4 New Quadio releases coming in June!

[GOS]

OK, I've had a couple of days to listen to all four releases. First, let me say that I do not think anyone will be disappointed in any of these (as long as you like the music!}. Any complaints are only slight nitpicking and do not have anything to do with the overall quality of the work done by Rhino.

For reference, the equipment in my listening room is as follows:

Sony UBP-X800M2 BluRay player/Yamaha Avantage RX-A1080 Receiver/HSU VTF-2 MK3 Sub/Boston Acoustics Lynnwood VR-20 front speakers and VR-10 center speaker (BA's still going strong after 26 years)/a pair of Klipsch RP-500SA II Atmos Speakers on top of the BA's (not ideal but my only option for this room)/ and a pair of rear speakers that were already built into the wall when I bought the house, so not sure of the maker of those.

For the Quadio experience, I set up the Yamaha to only play the two front and two rear speakers but I did leave the subwoofer in with an 80hz cutoff. I have also experimented with adding the other speakers with mixed results so far.

I'll review in the order I first played them:

Paranoid--nice separation with active movement in parts. In some songs it seems Ozzy's vocals are a bit low in the mix but that's not necessarily a horrible thing. The end of War Pigs is a bit different than the stereo version and I am not sure why. I think that sped up ending could have been a cool use of the quad field. It also seems that some of the double and triple overdubbing on some of Iommi's solos are not present on this mix or are more subdued. Bass and drums sound great. A winner.

Billion Dollar Babies--my favorite of the four, but it's always been my favorite Alice record. The mix is great and very active. I was surprised how many of the lead vocals seem to be centered in the rears instead of the front. Only complaint would be the drums seem to be back in the mix a bit too much and have that 70's compression on them that is the bane of a lot of older recordings. They just don't seem as alive as the other instruments. As has been mentioned in this thread by others who had earlier quad/5.1 versions of this album, there are some surprises on this especially on the original side 2 and even a different lyric on one song which I won't give away. The doo-wop backing vocals at the end of "I Love The Dead" still crack me up every time.

Red Octopus--certainly not one of my favorite albums, but this one probably surprised me more than the other three. A really good mix for the most part although there are a couple of songs in the second half of the record where maybe the original mixer got tired and didn't try as hard. The vocals really shine with lots of play between front and rear and the instruments sound great, especially Chaquico and Sears. Grace's vocals are a little harsh at times but that's just Grace.

Nightmares--this one I had never heard except for the hit single. Not a huge fan of the album as a whole but the use of quad is good but seems a bit amateurish at times. I've only listened to this one once so far so maybe it will grow on me.

I can't wait for more people to get these so I can tell how ignorant I am in my reviews.

Of course, our first question is not about your review, rather...how in the hell do you already have your discs? Do tell....

 

[GOS]

Of course, our first question is not about your review, rather...how in the hell do you already have your discs? Do tell....

Oops, nevermind! You're the one who said your relative gave you some advance copies, or something to that effect.

 

[mandrix]

My emails showed what items were in each tracking number. Like many others, I got three discs in one box and Black Sabbath separately.

Thanks.
I see them now. I've had email problems with my ISP lately. Real pita. Always under construction it seems.

 

[Bill B]

I can't wait for more people to get these so I can tell how ignorant I am in my reviews.

There are no wrong answers!

Thanks for giving those of us who aren't lucky enough to know someone your first impressions.
Just makes us want them to get here quicker.

 

[peloton]

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​ ​ ​ ​ Good News, Ralph A! Your order is on the way.​

Join the club! I received notification very late last night that my order's on the way also. I don't mind saying that I'm pretty excited and look forward to cranking these up so that both my neighbors and I can enjoy 'em.

 

[peloton]

I wonder if there might be a quad mix of Abandoned Lunchonette (Daryl Hall & John Oates) in the WEA vaults

Add me as one who would buy a nicely done multi-channel release of Hall & Oates' very fine effort "Abandoned Luncheonette". There are some really nice songs on it, and of course there's the huge hit "She's Gone" (what a rousing tempo that song ends with...was tempted to use the word "crescendo" but I'm not sure if that's technically what it is. Any musicians who are familiar with this song want to offer their opinion?) Thanks.

 

[Old Quad Guy]

You could say crescendo for the end of “She’s Gone.” Hall & Oates’ vocals go up an octave or higher note. I don’t have the piano in front of me to say what notes they’re singing.

Where have we heard that there might be a Quad for this? “She’s Gone” is a quintessential 70s classic. Also, Rod Stewart’s “Atlantic Crossing” Quad? Was this a real thing. There might have been advertisements for them at the time?

 

[peloton]

I dont want to alarm everybody but I heard there is a big big truck looking for the GOS family residence with a lot of Black Sabbath discs to deliver....

I'm not sure just how high that corn will be in central IL this time of year, but you may have a tough time seeing those trucks. (Yes, I had to ask my wife who's an Alton, IL native about this...this North Carolina native knows very little about corn.) Also, I realize it's GOS who lives in that neck of the woods.

 

[cbmmm3]

Or Sabbath was pressed/stored elsewhere? I can't see physically where my packages are yet.

Sabbath ships from Silverline pressing plant.

 

[ar surround]

You could say crescendo for the end of “She’s Gone.” Hall & Oates’ vocals go up an octave or higher note. I don’t have the piano in front of me to say what notes they’re singing.

Where have we heard that there might be a Quad for this? “She’s Gone” is a quintessential 70s classic. Also, Rod Stewart’s “Atlantic Crossing” Quad? Was this a real thing. There might have been advertisements for them at the time?

I never heard of any quad of Abandoned Luncheonette. I would love it!

 

[quicksrt]

0k then, Put me down for Atlantic Crossing and Bloodshot then as the two sleepers next to the two Crown Jewels being mastered next.

 

[zdjh22]

I'm not sure just how high that corn will be in central IL this time of year, but you may have a tough time seeing those trucks. (Yes, I had to ask my wife who's an Alton, IL native about this...this North Carolina native knows very little about corn.) Also, I realize it's GOS who lives in that neck of the woods.

My wife and I went to grad school in Champaign-Urbana, so we put in our 6 years in the land of corn and soybeans. One of my college professors who had been stationed at Chanute AFB (nearby in Rantoul) told us: “Remember, what is good for corn is not necessarily good for people.”

 

[Dynamic Editor]

Don’t forget Who’s Next!

I don't know. Who is next?

Oops. It looks like someone already made this joke.

 

[GOS]

As I figured, I did get a shipping notification last night around 1am....which really isn't a shipping notification at all. It just means that Rhino created a label and paid for the postage. USPS currently doesn't even have my packages....according to tracking. I won't see the packages until next week. And, with the 4th coming up...it may end up being after that.

 

[peloton]

Sabbath ships from Silverline pressing plant.

I get the joke here believe me, but surprisingly (amazingly?) enough I have a nice big band Christmas music release of their's from years ago. I personally think it's pretty good...like the arrangements and the multi-channel sound/fidelity is more than respectable. I drag it out every holiday season with no shame. Now, I'm not quite old enough to have been around during the big band days, but I at least make an attempt to appreciate most musical genres, so I can certainly appreciate some big band (heck, Brian Setzer is playing it these days.) The tunes on this release might be a bit cheezy, but there are some pretty nice uptempo renditions of some holiday classics, and the musicianship of these non-credited musicians (Cool Yule All-Stars) is very respectable I've got to say.

Back to your regularly scheduled program...

 

[peloton]

I don't know. Who is next?

Oops. It looks like someone already made this joke.

Guess who. If we try hard enough we just might be able to come up with a routine similar to Abbott & Costello's "Who's on First?" Unfortunately, it would probably only be funny to music geeks like us and not rise to that level of fame.

 

[clhboa]

Old Quad Guy, more excellent blues rock from a band with a sense of humor and who can rock the house when you're in the mood for it?! Wait...and you say one of the guys also plays a mean harmonica when they kick it into warp drive? I would certainly buy "Bloodshot" on (digital) physical media the 2nd time around if the version's MCH...no hesitation at all. Whether or not many others would buy such a release I can't say. I'll have to leave that up to those who must make those difficult decisions...the Rhino's, the Dutton Vocalion's, etc. of the world.

I would buy "Bloodshot" in a heartbeat.

 

[Old Quad Guy]

We need to support, if you have not already, the J. Geils title that’s available now:

https://store.rhino.com/en/rhino-st...jungle-quadio-blu-ray-audio/081227820978.html

 

[peloton]

My wife and I went to grad school in Champaign-Urbana, so we put in our 6 years in the land of corn and soybeans. One of my college professors who had been stationed at Chanute AFB (nearby in Rantoul) told us: “Remember, what is good for corn is not necessarily good for people.”

By the way, say hello to Floyd Landis for me there in Leadville.

 

[Marplot]

Sabbath ships from Silverline pressing plant.

You should be reported for this....