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DVD/DTS Poll Bachman-Turner Overdrive - Not Fragile [DTS CD]
- Thread starter Bob Romano
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it's the original quad mix and the transfer is well done.
The only problem I have with this release is that i only like the hits on the
disc...which means I only like 2 tracks..
The only problem I have with this release is that i only like the hits on the
disc...which means I only like 2 tracks..
Agreed on the hits being great in this format, maybe a couple more are worth a listen.
An 8....fairly pedestrian music, but sometimes catchy, and the band certainly was enthusiastic if not all that talented. Mixed well, entertaining during weak moments...
ED
ED
I just listened to this one from my collection, and i have to give it a 10. I love the album and would rate the music a 10 without being in quad, and it is definately even better in quad. That being said, the quad mix is very good, but not quite great.
I rated it a "4". It really needed to be remixed; the quad mix was pretty bad. On several tracks, guitar leads that were prominent in the stereo version are mixed way into the background; this is especially noticeable on "Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" - play it and then play the stereo version and you'll notice the difference immediately. I know that's not DTS' fault - but still...
cracking music yes the has the hits and the mix could be a bit more adventurous at times. Happy to have though.
He said it all.
So, I bought this disc because I saw it on the @edisonbaggins wall of fame in his Life In Surround videos. A voice in my head said, "Well, you did own Best of BTO (So Far) back when you were a freshman in high school. Although you've clearly moved beyond such music, if it's good enough for B-B-B-Baggy, it's gotta be worthy of inclusion in your collection." So I posted it on the Listening to Now (In Surround) -- Volume 2 thread, noting my inspiration for the purchase. Well, I'll be **** if Mike doesn't respond with:
Don't necessarily take the wall o' discs as a recommendation! Generally, there's some very cool stuff up there. Some oddballs though!
When in doubt, drop me a line!
What do you think of the BTO?
Forilla, Godzilla? And then I come to this thread, and I see he hasn't even voted! So, is this "very cool stuff" or one of the "oddballs"? Let me take it for a second spin and let you know!
First, crank this mug UP! I'm listening to this at about twice the level I usually do . . . thank goodness my wife is gone for this second go-round. Bass thumping straight through me as "Not Fragile" kicks off! A feature of this mix is drums EVERYWHERE. It's almost like I'm sitting on the bass drum and listening to snares, toms, and cymbals all around! I think the bass on this track has actually changed the beat of my heart! Distorted and discrete--a winning combo! "Rock Is My Life And This Is My Song" is next, and it slows things down just a bit . . . initially! Again, I'm hearing cymbals bounce back and forth behind me and guitar parts coming from distinct speakers. Nice echo of vocals making their way around the soundstage, too. And let's not forget the cowbells!
When I first listened to this dts CD earlier today, my wife gave me a cocked-head look. My only defense was, "Well, it takes me back to freshman year of high school." She smiled and walked through to the kitchen. Now is that a bad thing? I have some good memories of freshman year! It was a kinder, gentler, more innocent time (hadn't found *** and drugs yet; it was all rock n roll). Another reviewer called the music pedestrian. Yeah, but these daze, I do enjoy a nice walk down memory lane.
And that walk really begins with the next track--the first hit of the album: "Roll On Down The Highway." Now I was digging the album before this tune, so this actually takes the disc to the next level--been years since I bumped some AM radio! Again, drums and guitars all around--most discrete. Although I never heard the original quad mix, reviews above noted this is the same mix, and from what I've learned about those 70s mixes from this site and D-V re-releases, this mix has all the, IMO, wonderfully wonky features of a 70s quad mix! Let it roll, indeed! And just when I think my trip down memory lane couldn't get any better, my favorite BTO track sets me straight: "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet." I wanna meet this brown-eyed girl! I never understood the stuttering (unless she was on some leapers like Roger "m-m-m my generation!" Daltrey). Can one have too many cowbells? Well, yes, one can, and this track may be pushing the legal limit. Again, bass is thumping right through me and the drums and guitars are all around--this is one I'm never gonna f-f-f-forget, baby!
Well, that's it for the hits. Next up is "Free Wheelin'" Seriously? The G is replaced by an apostrophe on this title but not on the preceding one!? S'up with that? This is an instrumental workout. Nothing fancy or sophisticated--the disc is titled Not Fragile for phuque's sake! Again, those guitar lines are coming at me from different speakers, and the drums are moving around the sound stage! And the bass? I think I've actually moved into ventricular fibrillation at this point, so if I don't finish the review, let my wife and daughter know I love them and was thinking of them; and as far as you, dear reader, are concerned, I think this is heading for a 9. Next up is "Sledgehammer." As if my heart wasn't funked up enough! I suppose this might be the most rudimentary number of the bunch. Sounds like some wanna-be hard rock garage band with delusions of rock hero-dumb. Maybe this will end up being an 8 after all. Perhaps what this is indicating to me is that the disc is just a tad (as the weatherman would say) repetitive--just a tad . . . as the weatherman would say. Repetitive. Given that, I can tell you that, for this listener, the mix is still keeping things interesting with instrument placements and sonic surprises. And at this point, I would also note that vocals are not this band's strong suit, though Randy is having some rowdy and raucous fun on this one!
Okay, the antepenultimate song is another with a G missin' from the title: "Blue Moanin'" I might note that lyrical sophistication is right up there with vocal prowess on this release! Maybe the best thing about this disc is having the hits back-to-back. I'm thinking my earlier call of a 9 was strongly connected to the hits being fresh in my mind. This is no 9, but it's also no slouch with the mix still carryin' the weight of the experience; also, there are only 2 tracks left! And the second-to-last tune is "Second Hand"! At this point, I realize I haven't noted that it seems as if Randy Bachman is playing with a second or third or even fourth hand--his guitar solos are over-the-top fun: often electrifying and sometimes even straight-up astounding! There's no way this is goin' lower than an 8. The final track--are you KIDDIN' me--is yet another missin' a G--"Givin' It All Away." I'm dumbfounded that track four is not "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet"! Okay, this is not the most challenging or engaging song on the disc, but the title does say it all: the boys have been givin' it all away for the past 36 minutes. Short and sweet! Pedestrian? Yeah--hit the street! Get peripatetic mother foulers! It's an 8.
Now @edisonbaggins, get your vote on!
Don't necessarily take the wall o' discs as a recommendation! Generally, there's some very cool stuff up there. Some oddballs though!
When in doubt, drop me a line!
What do you think of the BTO?
Forilla, Godzilla? And then I come to this thread, and I see he hasn't even voted! So, is this "very cool stuff" or one of the "oddballs"? Let me take it for a second spin and let you know!
First, crank this mug UP! I'm listening to this at about twice the level I usually do . . . thank goodness my wife is gone for this second go-round. Bass thumping straight through me as "Not Fragile" kicks off! A feature of this mix is drums EVERYWHERE. It's almost like I'm sitting on the bass drum and listening to snares, toms, and cymbals all around! I think the bass on this track has actually changed the beat of my heart! Distorted and discrete--a winning combo! "Rock Is My Life And This Is My Song" is next, and it slows things down just a bit . . . initially! Again, I'm hearing cymbals bounce back and forth behind me and guitar parts coming from distinct speakers. Nice echo of vocals making their way around the soundstage, too. And let's not forget the cowbells!
When I first listened to this dts CD earlier today, my wife gave me a cocked-head look. My only defense was, "Well, it takes me back to freshman year of high school." She smiled and walked through to the kitchen. Now is that a bad thing? I have some good memories of freshman year! It was a kinder, gentler, more innocent time (hadn't found *** and drugs yet; it was all rock n roll). Another reviewer called the music pedestrian. Yeah, but these daze, I do enjoy a nice walk down memory lane.
And that walk really begins with the next track--the first hit of the album: "Roll On Down The Highway." Now I was digging the album before this tune, so this actually takes the disc to the next level--been years since I bumped some AM radio! Again, drums and guitars all around--most discrete. Although I never heard the original quad mix, reviews above noted this is the same mix, and from what I've learned about those 70s mixes from this site and D-V re-releases, this mix has all the, IMO, wonderfully wonky features of a 70s quad mix! Let it roll, indeed! And just when I think my trip down memory lane couldn't get any better, my favorite BTO track sets me straight: "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet." I wanna meet this brown-eyed girl! I never understood the stuttering (unless she was on some leapers like Roger "m-m-m my generation!" Daltrey). Can one have too many cowbells? Well, yes, one can, and this track may be pushing the legal limit. Again, bass is thumping right through me and the drums and guitars are all around--this is one I'm never gonna f-f-f-forget, baby!
Well, that's it for the hits. Next up is "Free Wheelin'" Seriously? The G is replaced by an apostrophe on this title but not on the preceding one!? S'up with that? This is an instrumental workout. Nothing fancy or sophisticated--the disc is titled Not Fragile for phuque's sake! Again, those guitar lines are coming at me from different speakers, and the drums are moving around the sound stage! And the bass? I think I've actually moved into ventricular fibrillation at this point, so if I don't finish the review, let my wife and daughter know I love them and was thinking of them; and as far as you, dear reader, are concerned, I think this is heading for a 9. Next up is "Sledgehammer." As if my heart wasn't funked up enough! I suppose this might be the most rudimentary number of the bunch. Sounds like some wanna-be hard rock garage band with delusions of rock hero-dumb. Maybe this will end up being an 8 after all. Perhaps what this is indicating to me is that the disc is just a tad (as the weatherman would say) repetitive--just a tad . . . as the weatherman would say. Repetitive. Given that, I can tell you that, for this listener, the mix is still keeping things interesting with instrument placements and sonic surprises. And at this point, I would also note that vocals are not this band's strong suit, though Randy is having some rowdy and raucous fun on this one!
Okay, the antepenultimate song is another with a G missin' from the title: "Blue Moanin'" I might note that lyrical sophistication is right up there with vocal prowess on this release! Maybe the best thing about this disc is having the hits back-to-back. I'm thinking my earlier call of a 9 was strongly connected to the hits being fresh in my mind. This is no 9, but it's also no slouch with the mix still carryin' the weight of the experience; also, there are only 2 tracks left! And the second-to-last tune is "Second Hand"! At this point, I realize I haven't noted that it seems as if Randy Bachman is playing with a second or third or even fourth hand--his guitar solos are over-the-top fun: often electrifying and sometimes even straight-up astounding! There's no way this is goin' lower than an 8. The final track--are you KIDDIN' me--is yet another missin' a G--"Givin' It All Away." I'm dumbfounded that track four is not "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet"! Okay, this is not the most challenging or engaging song on the disc, but the title does say it all: the boys have been givin' it all away for the past 36 minutes. Short and sweet! Pedestrian? Yeah--hit the street! Get peripatetic mother foulers! It's an 8.
Now @edisonbaggins, get your vote on!
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This was one of my favorite bands and albums when I was 14-15 years old. I played this album to death back then, but probably haven’t heard it since. Was fun hearing it again. Took me back!
The surround mix on this is good. Better than I thought it would be. Nice and discreet. I’m not a fan of the sound quality of these DTS discs, generally, but it works fine for this album. I don’t remember it ever being a hi-fi recording anyway.
I’d love to see D-V release these old BTO quads. I give it a “7”. Maybe should be an “8”
The surround mix on this is good. Better than I thought it would be. Nice and discreet. I’m not a fan of the sound quality of these DTS discs, generally, but it works fine for this album. I don’t remember it ever being a hi-fi recording anyway.
I’d love to see D-V release these old BTO quads. I give it a “7”. Maybe should be an “8”
Agreed this album was never a sonic standout. Sad, since BTO’s eponymous album, in particular the song “Blue Collar”, is a superb recording with clarity, good dynamics and excellent frequency balance. One of my top five all time songs!
lennon fan
Senior Member
I have the Q8 of this, so I can't comment on the DTS aspect, but the title track was a major jam of mine in '74 and I see it as a proto metal head banger. ...and what's wrong with that? ...some good times and I recall it hitting no.1.
Another disc that I never got around to rate, I've had it since the DTS CD first came out. BTO was never one of my favorite bands, too simple and too comercial. That being said I had been a huge fan of their predecessor "Brave Belt". BTO sounds much, much better in Quad than in stereo! Most of BTO's biggest hits are on this one, it was likely their biggest seller. Personally I liked the first album better, it's more like "Brave Belt II". Sound quality could of been a bit better if done on DVD-Audio, SACD or Blu-ray. I would still like to see the other BTO's re-released all the Q8's were fantastic surround wise. I'll give it a 9.
