two starts we have backtracked slightly to recapture that faded section.
Batukada starts of the disc.
It sounds like the organ at the start of this quotes Jeff Beck also, but more subtly.
We have organ taking a lead break up front percussion spreading to the sides, and this is the general rule of thumb for the mix.
Carlos comes in with a more defined riff, that has a nice harmony section.
Some unusual percussive instrument flutters around the right side.
We're actually into Stone Flower at this stage, and one has barely noticed the subtle movement, then just as smoothly we move into waiting, and electric piano with delay/reverb sends a flourish across the right side.

I am going to leave it there for now, purely because with the dead heat for votes, I want to try and get to the four albums today.
That is somewhere near halfway through this monster three sacd concert, and I think gives a goos idea of what to expect here.

I think this is an excellent quad release. This is a concert, and sure it could be more completely immersive, but what we end up with is a very wide soundstage, with plenty of keys and percussion, and gtr effects sends using the right and left side proper space in the soundfield. There are certainly occasions where we are getting mainly an upfront mix, but that upfront mix is wider than a stereo field, and it gives the sound/feeling of the band spread out before you from roughly a third row kind of perspective. It has width, and not infrequently it has action in the sides.
I think for this particular album this works extremely well ... although I know some folks may be slightly disappointed ... I think forewarned is forearmed, and I really think if one approaches this not expecting the Flaming Lips is will satisfy greatly.
I think the mix is very good, and the sound is superb. This concert is fantastic, and it is so pleasing to have the whole thing released as one real, and live concert, from start to finish.
Personally I think someone approaching this quad sacd with this frame of mind will not be disappointed. I think any serious Santana fan probably needs this. If you are more into Supernatural, this probably won't be what you want, but If you love early to mid seventies Santana, this is probably the pinnacle of that period.
I sure hope at some point we get Inner Secrets, Zebop and Shango, and I wouldn't be disappointed if we got Havana Moon also ... because I know they aren't generally considered the best Santana albums, but I really love them, and particularly the first three would make great surround releases ... but I doubt that will happen.

 

supposedly it is still in the works ... I really do hope they get it done. I am looking forward to Animals, if we ever get it, and as huge fan of The Final Cut, I will just keep my fingers crossed that a miracle occurs

 

I really despair of Pink Floyd. They have some of the best candidates for surround albums (literally groundbreaking for their use of holophonics) and yet have really missed the boat on surround mixes.

 

Fear of Music


Studio album by
Talking Heads
Released August 3, 1979
Recorded April–May 1979
Studio Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth's loft, Long Island City The Hit Factory, Atlantic Studios, RPM Sound Studios, and The Record Plant, New York City
Genre New wave psychedelic funk[1]
Length 40:40
Label Sire
Producer Brian Eno Talking Heads

Fear of Music is the third studio album by American rock band Talking Heads, released on August 3, 1979 by Sire Records. It was recorded at locations in New York City during April and May 1979 and was produced by the quartet and Brian Eno. The album reached number 21 on the Billboard 200 and number 33 on the UK Albums Chart, and spawned the singles "Life During Wartime", "I Zimbra", and "Cities".

Fear of Music received favourable reviews from critics. Praise centred on its unconventional rhythms and frontman David Byrne's lyrical performances. The album is often considered one of the best Talking Heads releases, and has featured in several publications' lists of the best albums of all time.

Talking Heads

• David Byrne – lead vocals, guitar
• Jerry Harrison – guitar, backing vocals, keyboards
• Tina Weymouth – bass guitar, backing vocals
• Chris Frantz – drums

Additional musicians

• Brian Eno – electronic treatments, backing vocals
• The Sweetbreaths – backing vocals ("Air")
• Julie Last – backing vocals ("I Zimbra")
• Robert Fripp – guitar ("I Zimbra")
• Ari – congas ("I Zimbra", "Life During Wartime")
• Gene Wilder – congas ("I Zimbra", "Life During Wartime")
• Hassam Ramzy – surdo ("I Zimbra")
• Abdou M'Boup – djembe, talking drum ("I Zimbra")
• Assane Thiam – percussion ("I Zimbra")

Production

• Brian Eno – producer
• Talking Heads – producers
• Joe Barbaria – engineer
• Rod O'Brian – engineer
• Neil Teeman – engineer
• Tom Heid – assistant engineer
• Julie Last – assistant engineer
• Chris Martinez – assistant engineer
• Phil Gitomer – engineering crew
• Dave Hewitt – engineering crew
• Booster McAllister – engineering crew
• Fred Ridder – engineering crew
• Greg Calbi – mastering

Design

• Jerry Harrison – cover art, artwork assistant
• David Byrne – artwork
• Jimmy Garcia – thermograph photography
• Philip Strax – thermograph assistant

1. "I Zimbra" Byrne, Brian Eno, Hugo Ball 3:09
2. "Mind" 4:13
3. "Paper" 2:39
4. "Cities" 4:10
5. "Life During Wartime" Byrne, Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison, Tina Weymouth 3:41
6. "Memories Can't Wait" Byrne, Harrison 3:30
7. "Air" 3:34
8. "Heaven" Byrne, Harrison 4:01
9. "Animals" 3:30
10. "Electric Guitar" 3:03
11. "Drugs" Byrne, Eno 5:10

--------------------------------------------
Talking Heads formed in New York in 1975. They became a major influence in New Wave music and part of their appeal was the blending of styles, with a somewhat avant garde attitude toward their songs and albums.
For me the band is sort of split into three sections. The first three albums, of which this is the pinnacle, the next two albums, of which Remain In Light remains one of the bands most wonderful albums, and then the last three albums, which some of the earlier fans are less enamoured with due to the albums coming across as a little more commercial.
As I say although folks will always have their favourites I think Fear Of Music is the high point of the first three albums, and really paves the way for Remain In Light to be the amazing album it was.
I tend to jump to Remain in Light and Speaking In Tongues whenever I think to put the Heads on, so the first and last three get less listens and so I am not as fluent in those albums .... One of the reasons for this thread to be honest, trying to break out of habitual listening and immerse myself in the music I have that too often gets overlooked.

The whole catalog was remixed and released in a box. The whole set is available here on ebay for about $210 US .. Talking Heads Surround Remix CD/DVD audio editions 5.1 & Extras 2006 Remastered | eBay

This album is available in the cd/dvd audio edition from discogs from about $20 Talking Heads - Fear Of Music
The dualdisc version is available from discogs from about $40 Talking Heads - Fear Of Music

5.1 mix by E.T. Thorngren and Jerry Harrison
Mastered by Ted Jenson
Surround Engineer Matt Cohen

I Zimbra
We get a percussive guitar right rear, and a percussive field set up around us.
Very dense production here, but the clarity here is great.
A mix and some really nice keyboard surround swirling around the 2:10 mark.
This is definitely immersive with percussion being the main factor, but a great crescendo of effect at the end really caps it off nicely.

Mind
Again a clicky percussive gtr right rear.
Keys left side and a synth slides left to right beautifully several times very effective.
Again great clarity.
Cymbals get some left side emphasis.
Plenty of nice surround effects here and it enhances the song beautifully.
A keyboard on the left doubles the clicky guitar on the right.
The synth swells work really well.
We really get some nice effects here.
Great mix and clarity... and as far as my hearing can tell, good dynamic range also.

Paper
Guitars either side. Punctuation guitar right rear.
Second time through the guitars work as opposing counter rhythms working really well.
Another excellent mix

Cities
The song fades in.
Percussive gtr sound right and left.
Synth left.
Again really nice balance.
Some nice swirling guitar effects in the short instrumental break.

Life During Wartime
Synth left, gtr right.
One of the many highlights from stop making sense for me, this is another excellent mix on this, the original studio version.
We are living in a groove here, and the somewhat simple, but effective 5.1 mix here, really enhances that groove.

Memories Can't Wait
Again synth left gtr right.
Some really good layering here, with several guitars around the field, and some nice volume swell gtr on the left.
Again we get nice clarity.
Did living colour do a cover of this?... I remember someone did.

Air
Rhythm gtr left, swells on right.
Modulating keyboard with some nice surround effects
Then the guitars work nicely with some arpeggios either side.
Bvox in rears.
Another very nice mix

Heaven
Piano left. Gtr right.
Drums front left, but still working nicely in the field, it doesn't sound unbalanced at all.
Another very effective mix that works perfectly in its simplicity. With a few little surround tricks thrown in with extra guitar and synth tracks.

Animals
Gtr right rear. Percussion left.
One of those more unusual Heads tracks with nice little counterpoint things going on, that help more this percussive based song along nicely.
Some nice guitar changes side emphasis to good effect, while remaking on both sides, if that makes sense.
Another solid mix.

Electric guitar
Ghostly synth moves around on left side. Gtr on right side.
Another synth on left side playing bass end arpeggio.
There is percussion accenting in the rears also... unusual, but very effective.
Another synth comes in, in the rears.
Another really nice mix with a snare sound moving around to the rears at the end.

Drugs
Bell sound right rear. Gtr left side. All sorts of little sfx moving and popping in and out here and there excellent sounding mix, with lots of little sonic distractions, swirls and bounces.
Tom stabs either side.
Lots of sides and rears action here.
Very quirky song and mix that works beautifully.... especially I would imagine, if the title played a part in your listening experience....
This has all sorts of little bits and pieces doing all sorts of interesting things in the surround field and is another very effective mix.

Listening to this today is really the reason I started this thread. An album I had been lukewarm about, and rarely listened to, gets a chance to shine, which is why the voting system is great, as you guys force me to break my listening patterns. Sometimes to be honest it feels a little annoying having my choices dictated to me lol, but in the context of what we are doing here it is the perfect way to do this.
This is an excellent album, and the mix is perfect for this album. I do seem to remember all these Talking Heads mixes being very good, but as I say, I have tended to go to the same two albums fairly consistently over the years.
If someone is feeling flush with funds, likes Talking Heads, but never bought any of these, the complete set are definitely worth having. If you have a few, but not all, I reckon it is worth seeking them out, in a more selective one by one process. With the copy of the cd/dvd version that I have here available for twenty bucks on discogs, I reckon it is hard to go wrong with this, especially I would think if this is an album you like.
Great mix, great clarity, and to me a great sounding album. Well worth getting hold of.

 

Making the Mrs' breakfast, and having some lunch. Hopefully I'll get a chance to run through Cobham's Spectrum also, as I haven't had a chance to listen to it yet

 

Buckle your seatbelt.
As a Jeff Beck fan, you'll hear what he borrowed from the Tommy Bolin / Jan Hammer tracks.
Look forward to your perspective.

 

Lotus: can anybody offer an opinion as to general overall sound quality of the SACD over the CD (or even vinyl)? I had the latter two, and always thought of Lotus as a subpar recording to begin with. Or at least poorly engineered, no bass.

 

Rough and Ready

This is a must-have for any Beck fan. Even if you don't have a surround setup. This issue is far and away the clearest, most robust-sounding copy I have. And (I think) I've acquired every (very good) remastering since the wretched first CD was released. The stereo layer is, not just discernibly, but dramatically better.

Surround-wise, the mix is faithful to the quad LP I owned (ditched all vinyl in 2000). That is to say, if you believe Beck's guitar should not be coming from the rears, then you won't likely care for this mix. That's just the way they did these in the 70s. Same goes for Wired. Still, clear and full-bodied as is the stereo layer.

 

I used to have an SQ setup and rough and ready was the first quad LP I got for it. The SACD is at the post office - I’ll go pick it up in the morning. I think I had five guys and an orange too.

 

When put in chronological order Fear Of Music is the first Brick album that has a clearly different - and terrific - mix than previous stereo versions. You get to hear lots of new details that give it an extra dimension.

 

I am probably not the one to answer this. I think, like the majority of these Japanese releases, that the sound quality is excellent, but
A) I wasn't really listening for bottom end, but I didn't notice it to be light on.
B) This is the first version of the album I have ever had.

 

Spectrum


Studio album by
Billy Cobham
Released October 1, 1973
Recorded May 14–May 16, 1973
Studio Electric Lady Studios, New York City; mixed at Trident Studios, London
Genre Jazz fusion
Length 37:17
Label Atlantic
Producer Billy Cobham

Spectrum is the debut solo album by jazz fusion drummer Billy Cobham. The album was heavily influenced by the music of Miles Davis, with whom Cobham had previously collaborated extensively, and Cobham's previous band Mahavishnu Orchestra.

The song "Stratus" appears in the video game Grand Theft Auto IV of the radio station "Fusion FM", as well as being the main sample in the Massive Attack hit "Safe from Harm".

Ken Scott, engineer of Spectrum, recounted: "Bill Cobham's drums were treated in exactly the same way as I recorded every other drummer. I just used more mics: Neumann U67s on toms, D20s or RE20s (at Electric Lady) on the bass drums, Neumann KM54 or 56 on snare, and either STC 4038s or Beyer M160 ribbon mics for the overheads. One other thing: in order to dampen the snare, Bill just laid his wallet on the top head."

Leland Sklar, bassist on four of the songs, remarked, "Spectrum is such a benchmark for so many people. There was a sort of fire in it. It was new ground and it wasn't very analytical. It was more flying by the seat of your pants. That's where great accidents happen, which seems impossible these days. We never did more than a couple of takes on any of it. It was more or less a two-day record. It went by so fast."[1]

Tommy Bolin, who joined the hard rock band Deep Purple two years later, plays lead guitar on four songs. Cobham had met Bolin years before, when he was a member of Zephyr.[2]

"To the Women in My Life" is unusual in that Cobham himself does not play on it, though he did produce the track. It is an unaccompanied piano piece performed by Jan Hammer.

• Billy Cobham - drums, percussion, production
• Jan Hammer - electric and acoustic pianos, Moog synthesizer
• Ken Scott - recording and re-mix engineering

Additional personnel on "Quadrant 4", "Taurian Matador", "Stratus", and "Red Baron"

• Tommy Bolin - guitar, Echoplex
• Lee Sklar - electric bass

Additional personnel on "Spectrum" and "Le Lis"

• Joe Farrell - soprano and alto saxes, flute
• Jimmy Owens - flugelhorn, trumpet
• John Tropea - guitar on "Le Lis"
• Ron Carter - acoustic bass
• Ray Barretto - congas

1. "Quadrant 4" – 4:20
2. "Searching for the Right Door" – 1:19 / "Spectrum" – 5:07
3. "Anxiety" – 1:41 / "Taurian Matador" – 3:03
4. "Stratus" – 9:48
5. "To the Women in My Life" – 0:51 / "Le Lis" – 3:20
6. "Snoopy's Search" – 1:02 / "Red Baron" – 6:37

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Billy Cobham is one of my favourite drummers. I came to be aware of him via Mahavishnu Orchestra, and the wonderful Inner Mounting Flame album. The Wonderful Vital Transformation is one of my favourite drum parts ever. Technically supreme, but just so cool, and with a great groove.
Born in Panama in 1944, he started playing drums at the age of four. His family moved to New York when he was three. He went to the high School of Music and Art in NYC.
He was drafted in 1965 and played in the US army band for three years.
After his discharge he Joined the Horace Silver Quintet.
He was the house drummer at Atlantic and played on albums by George Benson, Milt Jackson and Grover Washington Jnr.
He started a jazz/rock band with the Brecker Brothers and John Abercrombie called Dreams.
He moved further into fusion when he toured with Miles Davis and played on his Bitches Brew and Tribute To Jack Johnson albums.
At that point he met Mclaughlin and when Mclaughlin left to form Mahavishnu Orchestra Cobham joined him, being with the band from 71-73 and playing on the Inner Mounting flame, Birds Of Fire and Between Nothingness and Eternity releases.
Cobham recorded Spectrum in 3 days in May 73 and it was released in October 1973, and both he and his record company were surprised when the album reached number 1 on the jazz chart and 26 on the Billboard album chart.

I have known about this album for a long time, as my drummer mate used to have it, but somehow I have never gotten around to listening to it. So I am looking forward to it quite a bit, but have no idea what to expect.

We have pretty much and all star cast on here, with Hammer, Boland, Carter and Sklar. I am not familiar with the other musicians, but just those four have rather incredible histories in music, so already expectations are quite high.

The dvd audio is out of print but
Available on amazon from $39.99 https://www.amazon.com/Spectrum-Bil...bham+spectrum+dvd+audio&qid=1572809036&sr=8-1
Discogs from $40 Billy Cobham - Spectrum
Double sided German pressing Discogs From $33 Billy Cobham - Spectrum
On Ebay from about $50 billy cobham spectrum dvd audio | eBay

Dvd Audio produced by Robin Hurley
5.1 Mixed by Antonio Arena
Mastered by Filippo Bussi

For those interested in these things, my copy is the German dualdisc

Quadrant 4
We get some laughter to the left.
Cobham thumps out a killer double kick beat with some excellent fills, while Bolan does some shredding fx send to right rear.
Cymbals sides and rears. A gtr effect drifts off to the right.
Then we get an ensemble sound kick in.
This is some frantic stuff.
Electric piano is sort of across the middle.
This is somewhat immersive but the majority is up front, the cymbals being the main focused surround participants.

Searching For The Right Door/Spectrum
We start with some nice drums. The drums get some good width, and cymbals in the rears.
Here we have a nice surround mix come in for section two, after the solo drums.
We have the ensemble spread around full left to right.
We get a nice riff section playing together, then hammer hooks onto his keys, fully effected mode. This moves into a nice sax lead break.
Another really nice ensemble section.
Then we get a trumpet lead.
The sound is excellent. The mix isn't over the top, so far as the surrounds go, but we have created space for the instruments in the area we have.
It is a good mix, but reserved would be the way I hear it.

Anxiety/ Taurian Matador
We start with another marvelous solo drum performance.
Around 1:40 the track starts.
Hammer leads off left, rhythm gtr right. Lead break right and hammer left.
Bolin and hammer trade off, from opposite sides. Then a unison riff run.

Stratus
A sound effect swells up front, bleeding through to the rears, and disappears in that direction.
We get some synth and guitar sounds swelling with delay up front.
Then we get then computerised thing hammer does with his synth, and Cobham playing the expected awesome drums.
This fades off and after a drum roll and snare crack, we move into a groove.
Most of the surround seems to be effects sounds and ambience on this disc. Which is fine. It gives the music a kind of space and ambience, but not a super immersive listen. I would imagine that someone that loves this album would love the clarity, and sound quality, and I would think that would be enough to get someone interested in this album.
We do get things mixed in the surround field. At the moment Hammer is take a cool lead and Bolin is groovin/comping on the right.
The kick is sub supported for the record.

To The Women In My Life/ Le Lis
We start with some really nice piano, and it gets a nice wide mix.
At about 0:55 we get another cool groove,
Flute left. Horn right.
Percussion left.

Snoopy's Search/ Red Baron
Some synth sounds all around, circling and swirling all over the place. Unusual percussion hit up front, fades out.
Another cool groove.
Some nice effects sends to the rears.

Firstly, this is a great album. The playing is superb, and the writing is very good.
Secondly, the tracks joined together, as part a and b type set ups, aren't really part a and b things. Essentially they are separate tracks joined merely via the mastering/track selection options. That certainly isn't a bad thing, just now what the labelling hints at.
This is a great sounding disc, so don't let my comments put you off it.
It isn't highly surround mixed. There are a few spots on the album where the music opens up and takes some space, but most of what we get in the rears from the keys and guitar, are signal sends .... but having said that, the drum kit gets a lot of space as one might expect from a drummers album. So cymbals get a lot of rears and side action.
On the couple of tracks where we have wind instruments, they get nicely spread around.
I certainly wouldn't say this disc was a disappointing listen at all, just that it seems a fairly conservative mix. A very good conservative mix, and the only track that really explodes in the surround field, would be Snoopy's Search with Hammer's radical keyboard manipulations giving us that circling bouncing type thing.
I am happy I have this, because I love the way that Cobham can just burn, and still have a cool groove. The other instrumentalists are just top class musos, so they obviously are worth hearing too.
I have never heard a stereo mix of the album, so it is hard for me to say that it is good enough. There is probably enough going on here to make it worthwhile to have the surround.
I can't comment on a comparative sound quality, because again, I have only ever had this copy, but this does have an excellent sound, dynamic, and soundstage.
So I kind of feel in limbo a little with this album.
Yes I think it is worth getting, especially if you have a love for Cobham, Bolin or Hammer, but it may be too conservative of a mix for some, even though there are some really nice parts.

 

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
Cobham, Billy - Spectrum

Davis, Miles - In A Silent Way
Davis, Miles - Bitches Brew
Depeche Mode - Some Great Reward
Derek and the Dominos - Layla and other assorted love songs
Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms
Doobie Brothers - The Captain And Me
Dream Theater - Distance Over Time
Dukes Of Stratosphear - Psurroundabout Ride
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
Grateful Dead - Workingman's Dead

Hendrix, Jimi - Electric Ladyland

Inxs - Kick
Iron Maiden - Dance Of Death

Jeff Beck Group - Rough And Ready
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 - Hemispheres
Rush - Moving Pictures

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

Talking Heads - Fear Of Music
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

 

I'm very much looking forward to Be Bop Deluxe's Modern Music package due out in December. I hope that this title gets included within this thread at some point soon thereafter. The previous BBD 5.1 releases (Futurama, Sunburst Finish) were great with the S/F surround mix being just a bid more satisfying while Futurama's material far exceeds its successor.

 

Unless I happen to hate Futurama when I get around to listening to it, odds are modern music will join the family.
Merely budget and space will determine when

 

Ok then, let's get some up here to vote for, for next week