HiRez Poll Chicago - CHICAGO (II) [DVD-A]

[Bob Romano]

:yikes

That's one of the saddest pictures I have EVER seen!!!

 

[ChristopherLees]

Note the chainsaw mark on the lp on the right hand side near the bottom of the picture..
even if you could rescue the lps, at least half of each side is unplayable.

The chainsaw photos and the dump truck unloading everything into the tip (if I can find them)would really depress you....

They had pink floyd the wall licenced for one year only on gold cd...the mayhem at the factory on the last night of that contract(sending out as many cd's as they could) was amazing..and then the next day or so the same thing happened with the leftovers..

 

[Quad Linda]

10. I've owned the SQ, cassette, 2 CD, single CD and this DVD-A. Every copy I've ever heard until this DVD-A sounded like a prerecorded tape. I don't know what they did here, but for the first time it has great fidelity. The mix is good, the music superb, possibly the best album they ever did. This is unbelievable!

 

[cupboy]

Maybe I should open mine and play it. I've had it for several years now, purchased from amazon.de who had it in stock way past everyone else, and cheap.

 

[kap'n krunch]

A solid 10.
Would love to get my hands on the SQ LP, but , alas!!!
Unfortunately, the disc I got is defective and won't play the "4rth side", but someone was nice enough to send me a copy of the DVD-A layer that worked fine...

 

[Quad Linda]

The SQ is a nice mix, but it stilly sounds muddy like every other copy I've owned, except for the DVD-A.

A solid 10.
Would love to get my hands on the SQ LP, but , alas!!!
Unfortunately, the disc I got is defective and won't play the "4rth side", but someone was nice enough to send me a copy of the DVD-A layer that worked fine...

 

[cupboy]

A solid 10.
....Unfortunately, the disc I got is defective and won't play the "4rth side", but someone was nice enough to send me a copy of the DVD-A layer that worked fine...

I haven't opened mine yet, so how common is the defect or is this just a player-dependent problem?

 

[fredblue]

Maybe I should open mine and play it. I've had it for several years now, purchased from amazon.de who had it in stock way past everyone else, and cheap.

they had the Chicago V DVDA cheap for ages too on Amazon.de..!

I got mine cheap from another German e-tailer funnily enough! Only £17 and only about 2 years ago. I held off getting it for so long I though I'd never be able to afford it but there ya go, things still do appear! Just with even less regularity these days it would seem..

Just thinking, Warner must have made a few too many Chicago DVDAs for the Euro market but not enough for the USA! D'oh! Warner Loony Tunes!

 

[peterzach]

I am not a huge Chicago fan and as I was waiting for some disk's to arrive pulled this disk out as my next listen in the car. What a great album, they sure put alot of different musical ideas into this album.
I hadn't rated this, give this one a 9.

 

[leevitalone1]

This is one that got a 1 vote by guess who? It still shows up. Poor John has to clean up the mess.

 

[d0zer]

I cannot believe that this was recorded in, what, 1968? The soundquality is excellent and so is the surround mix. 9 points.

 

[Quad Linda]

It was recorded in '69 and released in January '70. IMHO, the sound quality on the DVD-A IS great, but all other pressings sound crappy.

I cannot believe that this was recorded in, what, 1968? The soundquality is excellent and so is the surround mix. 9 points.

 

[Snood]

Terry Kath is a god :

The First Album Quad is amazing tooooooooooo..........more amazing :banana:

 

[d0zer]

The First Album Quad is amazing tooooooooooo..........more amazing :banana:

There is an offer at ebay. You can get it for 200 $. A bit too much for me, so I guess I'll never hear it.

 

[Snood]

There is an offer at ebay. You can get it for 200 $. A bit too much for me, so I guess I'll never hear it.

Hmmm thought it was going for less than that..........think I picked it up for 99 bout 5 months ago on ebay. It is well worth it.

Back on track tho...............Chicago II Dvd-A is a fine piece a work also.

 

[blue.monk]

This is one of their best LPs IMO. The fidelity on the 5.1 mix is a definite improvement over the original but it does still sound like it was recorded in '69 (not that there's anything wrong with that!). It's a pretty good mix overall although there are times when things seem a bit 'distant' and lack punch. And often the kick drum is too loud, which gets particularly annoying during '25 or 6 to 4'. But there are many strong moments such as the lovely 'Memories of Love' suite. It's been a while since I heard the stereo layer but I seem to remember it being fairly compressed. An 8 overall.

 

[par4ken]

The sound quality is fantastic, compared with previous releases however the surround sucks big time. This mix subscribes to the 5.1 theory of mixing that states that you shouldn't be able to hear the surrounds until you turn them off. To get any appreciable sound from the rear I have to adjust the balance most of the way to the back and then it doesn't sound right as the bass disappears! I'll take the Quad mix any-day. I just wish I could get that bass out of the LP or Q8 tape! The music and sound quality deserve a ten, but the surround is so terrible I'll give it a five overall.

 

[uffeolby]

The sound quality is fantastic, compared with previous releases however the surround sucks big time. This mix subscribes to the 5.1 theory of mixing that states that you shouldn't be able to hear the surrounds until you turn them off. To get any appreciable sound from the rear I have to adjust the balance most of the way to the back and then it doesn't sound right as the bass disappears! I'll take the Quad mix any-day. I just wish I could get that bass out of the LP or Q8 tape! The music and sound quality deserve a ten, but the surround is so terrible I'll give it a five overall.

For what it is worth, I think you are very much wrong in your verdict on the 5.1-mix. I hear a lot of descrete portions in the rear channels without fiddeling with my settings. Not the most aggressive/immersive mix out there but still a very good one.

 

[ar surround]

I like to tweek the surrounds up by 3 dB to give a more balanced presentation (based on my setup.) The bass response varies from track to track as with a lot of recordings. The bass response on 25 or 6 to 4 is almost overwhelming, while it is underwhelming on Make Me Smile. I like the surround mix because it is very satisfying despite the lack of aggression. Chicago II was one of the first 5.1 DVD-A / SACD's that I got, and I was awed by it compared to the stereo/SQ release. So I gave it a 10 at that time. Now I would rate it a 9 as I have recalibrated my ratings since my surround sound collection has grown immensely.

 

[skherbeck]

I just love the pristine clarity of this recording... The fidelity feels so good! Early Chicago is really fantastic; no one else sounds quite like them with that combination of intricate horn interplay, blazing guitars, and beautiful vocal harmonies. This album is my second favorite of theirs next to CTA. Strong material throughout... The only part of the album that doesn't really do it for me is the "Memories of Love" Suite. The surround mix is excellent... Discrete with plenty of activity in the rears, but nothing fancy or adventurous. A 9... Oh, and I got it for $7.99 in 2015!!! Now back to the search for an affordable CTA Quadio Disc...