HiRez Poll Simple Minds - NEW GOLD DREAM [DVD-A/BDA]

Please post your thoughts and comments on this title

DVD-A/V scans:



Blu-Ray Audio scans:

I really like this disc. The mix is nicely done. The only bad thing is that the "hit" song on this album(Promised You A Miracle) is in "fake" 5:1, I guess the multis are gone/bad.

bobou2 said:

I really like this disc. The mix is nicely done. The only bad thing is that the "hit" song on this album(Promised You A Miracle) is in "fake" 5:1, I guess the multis are gone/bad.

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that's my take as well. Both "promised you a miracle" and "colours fly and catherine wheel" (cuts 2 & 3) sound fakey. thought the rest of the mix was well done; offering a nice separation of their synth layers. and the bonus track is quite good too. brings back fond memories of clubbing in the early 80's. they must have been really sick when they discovered problems with the tapes for "promised you a miracle". as such, i'm glad they went ahead and released this anyway. it's certainly better than the alternative!

The stereo track indicated as "PCM" on the menu is reported by my player as being "PPCM 96k 24b 2ch". So I guess you really can't play this on a DVD-only player, if that matters to anyone.

update: Well, I tried it on a computer, and it plays music so there apparently is a LPCM track, not being noticed by my dvd-audio player.

Computer says:

Type: Linear PCM
Bitrate: 4608 Kbps
Number of channels: 2
Sampling Frequency: 96khz

bugdaddy said:

that's my take as well. Both "promised you a miracle" and "colours fly and catherine wheel" (cuts 2 & 3) sound fakey. they must have been really sick when they discovered problems with the tapes for "promised you a miracle".

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Sorry I'm catching up this thread lately, but you were 100% right, the multitracks tapes were lost for those two titles

You can read an interview here with the Ronald Prett who did the two SImple Minds DVD-A mixes (scroll down to the 3rd September news or search for Ronald):
http://www.simple-minds.demon.co.uk/news/news20052.htm
=>

SC: Why were two tracks on New Gold Dream in stereo?
RP: Unfortunately the multi-tracks of Colours Fly And Catherine Wheel and Promised You A Miracle are missing - so we had to use the original stereo masters.

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Despite this, the New Gold Dream DVD-A is a huge improvement compared to the original stereo mix from Pete Walsh. I like Walsh, but I felt he did what he could back then with the available technology.

With the DVD-A, you simply discover another album. It doesn't sound anymore "dated" sonically ; the fidelity on this recording is one of the top I have in my hi-rez collection. And I REALLY wasn't expecting this at all. It sounds like it has been recorded some years ago, not two decades ago.

Also, the surround mix is a great balance between fun and subtle. I discovered many sounds which were burried in the original mix. New Gold Dream is one of the most fascinating SM albums, haunting and dark in many aspects, and the surround mix just brings that to a whole new level.

The most impressive of all to me are Jim Kerr's vocals @:

His vocal lines are now so clear, and so shining, I would almost think they've been re-recorded. I listened again to the CD and vocals sound so dull in comparison... I can't listen to the CD anymore. Anyway I will keep it for collection purposes, as the setero mix on the DVD-A is not the original one, but a new one (in 96/24 PCM despite what's written on the back of the cover : it says 16/48 but it's wrong).

If you like Simple Minds, this is a no-brainer... GO GET IT !!!

Got it just today - very late - and the mix is well done; a really enjoyable disc, now that "Love" finally stuck out of the player after a month.
And a small mistake: cover reports videos for "promised you a miracle" and "new gold dream", however the latter is replaced by "glitterin prize".

Impresisvely, I missed your post when you first wrote it last year, and only noticed it now because somebody else posted in this thread

YmSeb said:

Sorry I'm catching up this thread lately, but you were 100% right, the multitracks tapes were lost for those two titles

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Thanks for the link - that confirms what I'd always suspected.

It's a shame - it's extremely rare for multitrack master tapes to go missing in the UK, really, though it does happen; here in Australia it's almost comical (but very, very sad) how many multitracks of established, successful 80s albums have been lost, and in a large amount of cases, the stereo masters are gone as well.

With the two tracks on New Gold Dream, I wish they'd just left those songs in straight stereo rather than subjecting them to that dreaful "unwrap" processing (and that goes for you, too, people behind Propaganda's "Secret Wish" SACD!)

Despite this, the New Gold Dream DVD-A is a huge improvement compared to the original stereo mix from Pete Walsh. I like Walsh, but I felt he did what he could back then with the available technology.

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I still prefer the Walsh mix. A lot of that's undoubtedly got to do with the fact that it's the original which I've lived with for 24 years, but aside from that, Walsh gave the mixes a warmth and "shimmer" that just isn't there on the new versions. I can accept the surround mix, but the new stereo mixes seem pointless to me.

With the DVD-A, you simply discover another album. It doesn't sound anymore "dated" sonically ; the fidelity on this recording is one of the top I have in my hi-rez collection.

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I still stand by my complaint that the whole thing sounds way, way too "bright" and top-end-heavy.

Neon Kitten said:

I still stand by my complaint that the whole thing sounds way, way too "bright" and top-end-heavy.

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How does the DVD-A compare to the SACD?

The Rang said:

How does the DVD-A compare to the SACD?

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SACD not 5:1 .....enough said

The Rang said:

How does the DVD-A compare to the SACD?

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The SACD is a stereo-only hi-res version of the original Peter Walsh mix, and as such - even though it's one of those times I'm not especially fond of Simon Heyworth's mastering - it's worth having if you find one; it is the best-quality version available of the original mix.

I kind of blotted out most of the 80's music... it just didn't work for me, but NGD is a great surround disc.

I thought I was doing GabeL a favour by trading for it, but now I know I did me the favour !

Very listenable.

Please note that as of this post, this thread can be used to vote and comment on both the 2005 DVDA-V disc and the 2016 Blu-Ray audio disc of this title, as they both share the same 5.1 surround mix.

I became a significant Simple Minds fan with the RBCD release, Live, In The City Of Light. i want to be a fan of the earlier releases, this set in question, Sparkle In The Rain, etc, but they just don't do it for me like the later stuff. This box set, when I listened I started with the non surround discs and I became completely bored as it just was the same songs over and over, and really not that different from each other. The prize of the set, the 5.1 disc, sounded OK, certainly not the most discrete mix in my collection and sometimes ambient only rears. I listened all in one day and I think I will go back and listen to the 5.1 only and my opinion might improve. The box set, content, booklets, etc is super good and a pleasure to read, albeit a bit much. I have voted a 7 because of all the parts.

Blu-ray 2016

Very very good stuff. in my opinion, nothing is wrong.

I gwill give it a 10

I got the BD a few weeks ago and it's been well spun since (5 times in 1 week!).

1. Surround mix is nice. Overall; thumbs-up.

2. Fidelity is great. Low frequencies are really punchy.

3. Marks off for releasing the BD with an old up-mixed Promised You a Miracle when the multi-track tapes had been located since the DVD-A was originally mixed (thanks rtbluray for posting the Facebook video showing this). They could have corrected this for the BD release.

4. It's really loud (I'm not the sort to get all bent out of shape about dynamic range though) so have been listening to it and my other surround albums (that I previously used to crank up) at a lower volume, and I'm hearing things that I haven't heard before when listening at higher volumes. Probably better for the old ears too.

I'm new to this album and was only familiar with the singles but I really enjoy the whole thing. Recommended if you're in the mood for some baritone "whoa whoa's". Hope more Simple Minds gets surroundified.

I haven't heard the whole dvd-a yet, but the one track I have heard off this in 5.1 (title track) is absolutely sublime. Incredible mix and absolutely phenomenal track. I will definitely be giving the full thing a listen soon. It's got a reputation as a classic, and from what I've heard so far, it's for a reason. Still need to hear the rest though.