Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries

it was seventy something this morning.... they must have heard bout the bluray issues lol

 

The European Immersion sets have known issues with the BluRays falling apart after a number of years, like label seal pealing and oxidation of playing side.. I'd like to think these discounted sets are not made in the EU. The US pressings have not been known to have these problems.

 

I'm hoping that eventually the Later Years Mega box set gets broken up into smaller sets like they did with the Early Years sets.

 

That’s also my hope. I’m only interested in part of the box, and the price just makes this out of my budget.

 

Ok, I'll do some more

 

Just let me know what and when via message, so we can stay on track

 

Loss

Studio album by Bass Communion
Released January 2006
Recorded 2004-2005
Genre Ambient, drone
Length 39:05
Label Soleilmoon
Producer Steven Wilson

Loss in the name of the sixth studio album released by British musician, songwriter and producer Steven Wilson under the pseudonym Bass Communion, and was limited to only 450 copies on vinyl. The original pressing featured a scented inner sleeve.[1]

The album consists of a title track split in two parts. It was re-issued shortly after, in a CD+DVD-A edition containing both Stereo and 5.1 Surround mixes. In February 2009, it was also re-issued as a limited edition 12" picture disc vinyl version of 500 copies.

Personnel
Created by Steven Wilson

Track listing
Loss - Part 1 - 19:52
Loss - Part 2 - 19:11

------------------------------------------------------
The 2-disc edition includes a DVDA with the 5.1 Surround Mix

Still available from Burning Shed for cheap

Surround Mix by Steven Wilson

Loss, Parts 1 and 2: The surround version combines both parts into one 38 minute track. Part 2 seems largely a recapitulation of Part 1. So, the same description will suffice for both: Starts with mostly piano, and let’s just say the pace is not what you would call rapid. Just to make things interesting, there is some clicking and what might be record noise that often comes from the rear speakers. The piano eventually gives way to Tangerine Dreamish flying saucer noises that seem to swirl a bit in surround. Unlike the other BC recordings I am familiar with, there is no low pitched drone on this at all, so I guess it’s No Bass Communion.

This album absolutely does not command your attention, which is the point. While that is generally true for the ambient genre, this is even more geared towards being “background” noise. I think the other BC titles I have (I, II, and III, Molotov and Haze) are better, so the I think the main thing Loss has going for it is the surround mix.

There is one other Bass Communion title available in surround – Pacific Codex, but I don’t have it. Mostly because it's one of the few SW I don't have, I wish I did. I sent a message to “Bass Communion” on his bandcamp site requesting that it be put up for sale (bandcamp does have multichannel flacs from other artists that I have never heard of). Maybe if he got more requests he would do it.

My rating for Loss – (1/2)

 

oops, I already bet you don't have that one

 

Go find the blackmarket Russian blu ray...a lot cheaper than immersion boxsets n NO peeling bubbling discs so far either....plays n sounds great

 

And as any of us who have had issues with defects, QC etc, can attest Pink Floyd store are absolutely crap at customer service

 

Wish You Were Here

Standard artwork for most releases
Studio album by
Pink Floyd
Released 12 September 1975
Recorded January–July 1975
Studio Abbey Road Studios, London
Genre Progressive rock[1] art rock[2] experimental rock[3]
Length 44:17
Label Harvest Columbia
Producer Pink Floyd

Wish You Were Here is the ninth studio album by the English rock band Pink Floyd, released on 12 September 1975 through Harvest Records and Columbia Records, their first release for the latter. Based on material Pink Floyd composed while performing in Europe, Wish You Were Here was recorded over numerous sessions throughout 1975, at Abbey Road Studios in London.

The album's themes include criticism of the music business, alienation, and a tribute to founding member Syd Barrett, who left seven years earlier with deteriorating mental health. Like their previous record, The Dark Side of the Moon (1973), Pink Floyd used studio effects and synthesisers. Guest singers included Roy Harper, who provided the lead vocals on "Have a Cigar", and Venetta Fields, who added backing vocals to "Shine On You Crazy Diamond". To promote the album, the band released the double A-side single "Have a Cigar" / "Welcome to the Machine".

Wish You Were Here received mixed reviews from critics on its release, who found its music to be uninspiring and inferior to their previous work. It has retrospectively received critical acclaim, hailed as one of the greatest albums of all time and was cited by keyboardist Richard Wright and guitarist David Gilmour as their favourite Pink Floyd album. The album reached number one in the US and UK and Harvest's parent company, EMI, was unable to keep up with the demand. Since then, the record has sold an estimated 13 million copies.

Pink Floyd

• David Gilmour – vocals (2, 4), guitars (all tracks), pedal steel guitar (4, 5), EMS Synthi AKS, additional bass (5), glass harmonica (1), tape effects (4)
• Roger Waters – vocals (1, 5), bass guitar (all tracks), EMS VCS 3 (2), additional guitar (5), glass harmonica (1), tape effects (4)
• Nick Mason – drums (1, 3-5), percussion (2), tape effects (4)
• Richard Wright – Hammond organ (1, 2, 5), ARP String Ensemble (1-3, 5), Minimoog (all tracks), Steinway piano (4, 5), EMS VCS 3 (1, 2, 5), Hohner Clavinet D6 (3, 5), Wurlitzer EP-200 electric piano (3, 5), glass harmonica (1), backing vocals (1, 5)

Additional musicians[edit]

• Dick Parry – tenor and baritone saxophone (1)[74]
• Roy Harper – lead vocals (3)[75]
• Venetta Fields – backing vocals (1, 5)
• Carlena Williams – backing vocals (1, 5)

Production[edit]

• Brian Humphries – engineering
• Peter James – engineering, assistant engineering
• Bernie Caulder
• Phil Taylor – additional photography (remaster)
• Hipgnosis – design, photography
• Peter Christopherson, Jeff Smith, Howard Bartrop and Richard Manning – design assistants
• George Hardie – graphics
• Jill Furmanovsky – additional photography (remaster)
• James Guthrie – remastering producer
• Doug Sax – remastering

1. "Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts I–V)" Gilmour, Wright, Waters Waters 13:32
2. "Welcome to the Machine" Waters Gilmour 7:32
3. "Have a Cigar" (feat. Roy Harper) Waters Roy Harper 5:08
4. "Wish You Were Here" Gilmour, Waters Gilmour 5:35
5. "Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts VI–IX)" Wright, Gilmour, Waters (Parts 6–8)
Wright (Part 9) Waters 12:30

------------------------------------------
For a rough background on the band go here or wiki history here

I honestly find it hard to pick a favourite album by Floyd. From Atom Heart Mother up to and including The Final Cut, I personally find them to be one of the most solid album bands going and I love it all. I do love the sixties stuff as well, but that run of albums is probably my favourite run of albums ever, by anyone.

Wish You Were Here works somewhat like a tribute album to their original singer Syd Barrett, with some caustic commentary on the music industry thrown in for good measure. It seems more often than not that this album, Animals, Dark Side or The Wall are going to be picked as the best Floyd album, and I understand how difficult it it to choose between them, because they are all just perfect pieces of entertaining, boundary pushing, cinematic wonderlands of music.
Floyd weren't the most technically gifted of the seventies bands, but man they knew how to use what they had, and created a place in the hearts of the music listening world because of it.

I have listened to this before, and I know I wasn't disappointed. I was hoping to run this off against the quad mix, but things didn't come together for me in that regard, so we will be looking at the 5.1 sacd. Some time in the next few weeks we'll slip the quad version in

This 5.1 was actually recently rereleased, so it is available new... which just goes to show that it is possible to consider rereleasing these things record company people!
Acoustic sounds has it for $35 Pink Floyd-Wish You Were Here-Hybrid Multichannel SACD|Acoustic Sounds
Music Direct has it for $34.99 Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (Hybrid Multichannel SACD)
Amazon has the first pressing from about $60 Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (Hybrid Multichannel SACD)
and the second pressing from about $48.32 https://www.amazon.com/Wish-Were-Here-Hybrid-Multichannel/dp/B07KH17MHF
Discogs has the 2018 from $34.99 Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
and the 2011 pressing from $47.97 Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here

The Immersion boxes have been of some concern, due to apparent QC problems in the Uk/europe pressing plants I believe. Please correct me if I am wrong. My understanding is that the US and Japan pressings are good. There is a Russian boot of the bluray ..... The Immersion box has the 5.1 and the Quad mixes
So the Japanese pressing of the Wish Immersion box are on discogs from $132 Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here - Immersion Box Set
and the US pressing from $85 Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here - Immersion Box Set
For folks that just like to roll the dice
the UK pressing is $69.99 on discogs Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here - Immersion Box Set
Amazon has its lucky dip for $74.99, after being $60 yesterday https://www.amazon.com/Wish-You-Wer...+Here+Immersion&qid=1575804429&s=music&sr=1-1
Barnes And Noble have it (through Movie Mars) for $67.56 Wish You Were Here [LP]

I will be listening to the 2011 pressing of the stand alone sacd, although my understanding is that these are definitely just repressings, and all versions should be exactly the same.

5.1 mix James Guthrie
5.1 mastering James Guthrie and Joel Plante

Look I love these guys, so I am looking forward to this listen greatly. I have listened to this several times, but it has unfortunately been a while, so I am pumped up

Shine On You Crazy Diamond
We get a beautiful slow fade up, with a couple of synth effects sliding between the rears.
This Wright soundscape is lush and we have a nice immersive opening bed of sound that draws up in.
Then the magnificent sound, placement and phrasing of Gilmour's guitar comes in up front... they weren't rushing this track.
At approx 4 mins the simple but ever so effective guitar lick that we all wait for signals the start of the main body of the song.
That riff sort of rolls from the from to the sides as the other elements come in.
Gilmour isn't a million notes a second guitarist, but his tasteful delivery has always been an aural treasure for me.
The synth lead come in on the left side, with the organ on the right, then we move to another Gilmour lead.
We have a chunk gtr just left of front left.
Organ rears.
Guitar front left. Power chords right.
Bvox in the rears.
I never realised they had used so many tracks on this to be honest. Beautifully layered, and we get a nice arpeggio guitar/s in the rears.
The sax lead break works beautifully.
We have a gentle sub assist for the bass.
The audio clarity is great, the mix is perfectly balanced.
As the fade rolls slowly out the sax lead sort slides down the sides a bit each way, and we move straight into

Welcome To The Machine
We are met with the electric button buzz sound left rear, and the soundstage swivels to the front beautifully.
Then we just get swamped by these great sfx and Wright pulsing synth and the bass sort of alternate between the front and left.
The acoustic goes around us. The synth sounds go around us. Bouncing from channel to channel, side to side but completely in context with the song.
Actually the start of this track may be the singular highlight of surround sound music to this point in history.
This whole thing has been thought out and executed perfectly.
We have various forms of movement. Swooping from side to side, zooms across, bouncing from side to side, immersive regular rhythm section .... and not one section seems gimmicky or out of place... it suits the music perfectly.
The outro has acoustic guitar in three spots and Wright's synth living on the left side, but moving smoothly with feeds right.
The elevator takes us to a crowded room with great effect and we are immersed in the crowd.

Have A Cigar
I love this song.
Nice warm bass.
Guitar and bass interplay up front is great.
Keys right.
When the main riff comes in we are swamped in sound, driving us deep into the song.
Again the layers are thicker than I had really considered.
Guitar left, keys right, creating a great rhythmic dance of music.
When these guys did all pull together as a team, they were untouchable.
This is really such a good mix, and it is too long since I listened to this.
The swamp of sound at the end is great, whooshing across the field, to the radio tuning in the right rear,

Wish You Were Here
and the famous guitar riff comes in. A sound up front.
The lead acoustic comes in up front beautifully.
We end up with guitars and synth in the rears and the body of the song around us.
This is one of my favourite songs to play on guitar, and if I pick the guitar up, you can almost guarentee I will play it.
Another beautifully immersive mix.
We disappear into the breeze, coming from the right and moving through the front and left.

Shine On You Crazy Diamond
The sub on this album is subtle but effective.
Synth in the rears.
Stab gtr front left. Bass solid centre.
Synth chords left. Another stab gtr right side.
There was a time Floyd were maligned by segments of the music world.... well, f";% those people, they made music to live inside of, and this is represented here beautifully.
Gilmour's slide, slides into and across the rears.
The arrangement is so well worked between rhythmically different section, so smoothly executed.
Gtrs, vocal and synths all around.
The funky groove is awesome. D6 on the right, synth right , and through the rears. Gtr on the right.
We drift off into a synth pad, through the rears.

Look this is one of the best albums ever made. The mix is sensational, without ever feeling gimmicky. When us stereoheads were listening to stuff slide from side to side back in the day, nobody got messed up saying it was a cheap gimmick, we all bought headphones to fully engage in it. Now we have something like this, that is so tastefully done, and so engaging in its execution, that it renders stereo pretty much obsolete. It is one of the tragedies of the modern world that surround sound sits in the wings entertaining the few of us that care to listen, while compressed, virtually mono soundbites rule the world .... anyhow

This is an essential purchase, from the perspective of being a magnificent album, a magnificent mix, and just a wonderful musical experience in every way. If you don't have this, unless you hate Pink Floyd (which I would find so hard to fathom at all, so please don't tell me you do lol) this is absolutely essential.

 

Great review of Wish, Mark. The really good news is that this re-release is still available new, from the sources you cited. But I’ve noticed that every time they issue this in surround, it sells out. I know that, b/c I snoozed and ‘losed’ the last time it was released. So last year, I watched for it like a hawk, and pre-ordered it ASAP.

And it is indeed essential - so anyone on the fence about this album (there may be one or two people on the planet on the fence about Wish), now’s your chance. Grab it while it’s still in print. The one I have is also the SACD.

One point I have to strongly disagree with you is your comment “Floyd weren’t the most technical band of the 70’s.” Not sure what you meant by that, but I think they were a VERY technical band. They were always both willing and interested to try new tech and new ideas. Some of the things they tried (and succeeded at) doing while recording Dark Side were very innovative.

When I think of some of the top acts of the 70’s, such as Zep, the Stones, The Who, Aerosmith, etc., I don’t picture any of them pushing the technical envelope as much as Floyd. Just my .02 cents.

 

Speaking in Tongues


Studio album by
Talking Heads
Released June 1, 1983
Recorded July 1982–February 1983
Studio Blank Tape Studios and Sigma Sound Studios, New York City Compass Point Studios, Nassau
Genre New wave art rock[1]
Length 40:51 (LP)
46:56 (cassette)
Label Sire
Producer Talking Heads

Speaking in Tongues is the fifth studio album by American rock band Talking Heads, released on June 1, 1983 by Sire Records. Following their split with producer Brian Eno and a short hiatus, which allowed the individual members to pursue side projects, recording began in 1982. It became the band's commercial breakthrough and produced the band's sole US top-ten hit, "Burning Down the House".

The album's tour was documented in Jonathan Demme's 1984 film Stop Making Sense, which generated a live album of the same name. The album also crossed over to the dance charts, where it peaked at number two for six weeks.[2] It is the group's highest-charting album on the US Billboard 200.

Talking Heads

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

Additional musicians

• Wally Badarou – synthesizer on "Burning Down The House", "Swamp" and "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)"
• Raphael DeJesus – percussion on "Slippery People", "I Get Wild/Wild Gravity" and "Pull Up the Roots"
• Nona Hendryx – backing vocals on "Slippery People"
• Richard Landry – saxophone on "Slippery People"
• Dolette McDonald – backing vocals on "Slippery People"
• Steve Scales – percussion on "Burning Down The House" and "Moon Rocks"
• L. Shankar – double violin on "Making Flippy Floppy"
• David Van Tieghem – percussion on "I Get Wild/Wild Gravity" and "This Must be the Place (Naive Melody)"
• Alex Weir – guitar on "Making Flippy Floppy", "Swamp", "Moon Rocks" and "Pull Up the Roots"
• Bernie Worrell – synthesizer on "Girlfriend is Better"

Recording[edit]

• John Convertino – assistant engineer
• Franklin Gibson – assistant overdubbing engineers, mixing
• Ted Jensen – mastering
• Butch Jones – recording engineer
• Jay Mark – assistant overdubbing engineers, mixing
• Alex Sadkin – overdubbing engineer, mixing
• Brian Kehew – 2006 Dual Disc bonus mixes

The Original LP and cd release
Side A
1. "Burning Down the House" 4:01
2. "Making Flippy Floppy" 4:34
3. "Girlfriend Is Better" 4:22
4. "Slippery People" 3:31
5. "I Get Wild/Wild Gravity" 4:07
Total length: 20:35

Side B
6. "Swamp" 5:12
7. "Moon Rocks" 5:03
8. "Pull Up the Roots" 5:08
9. "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)" 4:53
Total length: 20:16 (40:51)

The later cd releases/cassette/ and dvd audio version

1. "Burning Down the House" 4:01
2. "Making Flippy Floppy (extended version)" 5:54
3. "Girlfriend is Better (extended version)" 5:44
4. "Slippery People (extended version)" 5:05
5. "I Get Wild/Wild Gravity (extended version)" 5:15
6. "Swamp" 5:12
7. "Moon Rocks (extended version)" 5:44
8. "Pull Up the Roots" 5:08
9. "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)" 4:53
Total length: (46:56)
------------------------------------------------------
I think this is a great album, but I think a lot of the Heads fans start dropping off around here. Please correct me if I am wrong.
As I stated earlier in the Fear Of Music and Remain In Light run downs, Stop Making Sense is where I finally joined the Talking Heads journey, and as I always did with bands, I went backwards, before going forwards with them. Remain In Light and Speaking In Tongues have generally been my two favourite Heads albums, with Remain In Light just taking the gold.

The band followed on from Remain In Light, but moved slightly sideways, and although they moved in directions some didn't want to follow later on, this was still in the Heads mainframe and a very entertaining album. Memory tells me that I enjoyed all the Heads mixes, but again, it has been a while. One of the blessings and curses of having so much music that you love, is the cycle of time it takes to come around to listening to all of it again. It ends up being very rewarding though when you do come around to it, because it is almost like rediscovering it, to some degree. So lets see what today'd listen brings.

The European Dvd-a is on discogs from $27.78 Talking Heads - Speaking In Tongues
The US dualdisc $50 Talking Heads - Speaking In Tongues
On Amazon the dualdisc is about $48 https://www.amazon.com/Speaking-Tongues-Talking-Heads/dp/B000CCD0FI
Amazon UK the cd/dvd-a starts at about 37 pounds https://www.amazon.co.uk/Speaking-Tongues-Original-recording-remastered/dp/B000CFX61S
Ebay the dual disc starts around the $65 mark Talking heads speaking in tongues dual disc | eBay
and the dvd-a is $44.95 Talking heads speaking in tongues dvd audio | eBay

5.1 mix E.T. Thorngren and Jerry Harrison
Mastered by Ted Jensen

Again i am looking forward to revisiting this, because Remain In Light has generally gotten the nod, when I am putting one of these in.

Burning Down The House
Gtr front left. Synth through the middle. Drum fill right rear, left rear, front.
Solid sub for the bottom end.
Gtr right side, synth left side.
The drums really get a nice full field mix.
Little ghostly synth lead moves around nicely.
Such a rhythmically brilliant track.

Making Flippy Floppy
Static either side rears. Byrne vocal up front.
Tacet guitars either side rears.
It really is a nice warm sub mix.
Percussion right rear. Synths either side.
This is a really involving mix.
I already know it is too long since I listened to this.
Wonderful balance, and as we normally find with a good mix, the multiple layers are revealed nicely, without becoming disjointed
Buzzing fly synth lead rolls around us beautifully, then finishes with a really nice side to side effect in the rears.
Again the rhythmic brilliance is accentuated by the surround mix.
Little bits of synth add ins coming in all over the place.
We get percussion tracks in each channel, in a sort of breakdown section, the the synth lead comes in again, swirling and swooping. Great stuff.

Girlfriend Is Better
Gtr right side. Drums up front, with percussion tracks in both rears. Synth arpeggio in the rears.
Synth stabs either side in rears during chorus.
A nice guitar across the rears, followed by the synth also.
Again lovely balance.
Immersive and involving.
Percussive and then effect synth bounces back and forth across the back then swirls around the front.
They must have had a blast mixing this.
Some great effects on this track also.

Slippery people
Percussion tracks all round. Drums front, bass front.
Rhythm guitar rear, keys come up in the front.
Bvox sides front and rears.
Again the rhythm is accentuated by the surround mix.
This tracks layers build slowly and beautifully.
Again the lead synth gets a nice surround workout. Due to the sound of it, it doesn't sound gimmicky, but really cool.

I Get Wild/ Wild Gravity
Drums front, percussion right rear delay gtr goes around us.
Synth bits either side.
A more stripped back sound here, but still using the space beautifully.
Vocal delay effects adding some nice surround effects.
A nice quirky track that uses the space well with some very cool little bits and pieces thrown in to really juice the track up well.

Swamp
I always loved this track, and it got good radio exposure in Perth when I was a teen.
Again drums front, percussion rears. Guitar in rears.
Again solid sub presence, again nicely balanced.
Such a great dirty groove for the band ... I think this is pretty much unlike anything else in the catalog.
A staccato bass or guitar riff slides between front and rears on the left.
Whale sound synth, kind of everywhere.
Again beautifully immersive and really well balanced.

Moon Rocks
Groove up front. Percussive sounds rear. Delay effects on gtr and synth bounce across the back at different times.
Another surround rhythmic delight.
Nice rhythm guitars playing off each other in the sides/rears.
Synth sound whooshes around us.
A sort of synth lead using the whole field nicely.
Little sfx everywhere.
Another really fun surround mix.

Pull Up The Roots
Keeping consistent. Drums front, handclaps for percussion in the rears.
Gtr front right and left.
Sequenced synth through the middle.
Gtrs either side working really well.
Another really layered track coming to life in the surround field.
Swirls and bounces of percussion, sounds very cool. Also bouncing side to side.
Again the layers come in with a slow build that really sneaks up and creates a really good immersive mix. Again wonderful rhythmic construction.

This Must Be The Place
A lot of the same sort of placements, layer building and such, give this track a really nice feel and sound.
Again some nice random elements dropped in
Nice moving synth lead. Nice extra percussion tracks ... all working together to create a wonderful soundstage.

We move onto an alternate Burning Down the House version and mix.
Subtle differences, certainly no less interesting. Using a lot of the same mixing choices. With added vocal delay effects.
Added guitar effects. It moves into an excellent kind of eighties 12" mix, but not in that annoying chop up style. Some great transistor radio vocal effects, take the vocal to the rears. Swells of synth. Stabs of percussion.
This is a really good remix, and an equally, if not more entertaining mix.
A great bonus track ... I don't know if I have even listened to this before. Fantastic.... and I was about to eject it.

Look I hate to say it, but this is essential as well. Another fantastic example of how good 5.1 can be. E.T. and Jerry must have had a fantastic time playing with this, and it comes across as just a great immersive, fun and typically quirky Talking Heads extravaganza. The bonus track surprised me. I am not one to like a lot of eighties remixes, as they tended towards using the same gimmicks, and that chop up (the cd is stuck sound) type mix after its initial interest just became annoying. I don't know if this was a new alternate mix, or if it is an eighties 12" mix, but it is great.
This is another one to get folks. Great mix.

 

To clarify what I meant by technical .... Nick isn't probably going to end up on a best drummer list. Roger Probably isn't going to end up on a best bass player list. Richard is probably going to be stuck behind Wakeman, Emerson and the like. Gilmour will end up on a lot of best guitarist lists for his great feel rather than his shredding chops .... which isn't an insult to any of them, merely an observation from my perspective.
As far as in the studio recording techniques and such. Floyd were in amongst the masters, and many of the things they achieved are still not matched by the modern eras technical advancements.
I hope that is more of s clarification of what I meant.

 

I have this surround mix and never gave it try, I should give it a spin.

 

I think you'll like it mate. I had forgotten how good it was.

 

Yes, and now I agree with those assessments pretty much 100%.

 

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here. I have the 5.1 mix of this classic album, and it sounds really good to me. Sure, I'd like the quad mix, but what I really want is Meddle (which exists) and Animals (which is rumored to be coming). (3/3).

Talking Heads - Speaking in Tongues. Mark isn't messing around with his Talking Heads reviews. He went straight for the top three right off the bat. I don't think this album is quite as good as Remain in Light, but it's close. The surround mix is top notch - love the bongos in the back. (3/3)

Waters, Roger - Amused to Death. I picked this up a month ago. I'm not wild about the album, but it's growing on me. However, the surround mix is amazing. The ambient noises coming from all around make this one of the best I have. This album absolutely must be lsitened to in surround (2/3).

 

Prepared to be blowed away.

I should have bought more of these, or the cube, but Fear, Remain and Tongues are among the very best-mixed and convincing surround titles in this house. Way better than any stereo version, the 5.1s spring to life and overtake the entire room.

The Heads did slowly run out of gas, but until well after Tongues. It leaves nothing to be desired. Little Creatures is a great follow-up; I still keep an eye out for the DualDisc in the used bins.

 

Fuzzy dice, bongos in the back...

Sorry, I couldn't help ir.

 

WYWH in 5.1 makes you wish Syd was here. Stunning.

 

Uriah Heep - Gold From the Byron Era

Here is a blurb from the band's website

- Uriah Heep - Gold From The Byron Era!
Featuring previously unreleased versions of Heep classics from the original studio recording sessions. These brand new alternative versions have been taken from recently re-discovered studio sessions and meticulously re-mixed for 5.1 audio from the original studio tapes. When David Byron died alone and neglected at the age of just 38 the world lost a truly great talent. In the intervening years there have been countless re-issues of material from "Very ?Eavy, Very 'Umble", "Salisbury", "Look At Yourself", but this is the first time that completely new versions of Byron classics have been created from alternative studio sessions. Recorded during 1970 and 1971 as the band were working up the material for the first three Uriah Heep albums these newly re-discovered masters have yielded a wealth of alternate takes and completely new versions of classic songs! With the dawning of the multi-channel world of surround sound there was at last an opportunity to show case the wealth of material. We are proud to present a fresh new perspective on a legendary band with this surround sound disc plays on all DVD players. For all details and ordering, please go to http://www.classicrockproductions.com/2004/newreleases/byrongold.htm .

You can try the link, but sadly this has long been out of print. I had this in Australia, but as preciously explained, carting all my stuff over here was going to be too expensive so the recording studio, a barrage of musical instruments.... including my beloved 16 guitars ... my dvd audios ... a ton of cd's ... and a lot of other stuff had to be shed. Over the last eight or nine years I have slowly got back all the music I love listening to, but the studio and instruments remain out of reach ... perhaps one day I will get them again, but life is way too bust for the hours and hours I would sit in my studio, just doing whatever I felt like.
So anyway, I bought this album again when one finally became available, and it cost a lot more than I wanted to pay, but to memory I had really enjoyed it.


Uriah Heep are an English rock band formed in London in 1969. Its lineup since 2013 has been lead and rhythm guitarist Mick Box, keyboardist Phil Lanzon, lead vocalist Bernie Shaw, drummer Russell Gilbrook, and bassist Davey Rimmer. Of this lineup, Box is the only remaining original member. Throughout many lineup changes, the band has included many notable musicians, such as vocalists David Byron, John Lawton, John Sloman, Peter Goalby and Steff Fontaine, bassists Gary Thain, Trevor Bolder, John Wetton, Bob Daisley and John Jowitt, drummers Nigel Olsson, Lee Kerslake and Chris Slade, and keyboardists Ken Hensley and John Sinclair.

Over the course of their 50-year career, Uriah Heep have released twenty-five studio albums, two albums composed of re-recorded material, eighteen live albums and thirty-nine compilation albums. Twelve of the band's studio albums have made it to the UK Albums Chart (Return to Fantasy reached No. 7 in 1975) while of the fifteen Billboard 200 Uriah Heep albums Demons and Wizards was the most successful (#23, 1972).[1] In the late 1970s the band had massive success in Germany, where the "Lady in Black" single was a big hit.[2][3]

The band maintains a significant following and performs at arena-sized venues in the Balkans, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Russia and Scandinavia. They have sold over 45 million albums worldwide with over 4 million sales in the U.S,[4] where its best-known songs include "Easy Livin'", "The Wizard", "Sweet Lorraine", and "Stealin'".

That is just a bit of back info on the band.

Heep are often seen as the poor cousins of Zepplin, Sabbath and particularly Purple. I think it is an unfair judgement, as the band really had their own thing going on. I have most of their albums, and even 2014's Outsider, I consider to be a very good album. At some point I am going to do an album thread on the guys, because I think they are worth having a closer look at, and although I am only lacking three or four of their albums, I have never had an in depth look at them, and really need to.
I definitely think the first five albums they made are essential for any hard rock fan, and the tracks on this are alternate recordings of some of those classic songs from those albums.
I seem to remember really liking this, but as I keep saying, my listening was very interrupted by trying to get on my feet in trying circumstances when I got to the US.
I am really enjoying doing these threads, as it is working as therapy and getting me back into my music groove, after slogging it out in the manual labour world trying to get myself financially viable lol anyway, sorry for the sideline there ... I tend to just think randomly, and there you have it.

two copies on Amazon from about $119 https://www.amazon.com/Gold-Byron-Era-Uriah-Heep/dp/B0002W19U6
one copy on Disocgs for $55.56 Uriah Heep - Gold From The Byron Era
two copies on ebay from about $117 URIAH HEEP Gold From The Byron Era | eBay

A truncated version was also on vinyl, but that appears to be unavailable also. I don't think it was ever released as a cd. I was looking because understandably at the prices it is available for, it can be a little off putting ... and some may just want the alternate versions of the tracks....

Anyhow

I have no idea who did the mixing and mastering. If anybody has any additional information, it would be greatly appreciated.

For the record this is a DTS disc, not a dvd audio. It has a Dolby digital and Dolby surround choice, but I would rarely if ever choose those.
The disc starts automatically with the DD audio. So I fixed that.
Bird Of Prey
An interesting start with a full soundfield instantly and the ah ah ah vocals in the rears with the last part sliding to the left side, or being punctuated on the left side.
The scream comes in the rears and moves to the room centre. Byron's actual lead vocal is isolated in the centre channel.
We get more surround ah's.
If there is any channel out of sync with the others, then it is so minimal that I can't really pick it.
Gtr right side, keys left side.
Another gtr ip front.
B box on the rears.
Time To Live
Nice solid kick with a little sub upfront.
Organ on the right side.
Byron has an oh left rear, oh right rear. The organ does some movement across the back, with little punctuations.
On the years, we have some delay sends to rears. Decent but not spectacular mix
Look At Yourself
Drums seem to be across the middle of the room.
Gtr and organ either side.
Bvox rears.
Such a great song. A good mix.
The mix is full here.
A breakdown with percussion all round.
Guitars either side.
This isn't state of the art stuff, but still enjoyable and certainly immersive.
Lady In Black
This track is like a folk rock ballad, and we have acoustic either side bass and drums up front. Byron keeps that isolated center vocal.
String mixed slightly low are across the middle slightly to the back.
A nice airy mix, that uses the space well, without being amazing.
Salisbury
Organ across the whole field. Strings and vocal all around. Sounds really nice.
Wind instruments left and front.
Organ swirls, and we get a very nice full sound.
This opening sequence is excellent.
Vocal section starts with organ and strings left. Staccato punctuation hits all channels. Gtr on the right.
Next instrumental section has gtr middle of the room orchestra either side.
This really does sound good and certainly immersive.
Some horns on the right, and some on the left.
I'm not sure if this is a slightly different arrangement to the original, and perhaps it is just the 5.1, but I find it more engaging.
A breakdown to keys front left flute rear, some horns on the right. Some horns on the left.
Lead gtr in front of the front, but not quite central, if that makes sense.
Organ left rear, rhythm gtr front, and another right rear.
Very full sounding mix.
Box hits in with a really nice lead break and for the moment a front mix, that breaks back into a full wide mix. Then after some Byron ahhh's we go back into a great Box lead.
Again we fill out with a really nice full mix and Box hits us again. Can't honestly say I noticed what a good lead player he was before.
This is a really good track and mix. I think this track is why folks often sit these guys in the prog category. It really is a great orchestral piece, in the truest sense of the word. A really nice full crescendo finish... must have been 15-20 minutes there.
Tears In My Eyes
We have a really nice rocker here.
Slide guitar left. Organ right.
Acoustic left and right rears. Na na na bvox all round.
Lead guitar slides from side to side and very effectively based on its held bends.
Slide guitar swoops around us.
Rhythm gtr right rear lead up front.
Slide right side, rhythm gtr right side.
Gypsy
Organ in the rears
Bass up front drums come in up front. Gtr up front.
Rhythm gtr front left. Drum fill across the middle.
Hensley organ is manic on this track, and I love it. Staying across the back it works really well with the pumping rhythm section.
The cut out comes with Hensley playing atmospheric keys that get a nice swirl, and we explode back into it.
This is a great song, and a great mix.
We get a psychotic breakdown and it is all over the soundfield and we thump in for a big finale.
I'll Keep On Trying
Organ in the rears, hats left rear.
Again we get a nice immersive mix.
I get impression that these guys used more layers than I would have thought also
Here Am I
Hats left rear. Guitar rears. Another gtr up front.
A nice mellow, dreamy track here.
Not a complex mix here, but very satisfying.
Then we move to a rock section with some really nice drums, and some cool harmonised guitars either side.
Some Byron ahhh's in surround layered.
We flip between three guitars front, left side and right side.
We move back into the opening section after a really nice rock explosion interlude.
July Morning
A Heep classic here.
The organ sort of circles for the intro, then settles in the rears.
Piano up front with guitar.
The we get the vocal, front and organ.
Second verse acoustic gtr and vocal.
Organ across the middle slightly to the rears.
Byron "la" scream either side then front.
We get the crescendo at the end with extra elements inserted. Two or three keys, two or three guitars.
A full mix, it could be slightly better, but even as it stands it is a satisfying mix.
We get some swirly effects and all in all a very satisfying track
What Should Be Done
Piano left side. Vocal up front.
Drums come in up front, gtr follows on the right side.
Cool song
Simon The Bullet Freak
Piano from left side and across the back. Nice wide drum mix.
Bass up front. Gtr just right with effects send to right rear.
Effected vocal across the middle to fade out.
Dreammare
Nice intro.
Rhythm gtr kind of rolls across the front and back, and then we get rhythm gtr either with a slide up front.
Gtr break moves from right side to front, then left side and repeats.
Bvox move all around. Lead break right side.
Wake Up (set your Sights)
Guitar front left. Organ across the middle.
A change come in an we get a guitar on it's own playing a chord pattern. This fills out with piano on the right. I think it is a mellotron also some what in the middle of the room.
We get some strings also.
A shimmer ends the song on the right and slides to the left.
Come Away Melinda
Mellotron either side an flute up front.
Acoustic guitar up front with the Byron vocal.
Then acoustic either side. Strings come in either side as well.
We quieten down again vocals on the left. Then we move into a chorus bit again.

Ok. This album goes for an hour and thirty five minutes. The mix is good, and in parts really very good. There are sections that aren't as convincing as others, but on the whole I like it.
Without spending a lot of time looking it up, I think there are some outtake tracks here that didn't make it to albums ... I am not a Heep authority, just someone that likes the band and needs to get more listening time in.
I feel like this would be essential to a Uriah Heep fan, even though it isn't on the same level consistently as the other two titles from this morning. If that copy for about fifty dollars is in good condition, and you love Heep, I would jump on it.
If this were reissued at a better price I would say it is very worth getting and having a listen. With prices up in triple figures, I am not that bold about it. I think at the fifty dollar mark it would be enjoyable to a Heep fan, and the mix is good, and interesting, but it isn't consistently good and interesting all the way through. It is almost worth getting just for the Salibury mix and a couple of others alone, and I am not disappointed in it, or having paid too much for it, but it could have been done ... somewhat better.
Anyway, I am pleased that I have it. I think some folks would very much like it .... Not sure how to balance out the pros and cons, but I hope that is of some help to anyone that is interested.

@Juggsnelson that's about as well as I can sum it up mate. I don't hear any obvious inconsistencies in timing between the speakers. If the statements regarding left rear being ahead were in relation to timing. If they were in relation to being louder ... I don't really hear that either. I think it is overall good... it fluctuates from really good to reasonable across the whole album. For me it ends up being good to very good, due to the songs that are really good, being enough for me to be satisfied with the album as a whole ... I don't think there is anything terrible at all.

 

"Fuzzy Dice, Bongos In the back, my ship of love is ready to attack"

 

hahah great minds think alike .... or fools seldom differ

 

Thanks for the thread, I love surround sound and always have...
A bit off but I thought you might it interesting...
I was flipping channels one night and hit The Tonight Show and the surround sound mix just leaped out at you.... wonderful... changed channels to CBS The Late Show... and nothing.....
Listening through Direct TV