Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries

Tears For Fears - Song From The Big Chair

 

Eric Clapton - Give Me Strength 74-75 (461 Ocean Blvd and There's One In Every Crowd)

 

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
Alan Parsons Project - Tales Of Mystery and Imagination
Allman Brothers Band - Live At Fillmore East
Allman Brother Band - Eat a Peach
Anathema - We're Here Because We're Here thanks @riskylogic
Anathema - Weather Systems thanks @riskylogic
Anderson, Ian - Homo Erraticus
Anderson, Ian - TAAB 2
Argent - In Deep 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 - Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band
The Beatles - Abbey Road
Be Bop Deluxe - Futurama
Be Bop Deluxe - Sunburst Finish
Beck, Jeff - Blow By Blow
Beethoven - 3rd Symphony Eroica
Beethoven - 5th Concerto (Emporer) - Barenboim/Rubenstein
Bjork - Vespertine
Blackfield - IV thanks @riskylogic
Black Sabbath - Paranoid
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
Bowie, David - Station To Station
Bowie, David - Stage
Browne, Jackson - Running On Empty
Bruford - Feels Good To Me thanks @riskylogic

Charles, Ray - Ray Sings, Basie Swings
Clapton, Eric - Back Home
Cobham, Billy - Spectrum
Cobham, Billy - Spectrum (Quad) thanks @-dave--wave-
Coltrane, Alice/Santana, Carlos - Illuminations

Davis, Miles - Sketches Of Spain
Davis, Miles - In A Silent Way
Davis, Miles - Bitches Brew
Davis, Miles - Live Evil
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 - Three Piece Suite
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
King Crimson - Beat
King Crimson - The Power To Believe
Knopfler, Mark - Sailing To Philadelphia
Kooper, Al (with Bloomfield and Stills) Super Sessions
Kraftwerk - 3d Catalogue - Man Machine

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

Mahavishnu Orchestra - Birds Of Fire
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 - Atom Heart Mother
Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd - A Momentary Lapse Of Reason
Pixies - Doolittle thanks @Galactus2
Porcupine Tree - Stupid Dream

Queen - A Night At The Opera

REM - Green
REM - Monster
Rich, Charlie Behind Closed Doors
Riverside - Love, Fear And The Time Machine thankl @riskylogic
Riverside - Wasteland
Roxy Music - Avalon
Rush - Fly By Night
Rush - 2112
Rush - A Farewell To Kings (Wilson version)
Rush - Hemispheres
Rush - Moving Pictures

Santana - Abraxas
Santana - Lotus
Sly And The Family Stone - Greatest Hits
Soord, Bruce - All This Will Be Yours
Squire, Chris - Fish Out Of Water
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 - Tommy
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
Yes - Tale Of Topographic Oceans
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

 

I started a companion thread for video. I'll post here in a few minutes too.

 

Deliverance



Studio album by Opeth
Released 12 November 2002
Recorded 22 July 2002 – 4 September 2002
Studio Nacksving Studio and Studio Fredman (Gothenburg, Sweden)
Genre Technical death metal
Length 61:45
Label Koch, Music for Nations
Producer Mikael Åkerfeldt and Steven Wilson

Deliverance is the sixth studio album by Swedish progressive metal band Opeth. It was released on 12 November 2002. It was recorded between 22 July and 4 September 2002, at the same time as Damnation, which was released the following year. The two albums contrast starkly with one another, purposely dividing the band's two most prevalent styles, as Deliverance is considered to be one of the band's heaviest albums, whereas Damnation experiments with a much mellower progressive rock-influenced sound.

The band originally intended for Deliverance and Damnation to be released as a double album, but the record company eventually decided against this and released them separately, approximately five months apart from one another in order to promote them properly.

The recording sessions also became a writing session of two albums worth of material, causing the recordings to be long as there were no songs written prior to that point. Åkerfeldt wrote the songs in the night and recorded them with the band during the days.

The track "Master's Apprentices" was named after the Australian hard/progressive rock group The Masters Apprentices. "For Absent Friends" was named after a song on the album Nursery Cryme by progressive rock group Genesis.

Personnel
Opeth
Mikael Åkerfeldt – vocals, electric and acoustic guitars
Peter Lindgren – electric guitars
Martín Méndez – bass guitar
Martin Lopez – drums, percussion

Additional personnel
Steven Wilson – backing vocals, additional guitars, Mellotron, piano, keyboards, production, engineering
Opeth – production, engineering
Fredrik Nordström – engineering
Fredrik Reymerdahl – engineering
Andy Sneap – mixing
Travis Smith – artwork

Track listing

All tracks are written by Mikael Åkerfeldt.
No. Title Length
1. "Wreath" 11:11
2. "Deliverance" 13:36
3. "A Fair Judgement" 10:21
4. "For Absent Friends" (instrumental) 2:17
5. "Master's Apprentices" 10:30
6. "By the Pain I See in Others" 13:50

The surround mix can be found in a box set released in 2015 containing both Deliverance and Damnation – together as originally intended. I am going to review them separately anyway, but I will get to Damnation soon, maybe even next week. The box is out of print; discogs lists copies for sale for far more than what I paid for them.
_____
5.1 mix by Bruce Soord

Wreath
Except for the growly Åkerfeldt in the center, the rest of the band is in non-discrete surround until after five minutes a guitar opens up on the center channel. Then the guitar finishes and the growly voice comes back. Guitar briefly returns to center front again at eight minutes, with percussion in the back. Non-growly background vocals in back at 9 and a half minutes. Finishes with a little growling in the back.

Deliverance
More of the same, with everything in surround and growly voiced vocals and a smidgen of guitar in the front. However, non-growly vocals show up in the center channel after about two minutes – sounds like Wilson who is credited with “background” vocals. Guitar is mixed to the back at 4 minutes. At about 6 minutes, some percussion also shows up in front, but still most of the action is in the back. For last three minutes, there is one recurring guitar chord that comes from the center channel, otherwise, it’s all in surround, albeit with a little more bass in front.

A Fair Judgement
Starts with piano solo in the back. The full band starts up after a minute, bass and percussion in front, non-growly vocals in center, guitar in surround. Guitar and percussion in the back at six minutes, followed by guitar solo in center at six and a half minutes.

For Absent Friends
Two acoustic guitars, one in the front and another in the back. Very nice.

Master's Apprentices
The growly voice is back in the center channel, percussion also in front, but everything else in surround. Non growly Steven Wilson in center again. Both non-growly and growly Åkerfeldt as well. A little percussion in the back at the end.

By The Pain I See In Others
More growly voice in the center. Guitar often predominates in the back. Even though this seems like a mostly a four channel concert hall mix, there many subtle front-to-back manipulations. That is especially apparent during the last 3+ minutes which are mostly silence, but is punctuated by two episodes of ethereal music in the distance. From a surround standpoint, this is the best track.
____
I mostly got this because I was trying to collect all the Steven Wilson 5.1 mixes, and he did the second one. Even though he didn’t mix it, Wilson does appear on damnation as both as a musician and as producer. I already had Pale communion, which I like, and Ghost Reveries not as much – so I wasn’t in familiar with the band. I’ve picked up the last two Opeth releases that Mark has already reviewed too, but only in stereo, cuz boxes.

The interesting thing about Deliverance and Damnation albums is that they mark the transition of Opeth from a growly voiced doom metal band to non-growly prog metal band. Deliverance has both, but the growly Åkerfeldt predominates.

The mix is conservative in the sense that most of what goes on in the back speakers in just echoing the front. However, lead vocals mainly come from the center speaker and there are the occasional backing vocals and other instruments in the back, plus guitar featured in the center. Still, it sounds good. The only thing keeping this from regular play for me are the growly vocals. Playing this while my wife is anywhere nearby is out of the question. (1/3)

 

I'm not into the whole growly vocal thing, but it is really cool that they dedicated a song to the Masters Apprentices, great band.

 

After owning and listening to most of the releases of this title, today I prefer the original Quadraphonic mix on the EMI Sacd.

 

I wonder what the story was on the marketing of this one. I was watching the Virgin (Mercury) website fairly closely when it was released, but I never saw the 5.1 version for sale. The original stereo Crises is beautifully recorded, especially Simon's drums. But yes, his 21st century remixes have been pretty odd sounding and not so artistically successful. I did like Hergest Ridge and the songs from Discovery that he mixed in 5 channel though.

 

I've always found listening to this album in one sitting intoxicating-- a huge swirl of sound unlike anything else around at the time. The lyrics were often disappointing, though. I think And Then..Three was influential at the time and its layered structure was echoed by bands like Lush, Cocteau Twins, and Big Country. Nick Davis' remix is superior (in stereo or 5.1 channel) to the one Hentschel created. The original mix was almost monophonic, with most of the instruments centered in the sound field. Nick opens things up quite a bit to allow individual instruments to emerge, but it still sounds dense, wall-of-soundy.

 

I think that is why I love this album so much. The atmosphere is awesome.
Yea a couple of lyrical .... failures, but I can look past those

 

I was completely unaware that Argent In Deep in quad had been released until I read the summary above. Having acquired the disc I must say that it is one of the very best surround discs that I have heard and I have a good number of those on the list. So big thanks for highlighting this one and keep up the good work!

For my Sunday disc tomorrow I am going to play again the sacd of Linda Ronstadt What's New. The orchestration comes alive in the surround mix of this beauty.

 

The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway

Studio album by
Genesis
Released 18 November 1974
Recorded August–October 1974
Studio Glaspant Manor, Carmarthenshire, Wales with Island Studios mobile equipment
Genre Progressive rock art rock[1]
Length 94:15
Label Charisma
Atco (US/Canada)
Producer John Burns Genesis

The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway is the sixth studio album by the English progressive rock band Genesis. It was released as a double album on 18 November 1974 by Charisma Records and their last album with frontman Peter Gabriel before his departure in 1975. It tells the story of Rael, a Puerto Rican youth from New York City who embarks on a journey of self-discovery and encounters bizarre incidents and characters along the way. During the writing and recording sessions, Gabriel temporarily left the band to work with William Friedkin which, along with his insistence on writing all of the lyrics, put strains on the rest of the band.

The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway was released to initial mixed critical reception, though it has since received critical acclaim and has gained a cult following. It peaked at No. 10 on the UK Albums Chart and No. 41 on the US Billboard 200. Two singles were released in the UK, "Counting Out Time" and "The Carpet Crawlers", while the title track was released as a single in the US. Genesis supported the album with their 1974–1975 tour across North America and Europe, playing the album in its entirety across 102 dates. The album continued to sell, and reached Gold certification by the Recording Industry Association of America in 1990 for shipment of 500,000 copies.

• Peter Gabriel – lead vocals, flute, varied instruments, "experiments with foreign sounds"
• Steve Hackett – acoustic and electric guitars
• Mike Rutherford – bass guitar, 12-string guitar
• Tony Banks – Hammond T-102 organ, RMI 368x Electra Piano and Harpsichord, Mellotron M-400, ARP Pro Soloist synthesizer, Elka Rhapsody string synthesizer, piano
• Phil Collins – drums, percussion, vibraphone, backing vocals, second lead vocal on "The Colony of Slippermen" and "Counting out Time"

Additional musicians

• Brian Eno – Enossification (vocal treatments) on "In the Cage" and "The Grand Parade of Lifeless Packaging"[86]

Production

• John Burns – production
• Genesis – production
• David Hutchins – engineer
• Hipgnosis – sleeve design, photography
• Graham Bell – choral contribution
• "Omar" – Rael on the album's artwork
• Richard Manning – retouching
• George Hardie – graphics (George Hardie N.T.A.)

1. "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway" 4:54
2. "Fly on a Windshield[a]" 2:45
3. "Broadway Melody of 1974" 2:11
4. "Cuckoo Cocoon" 2:13
5. "In the Cage" 8:12
6. "The Grand Parade of Lifeless Packaging" 2:46
7. "Back in N.Y.C." 5:39
8. "Hairless Heart" (instrumental) 2:10
9. "Counting Out Time" 3:41
10. "Carpet Crawl" 5:16
11. "The Chamber of 32 Doors" 5:45
12. "Lilywhite Lilith" 2:49
13. "The Waiting Room" (instrumental) 5:17
14. "Anyway" 3:17
15. "Here Comes the Supernatural Anaesthetist[c]" 2:49
16. "The Lamia" 6:58
17. "Silent Sorrow in Empty Boats" (instrumental) 3:01
18. "The Colony of Slippermen" 8:12
19. "Ravine" (instrumental) 2:06
20. "The Light Dies Down on Broadway" 3:32
21. "Riding the Scree" 4:07
22. "In the Rapids" 2:22
23. "it[d]" 4:19
--------------------------------------------
This is a legendary and monumental album of the progressive rock era, and oddly enough it is based more in short form songs, than long pieces. Many folks complain about Genesis changing their style, and some state it as 78, some 80, some 81 and some 83. The truth of the matter is that Genesis were constantly changing their sound. From the debut, From Genesis to Revelation - Chamber Pop, through Tespass - pastoral prog-rock, Nursery Cryme - fairly pure prog-rock, Foxtrot - hard edged prog-rock, Selling England By the Pound - more pop based prog-rock, Lamb Lies Down - Psychedelic prog-rock. It is really only when we get to Trick Of The Tail that the band regressed somewhat, and that clearly was a slightly defensive move, having lost the focal point, and by far the most visible member of the band, Peter Gabriel. And Then There Were Three, was certainly no pop album, by any stretch of anyone's imagination. It was more synth based, because Banks was now the main instrumentalist, but there is nothing on there that is really anything like the pop of 1978. Even the, maligned by prog-heads single, Follow You Follow Me was really not very pop oriented for 1978, it merely had lyrics about a relationship, which was about as close as it got, and that just probably upset a lot of bedroom ridden prog-nerds, because they didn't understand the concept lol ....anyway.
The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway was a huge change in direction for the band. The sound and style of the band changed dramatically from Selling England By The Pound the previous year. Sure there are a couple of eight minute tracks on the album, but with 23 songs and most being about 2.5-3 minutes long, this was a very different style.
The main problem a lot of folks have with this album, are Gabriel's cryptic sci-fi lyrics. I have never been one to be overly bothered by lyrics. I do see them as important in many instances, but in many others they are just there, and the vocals are just another instrument in the sound being produced. For me the lyrics on this album are really good, because if you do dive into them, they are thought provoking. Even when you are struggling to understand any particular message, the lyrics actually still hold interest, because of the way the are constructed, and delivered. From a lyrical point of view I actually like Lamb, because of these things, and if I had the time and inclination, I could probably get closer to a rational understanding of everything Gabriel was trying to say, but at the end of the day, I think he was just telling a sci-fi story, based in some of the mythical ideas that he had tended to visit on previous albums, and as the lyrics were on previous albums, there is often a subtext that points to some societal observations also, even though as I say, they tend to be somewhat cryptic.
Musically some folks aren't that keen on certain parts of the album, feeling that they are little bit jam based ... again, that doesn't really bother me, because I actually enjoy that kind of thing also. The basic ideas for the songs were derived from jams, and Banks particularly liked this idea, and the band continued to use this methodology for years. I personally think that as a whole the album works, and very well. It is a relatively long album for 1974, and in reality could have been substantially longer, when you consider that the band had to rush the finish because they were behind schedule, because of Gabriel's stalling on the lyrics, which essentially is what led to his leaving the band. Amazingly, even though the band had decided to let Gabriel go, they all had a professional enough attitude to tour the album through 1975, and then part ways after the tour was over.
This ends up being one of my favourite genesis albums, possibly because it is so unusual, and very different to anything they ever did. On occasion it may be my favourite, but as anyone who has ever read anything I have ever written favourite is a very difficult term for me to use confidently, because it is in a constant state of flux in my world, and I just tend to like, or not really like stuff

Anyhow
Also with these Genesis 5.1 albums there was a bit of kick back about the mixes that Davis did. They are apparently different to the original releases, but I am also not one to get to perturbed about that. I listen to what I am listening to, and I either enjoy or don't enjoy it on that basis. I do understand people being disappointed when things are changed from the original presentation, but I am more of a song guy, and in spite of the changes, I don't think they are particularly that different that the album is suddenly unrecognisable, i think in this instance they are subtle nuances that only those who really dive into an album would really notice too much.
Also I am told that these releases are brickwalled ... I think for the most part that is a somewhat overused term these days. Brickwalled to me suggests that it is a flatline sonic picture, that is probably going to have clipping, and although these albums could do with a little more breathing space in the signal to noise ratio, they are not clipped, and do retain a certain amount of dynamics, enough dynamics for me to still enjoy the album. In an ideal world no album would be mastered to loud, too soft, too compressed etc etc , but surely we have realised that it is not an ideal world by now.

This is a bit of a "wow!" moment .... theses titles are now out of print, and the prices are stupid.
Please don't be too perturbed, rumour has it that someone is working on a "super-deluxe" box set of this, and I imagine that it will either have this mix, or a new mix ... I don't know how soon, or if in fact it will happen, but my understanding is that it is going to happen. Perhaps one of our friendly forum members can give us some more details regarding this .... that would be cool.
This is available on discogs from $185 Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
another pressing is available from $190 Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
The box set is available on discogs from about $175 Genesis - 1970 - 1975
The European sacd set from $380 Genesis - 1970 - 1975
and another pressing from $594 Genesis - 1970 - 1975
several on ebay, starting from about $230 genesis 1970-1975 sacd box | eBay
For a set of 5 surround albums, with lots of extras including a disc of 5.1 mixed rarities, and videos and such.... based on current prices for these types of box sets, that is more reasonable than it initially seems.... I would probably lean towards the $380 set, because it is the sacd's, and not just the 96/24 dvd's, but I think either would probably be good enough. Remember that the albums on here are generally regarded as the best with Trespass, Nursery Cryme, Foxtrot, Selling England By The Pound and of course Lamb.

5.1 mix - Nick Davis
assisted by Tom Mitchell

So lets have at it....

Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
We start with the wonderful piano intro up front, strings? either side in the rears. Very nice.
Guitars come in in the rears either side.
Rutherford's, Jack Bruce-like bass comes through nicely up front.
In the quiet section we get an array of mellotron, synths and volume swells all around us.
It the On Broadway coda, we get bvox across the middle

Fly on a Windshield
Acoustic up front. Choir-like vocals, mellotron? In rears.
Volume swells in the middle of the room.
Guitar right rear. Some wide mixed drum fills.

Broadway Melody of 1974
Stab guitar right side. Mellotron left side.
This track is driven by the vocal essentially, with the music working as a nice bed for them to lay on.

Cuckoo Cocoon
Gtrs either side in rears, and up front.
Vocal effects send right rear.
Flute up front.
Keys up front.

In the Cage
Nice bass with subtle sub up front. Good sound and feel
Swirling synth wind sound in rears.
Nice synth swell spreads from front to rears as we swell into the beat.
Dust. Gtr left side.
Synth swells in rears.
Clean guitar arpeggio right side.
Melody synth up front, kind of feeding to the rears.
Again a nice drum spread, with percussion in sides on occasion.
Raindrops vocal right side.
This is a very layered album, and there is activity everywhere.
Vocals bounce either side on the fade out.
The synth coda is up front with accented bits on the rear.

The Grand Parade of Lifeless Packaging
Whistle in the rears.
Piano up front.
Vocal effects fed to rears.
Little percussive addition alternate in the rears.
I love this track, it is such a dynamic piece of madness, and appeals to the weirdo in me.
These are nice mixes, and pretty well balanced, although I may have made some slightly different decisions.

Back in N.Y.C.
We start up front, and the arpeggios come in from the sides as well as the front.
Cymbals in rears.
Piano comes in through rears.
Swelling guitar across the middle.
Porcupine lyric has the vocals in the sides.
Off we go right side.
Swelling feedback guitar in rears.
There is a lot of stuff going on here, and we are enveloped in many layers of great music.

Hairless Heart
Arpeggio keys kind of all around. Acoustic gtr left front. Volume swell gtr front.
Synths come in through the rears. Lead synth front.
Arpeggio keys up front, then move again.

Counting Out Time
We start with a deep stereo mix.
Then when we get erogenous the guitars come in through the rears, and it fills out nicely.
Bvox in second verse in sides.
Nice effective mix, with the verse and change sections adding a nice dynamic to the surround field.
Instrumental section has the percussion in right rear.
Weird vocals in rears.

Carpet Crawl
We start up front. Slowly spreading to the rears.
Volume swell guitar comes in left and sort of floats between the rears.
This works like a building semi-ambient wall of sound, and is very effective.

The Chamber of 32 Doors
This may be my favourite track on the album ... often.
Mellotron in rears. Gtr up front. Bell up front.
Organ across the middle.
Bell during "I'd rather trust" section, on the right.
Vocal that disappears in reverb, swells into the rears.
Wonderful song, very nice mix.

Lilywhite Lilith
We explode into the riff and vocals.
Bvox in rears.
Lead guitar across the middle.
Keys front and rears.
End vocal reverb swells in to rears.

The Waiting Room
Wind chimes in the sides and front, swelling to rears. Volume swell guitars across middle.
This track is almost like a movie soundtrack section, and we get an awful lot of varying sounds from all around the place. The cat synth moves around. Tinkling right rear. Surging synth through the rears. Pulsating effect on gtr moves about a little.
We break in a pulsing music section, with gtr right rear, synths front and rears.
This is a bit of a surround specialty track with an awful lot going on everywhere, to add to the cinematic effect of it all.

Anyway
Piano comes in up front. Then it has an across the middle mix.
Percussive effect left rear.
Synths come in through the rears.
The power section has cymbal accents in rears.
This is quite an effective mix as well.
Again we have this beautiful density that lends itself well to a surround mix.

Here Comes the Supernatural Anaesthetist
Gtr comes in up front.
Doubled vocals fed through the rears.
Lead gtr in the middle of the room.
Percussion in rears.
Synths in rears.

The Lamia
Piano front, but with a spread that incorporates the sides.
For the record the main vocal is always clear, front and centre.
Synths in rears.
The grand styling of this track really comes across well via the surround mix.
Like some kind of erotic fantasy, this track is one of the strangest lyrics on the album.
Choir vocals in rears. Volume swells in instrumental section kind of slide across the channels.
Lead guitar front and centre.

Silent Sorrow in Empty Boats
Volume swell gtr front left, then front.
Synths rears. Choir vocal all around.
Bells tinkling in left rear.
Nice atmospherics, that work as a link track of sorts, as Rael slowly meanders to ...

The Colony of Slippermen
Percussive sound from left side to right side.
Keys right side.
All sorts of interesting sounds all round.
Song actual, starts.
Keys across middle.
Slipperman vocal comes from either side.
Gtrs in rears.
Second lot of slipperman vocals alternate in the rears.
Drums across middle.
Synth drone sound moves around the field.
Banks famous synth riff up front. Arpeggio crescendo feeds to the sides
Organ on sides.
Percussive accents in rears.
Bvox in rears.
Wind effect through rears, synth up front moves into....

Ravine
Another link track here the wind, and synth from the end of previous track continue to the fade.

The Light Dies Down on Broadway
Various synths come from all angles.
Chordal synth left side.
This track is like a hybrid of Lamia and the title track.
Bvox rears.
Synth right side. Another in rears.

Riding the Scree
Bass and guitar up front. Synth up front with feeds to sides.
Organ comes in in the rears.
Volume swell gtr up front.
Drums sound really good here.
Synth lead up front.
Vocals come in about halfway through.
Percussion added in rears.

In the Rapids
Guitar front and sides. Very dreamy sound.
Cymbal left rear.
Percussion right rear.
Reverse? gtr front.
Swelling synth in the middle then lead synth front.
Acoustics either side.

It
Seamlessly we move into this track.
Acoustics either side.
Lead synth up front.
Swelling synth in rears.
Arpeggio type gtr in the middle slightly right.
Lead synth is across the middle at this stage.

I really love this album, and i do think this is a very immersive mix. There are all sorts of things going on everywhere. I don't think Davis did a terrible mix, BUT I do think that Davis lacks the finesse of some of the better mixers - Wilson and Scheiner being the ones that come instantly to mind.
I think for the most part anyone that enjoys surround will enjoy this mix, but I do think it falls a little short of being a great mix, in some ways, and there may be mastering issues rather than mixing issues, again for the most part.
Although Phil's drums generally get a good mix, I think too often they are a little low in the mix, and bass also may be a little low in the mix.
In a lot of ways I guess the density of this album makes it terribly difficult to mix, and so it does fall a little short of amazing, but it is still satisfying from a perspective of being entertaining in its immersive sense.
At this stage if you have been umming and ahhing about whether to get this, I would probably hold off to see what happens with the possible version that is said to be coming.... as I say it may just be this mix in a big box, but with how things have been in recent times, there is every chance that it will get a remix.... I am sort of hoping it isn't one of these big ol' box sets for a couple of hundred dollars, but it yet remains to be seen if it will happen at all.
If they do put together a big box, one can only hope they have multitrack audio from a live gig, and perhaps enough video to splice together something that incorporates visual and 5.1 live bliss.... but again it is speculation until something more solid is revealed.
If this is one of your favourite albums of all time, the mix is immersive and pretty damn good, and if you approach it from that perspective, you may well be fully satisfied by this. With the individual album at $180+, and the box set at $300+, I think the box would be the best way to go, if you like all these albums, and there is a lot to like, but the prices are quite off-putting in many ways.
Here's hoping that the new set is coming, and someone with the same capabilities as Wilson puts something together as good as the Crimson 50th for In The Court.
It is a terrible shame that Wilson apparently doesn't like Genesis, because it would seem like this stuff is right in his wheelhouse.

 

Damnation



Studio album by Opeth
Released 22 April 2003
Recorded 22 July – 4 September 2002, 7 – 10 October 2002
Studio Maestro MusikStudio Fredman, No Mans Land (Hemel Hempstead, UK) (vocals)
Genre Progressive rock
Length 43:20
Label Koch
Producer Mikael Åkerfeldt and Steven Wilson

Damnation is the seventh full-length studio album by Swedish progressive rock band Opeth. It was released on 22 April 2003, five months after Deliverance, which was recorded at the same time. Damnation was produced by Steven Wilson. Mikael Åkerfeldt dedicated both albums to his grandmother, who died in a car accident during the time the albums were being recorded.

The album was a radical departure from Opeth's typical death metal sound, and the first Opeth album to use all clean vocals, clean guitars, and prominent mellotron, as well as being inspired by 1970s progressive rock, which typically features no heavy riffs or extended fast tempos. Despite the change in style from Opeth's previous albums, Damnation was critically acclaimed and boosted their popularity, leading to the release of Lamentations on DVD in late 2003
.
Personnel
Opeth
Mikael Åkerfeldt – vocals, electric and acoustic guitars
Peter Lindgren – electric guitars
Martín Méndez – bass guitar
Martin Lopez – drums, percussion

Additional personnel
Steven Wilson – keyboards, piano, mellotron, backing vocals, mixing, mastering, production, engineering

Track listing
All lyrics are written by Mikael Åkerfeldt, except where noted; all music is composed by Mikael Åkerfeldt.

No. Title Length
1. "Windowpane" 7:45
2. "In My Time of Need" 5:50
3. "Death Whispered a Lullaby" (lyrics by Steven Wilson) 5:50
4. "Closure" 5:16
5. "Hope Leaves" 4:30
6. "To Rid the Disease" 6:21
7. "Ending Credits" (instrumental) 3:39
8. "Weakness" 4:09


The surround mix can be found in a box set released in 2015 containing both Deliverance and Damnation – together as originally intended. Since I didn’t note this in the review of Damnation last week, the discs are DVD-V; DTS or Dolby, take your pick.

5.1 mix by Steven Wilson
General scheme: Lead Vocal in center, Bass and Drums in Front, except cymbals in surround.

Windowpane
Starts off with guitar in surround, then switches to guitar in center with synth in surround.

In My Time of Need
Guitar in surround

Death Whispered a Lullaby
Guitar in surround, then center, then back in surround, then synth and guitar in center, nothing but cymbals in the back.

Closure
Starts with guitar in surround, then guitar in center with synth and cymbals in surround

Hope Leaves
Starts out in mono with both guitar and vocals in center channel. Guitar the moves to surround, with synth in front, and background vocals in the center (yes, that’s an odd mix)

To Rid the Disease
We’re back to starting off with guitar in surround. Then synth in surround, background vocals in front, guitar in center. Then piano in front, synth in surround, guitar still in center

Ending Credits (instrumental)
Guitar in center, nothing but cymbals in surround until synth comes in towards end.

Weakness
Starts out in mono with keyboard and vocals in center. Guitar is added in front with background vocals in surround.
________
Even though this was mixed by Wilson instead of Soord, the mix here is very similar to the one found in Deliverance. If anything, the use of the back channels is even more conservative, while the use of the center channel is more pronounced. There are many passages where the back channels are entirely silent, or just echoing cymbals.

The result sounds very good, but the surround mix is only a minor enhancement of the stereo version. However, Damnation is the first Opeth release to have all clean (non-growly) vocals, and I like it better than Deliverance for that reason. (2/2)

 

Songs from the Big Chair


Studio album by
Tears for Fears
Released 25 February 1985
Recorded 1984[a]
Studio The Wool Hall (Beckington, England)
Genre New wave[1] progressive pop[2]
Length 41:52
Label Phonogram Mercury
Producer Chris Hughes

Songs from the Big Chair is the second studio album by British rock/pop band Tears for Fears, released on 25 February 1985 by Phonogram Records. The album peaked at number two in the UK and at number one in the US and Canada, becoming a multi-platinum seller in all three countries. It also reached number one in Germany and the Netherlands and top-ten positions in various other countries including Australia, Switzerland, New Zealand and Italy. It spawned the international hit singles "Mothers Talk", "Shout", "Everybody Wants to Rule the World", "Head over Heels", and "I Believe". It remains their best-selling album to date.

• Roland Orzabal – guitar, keyboards, lead vocals, grand piano on 5, vocal styling on 8, bass synth and LinnDrum programming on 1
• Curt Smith – bass guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals on 3 and 8
• Ian Stanley – keyboards, LinnDrum programming, arrangements on "Listen"
• Manny Elias – drums (all except track 1), drum arrangement on "The Working Hour"

Additional personnel[edit]

• "Shout": Sandy McLelland – backing vocals, Chris Hughes – drums
• "The Working Hour": Jerry Marotta – percussion and saxophone arrangement, Will Gregory – saxophone solos, Mel Collins – saxophone, Andy Davis – grand piano
• "Everybody Wants to Rule the World": Neil Taylor – second guitar solo, Chris Hughes - MIDI programming Drumulator
• "Mothers Talk": Stevie Lange – backing vocals
• "I Believe": Will Gregory – saxophone
• "Broken": Neil Taylor – guitar solo
• "Head Over Heels": Sandy McLelland – backing vocals, Andy Davis – grand piano, Annie McCaig – backing vocals, Marilyn Davis – backing vocals
• "Listen": Marilyn Davis – operatic vocal

Production[edit]

• Chris Hughes – producer
• Dave Bascombe – engineer
• Paul King – management
• Tim O'Sullivan – cover photography

1. "Shout" Roland Orzabal, Ian Stanley 6:32
2. "The Working Hour" Orzabal, Stanley, Manny Elias 6:30
3. "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" Orzabal, Stanley, Chris Hughes 4:10
4. "Mothers Talk" Orzabal, Stanley 5:09
5. "I Believe" Orzabal 4:53
6. "Broken" Orzabal 2:38
7. "Head over Heels/Broken (Live)" Orzabal, Curt Smith 5:01
8. "Listen" Stanley, Orzabal 6:48
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ok, I have a confession to make, I like this album, but to me it pales in comparison to their debut album The Hurting. I was terribly disappointed that The Hurting didn't receive a 5.1 mix.
Of all the work the band ever did, I think the debut stands head and shoulders above any of it .... ok then... don't hate me, it is just my opinion

I actually didn't buy this album until the bluray audio came out. This is one of those eighties albums where the singles just got flogged to death on the radio, and everywhere else. By the time the bluray came out I had healed from the over-exposure ... like most huge eighties albums, by the time we got to 2010, I was able to consider listening to them again.

I always felt like this album was the band moving into an arena pop/rock sound in order to get some US attention, and in that sense it was a huge success. Please don't think I don't like it, I do, but it just isn't nearly as fresh, new and original sounding as The Hurting was, and that disappointed me somewhat.

Sadly this is another out of print item, and expensive....
Unavailable on amazon
1 on discogs for $86.09 Tears For Fears - Songs From The Big Chair
To some degree the box set with a dvd version of the mix may be better value, with 4 cd's and 2 dvd's at about $86 Tears For Fears - Songs From The Big Chair
One copy on ebay for $47 and if you scroll down you will see the box set for about $57 songs from the big chair bluray | eBay

5.1 mix Steven Wilson
Mastering Nickz

Shout
Bell left rear. Percussion right rear, then left rear.
Drums and synth bass? up front.
Melody synth across the middle, slightly toward rears.
Guitar comes in right side.
Breakdown synth up front. Organ in rears.
Melody synth in break on the left.
Bvox in the rears.
This is a very layered track, but in a sort of minimalist way. There is a lot of space, for the instruments to breath in the surrounds mix.
When the drums come in, it sounds very very good, and they get very good width, with a lot of action in the sides.
The electric guitars comes in nicely in the front.
Very nice, effective, balanced mix, really enhances the value of this track.

The Working Hour
Sax front left. Synths in the rears.
Drum machine and percussion come In up front.
Synth slides across the front.
Drums come in and get a nice wide mix again, getting action in the rears.
Elec piano left side. Also on right.
Melody synth left rear.
Gtr riff left side.
Again this is a nice balanced mix.

Everybody Wants To Rule The World
Gtr riff front left effect send to right rear.
Two chord synth front.
Ambient synth left rear.
Chordal synth across the middle.
Pulsing synth in rears.
Another synth right rear.
In the instrumental section riff gtr also in the right rear.
Lead guitar up front.
Again a nice balanced mix with good clarity.
Nice and immersive with distinctive parts clear and audible.

Mother's Talk
Synth string right rear. Percussion front right and rear right.
Synth stabs up front.
Bvox rears.
Pulsing synths in the rears.
Held walking synth chords left.
Horn synths front with reverb splashing into rears.
Rhythm guitar front left, feeding to right rear. Chorus horns synth in rears.
Rhythm guitars in rears also.
Again, immersive, balanced, and distinct parts.

I Believe
Reverse effects rears. Piano front.
Hats left rear.
Sax comes in left rear and moves subtly to middle of the rears. Percussion right rear.
Synth pad?, organ? Rears
Then sax is up front.
Sfx in rears.
Again, nice balance between instruments.

Broken
Percussion in rears drums up front. Gtr up front. Hats left rear.
Synths in rears and sides.
Lead gtr in front.
Much more dense on this track, but again nice balance.
Somewhat psychedelic sounding.

Head Over heals/Broken (live)
Piano seems to be all rounding the intro.
Pizzicato synth strings in rears.
Gtr up front synths in sides.
Lead synth up front.
A lot more layers in this song, the the radio ever revealed.
Bvox in rears on occasion.
Tom fill on right side and rear.
Cymbals either side rears.
La lab's all round.
Flange effects rears.
Synths all round for start of coda. Gtrs either side.

Listen
Synths all around. Gtr up front.
Percussion up front.
Percussion left side.
Sfx in rears.
Gtr fretboard tapping moves around.
Again nice immersion and balanced sound.

The mix for this is excellent. Wilson really brought the layers out, but in such a way that they still retain an aural cohesion. From the perspective of immersion, you are right in this mix, and it comes across beautifully, with great clarity and definition. This isn't one of those mixes where you are surrounded in somewhat of a blur ... those mixes can be good also, but definition is nice as well.
From an aural pleasure perspective this mix works very very well, and I highly recommend it from that point of view.
This is a good album, but for me it isn't as good as the majority seem to feel it is. It is reaching for a sort of progressive, edgy kind of style, but for me it just doesn't quite reach what I think they were going for. but again, that is just my opinion.
In reality, if you love this album, and you like surround, this would have to be put in the must have pile. I am happy I have it, because the mix is great, but the album doesn't quite reach me, it's good, but a little ponderous.

 

Sextant

Studio album by
Herbie Hancock
Released March 30, 1973
Recorded late 1972
Studio Wally Heider, San Francisco, Different Fur Studios, San Francisco
Genre Avant-garde jazz, jazz fusion, electronic, avant-funk
Length 39:02
Label Columbia
Producer David Rubinson

Sextant is the eleventh studio album by Herbie Hancock, released in 1973 by Columbia. It is his last album with his early '70s Mwandishi-era Band.

• Mwandishi (Herbie Hancock) – piano, Fender Rhodes, clavinet, Mellotron, ARP 2600, ARP Pro Soloist, Moog synthesizer
• Mwile (Bennie Maupin) – soprano saxophone, bass clarinet, piccolo, afuche
• Mganga (Eddie Henderson) – trumpet, flugelhorn
• Pepo (Julian Priester) – bass trombone, tenor trombone, alto trombone, cowbell
• Mchezaji (Buster Williams) – bass guitar, double bass
• Jabali (Billy Hart) – drums
• Patrick Gleeson – ARP 2600, ARP Pro Soloist
• Buck Clarke – percussion

1. "Rain Dance" 9:16
2. "Hidden Shadows" 10:11
3. "Hornets" 19:35
------------------------
Herbie Hancock is a jazz keyboard legend who rose to fame in the pop world when he made the album Future Shock, and Rock It became a surprise hit.
Between 1962 and 2010 he released about 41 regular albums, quite broadly ranging in style.
I am certainly no specialist in Herbie's stuff, and I bought this album out of curiosity, because it was in surround.
This album is a Dutton/Vocalion quadrophonic release, and so I approach it pretty much knowing that the audio quality will be very good.
I have never heard this album before and don't really have much idea what to expect. I am somewhat assuming it will be somewhere along the lines of the Santana/Coltrane album and Bitches Brew in terms of its styling, but hey, at this stage I am just guessing ..... so I think it would be best to just get into this one and see what we have here.
As I say, if you are more familiar with Herbie's work, and this album, please give us some feedback, information or whatever, that way folks aren't just putting up with my ignorant ramblings here

Available from Dutton vocalion for about $15 usd 12 pounds duttonvocalion.co.uk store: Herbie Hancock - Sextant [SACD Hybrid Multi-channel] | SACD & Surround Sound | CDSML8556 |
on Amazon for about $22 https://www.amazon.com/Herbie-Hancock-Sextant-Hybrid-Multi-channel/dp/B07SZF9SWJ
on discogs for about $17 Herbie Hancock - Sextant

In reality if you are interested in the Duttin/Vocalion releases, the best thing to do is put together a list of albums that you want from there and order them direct from Dutton/Vocalion, that way you get hit less for shipping, and it becomes quite an economical transaction. We have been through quite a few, and the quality always seems to be high, the main thing will be how the albums are mixed, as some early quad releases have slightly strange choices, but most are certainly interesting and immersive.

mixed by Fundi
remastered by Michael J Dutton

Rain Dance
Percussive sounds left rear. Throbbing synth sound front.. percussion right rear.
Trumpet left rear.
Trumpet right rear.sfx moving across the rears. Quite psychedelic.
Bass comes in up front
Synth right front.
Electric piano left side.
Definition and clarity is excellent.
This is atmospheric music.
It started with a slow introduction of pieces one by one. Around 4 minutes drops back and the bass comes in up front, claps right rear.
Wandering synth lines covering left side. Staccato keys on right side. Sfx from various locations.
We have really nice balance and clarity.
The rain dance theme works well as it sort of moves into a kind of synthetic rainstorm sound.
This really is some very early techno type music, but less dance oriented.
It is very effective in its use of synths and creating a surround field.
It isn't so much ambient, as atmospheric, and though unusual it is quite engaging.

Hidden Shadows
This starts of like a slow funk.
Percussion on the right side. Funky synth left rear. Synth strings left side.
We have congas? right front, percussion left and right rear.
Some unusual sounds I presume to be synths from various locations.
Sfx up front.
Again the music lives up to the title, in that it has a funky mysterious vibe about it.
Trumpet right rear, another front left. Horns across the front. Used sparingly, but effectively.
The mix comes across as unusual, but totally in sync with the music. Very balanced in terms of hearing everything, and the clarity is great.
We have the different instruments coming in and out of the mix at various points, with certain instruments remain constant in the groove.
Piano comes in front left and then swings all the way around to the left side.
Another piano? On the right side.
Then the horns come back in for a moment.
This is like a psychedelic nightmare in a strip club on a dark night.
Swirling synth effect goes around us.
Then we break back down to the basic groove, get a synth swell front left, and a swirl of action fading out to the percussion and ending in the right rear.

Hornets
We start with a beat and are then instantly surrounded by sfx created by various instruments.
Trumpets come in up front, and again we have this funky groove coming through.
Nice jazzy trumpet on the right.
Unusual rhythmic synth right rear. Another again in the left rear.
A kazoo sound on the right rear.
Meanwhile a solid drum beat up front that throws in a few snare rolls.
Keys left side, combatting the horn on the right.
A wild melange of sounds all round.
Whistling synth right rear, feeding to front left.
Funkadelic meets Bitches Brew while watching the Twilight Zone.
Horn right side now.
Cymbal slams right rear.
Trumpet now front left.
This is wildly psychedelic and most definitely immersive.
If I was really stoned, I may be freaking out right now.
Around the 11 minute mark we have a breakdown with swirling effects, then we are surrounded by trumpets. Then sfx left side. A wah wah fuzz bass up front.
Keys on the left side.
Keyboard suddenly goes to the right side and zig zags all over the place.
This gives one the impression it was recorded and mixed for someone to freak out if if they were doing acid.
There are a ton of movement mix effects.
The rhythmic drive is the only real constant, and it is a series of percussive pieces placed nicely around the sound field.
A keyboard crescendo of sorts on either side.
Like one of the more trippy Floyd albums with different instrumentation.
But again the music reflects the title, because the music does give the effect of being surrounded by hornets.
Clarinet arpeggios on the left side.
The drums explode in a flurry and we move into just the hats and the fuzz wah bass. The more synths come back in for an atmospheric fade out.
More swirling effects.
The track ends up being 20:47 and ends on a closing hi hat.

Well that is one crazy album.
From a mix point of view it is sensationally surround. It is akin to Flaming Lips and Dukes Of Stratosphere in terms of the intensity of the mix. Musically it is a wild ride of sound effects that come from the instruments playing on the albums. Layered and in a constant state of flux, with the basic theme remaining constant, and in tune with the titles given to the songs.
As to whether I could recommend it, well if what I described interests you, I think it is probably essential. this isn't really for a pop music fan, or a rock fan ... I am not really sure it is even for a jazz fan. If you love adventurous mixes, where the mix is almost more important than the music, and you love aspects of jazz, and love extreme psychedelia, you're starting to get in the ball park. I can't say I dislike this, it is really very interesting ... I'm not sure a stereo mix would be that interesting to me. the surround mix is what makes this an interesting album to me, because it really does go all out to make an impact, and it certainly does that.
This isn't an album I would put on all the time, but if I was going to smoke some doobies and have a bit of a freak out .... this may be my first choice

 

I really wish they had a Steven Wilson 5.1 mix for The Hurting as well. Especially, with both boxes about to be repressed... it would have been an instant re-purchase from me.

I think Songs From the Big Chair is an excellent album all the way through and was thrilled when I heard Wilson would be remixing it. It's a shame the multis were missing from a track or two but I think he did a good job blending in the upmixed tracks. I'm probably I'm in the minority but I think the album trounces Seeds Of Love and if pressed I'd probably choose The Working Hour as my favorite track in the TFF catalog. The drums in the surround mix are outstanding! I sometimes think the vocals are a little low in the mix though.

 

Very trippy immersive music...im slowly growing very fond of this Herbie guy.. I highly recommend this disc...ive got his thrust disc also good for nightime listening especially with a couple doobs or hits

 

461 Ocean Boulevard


Studio album by
Eric Clapton
Released July 1974
Recorded April–May 1974
Studio Criteria, Miami, Florida
Genre Blues rock funk
Length 43:21
Label RSO
Producer Tom Dowd

461 Ocean Boulevard is the second solo studio album by Eric Clapton that marked his return to recording after recovering from a three-year addiction to heroin. The album was released in late July 1974 for RSO Records, shortly after the record company released the hit single "I Shot the Sheriff" in early July the same year. The album topped various international charts and sold more than two million copies.

The album title refers to the address on Ocean Boulevard in Golden Beach, Florida where Clapton lived while recording the album. The street address of the house was changed after the album's release due to fans flocking to the property. The house has long since been rebuilt and the street address restored.

• Eric Clapton – lead vocals, guitar, dobro
• George Terry – guitar, backing vocals
• Albhy Galuten – synthesizer, acoustic piano, ARP synthesizer, clavichord
• Dick Sims – keyboards
• Carl Radle – bass guitar
• Jamie Oldaker – drums, percussion
• Al Jackson Jr. – drums on "Give Me Strength"
• Marcy Levy – harmonica, backing vocals
• Tom Bernfield – backing vocals
• Yvonne Elliman – backing vocals
• Tom Dowd – producer
• Bill Levenson – compilation producer on Deluxe Edition
• Ron Fawcus – engineer
• Andy Knight – engineer
• Karl Richardson – engineer
• Suha Gur – mastering
• Darcy Proper – mastering at Sterling Sound, New York
• Bob Defrin – art direction
• David Gahr – photography
• Ryan Null – photo co-ordination

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There's One in Every Crowd


Studio album by
Eric Clapton
Released March 1975
Recorded Late 1974 – early 1975
Studio Criteria Studios, Miami, Florida and Dynamic Sounds Studios, Kingston, Jamaica
Genre Blues rock · reggae
Length 40:08
Label RSO
Producer Tom Dowd

• Eric Clapton – lead vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, dobro, arrangements (1, 2)
• George Terry – electric guitar, acoustic guitar, group vocals
• Carl Radle – electric guitar, bass guitar
• Dick Sims – Hammond organ, acoustic piano, Fender Rhodes
• Albhy Galuten – synthesizer
• Jamie Oldaker – drums, percussion
• Yvonne Elliman – lead vocals, group vocals
• Marcy Levy – group vocals

Production[edit]

• Producer – Tom Dowd
• Engineers – Graeme Goodall, Carlton Lee and Ronnie Logan (Kingston); Don Gehman, Steve Klein and Karl Richardson (Miami).
• Front Photo – Henry DeChatillon
• Back Photo – Robert Ellis
• Inner Sleeve Drawing – Eric Clapton

-----------------------------------------------------------


5CDs with unreleased outtakes + Blu-ray audio with 5.1 mixes

461 Ocean Boulevard (Expanded Version)
CD1-1 Motherless Children 4:53
CD1-2 Give Me Strength 2:54
CD1-3 Willie And The Hand Jive 3:32
CD1-4 Get Ready 3:47
CD1-5 I Shot The Sheriff 4:27
CD1-6 I Can't Hold Out 4:14
CD1-7 Please Be With Me 3:26
CD1-8 Let It Grow 5:01
CD1-9 Steady Rollin' Man 3:15
CD1-10 Mainline Florida 4:08
Session Out-Takes
CD1-11 Ain't That Lovin' You 5:33
CD1-12 Meet Me (Down At The Bottom) 6:58
CD1-13 Lonesone Road Blues (Walkin' Down The Road) 5:16
CD1-14 Getting Acquainted 6:27
CD1-15 Getting Acquainted 2 (Too Late) 4:19
CD1-16 Eric After Hours Blues 4:24
CD1-17 Please Be With Me (Acoustic) 3:25
CD1-18 Give Me Strength (Dobro 1) 3:29
There's One In Every Crowd (Expanded Version)
CD2-1 We've Been Told (Jesus Is Coming Soon) 4:29
CD2-2 Swing Low Sweet Chariot 3:33
CD2-3 Little Rachel 4:07
CD2-4 Don't Blame Me 3:35
CD2-5 The Sky Is Crying 4:00
CD2-6 Singin' The Blues 3:25
CD2-7 Better Make It Through Today 4:24
CD2-8 Pretty Blue Eyes 4:48
CD2-9 High 3:32
CD2-10 Opposites 4:50
Session Out-Takes
CD2-11 Burial 4:02
CD2-12 Whatcha Gonna Do 2:44
CD2-13 I Found A Love 3:41
CD2-14 (When Things Go Wrong) It Hurts Me Too 5:48
CD2-15 Fools Like Me 5:09
Non-Album Single Release
CD2-16 Knockin' On Heaven's Door 4:24
CD2-17 Someone Like You 4:30
E.C. Was Here (Remixed And Expanded Version) Disc 1
CD3-1 Smile 3:35
CD3-2 Have You Ever Loved A Woman 7:41
CD3-3 Presence Of The Lord 8:47
CD3-4 Crossroads 4:38
CD3-5 I Shot The Sheriff 7:35
CD3-6 Layla 6:00
CD3-7 Little Wing 8:57
CD3-8 Can’t Find My Way Home 5:18
CD3-9 Driftin’ Blues / Ramblin’ On My Mind 11:38
E.C. Was Here (Remixed And Expanded Version) Disc 2
CD4-1 Ramblin’ On My Mind / Have You Ever Loved A Woman 8:15
CD4-2 Willie And The Hand Jive / Get Ready 11:27
CD4-3 The Sky Is Crying / Have You Ever Loved A Woman / Ramblin’ On My Mind 7:25
CD4-4 Badge 10:43
CD4-5 Driftin’ Blues 6:55
CD4-6 Eyesight To The Blind / Why Does Love Got To Be So Sad 23:50
CD4-7 Further On Up The Road 7:35
The Freddie King Criteria Studios Sessions
CD5-1 Sugar Sweet 4:06
CD5-2 TV Mama 4:06
CD5-3 Boogie Funk 5:32
CD5-4 Gambling Woman Blues 21:44
Blu-Ray Surround Sound Audio Disc
461 Ocean Boulevard Elliot Scheiner 5.1 Surround Sound Mix (Previously Unreleased)
BR-1 Motherless Children
BR-2 Give Me Strength
BR-3 Willie And The Hand Jive
BR-4 Get Ready
BR-5 I Shot The Sheriff
BR-6 I Can't Hold Out
BR-7 Please Be With Me
BR-8 Let It Grow
BR-9 Steady Rollin' Man
BR-10 Mainline Florida
461 Ocean Boulevard Original Tom Dowd Quadraphonic Mix
BR-11 Motherless Children
BR-12 Give Me Strength
BR-13 Willie And The Hand Jive
BR-14 Get Ready
BR-15 I Shot The Sheriff
BR-16 I Can't Hold Out
BR-17 Please Be With Me
BR-18 Let It Grow
BR-19 Steady Rollin' Man
BR-20 Mainline Florida
There’s One In Every Crowd Original Tom Dowd Quadraphonic Mix
BR-21 We've Been Told (Jesus Is Coming Soon)
BR-22 Swing Low Sweet Chariot
BR-23 Little Rachel
BR-24 Don't Blame Me
BR-25 The Sky Is Crying
BR-26 Singin' The Blues
BR-27 Better Make It Through Today
BR-28 Pretty Blue Eyes
BR-29 High
BR-30 Opposites
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Apparently Eric Clapton betrayed the rock world when he broke up with Cream, and Derek and the Dominos were good enough, but quitting drugs and mellowing out just wasn't acceptable .... well each to their own, but I personally don't buy into that. I would rate Just One Night as not only Clapton's best album bar none, I would rate it better than anything Cream ever did ... but that's me, and I am rarely in the majority. There is a little back story in the Back Home write up.
Don't get me wrong, I like Cream well enough, but they had very few good songs in my opinion (which is again apparently a minority opinion) Although Clapton may have mellowed when he went solo, what he did do, was get together some good songs, and actually even wrote a few good songs.
Tired of being "God", in fact embarrassed by it, when he embarked on his solo career he made the song the focus and the lead break an afterthought, which doesn't mean for a second he didn't play well, he played beautifully. It just wasn't fire and brimstone playing, it was smooth relaxed playing. Still in touch with his blues roots, in fact always in touch with his blues roots, he started to absord some other styles, and tended to lean away from the fireworks of his younger days. Having said that though, there are plenty of Fireworks in the lead playing on Just One Night.

In 1974, four years after his debut solo album, and just after his recovery from Heroin addiction, Clapton put together arguably his best solo studio album. 461 Ocean Blvd is a great album, and captures what Eric was going for. Good songs played well.
Just after that Clapton recorded There's One In Every Crowd, which was actually going to be called The World's Greatest Guitar Player (There's One In Every Crowd) but the powers that be thought the title would be misconstrued. To me it makes absolute sense, and would have been one of the most beautifully honest and ironic album titles ever released ... but anyhow, now I know that, I like the album even more.
On these albums we have blues, and bit of mellow rock, some mild reggae, country and gospel music, the stuff Clapton actually loved playing. I reckon they are great albums, but I am a fan of Clapton's solo work, so perhaps that is biased

After recording these albums Clapton got his band together and toured the world and another very good live album E.C.Was Here was released. On this set we have an extended 2 cd version of that album via the songs on the tour. Mostly the songs are from the Long Beach Arena shows, but there are a few from various locations. It ends up being a much more satisfactory live album to me, because it has a wholeness about it.

In this set we get the Tom Dowd Quad mix of 461 Ocean Blvd and There's One In Every Crowd, and we also get the Elliot Scheiner 5.1 of 461 Ocean Blvd. I suppose on first inspection it seems like a reasonably expensive set, but with the 2 extended albums on cd + the non album singles, The extended EC Was Here, a bonus disc of the Freddie King Criteria studio sessions, and the 3 surround mixes, I think it ends up being a high quality and value purchase for the Eric Clapton fan.

Amazon has one new left in stock for $125 https://www.amazon.com/Give-Me-Strength-74-Blu-ray/dp/B00F193D5Y
also at discogs from about $77 Eric Clapton - Give Me Strength The '74/'75 Recordings
Ebay from about $89 eric clapton give me strength 74-74 | eBay
Please be aware there is a cd set, a vinyl set, and also the 5cd + bluray set, which is where the surround mixes are.

461 Ocean Blvd 5.1
Motherless Children
We open with a nice riff on the left, that is then doubled on the right, and an organ comes on through the rears. Clapton runs down some slide front and centre, and this uptempo blues rocker is off to a great start.
We get a rhythm guitar either side, organ on the rears. Clapton has his slide lead up front. The drums bass and vocals are solid up front.
Really nice balance, immersion and quality sound. Excellent start to the album in every way.

Give Me Strength
Here we have a slower blues with a bit of a swing to it.
Organ left side, towards the rears.
Beautiful gentle lead front left.
Another guitar right side.
Again beautifully balanced, great track.

Willie And The Hand Jive
Rhythm guitar just left of front left.
Rhythm guitar right side.
Organ comes in right rear.
Hats left rear.
It's a long whole since I listened to this, and I forgot what a cool version this is.

Get Ready
Shaker left rear. Organ right rear.
Guitar either side up front.
Again the feel here is just brilliant.
Clapton shares the vocal with Yvonne Elliman.
Again great balance. Nice subtle sub with the bass.
These sound like really relaxed enjoyable sessions.

I Shot The Sheriff
Organ across the middle of the room.
Piano right rear
Guitar just left of front left
Tom's round from right rear to front.hats in the middle of the room just to the right.
Beautiful mix, and balance again.

I Can't Hold Out
Organ on the rears. Clapton front.
Nice open arrangement with just the rhythm section, guitar and organ, but the mix fills the zone nicely.
Clapton plays some lovely blues slide here.

Please Be With Me
Acoustic guitars either side in the rears.
Gentle drums and bass up front with the vocal. Bvox in the sides.
Sublime sounding mix.
Dobro comes in up front, for another beautiful understated slide lead.

Let It Grow
Acoustic guitar just left of front left.
Vocal front bvox all round. Elec guitars either side rears.
We get a beautiful guitar surround moment with the two guitars in the rears playing arpeggios and a dobro up front.
This isn't heavy rock this is beautiful songcraft, recording and mixing.
Organ across the middle also.
I actually never used to like this track, I have mellowed with age, excellent track.
We get a very cool crescendo with a really magic sounding mix.

Steady Rollin' Man
Piano in the rears.
Then we move to a guitar right rear. Gtr up front. Organ left rear.
This track has a very cool mellow funk groove, accentuated by the mix.
We get the first lead with a picked electric guitar, and it is a sweet, understated thing indeed.

Mainline Florida
Here we have a steady rock groove.
Gtr either side, and another up front.
Nice organ across the rears.
These are just solid straight mixes, for the most part and suit the music perfectly.
Nice immersion, without any tricks.
Eric gives us a little vocoder on the fade out.

Session outtakes
Ain't that loving you
Mellow blues groove.
Organ in the rears.
Gtr left front and front right.
Slide on the left, clicky lead on the right.
This sounds like a cool jam.
Bvox in the sides.

Meet me (down at the bottom)
Another mellow funky blues.
Slide just left of front left. Organ in the rears. Rhythm guitar right front.
Solid groove, these guys has a great feel.
This is just a cool jam, probably a little long for its contents, but the feel is sublime.
A vocal comes in about 4 or 5 minutes in.

Lonesome road blues
Drums in the rears. Acoustic guitar up front. Vocals up front.
It doesn't get much more sparse than this.
This is great though, it sounds like a blues jam, with just drums and acoustic with a vocal.
A bass comes in.
Some nice snappy blues lead.
This is a gin soaked rainy evening in song.

There’s One In Every Crowd
We've Been Told (Jesus Is Coming Soon)
Acoustic guitar left rear. Dobro left front. Guitar right front. Acoustic right rear.
Vocal front. Bvox in the sides.
A bouncing gospel to open the album.
Again such a great feel.
Organ on the left.
On th porch with Clapton and crew.
Again a nice balance and mix.
A real live in the studio feel, and it feel like we're in the studio room.

Swing Low Sweet Chariot
A gentle reggae feel here.
Organ left rear. Clapton's vocal front.
Bvox in the side.
Nice slide lead up front.

Little Rachel
Rhythm guitar right side. Counter rhythm guitar front left. Rhythm gtr left rear also.
Mellow dirty blues with a bit of a swing.

Don't Blame Me
Drums front and centre.
Organ left rear, rhythm gtr right rear.
Gtr left rear also.
This is like an I Shot athe Sheriff follow up. A mellow reggae that incorporates lyrics referencing the former song.

The Sky Is Crying
Piano across the front. Organ left side.
Lead slide guitar rears, and it is very cool, with a little wahwah.
Such a nice slow groove.
Incorporates the Sun is shining also.

Singin' The Blues
Plucky country blues.
Drums in the rear.
This mix isn't quite right.... not sure what it is, but it just doesn't quite sound right.
Rhythm gtr right. Organ left. Vocal front bvox ip front too.
Lead guitar up front.
The mix is actually not bad, but the volume is too low, and it sounds like it is out of place. Or an outtake or something

Better Make It Through Today
We're back with it here.
Organ left side. Drums right side.
Gtr right side. Lead organ up front also.
Lead gtr up front.

Pretty Blue Eyes
Acoustic front left. Lead acoustic rears.
Percussion either side rears.
Vocal up front.
Bvox all round.
Gtr right side. Drums left side.

High
Acoustic guitar front slide guitar right rear. Gtr left right.
Organ in rears. Another organ up front.
Lead guitar up front.

Opposites
Guitar front left. Guitar right rear.
Guitar left side. Slide front right.
Organ across middle.

So 461 Ocean Blvd is quite brilliant. The mix isn't space age, but it is really nicely immersive and balanced and suits the style of music we are listening to. I would imagine any Clapton fan would be very very happy with it.
There's One In Every Crowd has that seventies Quad mix thing going on. It is slightly unusual in its use of placement on occasion, but it actually does really have any kind of negative impact, because for the most part it is so mellow. That said Singin The Blues sounds like it has an issue, perhaps phase cancellation? Everything is audible, but the track is very quiet, and unnaturally so. The mix isn't bad as such, it is just not balanced with the rest of the album, and that is about all I can suggest.
I reckon aside from that one track both albums and mixes are very good, particularly 461 Ocean Blvd.
Based on all this, I think this set would be something beautiful for the Clapton fan, and I am thinking of getting it for my dad, because he's the one who put me onto Clapton in the first place.

 

ok next weeks choices folks ... I hope you're all still enjoying this?

John Lennon - Imagine Box set

 

Guess Who - American Woman/ Share The Land quad

 

Bryan Ferry - Boys And Girls

 

Elvis Presley - 30 Number 1 Hits

 

Mark Knopfler - Shangri La

 

Mozart - The Marriage Of Figaro

 

Steven Wilson - 4 1/2