HiRez Poll Alan Parsons Project, The - EYE IN THE SKY [Blu-Ray Audio]

[hafquark]

I waited until the BD was released as a standalone before buying. This isn't my favorite APP album, but it has grown on me quite a bit with repeated listens. As with Tales of Mystery and Imagination, the surround sound is near-perfectly balanced. Actually, Parson's studio wizardry may even be more refined, precise, and silky smooth than on his earliest albums. There are a couple of so-so tunes, but also some very strong ones. It's hard to find much fault with this one. I rate it close to 10 for sound and 8 for the music, so about 9 overall.

 

[beerking]

I've just changed my vote up to a 9.
Playing it again, I appreciate the mix and music more than I did over a year ago.

 

[SHB]

Here’s a great deal on the box set
https://www.lasercd.com/cd/eye-sky-35th-ann-box-set

 

[IMachine]

Changed my vote from 8 to 7 as Alan put too much reverb in the surround mix.
Also there is a strange compression thing going on.

 

[perzon57]

You must be joking!

 

[mandrix]

Dude.
I disagree but respect your opinion.

 

[califcab]

I would give this one a 9. Surround mix is excellent, just not quite awesome. Also not a 10 on content as some great songs are mixed with some simply good songs. But overall very good to excellent and a good value.

 

[ar surround]

Changed my vote from 8 to 7 as Alan put too much reverb in the surround mix.
Also there is a strange compression thing going on.

If you have a Surround Master, try playing the stereo mix through it and see what you think. I actually prefer the stereo mix of this album through the Surround Master slightly more than the new 5.1 mix. Hey @chucky3042 , that's my third plug for the Surround Master this week. People are going to start believing that I'm in your pocket.

 

[elinter]

Music (e.g song craft) 10; Fidelity (e.g. frequency response/mix balance) 10; Surround mix (discreetness) 10. Goosebumps....

 

[madscot]

I just got the deluxe box set today after a long wait for the bargain price of £55 brand new off of ebay, the wait was worth it, I have listened to all 3 versions on the blu ray and it has blown my mind, I will never play the lp’s or flexi disc but don’t consider it a waste of money, the 3 cd’s will all be played too since there’s enough new stuff on there to keep me interested. This isn’t the best APP album but is a definite 10 from me

 

[sf49erjohn]

Recently purchased the Blu Ray of Eye in the Sky based on the positive feedback from Quad forum members and wearing out my HDAD of the same. The 5.1 disc is incredible. After going back and forth between a 9 and 10 rating I gave it a 10 without looking back.

 

[Perp]

I really like this album. I purchased it back when it first came out on vinyl and played it non-stop for weeks. So, I know it very well.

Listening to it in surround makes me want to listen to the stereo track. Although, the mix is good, the couple of exceptions are the drum fumble at the beginning of Step By Step and the echo effect to the rear speakers for the lead vocals that mostly stick out on a few of the songs. Example; title track and Psychobabble. At times, I feel like I’m listening to a DTS Upmix. Bottom line, I love the songs but the minor quibble takes it down a couple of points for me. I gave it an ‘8’.

 

[Albert Dagger]

I have lowered my vote to 7.
I have been listening to this album a lot recently, trying to determine the best-sounding stereo release. It sounds so much better in stereo, there is no comparison.
Some tracks are particularly problematic in my opinion, such as Sirius.

 

[ar surround]

I have lowered my vote to 7.
I have been listening to this album a lot recently, trying to determine the best-sounding stereo release. It sounds so much better in stereo, there is no comparison.
Some tracks are particularly problematic in my opinion, such as Sirius.

The 5.1 has the separation, but the stereo faked to multi-channel with the Surround Master or Logic7 sounds more satisfying to me. With this standalone Bluray, we get both.

 

[B&W Driver]

Okay, multichannel rookie here...How many versions of the "Eye In The Sky" 35th Anniversary Blu-Ray are there? Does the "box set" this thread started out reviewing have more than one multichannel mix? The 35th Anniversary Blu-Ray (5.1 & Stereo) that I'm considering is the RGM-0735 release with the following barcode on the rear cover: 4806-40072-5. I'm not a "super collector," so this Blu Ray represents a lot of hard-earned to me. I've been an APP fan since "Tales..." in the 70s, on the other hand, so I'm going to splurge. I'd really appreciate any thoughts on whether or not this is the "right" Blu Ray to buy. Many thanks ~ B&W

 

[LuvMyQuad]

Okay, multichannel rookie here...How many versions of the "Eye In The Sky" 35th Anniversary Blu-Ray are there? Does the "box set" this thread started out reviewing have more than one multichannel mix? The 35th Anniversary Blu-Ray (5.1 & Stereo) that I'm considering is the RGM-0735 release with the following barcode on the rear cover: 4806-40072-5. I'm not a "super collector," so this Blu Ray represents a lot of hard-earned to me. I've been an APP fan since "Tales..." in the 70s, on the other hand, so I'm going to splurge. I'd really appreciate any thoughts on whether or not this is the "right" Blu Ray to buy. Many thanks ~ B&W

I thought all the surround and high res digital content was the same in the deluxe and the standalone versions. The deluxe also contained vinyl. Please correct if wrong.

 

[fetchmybeer]

So I got this one a few weeks ago, but I don't think I can rate it because the music is so terrible and it isn't fair to let that bias creep in. Always liked Eye In The Sky, and especially liked it when the radio stations were cool enough to include Sirius before it, as intended, but the rest of the album does nothing for me. Very, very schmaltzy at times and almost always cheezy. This came out at the tail end of yacht rock, but at this point yacht rock was at its worst, running into some of that 80s crystalline production. And make no mistake, the production here is top notch as you would expect. But the songs are garbage. Sorry, Mr. Parsons. Maybe it'll grow on me. Sirius is still a great tune at least, and I thought that long before Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls commandeered it for their intro song.

If you like this album, I think you'll be happy with this mix. It doesn't move around a lot or anything, but it's a pretty standard surround mix, well-balanced, etc...

 

[B&W Driver]

Pop-era music is a very subjective subject, so I respect your opinion on the content of this album. If for no other reason, the top notch production and engineering drew me to this one...and, yep, I actually like several of the songs on this album. Regardless, I appreciate the honest review.

 

[Niek]

Listened to it again after a long time. Always been a fan of this album and the 5.1 mix. Had not voted for this yet. Hereby... a well-deserved 9.

 

[Farles]

Although I have had the stand alone Bluray since it was released, it had been a while since I had a listen. I recently played through Ammonia Avenue after a long while, and that prompted me to play this one again. This album was my first introduction to APP as my parents played this record over and over again when I was a kid. It was easy to play the whole album through, as this is how I have always listened to it. I still really like the content, despite the usual couple of tunes that are just ok.

What I was most pleasantly surprised by was the surround mix. I thought I might be disappointed due to the advancements in surround, specifially Atmos (which I have), but the mix is spectacular! Alan did a really great job with this mix, and it is very active and dynamic. I was home alone, so really got to crank it up, and it blew me away. Besides the opening 2 tunes (kinda just 1, really), my faves are 'Silence and I' and 'Psychobabble'. 'Mammagamma' was a lot of fun to listen to as well.

A vote of 10 for me. Next up is to have another listen to 'Tales of Mystery and Imagination'.