Al Stewart - Time Passages (Alan Parsons 5.1 mix out in October!)

[JonUrban]

Per our convo. with @sjcorne above, I decided to do some tinkering with "Almost Lucy"

I first took the Right Rear channel and did a Vocal Isolation in RX 8 Music Rebalance.

View attachment 72837

Then cleaned it up a bit in Audacity and Inverted it ...

View attachment 72840

Then Merged back into the Right Rear and replaced the original RR (some minor artifacts remained noticeable, but primarily when listening loud with isolating the Right Rear )- but definitely puts his vocals back to center and leaves mainly conga, cymbals, keyboard & guitar echo in the Right Rear ...

View attachment 72841

Nice job Pupster! Woo-Hoo

 

[belaruskamerican]

I’m still waiting for my copy. I preordered from importcds. Importcd’s site now says this title is back ordered.
Anyone know if the US release has been delayed?

My first time using importcds. I don’t have a tracking number, nor a response from them after sending email. I usually use Amazon but tried to go a little cheaper this time

 

[LuvMyQuad]

My first time using importcds. I don’t have a tracking number, nor a response from them after sending email. I usually use Amazon but tried to go a little cheaper this time

There is no tracking because it hasn't shipped yet. You will get a ship notice when it does.

 

[ar surround]

My copy travelled from Kentucky to Pittsburgh in less than 24 hours. Let's see how long our friends in the steel city hang onto it this time. LIB took 10 days total shipping time with 6 days in Pittsburgh.

 

[fredblue]

Also, does anyone else find it strange that the lead vocals in "Almost Lucy" are in front center and rear right?

yes and having now had a chance to hear this its hard to see this as being anything but an error, not of channel assignment but in the actual mixing because its all quite odd and doesn't follow the mixing style of the other tracks.. Rear Left has backing vocals and percussion and only a whisper trace of reverbed lead vocals while Rear Right has dry lead vocals at full volume and the Front channels both have lead vocals although not as dry and loud as they are in the Rear Right.

also something feels off with the mastering, the whole disc sounds a bit bright and thin to me, although not as bright as the other Al Stewart 5.1.. a shame because mixwise its generally rather good and i think may be a better set of surround mixes than YOTC (with the exception of the weirdly mixed "Almost Lucy" where i've no idea what's going on there tbh)

 

[EricKalet]

My copy travelled from Kentucky to Pittsburgh in less than 24 hours. Let's see how long our friends in the steel city hang onto it this time. LIB took 10 days total shipping time with 6 days in Pittsburgh.

If it's shipped through USPS, I usually see in the tracking notes that the packages go past my town north, sit for a day or two, then go back past me again and head south, sit for a day or two and finally come north again and get delivered. Makes no sense.

 

[LuvMyQuad]

If it's shipped through USPS, I usually see in the tracking notes that the packages go past my town north, sit for a day or two, then go back past me again and head south, sit for a day or two and finally come north again and get delivered. Makes no sense.

They are traveling to and from specific hubs. Viewed in terms of a single package, you are right. It makes no sense. Viewed in terms of thousands of packages going to many different destinations, its more logical than it seems.

 

[Beefalo]

The GOS syndrome strikes again.

 

[EricKalet]

They are traveling to and from specific hubs. Viewed in terms of a single package, you are right. It makes no sense. Viewed in terms of thousands of packages going to many different destinations, its more logical than it seems.

It would seem though, even a truck full of thousands of packages, would make more sense to route in a straight line as possible and not double back or triple back.

When I worked in a retail store, trucks would arrive direct from the distribution center from where the packages originated to the DC from the manufacturers. Never did a truck leave the DC, stop at another DC after passing my store and then double back to another DC or the original DC before finally docking at my store.

Just feels like poor planning and poor logistics is the USPS Achilles heel right now and causing the majority of issues with insolvency for them.

 

[LuvMyQuad]

It would seem though, even a truck full of thousands of packages, would make more sense to route in a straight line as possible and not double back or triple back.

When I worked in a retail store, trucks would arrive direct from the distribution center from where the packages originated to the DC from the manufacturers. Never did a truck leave the DC, stop at another DC after passing my store and then double back to another DC or the original DC before finally docking at my store.

Just feels like poor planning and poor logistics is the USPS Achilles heel right now and causing the majority of issues with insolvency for them.

Its the same idea as plane flights with layovers. Sometimes the first leg of a flight goes out of its way to arrive at a certain hub city because your connecting flight going to your final destination only takes off from that hub. Like NY to Cleveland via Detroit. I also think it is partially based on the delivery priority that was paid for. There is no incentive for them to move a parcel in the most direct manner if taking the long way home is less costly. I know its not exactly intuitive.

 

[LuvMyQuad]

I had a shipping notice from CD Imports this morning. They must have gotten more stock in.

 

[LuvMyQuad]

Per our convo. with @sjcorne above, I decided to do some tinkering with "Almost Lucy"

I first took the Right Rear channel and did a Vocal Isolation in RX 8 Music Rebalance.

View attachment 72837

Then cleaned it up a bit in Audacity and Inverted it ...

View attachment 72840

Then Merged back into the Right Rear and replaced the original RR (some minor artifacts remained noticeable, but primarily when listening loud with isolating the Right Rear )- but definitely puts his vocals back to center and leaves mainly conga, cymbals, keyboard & guitar echo in the Right Rear ...

View attachment 72841

I know there is someone on the forum that has a connection with Parsons and has contacted him in the past. I would be interested in hearing his comments... was it truly an error? was it intentional somehow? At any rate if its an error, he certainly does have the ability to make it right and at least offer a download of the corrected track.

 

[GaryG]

Finally got my shipping notification from importcds. Looks like I will be getting a twofer cause they are sending A Momentart Laps Of Reason CD/Blu-Ray along with it.

 

[SHB]

I got shipping notification yesterday that a label was made from Importcds. But no label made for AMLOR Blu ray. Maybe they will combine it with Benefit next week. But very happy that Time Passages is on its way!

 

[cbmmm3]

got notice yester also. Last train home --but not tonite

 

[LuvMyQuad]

got notice yester also. Last train home --but not tonite

I see what ya did there.

 

[SHB]

got notice yester also. Last train home --but not tonite

Well played!

 

[JonUrban]

Mine has yet to arrive (from ImportCDs), but the SACD and Let It Be box set from CD Japan showed up in 3 days! That's amazing.

 

[Scott65]

My copy was delivered today. Let it be was delivered on Wednesday and I bought A momentary lapse of reason in a shop today - a very busy listening weekend is ahead for me.

 

[Scott65]

.... Let It Be box set from CD Japan showed up in 3 days! That's amazing.

Same here - given the high postage cost to Australia it probably should arrive quickly.