Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries

A great team to support. Hopefully Naitanui can have a full season. Love watching that guy fly. Just got my TV subscription code for 2020. Sorry to hear about the aches and pains. People unfamiliar with AFL would probably be surprised the punishment players take, without the benefit of any padding.

 

Great write up Mark! This is a good one.

 

Blue Oyster Cult - Secret Treaties. The first three BOC albums are all stone cold classics. The quad mix for this sounds great, but there is nothing spectacular about it. I'm not sure it could be any better though. (3/2)

 

A Farewell to Kings


Studio album by
Rush
Released September 1, 1977
Recorded June 1977
Studio Rockfield Studios in South Wales, UK
Genre Progressive rock
Length 37:13
Label Anthem Mercury
Producer Rush, Terry Brown

A Farewell to Kings is the fifth studio album by Canadian rock band Rush, released on September 1, 1977, by Anthem Records in Canada and by Mercury Records in the United States. It was recorded at Rockfield Studios in Wales and was mixed at Advision Studios in London.

Singer and bassist Geddy Lee has said that the album was an important one for him, because "I learned a lot; I was learning a lot. I was always challenged and I was very stimulated and the end result was A Farewell to Kings, so I guess it was a pivotal record in that regard."[1]

Rush

• Geddy Lee – vocals, bass and twelve-string guitar, Minimoog, bass pedal synthesizers
• Alex Lifeson – electric and acoustic six- and twelve-string guitars, classical guitar, bass pedal synthesizers
• Neil Peart – drums, orchestra bells, wind chimes, bell tree, vibraslap, triangle, tubular bells, temple blocks

Additional personnel Terry Brown – spoken vocals on "Cygnus X-1"
Production

• Arranged and produced by Rush and Terry Brown
• Recorded at Rockfield Studios (Wales) during June 1977 by Terry Brown and Pat Moran
• Mixed at Advision Studios (London) by Terry Brown, with assistance by Declan O'Doherty and Ken Thomas
• Originally mastered by George Graves; Remastered by Bob Ludwig and Brian Lee at Gateway Mastering
• Cover photography by Yosh Inouye
• Art and graphic direction by Hugh Syme
• Sleeve photograph by Roger Stowell, with liner photos by Fin Costello

1. "A Farewell to Kings" Lee, Lifeson, Peart 5:51
2. "Xanadu" 11:05
3. "Closer to the Heart" Peart, Peter Talbot 2:54
4. "Cinderella Man" Lee 4:20
5. "Madrigal" 2:35
6. "Cygnus X-1 Book I: The Voyage 10:25

• I. Prologue
• II. 1
• III. 2
• IV. 3

-------------------------------------------------------
Expectation for the Rush mixes led to disappointment with the Rush mixes. I had already bought the original stand alone bluray of the 5.1 mix for this album, and been somewhat disappointed. It is a great album, and there was nothing essentially wrong with the mix, but it seems in a lot of ways that Rush had limited layering in their studio releases, and being a three piece leaves limited options for a 5.1 mix.
So I was incredibly annoyed when I found out that Steven Wilson had done another completely different 5.1 mix, which was of course exclusive to a box set .... this particular practice has really become annoying for the 5.1/surround fan, as we are now expected to buy $30-50 worth of disc, with a whole bunch of stuff we aren't necessarily interested in for anything from $90-400 ... and for one disc of interest, it is certainly annoying, and feels like a big rip off. Anyway, frustration built in me long enough, that I set my sights on finding an affordable copy of this set. It turned out I did, or I succumbed to the desire to hear the mix that several people were raving about ... at the same time, wanting to punch whoever came up with the idea of releasing two versions and putting the desired one on a box set.... but I digress.

Still available new
On Amazon for $93.15 https://www.amazon.com/Farewell-Kings-Blu-Ray-Audio-40th/dp/B076JRZ1K8/?tag=sdepcwus-20
Amazon uk 72.99 pounds (about $96) https://www.amazon.co.uk/Farewell-Kings-Super-Deluxe/dp/B076JRZ1K8/?tag=sdepcw-21
On Discogs from about $60 Rush - A Farewell To Kings (40th Anniversary Limited Edition Super Deluxe)
On Ebay from about $65 A farewell to kings super deluxe edition | eBay

*Please be aware. If you are looking for the 5.1. There are several versions of the Deluxe type thing ....
There is the Super deluxe edition with the 4 vinyl, 3 cd's and a bluray.
There is the Deluxe Vinyl edition with the 4 vinyl
There is the Deluxe edition which is the 3 cd edition
Having broken down the set into a vinyl and a cd edition, we see exactly where we stand as surround sound listeners. Carry the cost or miss out, seems to be the industry call.

5.1 mix Steven Wilson

As with most of them these days the box is lovely, with lots of bits and pieces. The four disc vinyl cover seems very luxurious. The 3 cd set is like the twin of the vinal set, just smaller. The bluray just comes in a cardboard sleeve.
The disc has the 96/24 stereo. 96/24 dts master audio 5.1. 96/24 dolby hd 5.1.
I always go with the dts, if there is no pcm 5.1.

A Farewell To Kings
We start with the nylon string front and centre. It spreads slightly as it goes along.
Then the synth comes in, and it spreads to the sides.
The the rock kicks in.
Drums guitar and bass across the front. The riff guitar is on the right.
The drums have some nice width, rolling into the sides.
The lick/riff guitar is on the right side.
When the breakdown comes with the drums and bass.
We get a quick stab, one chord of guitar on either side.
A drum fill rolls into the right
The lead guitar up front has a slight side to side movement near the end.
The riff guitar is on the right.
The we get a section just before the end with a rhythm gtr left, riff guitar right.
The closing acoustic is just left of front left.

Xanadu
The first synth note comes in just left of ftont left. The cow bell, or tuned wood? Is on the right side.
Left side has sleigh bell type percussion mixed low. Volume swell guitar up front.
Bell chimes in the left.
Then there is a nice effect as the effected bell slides down each side.
The starts really nicely.
We get some cymbals in the sides.
Gtrs either side, and a swirl of ... idk, poisonous gas sound lol... it sounds great anyway.
A really nice drum fill goes around us beautifully. The drums sound great.
An unusual percussion instrument on the left moves around a little.
These encompassing drum fills are great. This is how a three piece should be mixed.
Synth on the left. Gtr on the right... and those drums. Very cool.
During the post vocal instrumental break we get bell sounds on the right, and synth on the left.
The electric guitar comes in on the right.
Bells right rear, synth left rear.
Those drums
The guitar comes back in on the right.
A synth melody on the right side.
Lead guitar in front of front centre with fx sends to the rears.
Cymbals crash in rears guitar riff .
Guitar melody left rear, glockenspiel right rear. With a big power finish.
The best Rush 5.1 mix I have heard so far.
As one would expect the sound quality on here is great, and that mix has somewhat lifted my Hope's for this.

Closer To The Heart
Gtr just left of front left.
Glockenspiel left rear.
Geddy front and centre with fx sends to rears.
Glockenspiel left rear, bell sounds right rear.
Guitars either side.
A percussion sound? right side.
Drums again have a nice mix.
Two or three layered gtr tracks filling the whole field.
Another good and interesting mix.

Cinderella Man
Splash cymbal right rear.
Really nice surrounded in acoustic guitar sound. Nice bass up front.
Gtrs either side.
Again a nice drum fill uses the rears and sides.
The acoustic really does sound good here.
Gtrs either side. Lead break up front, slides from side to side and around us. Effective.
A very dynamic immersive mix here.
Guitar riff right rear, synth pad left rear.
Another nice piece of work

Madrigal
Gtr front. High pitched synth in rears.
Vocal front, gtr in rears.
Hi pitched synth sort of moves between rears. Nice fade.

Cygnus X1
Atmospheric swell in rears. Sort of muted tolling bell up front. Percussive sounding guitar effect front left.
Effected spoken vocal up front with effects everywhere.
Synthetic bell up front
Bass in the right rear, slowly makes it's way to the front and centre.
The ambient drone is sort of centre of the room.
Power chords right side.
More great drum fills rolling around the field.
Gtrs either side.
Synth swells on left side, and moving to the right.
Bass front. Drums covering all areas. Gtrs in the rears.
Then guitar front left, and right rear.
There is so much going on in this song, and so many changes.
We are at the section with just the bass and guitar, and a few atmospheric sfx. Bass it front gtr right rear. Then another explosion.
Drums everywhere. Guitars front and sounds.
A furious sound all round with Geddy's vocal effects bursting in rears.
The we get a solo guitar up front with some sfx in rears to finish.

Well to me, this is by far the most adventurous and satisfying Rush mix I have heard. I like the other mixes from the perspective that the sound is very good, and there is a certain ambiance that a surround field gives the album, and there are occasional bits of something specifically assigned to the rear, but with this mix, we actually have Wilson stepping out of the comfort zone to actually create a surround mix that is immersive. Stylistically, I don't know if it will suit everyone. When I was mixing my stuff in surround in my home studio, i liked to mix the drums wide, as if sitting in the seat. Here for Most of the album we have that set up, and I love it, it gives the drums a space that stereo just doesn't have, and for me it enhances the listen a lot.
The guitars here are a little more adventurous also. Whether, on this album, Lifeson used more guitar layers than others, or whether Wilson has used some reflective channels to enhance the 5.1 listen I don't know. There are definitely at least several instances where they are definitely separate guitar tracks, but my guess is that some are doubled tracks, or well fed effects tracks.
The, what sounds like a, glokenspiel is very effective and gets nice usage in the rears a few times. We have some nice bell sounds also that get some nice use in the rears. there are sound effects and synths, and the mix works for me.
Obviously the main problem for anyone interested is, do you want to pay sixty bucks for a second hand copy, or a hundred bucks for a new copy ..... where you are getting the album on vinyl, cd and 5,1 bluray with a concert on vinyl and cd also. I haven't listen to them, so I couldn't tell you anything about them. I will probably get around to the concert, but it would seem unlikely for me to play the vinyl, and I would only listen to the cd, if I felt the need to listen while I am driving.
The 5.1 world is a very frustrating place. We get some fairly average mixes, and then we get these Super Deluxe Editions with a nice 5,1 mix (Abbey Road, The White Album, Sgt Pepper, The Later Years, In Cauda Venenom, Farewell To Kings, Imagine, Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk ....) It becomes a war of attrition with our bank accounts, to enjoy the music we love the way we want to hear it.....
sorry a bit of a ramble....
This is a good mix, worth hearing, budget and resolve are the main issues here.

 

Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven



Studio album by Love and Rockets
Released 11 October 1985
Recorded Woodbine Studios in the town of Leamington Spa
Genre Post-punk, gothic rock, neo-psychedelia
Length 42:30
Label Beggars Banquet
Producer John A. Rivers, Love and Rockets

Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven is the debut studio album by English alternative rock band Love and Rockets. It was released on 11 October 1985, through record label Beggars Banquet. Seventh Dream was preceded by the non-album single "Ball of Confusion" on 17 May 1985,[1] and the album's first proper single "If There's a Heaven Above" on 13 September 1985.

AllMusic wrote, "Though the years have deadened its impact somewhat, there is still a visceral thrill to be drawn from replaying the first Love and Rockets album, a sense of the first step taken towards a brave new world", calling the album "as profound an experience as any of the lauded trips of the original psychedelic era.

Personnel

• Daniel Ash – vocals, guitar, keyboards, production, sleeve design
• David J – vocals, bass guitar, keyboards, electric guitar on "Saudade", production, sleeve design
• Kevin Haskins – drums and keyboards, production, sleeve design

Additional personnel

• John A. Rivers – keyboards, string arrangement on "Saudade", engineering, production

Track listing

1 If There's A Heaven Above Daniel Ash, David J 4:53
2 A Private Future Daniel Ash 5:09
3 The Dog End Of A Day Gone By David J 7:35
4 The Game Daniel Ash, David J 5:10
5 Seventh Dream Of Teenage Heaven Daniel Ash, David J 6:35
6 Haunted When The Minutes Drag Daniel Ash, David J 8:11
7 Saudade 5:07
8 Ball Of Confusion Barrett Strong, Norman Whitfield 3:34
9 Lucifer Sam Syd Barrett 3:20
10 Inside The Outside Daniel Ash, David J Rivers 5:33

------------------------------------------------------
The album was released on Bluray in 2016 with a 96/24 stereo and 5.1 mixes

Still Available New: Amazon (says DVD, but it’s bluray)

Surround Mix by Neil Wilkes

If There’s A Heaven Above

Vocals mostly in center, but distributed in front, rhythm guitar in surround, solo guitar briefly in center, background vocals in back

A Private Future

Vocals in front, rhythm guitar seems to pulse between front and back, bvox in back. While mostly in front, there is a little percussion in the back at some points too.

The Dog-end of a Day Gone By

Vocals in front, reverberating percussion and rhythm guitar in back. Brief organ solo and guitar solo in center channel.

The Game

Reverberating guitar, vocals and percussion in front. Minor sliding guitar work in back. Organ in surround and then back only.

Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven

Guitar, vocals, and percussion in front, flutish synthesizer in back. Different keyboard in front. Swirling guitar.

Haunted When the Minutes Drag

Guitar and vocals in front. Additional guitar and background vocals start in back after first minute. Bass and percussion in front.

Saudade

Instrumental, starts with guitar heavy in back, then second guitar in front. Synthesizer in surround. Very nice – definitely the 5.1 highlight.

Ball of Confusion

One guitar and background vocals in back, rest in front.

Lucifer Sam

Synth and background vocals in back

Inside the Outside

Dualing percussion front and back. Vocals, bass and guitar in front. Some guitar in back too. Very cool.
______

After Peter Murphy left Bauhaus, the remainder of the band regrouped to form Love and Rockets two years later. If you are not familiar with them, they are often grouped with other 80’s bands Sisters of Mercy, Lords of the New Church, and Mission UK.

I got interested in Peter Murphy first (In Deep is on my classic list), Bauhaus second, and then Love and Rockets. While their first album isn’t quite as well regarded as some of the later ones (I picked up Express and Earth, Sun, Moon), it’s the one that Neil Wilkes dug up to churn into a multichannel mix. The fact that I didn’t have the album already was a plus.

I like the later L&R titles better, but the debut has it’s highlights and the three bonus tracks at the end are all great additions. The surround mix is very good: there is almost always something interesting going on in back, and the distribution of instrumentation is not at all formulaic. Not only is it the only L&R alum in surround, there aren’t any 5.1s that I know of for other goth rockers either – not even The Cure. So, I feel this disc fills an important niche. (1/3)

 

My wife is a big Bauhaus and Peter Murphy fan

 

I like L&R better than Bauhaus. My wife likes Peter Murphy, but not Bauhaus or L&R. I tried to play L&R Eclipse last night to get warmed up for Seventh Dream, but it was immediately vetoed.

 

This Week's Nominations

 

I have the sector box sets with the dvd-a’s but your review is really tempting me to pick up with Wilson mix on Blu-ray in the big box. I’m with you though it’s frustrating the industry has decided to use multichannel fans to fund these big boxes vs Getting them as standalone releases

 

I honestly think if you like Rush, and two things ...
A - you can get past them using us to prop up their box set sales
B - it isn't going to pinch your wallet too much...
It is the best of the Rush mixes I have heard... and I think I have them all now.

I try to look passed what I paid for something, once I decide to get it, because otherwise it taints the listen.

If you do look at one from discogs, just make sure it does have the bluray. Some folks buy the box, and sell everything but the bluray. It isn't always in bold print, if you know what I mean

 

Has the Herbie Hancock Quad Sextant (Dutton Vocallion) come up for consideration here?

 

Yea I think last week.
We'll get on it soon

Happy New Year mate

 

I have the 2015 bluray. I'm sure the Wilson remix is better, but there is no way I'm going to buy a box for another version of an album that isn't among my five favorite Rush titles. Sorry box meisters.

 

Blackfield IV



Studio album by Blackfield
Released 26 August 2013
Recorded January 2012–July 2012
Genre Art rock, pop rock
Length 31:22
Label Kscope
Producer Aviv Geffen

Blackfield IV is the fourth studio album by Blackfield, the musical collaboration by Aviv Geffen and Steven Wilson. Similar to their third album, Welcome to My DNA, Geffen has taken over more active duties on the album while Wilson focuses on his solo career. The album was released on 26 August 2013.

Over the course of 2010 and early 2011, the two creative directors of Blackfield were split over two musical projects; Steven Wilson wrote and recorded his second solo studio album, Grace for Drowning, and as a result, Aviv Geffen would take more creative control over Blackfield's third studio album, Welcome to My DNA. After both albums' release and promotion, in December 2011, Wilson stated that his various music projects, Blackfield included, would be put on hold, while he focused further on his solo career.[3] Contrary to this announcement, less than a month later in January 2012, Geffen announced his intentions to release a fourth Blackfield album by as soon as May 2012.[4][5] This prompted Wilson to announce that his role would continue to lessen, with Wilson acting only as a contributor and mixer. Wilson said of the band's future:

...just to clarify news elsewhere of a new Blackfield album coming this year – please note that this time my involvement will be as a contributor rather than a member. I will still be mixing the album, and maybe sing on a couple of Aviv’s songs (there will be other guest singers I understand), but with my complete blessing Blackfield is now under his sole curatorship, a process which really began with Welcome to My DNA"[4][6]

Wilson later admitted that it was his own idea for Geffen to take over the project, because Wilson wanted to concentrate on his solo career in 2012 and 2013, while Geffen wanted to do another Blackfield album right away in 2012, and Wilson felt guilty about holding him back.[7]

Work on the album started shortly after Geffen's initial announcement. On 29 and 30 January, both Geffen and Wilson began work on vocal and guitar parts in the studio.[8][9] The two were accompanied by one of the guest vocalists that Wilson had alluded to before, which was revealed to be Vincent Cavanagh of the band Anathema, who recorded vocals for a track,[10] "XRay".[11]

Due to Wilson focusing on the recording of his third solo album, The Raven That Refused to Sing (And Other Stories), Wilson would not write any of the songs for the album. He only contributed lead vocals to one song, "Jupiter",[11] though he did also contribute "a bunch of guitar parts" and "helped him arrange some of the backing vocals".[7] Specifically, Wilson provided backing vocals and guitar to the track "Pills",[12] and backing vocals for "Sense of Insanity".[13] Despite his lessened role, he still said that he was "protective of the Blackfield legacy", and that the next album would "still sound like a quintessential Blackfield album."[7] Wilson later reiterated his role on the album:

I won’t say producing [the fourth album], I am only helping [Geffen], a bit of singing, guitar, mixing whatever it takes but I am not going to tour, it’ll be too much, I’ll kill myself, would just run myself to the ground. I won’t tour Blackfield anymore but I will do anything to keep the name going...I just don’t think that writing the kind of style that Blackfield make is where I am at right now.

Despite Wilson's focus on his solo career, Geffen pressed forward with the album, writing around thirty tracks for the album before whittling it down to the strongest eleven tracks for the final release.[12] On 14 June 2012 Geffen announced he was in the final mixing stages of the album with Wilson.[15] By November 2012, Geffen stated that he roughly aimed for an April 2013 release time frame.[16] Wilson confirmed that he sang and played guitar on several tracks, but "much less than before", that Geffen was able to get "a bunch of great singers to contribute to the record, some of whom are quite well known", and that the album would be the first that Geffen would consent to be mixed for surround sound. In June 2013, the other guest appearances were announced to including Brett Anderson of Suede, Jonathan Donahue of Mercury Rev and the aforementioned appearance of Vincent Cavanagh of Anathema.

Reception for the album has been mixed, with critics divided over Wilson's smaller role on the album. About.com music journalist Chad Bowar gave the album a 4 out of 5 star rating, praising it for combining "beautiful acoustic passages, luscious melodies and straightforward rock" and especially noting the orchestration and guest appearance of Vincent Cavanagh as standout features.[24] Conversely, Bryce Ezel of PopMatters was more critical of the album, awarding it only a 5 of 10, stating that while some of the songs were good, the magic from the first two albums, Blackfield and Blackfield II, was lost due to the lack of collaboration between Geffen and Wilson on the album. "Pills", "Jupiter", and "Sense of Insanity", all tracks Wilson contributed to, were noted as standouts because "IV demonstrates that Blackfield is at its finest when it is being what it initially set out to be—not the band it now has to become because the circumstances require it to be so."

Personnel

Blackfield

· Aviv Geffen – vocals, guitars, keyboards
· Steven Wilson – lead vocals on "Jupiter", backing vocals on "Pills", "Sense of Insanity" and "Lost Souls", [13] guitars
· Seffy Efrati – bass guitar
· Tomer Z – drums, percussion
· Eran Mitelman – piano, keyboards

Guest musicians

· Vincent Cavanagh - vocals on "X-Ray"
· Brett Anderson - vocals on "Firefly"
· Jonathan Donahue - vocals on "The Only Fool Is Me"
· Strings – London Session Orchestra

Production
· Aviv Geffen - producer
· Steven Wilson - mixing engineer

Track listing

All tracks are written by Aviv Geffen[25].

No. Title Length
1. "Pills" 3:35
2. "Springtime" 2:24
3. "X-Ray" (featuring Vincent Cavanagh) 2:36
4. "Sense of Insanity" 3:24
5. "Firefly" (featuring Brett Anderson) 2:46
6. "The Only Fool Is Me" (featuring Jonathan Donahue) 1:54
7. "Jupiter" 3:48
8. "Kissed by the Devil" 3:03
9. "Lost Souls" 2:57
10. "Faking" 3:33
11. "After the Rain" 1:26

------------------------------------------------------
The two-disc edition has the multichannel mix on DVDA

Still Available New: Amazon Importcds Discogs

Surround Mix by Steven Wilson

bass and percussion in front on all tracks, strings in surround on most tracks

"Pills"
Geffen vocals in center, guitar in surround, synth and background vocals in back, guitar solo in center near end

"Springtime"
Geffen vocals in center, guitar in surround, background vocals in back

"X-Ray" (featuring Vincent Cavanagh)
Cavanagh in center (yay Anathema); guitar in front

"Sense of Insanity"
Geffen in center, organ in back, guitar in front; background vocals in front; reverb guitar in surround

"Firefly" (featuring Brett Anderson)
Anderson in center, guitar bass and percussion in front, keyboards in back. Good surround track.

"The Only Fool Is Me" (featuring Jonathan Donahue)
Donahue in center, guitar and harpsichord? in front

"Jupiter"
Wilson in center, piano bass and percussion in front, strings in surround, background vocals in back

"Kissed by the Devil"
Geffen in center, guitar in front

"Lost Souls"
Geffen in center, guitar in front

"Faking"
Geffen in front

"After the Rain"
Geffen in center, synth percussion in front, background vocals in back
______

Blackfield started as a collaboration project between Israeli musician Aviv Geffen and Steven Wilson. If you read through that entire TMI introduction, you have already figured out that this album isn’t as good as their earlier releases, perhaps because Wilson participated to a far lesser extent, but hey we get a 5.1 mix for it. The other negative is that it clocks in at 31 minutes - it’s basically an EP. On the plus side, it’s still available new and cheap.

With the exception of Pills and Firefly, the surround mix isn’t that interesting. Most of the action is in front, with concert hall strings in surround.

As one of the Amazon reviewers noted, you can expect about 15 minutes of good music from this album. That works out to about $1 per good surround minute. I’ve done worse. (1/2)

 

Great reviews guys!

I played this back to back with A Farewell to Kings yesterday. I like the L&R album better than the Rush but Wilson really did a great job with his surround mix on AFtK (the L&R mix is no slouch though). It's a shame they didn't have Wilson mix Hemispheres on the recent release as I like that album more but hopefully they'll give him the opportunity with Permanent Waves if they do a box. I'd love to see more alternative titles too, including The Cure's Wish which has had rumors of a DE for years and even interest by Robert Smith in a surround mix.

 

Temple of the Dog

Studio album by
Temple of the Dog
Released April 16, 1991
Recorded November - December 1990 at London Bridge Studios, Seattle, Washington
Genre Grunge alternative rock hard rock
Length 54:59
Language English
Label A&M
Producer Rick Parashar, Temple of the Dog

Temple of the Dog is the only studio album by the American rock band Temple of the Dog, released on April 16, 1991, through A&M Records. The album is a tribute to Andrew Wood, the former lead singer of Malfunkshun and Mother Love Bone, who died on March 19, 1990, of a heroin overdose. The album has been certified platinum by the RIAA in the United States.

Temple of the Dog

• Jeff Ament – bass guitar, art direction and design, photography
• Matt Cameron – drums, percussion
• Chris Cornell – lead vocals, harmonica (track 6), banjo (track 7)
• Stone Gossard – rhythm guitar, slide guitar, acoustic guitar
• Mike McCready – lead guitars
• Eddie Vedder – backing vocals (tracks 4, 8, and 9) co-lead vocals (track 3)

Production

• Rich Frankel, Walberg Design – art direction and design
• Don Gilmore – additional engineering
• Lance Mercer, Josh Taft – photography
• Rick Parashar – production, piano (tracks 5, 6, and 10), organ (tracks 1 and 10), mastering
• Ken Perry – mastering
• Temple of the Dog – production

The Album
1. "Say Hello 2 Heaven" (Blu-Ray Audio 5:1 Mix)
2. "Reach Down" (Blu-Ray Audio 5:1 Mix)
3. "Hunger Strike" (Blu-Ray Audio 5:1 Mix)
4. "Pushin' Forward Back" (Blu-Ray Audio 5:1 Mix)
5. "Call Me A Dog" (Blu-Ray Audio 5:1 Mix)
6. "Times Of Trouble" (Blu-Ray Audio 5:1 Mix)
7. "Wooden Jesus" (Blu-Ray Audio 5:1 Mix)
8. "Your Saviour" (Blu-Ray Audio 5:1 Mix)
9. "Four Walled World" (Blu-Ray Audio 5:1 Mix)
10. "All Night Thing" (Blu-Ray Audio 5:1 Mix)

these bonus (HD) videos on the dvd and bluray are in stereo only, although wiki says they are 5.1
Live At Moore Theatre
11. "Say Hello 2 Heaven"

Live At Alpine Valley
12. "Say Hello 2 Heaven"
13. "Hunger Strike"
14. "Call Me A Dog"
15. "All Night Thing"
16. "Reach Down"

Live At Benaroya Hall
17. "Call Me A Dog"
18. "Reach Down"
--------------------------------------------------------
To be honest I never really knew anything about these guys. I was hanging out with a Pastor mate of mine, and we were listening to Soundgarden's Badmotorfinger, reminiscing about what a sad loss Chris Cornell was, and he started telling me about this album. He was also a fan of Mother Love Bone and also told me the sad story of Andrew Wood.
Also to be honest, when the grunge thing hit, I wasn't really caught up in the hype around it. I guess during the slightly wimpy late eighties folks had forgotten about rock music. When grunge hit the scene, I merely thought "cool, some bands are going to rock again. So it wasn't a life changing experience for me, and I personally didn't see anything particularly special about it, just that some bands had decided that rocking out and making a bit of noise was still a cool thing to do.

Here is a little history on Temple Of The Dog - because I don't know much about them
-----------------------------
Temple of the Dog was started by Soundgarden frontman Chris Cornell, who had been a roommate of Andrew Wood, the lead singer of Malfunkshun and Mother Love Bone.[1] Wood died on March 19, 1990, of a heroin overdose, the day Cornell got back from a tour.[2] As he went on to tour Europe a few days later, he started writing songs in tribute to his late friend.[1] The result was two songs, "Reach Down" and "Say Hello 2 Heaven", which he recorded as soon as he returned home from touring.[1]

The recorded material was slow and melodic, musically different from the aggressive rock music of Soundgarden.[3] Cornell approached Wood's former bandmates, Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament—who were still figuring out how to continue without Mother Love Bone—with the intention of releasing the songs as a single.[2] Ament described the collaboration as "a really good thing at the time" for Gossard and him that put them into a "band situation where we could play and make music."[2] The band's lineup was completed by the addition of Soundgarden (and later Pearl Jam) drummer Matt Cameron and future Pearl Jam lead guitarist Mike McCready. They named themselves Temple of the Dog, a reference to a line in the lyrics of the Mother Love Bone song "Man of Golden Words".[1]

The band started rehearsing "Reach Down", "Say Hello 2 Heaven", and other songs that Cornell had written on tour prior to Wood's death, as well as re-working some existing material from demos written by Gossard, Ament, and Cameron.[4] One such demo became a song for two bands, recorded as "Footsteps" by Pearl Jam and "Times of Trouble" by Temple of the Dog.[5] The idea of doing covers of Wood's solo material also came up but was abandoned quickly, as they realized it would make people (including Wood's close friends and relatives[1]) think the band was "exploiting his material."[2]

The release of a single was soon deemed a "stupid idea" by Cornell and dropped in favor of an EP or album.[1] The album was recorded in only 15 days, produced by the band themselves.[1] Gossard described the recording process as a "non-pressure-filled" situation, as there were no expectations or pressure coming from the record company.[2] Eddie Vedder, who had flown up from San Diego to Seattle to audition for Ament, Gossard, and McCready to be the singer of a band initially billing themselves as Mookie Blaylock (so named for a basketball player but eventually settling on Pearl Jam), was at one of the Temple of the Dog rehearsals and ended up providing backing vocals.[6] "Hunger Strike" became a duet between Cornell and Vedder. Cornell was still figuring out the vocals at practice when Vedder stepped in and filled in the blanks singing the low parts because he saw it was hard for Cornell,[7] as Cornell later described it: "He sang half of that song not even knowing that I'd wanted the part to be there and he sang it exactly the way I was thinking about doing it, just instinctively."[2][8] "Hunger Strike" became Temple of the Dog's breakout single; it was also Vedder's first featured vocal on a record.[9] On the 2011 documentary Pearl Jam Twenty, Vedder stated; “That was the first time I heard myself on a real record. It could be one of my favorite songs that I’ve ever been on — or the most meaningful.”[7]

Temple of the Dog was released on April 16, 1991, through A&M Records and initially sold 70,000 copies in the United States.[4] Ament recalled that A&M requested a Pearl Jam sticker be on the cover—as they had just picked their new name—because "it'll be a good thing for us", but they refused.[4] The album received favorable reviews[10] but failed to chart. Critic Steve Huey of AllMusic later rated the album with four-and-a-half stars out of five, stating that the "record sounds like a bridge between Mother Love Bone's theatrical '70s-rock updates and Pearl Jam's hard-rocking seriousness."[11] David Fricke of Rolling Stone also wrote in retrospect that the album "deserves immortality."[12] The band members were pleased with the material, as it achieved its purpose; Cornell believed that "Andy really would have liked" the songs,[2] and Gossard also asserted that he thought Wood would be "blown away by the whole thing".[1] Soon after the album's release, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam embarked on recording their next albums, and the Temple of the Dog project was brought to a close.

In the summer of 1992, the album received new attention. Although it had been released more than a year earlier, A&M Records realized that they had in their catalog what was essentially a collaboration between Soundgarden and Pearl Jam, who had both risen to mainstream attention in the months since the album's release with their respective albums, Badmotorfinger and Ten. A&M decided to reissue the album and promote "Hunger Strike" as a single with an accompanying music video that had been previously filmed. The attention allowed both the album and single to chart on Billboard and resulted in a boost in album sales. The album was among the 100 top-selling albums of 1992.[13] Temple of the Dog ended up selling more than a million copies, achieving platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America.[14]

Ament, Cameron, Cornell, and McCready later reunited under the name M.A.C.C. to record a cover of Jimi Hendrix's "Hey Baby (Land of the New Rising Sun)" for the 1993 tribute album Stone Free: A Tribute to Jimi Hendrix. The song has since been included as part of the band's live set. In a 2007 interview with Ultimate Guitar Archive, Cornell stated he would be open for a Temple of the Dog reunion, or "some collaboration with any combination of those guys".[6] He also revealed that Temple of the Dog was the reason he joined Audioslave, as the experience made him "keep an open mind" about collaborations with musicians from other bands.[6]

On June 25, 2019, The New York Times Magazine listed Temple of the Dog among hundreds of artists whose material was reportedly destroyed in the 2008 Universal fire.[15]
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I must state for the record, that I have never heard this album, and have no idea what to expect.
If the band's material was destroyed in the universal fire, I am not sure how this all came together. If any of you have any details I would be very interested if you feel a want to share that info. I haven't had a chance to read, or listen to anything yet, as it only arrived yesterday.

Available through Amazon for about $100 https://www.amazon.com/Temple-Blu-ray-Audio-Super-Deluxe/dp/B01KGXB7UM
Through Amoeba for about $129 Temple Of The Dog [Super Deluxe Edition] (CD)
Through Discogs from about $78 Temple Of The Dog - Temple Of The Dog
On Ebay from about $77 temple of the dog super deluxe | eBay

5.1 mix and mastering by Adam Kasper

Say Hello 2 Heaven
We start with a guitar on the right side sending a signal to the left. Sounds good.
We get a clean arpeggiated gtr left side. Slightly distorted gtr right.
Really nice warm sub assisted kick.
Typically great vocal from Cornell.
Bvox on the right.
The drum mix is really nice. Seems to be just forward of centre with a mix that runs into the sides.
This is a really nice mix. Very balanced mix. Possibly mastered slightly loud, it is very present.
Doesn't sound like there is any clipping ar all though.
Excellent.

Reach Down
Gtr in rears. Again drums sound great.
Two distinct gtrs either side.
The music is actually accomplished by a sort of sepia tone series of landscape video, and also video snippets of the band. Nice touch.
Bvox in the rears.
This is a really good sounding mix. The feel is still a rock feel, although slightly more subdued than say a Soundgarden album, but it is full of feeling and just ballsy enough for a rock pig.
A lead break up front, another lead break/fill on the right side. Then we get a lead that moves around the field in a sort of psychedelic, but natural way.
Then we get a coherent yet interesting situation where the three guitars all have little lead breaks going, but they are working together. Just about surround lead break heaven right there.
This really is very effective.
Excellent mix,
Then we get an excellent acapella surround thing. Cornell up front and the bvox stereo'd across the rears.
Really great stuff here.
For those that find it hard to listen without video, from what I can tell, the video isn't just a loop either.

Hunger Strike
Guitar just left of front left. Hars right side, another guitar comes in right side. The vocal is up front, and excellent.
Then both guitars are in the side.
I think Eddie Vedder comes in on the right side, but not right over.... kind of right side but centrefield if that makes sense.
Cornell harmonised up front.
Nice arrangement and mix.
This track moves into some solid grunge territory.
Video of Ants IP front at the moment.

Pushin' Forward Back
Solid rock guitar hits on the right, joined by that beautiful drum sound up front. Another guitar on the left.
Bvox in rears.
Again interesting video.
The guitars here have some really great mixing, a volume swell slides between our ears through the rears.
This happens few times.
All these nice little pieces of movement feel in context, and come across as nice effects, ratherthan gimmicks.

Cal Me A Dog
Piano across the middle. Rim shot snare right rear, acoustic guitars fill out and add to the piano. When the snare comes in proper, it is up front. Nice effective use of the soundfield for good effect.
This is a slightly unusual mix, but really very effective.
There is no way anyone could say they didn't use the rear channels enough on this. Lead guitar front left with fx send to right rear.
Again a nice video seems to be used. Wolves and. Countryside.
Piano slides across the back to finish.

Times Of Trouble
Percussion right rear. Gtr right rear. Piano left rear. A ping of guitar slides through the middle of my head.
Gtrs either side.
Cornell double tracked vocal, front and right side/rear
Little wah wah guitar comes in front right.
This is a really nice moderate ballad, that still has some punch.
Harmonica lead comes in just in front of front centre.
Another interesting and excellent mix.
The piano is actually across the left side.

Wooden Jesus
Again really nice drum mix, percussion right rear. Guitars either side.
Time lapse video of sunsets, clouds etc.
Percussion instruments in the rears either side.
The gtrs, one us actually right rear, and one left front. A lead break comes in front and centre.
Another really good and interesting mix.

Your Saviour
Again solid drums up front. Chuck guitars either side rears. Punctuation guitar, front.
Bvox low in rears.
Everything has it's own space, but is still coherent. Lead break slides across the front, then slides around the right and rear, and we go back into the vocals.
Cymbals all over the field.
Again excellent.

Four Walled World
Gtrs either side rears. The drums are kind of in the middle of the room.
More cool timelapse video.
The bass guitar sounds particularly good on this song with good sub assistance, with more space, and more reserved guitars.
Again unusual but excellent mix, there is stuff going on everywhere

All Night Thing
Vocals and organ up front.drums sort of in the middle of the room.
Video of the guys around a bonfire.
Piano comes in on the right. Guitar on the right.
Cymbals in the rears.

The video stuff is of good quality.
Moore theatre is older. It is in black and white, but a solid picture and pretty good sound.
Alpine valley
Looks like it is from pearl jam twenty concerts or something, and does have Cornell, and he Vedder sound good together. Good quality.
Benaroya
This looks fairly recent, and appears to be something from some kind of event.
Professionally shot and high quality.
So excellent bonus material also.

Well I am pretty buzzed about this, because it is always a little nerve wracking buying something you aren't familiar with, but I am really happy with this.
I think they have done an excellent job of this. It is a little on the expensive side I guess. A cd of the album + a couple of extras. A cd of outtakes and demos.
The dvd has 6 tracks from Live At The Off Ramp. Hunger Strike in Phoenix, and Hunger Strike Music Video. Plus the concert stuff on the bluray.
I bought this for the bluray, and I love it.
I think any Cornell or Soundgarden fan would want and love this. If the price isn't off putting to you, I highly recommend this.

 

definitely. I like it, but A Farewell To Kings from the box, is the primo Rush 5.1, in my opinion.

 

I hope I haven't blown you all out with run downs over the last week, but I have been on vacation and enjoying spending some quality time listening.
I know it is a lot of music being posted here, but I think with the thread reference, you can feel not overwhelmed, and come back to anything at any time you please.
Anyhow.
I will be back to normal station programming now, as it is back to work tomorrow. So fear not, the review assault will slow down, and be back to normal

Cheers
Mark

 

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 thanks @riskylogic
Ayreon - The Source thanks @riskylogic

Band - Music From Big Pink ... I did this twice ... must occasionally sleep lol
Bass Communion - Loss thanks @riskylogic
The Beatles - The Beatles (White Album)
The Beatles - Abbey Road
Be Bop Deluxe - Futurama
Be Bop Deluxe - Sunburst Finish
Beck, Jeff - Blow By Blow
Beethoven - 3rd Symphony Eroica
Bjork - Vespertine
Black Sabbath - Paranoid
Blackfield - IV thanks @riskylogic
Blood Sweat and Tears - Blood Sweat And Tears
Blue Oyster Cult - Secret Treaties
Blue Oyster Cult - Agents Of Fortune
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
Cobham, Billy - Spectrum (Quad) thanks @-dave--wave-

Davis, Miles - Sketches Of Spain
Davis, Miles - In A Silent Way
Davis, Miles - Bitches Brew
Deep Purple - Machine Head
Deep Purple - Stormbringer
Depeche Mode - Some Great Reward
Depeche Mode - Delta Machine
Derek and the Dominos - Layla and other assorted love songs
Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms
Doobie Brothers - The Captain And Me
Doors - LA Woman
Drake, Nick - A Treasury
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 - Tarkus
Emerson Lake And Palmer - Brain Salad Surgery

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

Gabriel, Peter - Up
Gallagher, Rory - Big Guns (Best Of)
Gaye, Marvin - Lets Get It On
Genesis - Overview of all thanks @MikeF63
Genesis - Selling England By The Pound
Genesis - And Then There Were Three
Gentle Giant - The Power and The Glory
Grateful Dead - Workingman's Dead

Hackett, Steve - Voyage Of The Acolyte thanks @riskylogic
Hendrix, Jimi - Electric Ladyland

Inxs - Kick
Iron Maiden - Dance Of Death

Jeff Beck Group - Rough And Ready
Jethro Tull - Thick As A Brick
Jethro Tull - Minstrel In The Gallery
Jethro Tull - Stormwatch
Jethro Tull - TAAB 2 thanks @riskylogic
Joel, Billy - The Stranger
John, Elton - Madman Across The Water

Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band - The Traveller
King Crimson - In The Court Of The Crimson King 40th and 50th
King Crimson - Red
Knopfler, Mark - Sailing To Philadelphia
Kooper, Al (with Bloomfield and Stills) Super Sessions

Living Colour - Collideoscope
Love And Rockets - Seventh Dream Of Teenage Heaven thanks @riskylogic
Lynyrd Skynyrd - Southern Surroundings

Marillion - Afraid Of Sunlight
Moody Blues - Days Of Future Passed
Moody Blues - A Question Of Balance
Moody Blues - Seventh Sojourn
Morrison, Van - Moondance
Mussorgsky, Modeste - Carlo Ponti - Pictures At An Exhibition+
Mozart - 40th Symphony

Nektar - Journey To The Centre of The Eye Thanks @riskylogic
Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds - Dig Lazarus Dig
Nine Inch Nails - The Downward Spiral
No Man - Schoolyard Ghosts Thanks @riskylogic

Oldfield, Mike - Ommadawn
Oldfield, Mike - Five Miles Out
Oldfield, Mike - Crises thanks @Sordel 's overview
Oldfield, Mike - Return To Ommadawn thanks @riskylogic
Opeth - Pale Communion
Opeth - In Cauda Venenum

Pat Metheny Group - Imaginary Day
Pineapple Thief - Dissolution
Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd - A Momentary Lapse Of Reason
Pixies - Doolittle thanks @Galactus2

Queen - A Night At The Opera

REM - Green
Rich, Charlie Behind Closed Doors
Roxy Music - Avalon
Rush - A Farewell To Kings (Wilson version)
Rush - Hemispheres
Rush - Moving Pictures

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

Tchaikovsky - The Nutcracker - Neeme Jarvi
Talking Heads - Fear Of Music
Talking Heads - Remain In Light
Talking Heads - Speaking in Tongues
Tangerine Dream - Phaedra
Temple Of The Dog - Temple Of The Dog
Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers - Damn The Torpedoes
Townsend, Pete/Lane, Ronnie - Rough Mix
T Rex - Electric Warrior

Uk - Night After Night
Uriah Heep - Gold From The Byron Era

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

XTC - The Black Sea
XTC - Oranges and Lemons

Yes - Close To The Edge
Young, Neil - Harvest

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

 

When I first discovered this thread, I appreciated the reference post. I bookmarked it and went back through it over a number of weeks when I had extra time. It's a great resource. Thank you!

 

You're very welcome.
I figure the easier the better ... and it looks like this will be a long thread with a lot of different stuff on it.
It is just really nice that some folks are enjoying it. I really wasn't sure

 

I enjoy this thread and thanks Mark for your efforts! Will try to participate more as I'm a big surround fan.

 

Daniel Barenboim & Artur Rubinstein - Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 (The "Emperor" Concerto)


LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)

RUBINSTEIN/BARENBOIM – BEETHOVEN CONCERTO NO. 5 (THE “EMPEROR” CONCERTO)
The original LP ARL1 1420 (1976) STEREO/ARD5 1415 QUADRAPHONIC

Piano Concerto No. 5 in E flat, Op. 73 (“Emperor”)
1 i Allegro
2 ii Adagio un poco mosso
3 iii Rondo: Allegro
ARTUR RUBINSTEIN piano
LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA conducted by DANIEL BARENBOIM

BONUS WORK
From the original LP RUBINSTEIN/BARENBOIM – BEETHOVEN CONCERTO NO. 2/SONATA IN E FLAT
ARL1 4711 (1976) STEREO

Sonata No. 18 in E flat, Op. 31, No. 3
4 i Allegro
5 ii Scherzo: Allegretto vivace
6 iii Menuetto: Moderato e grazioso
7 iv Presto con fuoco
ARTUR RUBINSTEIN piano

Remastered from the original analogue tapes by Michael J. Dutton

Tracks 1-3 available in stereo and multi-channel
Tracks 4-7 in stereo only
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I am no Classical music expert, by any stretch of the imagination, so forgive me if my run downs of these types of discs is substandard. I just enjoy the pieces of music, and figured that a surround mix/recording should be a great way to hear them. So far that has been the case.
I don't know how popular this Concerto is, but I heard it in my teens and thought it was great.
The two guys on here are very famous names, but again, I don't know much about either of them, if anything.

This is still available from Dutton/Vocalion new it is about 12 pounds/ 15 usd duttonvocalion.co.uk store: Daniel Barenboim & Artur Rubinstein - Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 5 (The "Emperor" Concerto) & Sonata No. 18 in E flat, Op. 31, No. 3 [SACD Hybrid Multi-channel / Stereo] | Epoch - Historic SACD | CDLX7364 |
there will be a shipping cost, but I have never noticed it to be too much. It is probably worth looking at getting a few of the Vocalion quads because they have been excellent so far, and therefor the shipping would be somewhat negated by extra purchases. Lots of interesting stuff, for those who like variety - Tomita, Charlie Rich, The Guess Who, Art Garfunkel, Return to Forever, Classical, Jazz, all sorts of gear worth a look. anyway
Amazon has it for about $22 https://www.amazon.com/Daniel-Baren...GRAQXQ4PCEV&psc=1&refRID=JTAKXQ86EGRAQXQ4PCEV

Anyway lets have a listen.

i Allegro
At this stage Rubinstein was quite old, but the guy can still play a piano.
The piano runs from the left side to the right side.
The orchestra is nice and full sounding.
We get a beautiful piece of piano playing to start. This leads us into the joyous and uptempo orchestral section, which is just wonderful.
This is somewhat surround ambience, with good mic work. We certainly have music in the sides and rears, but not quite as pronounced as the previous classical albums we looked at. It is definitely a full sounding recording, and I don't think it would disappoint.
We move into a mellow section, with the piano up front and strings on the sides.
It sounds almost like two pianos...
This mix is like being in a really excellent concert hall, and the wash of the piano and orchestra creates the wonderful feeling of being surrounded by it.
As if sat up front, and the orchestra is set wide on the stage, and surrounding you purely by its width and power.
Rubinstein has excellent touch and feel on the piano.
This section is as wonderful as I remember it being.
Although not quite as defined as the others I have listened to, it is still an extremely enjoyable surround sound and feel..... and then in parts it actually is... perhaps it is the concerto vs the symphony that is the difference....
That's a pretty easy twenty two minutes to sit through

ii Adagio un poco mosso
We start with the orchestra, playing a gentle intro.
An adagio to the best of my memory, is a slow piece, and this has a graceful, melodic feel.
The piano plays a section, and then we get the piano and orchestra gently mixing together.
The middle section is really nice with the piano playing the melodies with a pulsing string section sitting just underneath, and the wind section punctuating really nicely from the sides.
We finish with a gentle solo piano, the moves smoothly into

iii Rondo: Allegro
We dance into the third section smoothly, and we the orchestra is at full power, that is when you get the full surround effect.
This was recorded in 1975 I think, and Rubinstein was born in the late 1800's, quite remarkable playing, in spite of him being 80 or so at the time.
This is a more dramatic section, and again it really manages to keep the attention with the melodic movement, and dynamic orchestration.
At the halfway point we have a very famous passage, to my ears at least, and we are swamped by the orchestra's power.

This is a wonderful piece of music, and it is well recorded, and the surround is worth it. It is a different dynamic to the symphonies previously looked at, but when the orchestra is firing we do have a surround field that immerses you in the music. Even when it is just the piano, we are getting a wider than stereo sound, but of course this isn't the Flaming Lips, and we aren't getting instruments sliding around the soundfield for effect. Here we have a really interesting ambience where the piano on occasion is dancing from side to side in the front stereo field, and sometimes it is sliding outside of that. I am not a sound expert so I can't really explain what is happening, but it sounds very good.
The only down side, or slight disappointment, is the oppo only picked up three tracks ... the Emperor itself. So I can't play the four movements of Sonata 18 on the oppo, and I am not sure why. Perhaps I will put this in my car at some stage and see if it reads 3 or 7 tracks.
I like this, but I love this piece of music. I reckon if you like this piece of music, then you will like this.

For the record Rubinstein was born in 1887

 

Temple Of the Dog is an album I've known and loved so much since it's release. So happy it received the surround treatment and picked this Deluxe set up the day it was released. I love the surround mix as it is very active and discrete!

 

Yea it's excellent. Certainly a pleasant surprise for me.