HiRez Poll Alan Parsons Project, The - TALES OF MYSTERY AND IMAGINATION [Blu-Ray Audio]

[LuvMyQuad]

Who knows if Alan is going to continue with these 5.1 remixes of the APP discography. IIRC, he said he would stop after Eye in the Sky, but I'd love to hear Turn of a Friendly Card, I Robot and Pyramid, exactly in this order.

I took it to mean that's how far he was willing to go back into the catalog. Going back to Eye would encompass all of the releases you mentioned plus more. Maybe my assumption is incorrect.

 

[beerking]

Alan Parsons knows how to make great use of all those surround channels.
This may not not be his strongest musical release but it contains all the important elements that we crave.
The mix is sublime.
Debating between a 9 and a 10
Yes it's really that good.
Well with my Parsons nose I can smell a top dollar recording.
Therefore it's a 10

 

[Old Darth]

Well, well. Maybe you hoped for someone giving an extensive text about this mix. I hope it's here.
As many pals here said, many elements from the '87 remix are put in. They're not only the guitar solos, there's drum reverb (The Tell-Tale Heart, The Cask Of Amontillado), and some arrangements (The Raven) that are, so clearly, part of the remix. And the marvelous narrations that Wells did.
I'll do it song by song. My feelings need to be ordered.
For A Dream Within A Dream: From the start (with orchestral and synth parts coming from everywhere), to the end, with that amazing bass line (it REALLY shines in the front channels and LFE, as it should be), this is an excellent and balanced mix. The narration isn't limited to the center, it's spread around every speaker... even the sub, with some strange activity, and the rear ones: filled with some kind of echo that helps anyone trying to get inside the mood .
For The Raven: '87 elements start to be noticeable, some drum reverb, the guitar solo, and arrangements during the initial drum part. Due to the excessive activity here, some tiny parts that were familiar in the stereo version feel buried. As a logic thing, Alan's vocoder-processed voice is travelling around the four main speakers. The bass is strong here.
For The Tell-Tale Heart: More '87 stuff. Orchestral parts are sooo great and never front-heavy. The guitar solo feels a bit cold and lifeless (remember that the '87 parts were 80's 100% digital recordings), compared with the hi-res, analog sourced tracks that are beside it. The drum reverb, again, keeps the heavy moments with some stuff buried.
For A Cask Of Amontillado: This is GREAT. Everything starts with the piano in the rears. It's a strong mix. Some '87 drum parts are noticeable during the start of the loud part, but the saturated feeling is nearly zero. When you're inside the loud part, it's just the surround and you. You're inside the music. The LFE is working nice.
For (The System Of) Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether:The hard feeling is active and everything's right, except for some guitar part that is hidden, as one of you said. Right as the '87 mix, there's a string arrangement that joins this song with the next one. This arrangement, as all the orchestral parts in the album, is fully done with the four main speakers, and it co-works perfectly with the sub.
For The Fall Of The House Of Usher: OMG, OMG. Nearly my favorite music piece, and one of the best orchestral surround mixes I've heard. The narration uses the center channel, and it's the first and only time this one's a priority. Again, the strange activity of the sub and the echo hitting the rears are here. You feel like the symphony director, it's that exciting. I find myself dumbfounded trying to recreate the experience in words. :yikes: . When it comes to the rain and drum part, the dark mood of the sound glues to you. Altough the rain feels somewhat forced (it was a stereo recording done in a cloudy day, it's understandable), the door knock that subsequently turns into a drum kick, and the strings complete that mood.
For To One In Paradise: Ethereal, atmospheric. Woolfson's and Parsons' backing vocals are put in the rears. They sync up nicely with the main vocal track. Again, the strings are surrounding you. Amazing. The final narration goes all around, it makes me remember the 5.1 mix of 2001: A Space Oddysey Blu-ray, where HAL-9000 voice was mixed into all the speakers.
Overall it's an AMAZING, GREAT, STUNNING mix! Solid 9. Yes, maybe this score it's related to my system, Parsons' mixes are so perfect that you really need a great system to enjoy 'em.
(A few notes before you throw tomatoes to me : English it's not my main language.)
Hope this helps
Merry Christmas, have a nice night this weekend with your whole familiy, take care

Almost totally agree with this appraisal. Especially about The Fall Of The House Of Usher: the album's strong suit(e) to me. It's what elevates the album.

Rate the mix a 10 instead of a 9.

 

[der_angsthase]

I am struggling more and more with this album the more I listen to it. I grew up with the '87 Stereo-Mix, know this album since sixth grade I think, which by now was is a astounding close to 16ish years or so ago. "Tales" is easily in my Top-10 Albums of all time. My go-to Track on this album – apart from "Fall" – is "Cask of Amontillado". This song always had urgency, pressing even, to it that the surround version in my mind clearly (!) lacks. This is especially apparent with the horns, although I'd even go so far as to say that the whole front section (apart from the vocals, which are fine) are way too buried in the mix, lacking volume, separation and explosions (for a lack of a better word). A-B this to the excellent '76 Remaster and this is clear as day to me. Anyone else thinks so?

Disclaimer: I've currently only set up four channels in my living room, but my AVR is set to balance that out. I have absolutely no problem with any other discs, be it DSOTM, Dire Straits BIA or anything else of the high caliber, much beloved stuff on this forum. I almost own every 8+ disc on the list and I mostly agree with every single rating on them – but this one clearly stands out to me as one of the worse of recent years.

 

[The Rang]

I’ve got the stand alone Blu-ray version.
First, though I’m very happy to have the original 1976 2.0 mix they should have included the 1987 2.0 remix as well.
Second, I expected a booklet with the lyrics. Are they all like this or is mine missing?

 

[wavelength]

I’ve got the stand alone Blu-ray version.
First, though I’m very happy to have the original 1976 2.0 mix they should have included the 1987 2.0 remix as well.
Second, I expected a booklet with the lyrics. Are they all like this or is mine missing?

Sadly, your booklet is missing.

 

[elinter]

Wonderful, simply wonderful. Music 10; Fidelity 10; Surround mix 10.

 

[Perp]

Not one of my favorites from the 70’s APP but I will say that it sounds great in surround. So far, the best sounding of the three releases. I gave it an ‘8’.

 

[artwwweb]

Mix: 5/5: Crisply discrete, but relevant ambience as well. Some panning. Perhaps it's slightly too much 'stereo up front and different stereo in rears' but it's difficult to complain about that - all corners are filled, discretely.

Sound: 5/5: Very clear, everything sounds good.

Music: 3/5: Nice idea, but not executed perfectly; a little amateur. The non-classical pieces sound a little leaden.

Weighted score: 5*3 + 5*2 + 1*3 = 15+10+3 = 28/30 = 9.33/10 = 9/10

Kudos for releasing in a stand-alone BD version and not just a big box.

 

[M-K]

10!

My third album of APP after Pyramid and I Robot (wish those in 5.1 too!)
Fantastic music, great sound, excellent mix. APPs best album. It's so different.
Great singers and great musicians.

I even like the additions from 1976 (vinyl) to 1987 (CD) which I own as well.

This album is one of my all time favourites.

 

[MarkyM]

I just pulled this out today to listen to again and realized I had not voted in the poll. An easy 10 for me!
Tales has been at the top of my desert island album pile pretty much since it came out in 1976. It has always been very special to me and I remember distinctly buying the original album at my local record store (remember those!) and playing it for the first time.