Surrounded On Sundays - 5.1/quad reviews and summaries

Shangri-La


Studio album by
Mark Knopfler
Released 28 September 2004
Recorded Shangri-La Studios, Malibu,
February 2004
Genre Roots rock, country folk, blues
Length 66:14
Label Mercury
Warner Bros. (USA)
Producer Mark Knopfler, Chuck Ainlay

Shangri-La is the fourth solo studio album by British singer-songwriter and guitarist Mark Knopfler, released on 28 September 2004 by Mercury Records internationally and Warner Bros. Records in the United States.[1] Shangri-La received generally favorable reviews.[2]

In March 2003, Knopfler was involved in a motorbike crash in Grosvenor Road, Belgravia, and suffered a broken collarbone, broken shoulder blade, and seven broken ribs.[3] The planned Ragpicker's Dream Tour was subsequently cancelled. Knopfler spent seven months away from the guitar in physiotherapy,[1] but eventually recovered and was able to return to the studio in 2004 for his fourth album and supporting tour the following year.

Music

• Mark Knopfler – vocals, guitars
• Richard Bennett – guitars
• Jim Cox – piano, organ, harmonica
• Guy Fletcher – piano, organ
• Glenn Worf – bass guitar
• Chad Cromwell – drums
• Paul Franklin – pedal steel guitar

Production

• Mark Knopfler – producer
• Chuck Ainlay – producer, engineer
• Guy Fletcher – engineer
• Rupert Coulson – assistant engineer
• Bob Ludwig – mastering[9]

1. "5.15 A.M." 5:54
2. "Boom, Like That" 5:49
3. "Sucker Row" 4:56
4. "The Trawlerman's Song" 5:02
5. "Back to Tupelo" 4:31
6. "Our Shangri-La" 5:41
7. "Everybody Pays" 5:24
8. "Song for Sonny Liston" 5:06
9. "Whoop De Doo" 3:53
10. "Postcards from Paraguay" 4:07
11. "All That Matters" 3:08
12. "Stand Up Guy" 4:32
13. "Donegan's Gone" 3:05
14. "Don't Crash the Ambulance" 5:06
Total length: 66:14
-----------------------------------------------
We ran through Sailing to Philadelphia already and also the Dire Straits classic Brothers In Arms. One thing that certainly remains consistent is Knopfler's commitment to recording quality. I don't think I have ever heard anything Knopfler has been involved with that sounded poor. I have only listened to this album once so far, and I enjoyed it a lot, and the sound quality again is superb. Perhaps all Knopfler's albums are audiophile recordings, I don't know though, because I am not an audiophile ... but anyway.
From 1977 to 1995 Dire Straits were one of the biggest bands in the world, certainly their popularity declined towards the latter part of their career, but Brothers in Arms was a double edged sword, it was enormous, but its enormity left the band a little overexposed and in the eighties that meant chronic overplaying of a band's music by tv and radio stations. When I bought the sacd of Brothers In Arms it actually took me a few years to play it, because I wasn't sure if I had recovered yet or not, but when I played it, it was like seeing a long lost friend that had really lifted their game.
Anyhow, the natural process was for Knopfler to wind up Straits and concentrate on just doing his own thing with a somewhat lower profile.
He has made many soundtrack albums (9) and now also has many solo albums (9), plus a few collaborative albums, and from what I have heard they all seem to be pretty high quality.

This album is still available, but not widely available ...
cd/dvd-audio
A new copy on Amazon is about $79, and there is only one. Second Hand it is available from about $24 https://www.amazon.com/Shangri-DVD-Audio-Mark-Knopfler/dp/B00069A5GY
There is one available on Discogs for about $30 Mark Knopfler - Shangri-La

There is also an sacd available, I assume, but don't know it is the same mix.
On discogs from about $6 Mark Knopfler - Shangri-La
Another pressing from about $9 Mark Knopfler - Shangri-La

I have the sacd, for the record.

I assume the 5.1 mix is by Chuck Ainley but it isn't actually stated
Assistant engineers Guy Fletcher and Rupert Coulson
Mastered by Bob Ludwig

5:15 A.M.
Guitar left rear, organ right rear.
Drums front, lead guitar front. Anoth
Typically smooth ballad, very good.er guitar, left side.

Boom, Like That
Guitars either side.
As always, beautiful sound.
Really nice immersive mix
Nice guitar fill left rear.
Nice lead up front.
A nice bouncing, story song.
This is very laid back but certainly not dull.

Sucker Row
Acoustic gtr lead rear. Nice lead guitar just in front of front centre.
Another acoustic left rear.
Piano across the middle. Organ right rear
The blending on here is really good. It is like the instruments are all working together to create the surround field, as one. Beautifully immersive.

The Trawlerman's Song
Acoustics either side.
Lead up front.
Organ sounds like it is front and right side.

Back to Tupelo
We start with acoustic gtr, vocals and lead gtr up front.
We move into the change, and guitars come in in the rears.
This track is very cool, and is like a folk blues.
The mixing is really very subtle, there is immersion, and it's good, but it is mellow and not loud.

Our Shangri-La
Organ in the rears.
Guitar just left of front left.
Steel guitar right rear.
This album is like a gentle daydream, that floats through the speakers in an unassuming way, caressing your ears.

Everybody Pays
Organ in rears. Guitars either side.
Lead guitar and vocals up front

Song for Sonny Liston
A moderate tempo clucking groove, that's pure Knopfler.
An up front mix we feeds to the rears.

Whoop De Doo
Acoustic left side. Mellow rim shot drums, just right of centre.
Organ across the rears. Pedal steel right rear.

Postcards from Paraguay
Gtr left side. Organ rears. Gtrs in rears.
Percussion right rear.

All That Matters
Guitars either side. Lead gtr up front.

Stand Up Guy
Gtr up front. Gtrs either side. Piano right rear.

Donegan's Gone
Slide guitar front right. Acoustics either side. Lead guitar up front. Organ rear right.

Don't Crash the Ambulance
Harmonica left rear. Gtr front. Drums all round. Organ rears.

This is predominantly a mellow affair. We have top class production and recording, and a really nice immersive mix. The album seems like an exploration of Americana, and the music is sublime.
This is an album for a late night, with a whiskey on ice and a cigar.
I think any Knopfler fan would love it. It may be more mellow than the average Dire Straits fan would want, but there are glimpses of Straits in here, mainly through the fantastic guitar tone choices of Knopfler and his playing. Excellent mic and really nice album.

 

Next week's choices

Barclay James Harvest - Gone To Earth

 

Rick Wakeman - Journey To The Centre Of The Earth

 

Primus - Sailing The Seas Of Cheese

 

David Bowie - Young Americans

 

Bob Dylan - Slow Train Coming

 

Motorhead - Overkill

 

Offspring - Greatest Hits

 

Simple Minds - Once Upon a Time

 

John Mayer - Room For Squares

 

King Crimson - Thrak

 

Thanks for all the work you do here I , like many here, enjoy your posts and have made a number of purchases based on them.
This box set is one of the best in terms of value and content. The 5.1 Raw mixes I think I enjoy more than the completed album and have been my go to versions since I got this set.
Fantastic stuff.


peace and love✌Dave

 

That Temptations Quad of All Directions is excellent...definitely worth finding n Papa was a rolling stone IS the highlight imho...a friend sent it to me in flac file on usb...as im not really computer literate

We can only hope soneone like dutton puts these out on modern format one day

 

This mix is so 'experimental' that you've got to listen to it regardless of the vote results

 

I love it.
I can't think of Crimson mix I don't like.
Thrak is a brilliantly diverse album

 

It's one of those cases in which I love both stereo remix and 5.1 remix. There have been complaints about missing parts in walking on air, and that's understandable. If I remember correctly, there was also an alternative vocal take in Inner Garden II. But this doesn't reduce my appreciation of the remix, which is my go-to version since it came out. While reviewing it, you could also consider listening to Kcensington Thrak, which is a live concert mixed with the same approach used for the studio album. It's only in the big boxed set though.

 

ahhh ... unfortunately the only big box I got was the last one

 

A really rich, warm listening experience. You're right in that it should be listened to late at night, with lights off and drink in hand.

If you don't have this in your collection (and you should!), it looks like DeepDiscount still has this new for $11. Is that possible?

 

I'm not even a Lennon fan, and (in the only end-of-year poll that counts, folks! ) the Imagine boxed set was (joint) winner of my Archival Release of the Year award in 2018. Since then I haven’t revisited the set much, so I'm anticipating a pleasurable couple of hours here.

The title track is what it is, this mix is about as good as it's ever going to get and - if it's one of your favourite songs - that's very good. Personally I sit up more as we hit “Crippled Inside” and it's almost alarmingly as though the band is set up in my living room: Lennon's vocals are never quite recorded naturalistically (too much reverb) but everything sounds so fresh and impactful. Then we're onto the gorgeous “Jealous Guy”, with all its fragility and vulnerability preserved in the mix: the bass, the restrained use of the strings (here largely channelled behind the listener), the hesitant piano, the rather clumsy “first pass” drums, the too-reverberant whistling. It's like a Basement Tapes version of “Jealous Guy”, and it works very well.

“It's So Hard” is the sort of thing that kills the Lennon legend for me: just such a throwaway song, although the immediacy of the saxophone comes nicely through. Then “I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier Mama”, which just sounds amazing: the bass and drums are like being in the heart of some enormous machine. Again, it's a rather lightweight jam, but the instrumentalists make this one work better.

“Gimme Some Truth” is more highly-worked (especially lyrically) but again it's the energy and not the planning that comes through. Indeed, it's almost hard to credit how many people played on this track since it feels almost like a guerrilla recording. “Oh My Love” is, well, “Beatlesesque” and this more to my taste anyway, but the instrumental detail on that guitar is so immediate that I almost have to check that my amp is turned off!

“How Do You Sleep?” is another highlight of the album: great strings, great groove, “sick burn”. “How” is probably the most polished thing here. “Oh Yoko” is, well, you know ... cobbled together I think the phrase is: it's an opportunity for the most extravagant channelling idea here on the harmonica, but that's really just a distracting novelty. And there we end the original album.

“Power To The People” sounds good, thanks largely to the choir, but it's a tedious song. “Well ... (Baby Please Don't Go)” has a nice shuffle energy, with the rhythm section again the MVP(s). (I love the bass on all these mixes really.) By “God Save Us” my appetite for under-rehearsed jams is beginning to wear thin, but there's nothing wrong with the sonics. “Do The Oz” is a whole load of mucking about ... I make a mental note not to revisit it. “Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” is reason enough to listen to the extras section of the Blu-Ray (which it needs to be!)

The merit of Blu-Ray 1 in this set is that it gives us a completely dependable surround mix, with all the instrumental detail and analogue warmth that you could ask for: if you want to hear the album, you can't really go wrong by listening to it here, in 5.1. But the glory of the boxed set is that it puts the album under a magnifying glass on the second Blu-Ray: right from the soaring strings of the animated menu, we know we're in for something special here, and as surround sound listeners we are probably all largely listening for exactly the sort of additional information that the Element Mixes present so well, whether it's the dual upright basses on “Crippled Inside” or the dub of “I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier Mama”. (To be fair I probably profit in this section of the disc because I don't care for Lennon's vocals and the songs are often thin ... although as soon as I write this I hear the isolated vocals on “Oh My Love” and what a treat that is!) 35 minutes of this is, uh, “generous”, but it's still a great pleasure to hear.

Then, even more important, we have the Raw Studio Mixes. These for me are almost the “ideal” 5.1 mixes of the material: drier than the original album mix for vocals although admittedly slightly marred by the lack of string arrangements. It's interesting, for example, the hear “Oh My Love” without the doubled vocals (you really get to eat your cake and have it on this set!) How I wish I liked this album more! It must have been such a revelation to Lennon's fans to hear the album unpeeled in this way.

Imagine is state-of the-art for archive surround mixing and, when you add in the exemplary documentation and the stereo material (not least the Evolution documentary), it probably sets the bar for anyone else doing a (studio-based) archive set in the future.

 

Importcds has it for $9.98. Ordered it - it seems that it’s the only solo album of his that I don’t have.

 

OK, so I'm listening to the Clapton Give Me Strength box now. Gonna post some thoughts before I forget. Sound on the 5.1 of 461 is pretty good, though Eric's voice is swamped on "Motherless Children." On the quad mix, his voice on "I Shot the Sheriff" is too echoey. Maybe I prefer some of the 5.1 mixes and some of the quad. It's too bad they didn't include a surround sound mix of E.C. was Here, but at least we get a remix/extended version of the album on CD.

Slowhand's music in the mid '70s is a tad bland to be honest. For a guy to deliberately dial it back so much from what he was capable of earlier must've been disorienting to his fans at the time. It's not so much I mind his choice of material, but couldn't he have tarted it up a bit with some fancy fretwork? Oh well, we gets what we gets... This box still is rated as the best Clapton in surround so I'm not going to complain.

 

I've got the set and have been trying to work up the enthusiasm to listen to it for this thread but I agree. It may not be entirely healthy to ingest the quantity of caffeine required to keep me awake for a full disc!

 

Listening to There's One in Every Crowd right now; I'd never heard it before. It makes 461 Ocean Blvd seem exciting. When Eric was falling asleep making this music, his Yardbirds guitar playing compadres were making Physical Graffiti and Blow by Blow respectively.

 

Young Americans


Studio album by
David Bowie
Released 7 March 1975[1]
Recorded August 1974 – January 1975
Studio Sigma Sound (Philadelphia, PA) Record Plant (Manhattan, NY) Electric Lady (Manhattan, NY)
Genre Blue-eyed soul[2] R&B[3] Philadelphia soul[4]
Length 40:13
Label RCA
Producer David Bowie Harry Maslin Tony Visconti

Young Americans is the ninth studio album by English musician David Bowie, released on 7 March 1975 through RCA Records. The album marked a departure from the glam rock style of Bowie's previous albums, showcasing his interest in soul and R&B music.[6] Bowie would call the album's sound "plastic soul", describing it as "the squashed remains of ethnic music as it survives in the age of Muzak rock, written and sung by a white limey".[7]

Initial recording sessions took place in Philadelphia with producer Tony Visconti and a variety of musicians, including guitarist Carlos Alomar, who would become one of Bowie's most frequent collaborators, and singer Luther Vandross. Bowie drew influence from the sound of "local dance halls", which were blaring with the "lush strings, sliding hi-hat whispers, and swanky R&B rhythms of Philadelphia Soul".[8] Later sessions took place in New York City, including contributions from John Lennon.

Bowie was among the first English pop musicians of the era to overtly engage with black musical styles. The album was very successful in the US; reaching the Top 10 in the Billboard charts, with the song "Fame" hitting the number-one the same year the album was released.[6] It was generally well-received by critics. The album has since been reissued multiple times and was remastered in 2016 as part of the Who Can I Be Now? (1974–1976) box set.

• David Bowie – vocals; guitar; keyboards
• Carlos Alomar – guitars
• Mike Garson – piano
• David Sanborn – saxophone
• Willie Weeks – bass guitar (except on "Across the Universe" and "Fame")
• Andy Newmark – drums (except on "Across the Universe" and "Fame")
• Earl Slick - guitars

Additional musicians

• Larry Washington – conga
• Pablo Rosario – percussion on "Across the Universe" and "Fame"
• Ava Cherry – backing vocals
• Robin Clark – backing vocals
• Luther Vandross – backing vocals, vocal arrangements
• John Lennon – vocals; guitar; backing vocals on "Across the Universe" and "Fame"
• Emir Ksasan – bass guitar on "Across the Universe" and "Fame"
• Dennis Davis – drums on "Across the Universe" and "Fame"
• Ralph MacDonald – percussion on "Across the Universe" and "Fame"
• Jean Fineberg – backing vocals on "Across the Universe" and "Fame"
• Jean Millington – backing vocals on "Across the Universe" and "Fame"

1. "Young Americans" 5:11
2. "Win" 4:44
3. "Fascination" (Bowie, Luther Vandross) 5:45
4. "Right" 4:15
5. "Somebody Up There Likes Me" 6:36
6. "Across the Universe" (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) 4:29
7. "Can You Hear Me?" 5:03
8. "Fame" (Bowie, Carlos Alomar, Lennon) 4:16
-------------------------------------------------------------------
There are so many opinions about this album, it is almost comical. From a master-work of blending, to an attempt to try and sound unpredictable, and yet again, a complete failure. The thing is though, it seems most folks like this album. It was a top ten hit album in Australia, New Zealand, UK, USA and Sweden, and top twenty in Norway, France and Canada. It also got to 82 on the Japanese chart. So it was at least a commercial success.
Believe it or not, Young Americans, the single, was the breakthrough hit that got Bowie into the US chart. The glam music never really flew in the US for some reason. Bowie's albums had done quite well, but the singles never really lit up the boards. Fame was the second single, and became Bowie's biggest single in the US up to that point, and his first number one..

I suppose it would be remiss of me not to mention the involvement of John Lennon. Although I don't know many of the details, Bowie met Lennon during the famous " Lost Weekend" where Lennon was apart from Yoko and tearing it up in the nightlife scene. The two of them jammed together which led to a one day session at Electric Lady Studios in January of 1975. Carlos Alomar, who pretty much remained with Bowie for the next thirty years, but didn't know him prior to the sessions for this album, came up with a little guitar riff, to which John Lennon sang "Aim", and Bowie later changed to "Fame". There is also debate as to how much writing input Lennon had in the song, ranging from a few lyrics, to he was given a co-writing credit for being the inspiration for the song.

In many ways Young Americans may be seen these days as a transitional Bowie album, and not up to par with the rest of his seventies output, but at the time the singles were incredibly important for Bowie, as they broke open the US market for him and gave him the number one that put him on the map, for real, there. Diamond Dogs and Aladinsane had done pretty well as albums, but most of the rest of Bowie's catalog had been hovering in the lower reaches of the charts. As for singles, Space Oddity had made it to number 15, but nothing else had made it into the top fifty, and only four other songs had dented the charts at all, the most successful of those being Rebel Rebel at 64. In fact after Golden Years (reaching number 10 on the charts there) Bowie didn't trouble the chart statisticians again until Lets Dance came out. Ok, sure Bowie was an album artist, but his singles were big all over the world except the US. Also interestingly, Fame is Bowies only number one single in the US.

So this is an interesting album in many ways, and although not my favourite Bowie album, I do like it.

The 5.1 version of this album came out in 2007, in the form of a double disc with a cd and a dvd-video that had a DTS soundtrack.
The cd and dvd both include the bonus tracks
John I'm Only Dancing (Again)
Who Can I Be Now
It's Gonna Be Me (with strings)
The dvd also includes two songs live on the Dick Cavett Show (1984 and Young Americans) and an interview.

5.1 mix Tony Visconti
Mastered by Peter Mew and Nigel Reeve

Available on Amazon from about $35 https://www.amazon.com/Young-Americans-DAVID-BOWIE/dp/B000NA2348
Also the import on Amazon from about $34 https://www.amazon.com/Young-Americans-Special-David-Bowie/dp/B000LW9PY4
There are several pressings available on Discogs
From $26 David Bowie - Young Americans
$43 David Bowie - Young Americans
$44 David Bowie - Young Americans
$33 David Bowie - Young Americans

So the album is still available at a fairly reasonable price around the place.

Young Americans
The opening tom fill rolls to the left.
Percussion is on the right side. The sax is in the middle of the room when the vocals aren't present.
Gtr left side. Piano is up front.
Cymbal crash in the rear left.
Backing vocals across the rears.
Chorus guitar in the break/change, in the rears.
We have a nice mix with pretty good balance, I think it is slightly different to the stereo mix level-wise, but it has been a while.
The famous vocal breakdown is effected slightly, it is sort of everywhere, but predominantly on the right, and "cry" moves across the rears to the left.

Win
Chorus guitar up front. Fluttering sax sort of moves across the front with effects sends down the sides.
Strings in the rears.
B box on the rears.
I turned the sub up slightly, to give the bass end a nice presence.
This is really nicely balanced.
Now the fluttering sax is starting front left and decaying around the field - left front to right rear.
To me the mix gives this album some much needed space to work in. Listening now reminds me I have listened to the album in general, too infrequently.

Fascination
Percussive guitar right rear.
Other rhythm gtr left side.
Nice sub on the kick here.
B box in rears.
This is a very full mix, a lot of elements in here, and a lot of sound around us.
Again really nice balance.
This album is starting to click with me here. I grew up on Hunky Dory to Diamond Dogs, and it would have only been the nineties before I dug much deeper.... aside from the ever present Let's Dance.
We have percussion elements around us, and thus mix works really well. I sure hope Visconti revisits some more albums in 5.1.

Right
Congas right rear. Gtr left side. Another gtr right front. Sax in middle of room slightly favouring the right.
Bowie box left rear and front right, female b bvox front right.
Then b vox in rears.
Very effective use of channels for b vox.
Lead gtr in the rears.
Again we have a nice balance. It is slightly a shame they didn't use sacd or dvd-a.
The use of backing vocals on here, really is excellent.

Somebody Up there Likes Me
Piano front. Sax again kind of middle of room, favouring the right side.
Synth left rear.
The whole album has a pretty good drum mix with sides and rears coming into play.
Gtr left side, and right side.
Bvox in rears.
Again nice balance.
Really enjoying this album this morning, and the mix is excellent.
Claps either side in rears.

Across The Universe
Gtr front, left side and right side.
Claps in rears. Piano left rear, mixed quite low, for effect.
Synth strings left side.
Lennon right rear speaking to finish.

Can You Hear Me ?
Congas right rear.
Strings in rears. Gtr left side
This track has a sort of wall of sound this going on. The elements sort of blend into a whole. Another nice mix.

Fame
Swell in the nears. Alomar's famous rhythm guitar in the rears, and it is actually two gtrs that blend really well. Effect of lead gtr up front.
Bvox rears.
This is a beautiful mix, really highlighting the elements of the song.
We get Bowies, sort of whisper vocal with reverb alternating sides, before the is it any wonder section.
Percussion effect slides from right rear to left rear. The effected fame, fame, fame section moves about nicely too.

John I'm Only Dancing
Gtr left rear. Gtr right. Hats right rear.
Bvox rears.
Sax front left.
I prefer the other version of this song more, but this is an interesting version.
Good mix, but slightly unusual sounding.

Who Can I Be Now?
Sax front left. Guitar front right. Piano front. Cymbals rear.
Bvox rears. Organ left side. Gtr right side.
This track has almost a gospel feel about it.

It's Gonna Be Me
Piano up front. Gtr right side. Vocal up front with reverb sends to rears.
Strings rears.
This track also has a somewhat gospel feel about it.
Bvox in the rears.

I got this album for the first time in 2007 when this version came out, and to be honest I didn't really like it. Due to it being a 5.1 album it has had several plays over the years since then, and I think it has finally broken through, because I really enjoyed it this morning.
It is a very different Bowie album. As I stated earlier I grew up on what is generally referred to as Glam Bowie, and so in some ways I think this was such a departure from that, that I needed more listens than I gave it to sink in.
The mix is really very good, and I would imagine anyone that likes this album is going to really enjoy this mix. Even though this is just a DTS soundtrack, it sounds very good, and on all accounts I think it will satisfy the surround fan.
I would say this is well worth checking out.

 

I guess that is the difference in flavour. Except for a few songs, I never liked Cream. For me they only had a couple of decent songs, and although I like jam type bands, and lots of guitar, I just never found Cream convincing, or interesting. I enjoy Derek and the Dominos, and I like the Yardbirds stuff, but for me, Clapton solo eclipses everything he did prior, and I know that is a stance that goes against the popular thought on these matters, but to me, he had much better songs solo than any of the prior bands.