Chicago Quadio - 9 Quad Albums on Blu-ray Audio.

[Quad Linda]

My Quadio box arrived yesterday. Wonderful! I've played III & VII so far. I like the job they did on reproducing the original artwork and extras. The disc labels on CTA & II replicate the original Columbia labels, rather than the label that Columbia began using in mid 1970. I understand not using the Quadraphonic verbiage from the LP covers, or any Columbia or SQ markings, since they're now Sony trademarks/copyrights, plus using SQ markings might create confusion, with people assuming these BD-A's are matrixed.

Because of the size of the band and great engineering, these are the gold standard of '70's Quad mixes.

My only bitch is a small one: couldn't they have created a book with the band's history (at least through '76), and additional recording info/recollections?

I've been a fan of this band from the beginning (no pun intended) and have seen them live many times. The first time was in '68 at Barnaby's, when they were doing CTA originals and lots of covers. Tracks like Purple Haze, Dancin' in the Streets, Sunshine of Your Love, Moby Grape's Mr. Blues, L&M's Lady Madonna & With a Little Help.

"Six sets smoked on Saturdays
At Barnaby's on State
Countless California calls
We could not stand the wait..."
Scrapbook by Robert Lamm from Chicago X

The first record I bought that they were involved with was a 45 from 1968 of Soul Drippin'/Forever Gone by the Chicago band The Mauds on Mercury Records with "brass arrangements by CTA" printed on the label. In '69, I was wowed by the CTA album, a year before their breakout 25 or 6 to 4. Although I own over 20,000 albums, Beginnings is still my favorite track by ANYONE!

If anyone knows how/where I can obtain a copy of the radio commercial they did for the CTA in '69/'70, kindly PM me. It was done gratis when the real CTA nailed them for using their name. "All aboard for Chicago...Chicago is waiting for you, what are you waiting for, get there aboard the CTA."

I've owned many copies of all these albums, but these are the best by far, excepting perhaps the 5.1 DVD-A's. I've never owned the Quads of III & VIII before.
My previous copies are:
CTA: 2 LP, 2 SQ, 1/2 speed MoFi 2 LP, 2 CD, Columbia Gold CD, 2 and DVD-V.
II: Cassette, 2 LP, 2 SQ, 2 CD, single CD, and DVD-A.
III: 2 LP, CD, and remastered CD.
V: LP, SQ, CD, remastered CD & DVD-A.
VI: LP, SQ & CD. (glad I didn't pop for the 2ch SACD!)
VII: 2 LP, 2 Q8, & CD.
VIII: LP, 2 CD import (w/13, aka Street Player).
IX: Q8, 1/2 speed LP & CD.
X: Q8, SQ, 1/2 speed LP, CD, expanded CD & DVD-A (test pressing).

Albeit in lowly 2ch, recommended further Chicago related listening:
Chicago (IV) at Carnegie Hall EXPANDED EDITION on Rhino. 3 CD's equal to original 4 LP set, PLUS a 4th CD with material not released in '71.

Chicago Live in Japan (sand cover) 2 LP 1972 Japan ONLY, 2 CD US & Japan Live versions of Question 67 & 68 and Lowdown in Japanese! (The only other album from this period NOT done in Quad, numbered, or included in this box besides Carnegie Hall (IV). It also doesn't fit in the numbering sequence, unlike Carnegie Hall IV.) Photo & track list: http://www.covershut.com/covers/Chicago---Live-In-Japan-Front-Cover-15121.jpg

More further Chicago related listening:
California Transit Authority - Danny Serafini (Serafine)
Peter Cetera ('81 Full Moon) US LP & Japan CD: http://eil.com/shop/moreinfo.asp?catalogid=420440 There are some rockers, which Cetera left behind when he went solo. Carl Wilson & Steve Lukather guest.
Skinny Boy - Robert Lamm LP & CD. Recorded around the time of Chicago VII.
Single - Bill Champlin US LP & Japan CD
Runaway - Bill Champlin US LP & Japan CD (Kenny Loggins guests)
We Are the World - USA for Africa (unreleased track Good for Nothing by Chicago).

 

[Robert van Diggele]

Thanks Linda, great to see you still posting

 

[fredblue]

Thanks Linda, great to see you still posting

Ah, you don't mess with the Quad Goddess :upthumb

 

[Old Quad Guy]

Just woke up early to wait for the mailman to bring this box set - and it just arrived by expedited mail from importcds.com. Very impressive, giving a listen to "Hits" now, which I owned as a "must have" Quad in the 1970's, SQ version.

Wow, this box set just seemed to come from Quad heaven out of the blue! And marketed for its being Quadraphonic with the cover and advertising. Nice to see they decided to add a stereo mix on this too. Ha!

Edit: I would just echo what others have already mentioned, The 192 kHz sound is simply fantastic. You really notice it in the subtle parts, like when a horn trails off at the end of a song, or in just keeping the overall sound field intact.

 

[MIDIQ]

This is definately going to be a 10. Got mine yesterday and skipped around most of the discs, sounds great. When i got down to listen to one i started with Chicago 7, and thought something wasn't quite right. So after a half hour, i tried turning up the bass, and that was the problem. After turning up the bass +3 , it sounded great. So i tried Chicago 5, and there was plenty of bass. Some others just needed +1 on the bass. But they sound super good.

 

[zabble]

I got mine yesterday and the first one I put on was VIII because it was the only one that I’d never owned in discrete format (Q8). As I listened, a deep feeling of regret emerged. I had just rolled the dice and unloaded my q8s and CTA Quadio cd in anticipation of this set replacing them. The dynamics on VIII seemed squashed to me. Could this be the modus operandi for the rest of the set? I sure hoped not.

I then listened to CTA, V and VII and as it turns out, my fears have subsided. They all sounded great. Only VIII as a whole suffers from squashed dynamics. Has anyone compared the q8 of VIII to the bluray? I’m curious as to whether or not the discrete quad version always sounded like this. Either way, I am not complaining as VIII is of my least favorites of the set.

I'm happy to say that from what I’ve heard so far, I’ve already gotten my money’s worth :sun

 

[edisonbaggins]

This is definately going to be a 10. Got mine yesterday and skipped around most of the discs, sounds great. When i got down to listen to one i started with Chicago 7, and thought something wasn't quite right. So after a half hour, i tried turning up the bass, and that was the problem. After turning up the bass +3 , it sounded great. So i tried Chicago 5, and there was plenty of bass. Some others just needed +1 on the bass. But they sound super good.

Baggy also boosted da bass a bit

 

[skindzier]

Listened to CTA earlier and listening to II now. I've always been a hits guy with Chicago, so other than 17 when it came out, this is my first time with the full albums, thus I have no point of reference with previous versions. That said - awesome! Kath was SO good. The quad is just great and oozing with discreteness. I think my favorite moment so far was Colour My World, even though there's less going on there than in others. I was kinda dozing and had my eyes closed & it just felt like I could picture where everybody was & reach out & give them a high-five.

 

[Simon A]

My only bitch is a small one: couldn't they have created a book with the band's history (at least through '76), and additional recording info/recollections?

Interesting point. I see two books about the band on amazon. Feelin' Stronger and Street Player. Are they worth getting? Were others books published? I'd like to pick one up as I know very little about the band and would like to read about the lads whilst I'm listening to the Quads.

 

[proufo]

Anything special about the source and/or mastering of the STEREO tracks?

 

[JonUrban]

Here's a look at the wav files from CHICAGO IX: GREATEST HITS

Output file returned 24/192!!!

No brickwall, no fake center or sub, just clean quad! :music

 

[jasong]

sound is amazing, detail on the packaging awesome. I GIVE IT 2F's - for F*** king FANTASTIC

I hope the powers that be at Rhino, Warner Brothers and the other labels, say... mmm maybe we should do this too.

 

[4-earredwonder]

sound is amazing, detail on the packaging awesome. I GIVE IT 2F's - for F*** king FANTASTIC

I hope the powers that be at Rhino, Warner Brothers and the other labels, say... mmm maybe we should do this too.

Just received my boxset today, as well from Deep Discount and I was thinking out loud what a bargain it was considering the original LOSSY DTS Quadio of CTA was $30 (do the math: 30 x 9 = $270.00) and these are all LOSSLESS BD~As.

Warner promised us a BD~A launch two years ago and except for the Neil Young Archives Volume 1 (10 BD~As), never delivered on that promise but boy, oh, boy Better Late Than NEVER!

This is easily THE Surround extravaganza of the year....and as jasong alluded to: two F's WAY UP

One can only hope that the sales figures are encouraging enough to convince Warners (and other hold~out labels) that there is a market for old QUAD and 5.1 titles and utilize this as a template for further Surround boxsets....NO LPs, NO RBCDs, NO marbles, NO scarves and NO cream~filled twinkies...but that's not to say that those of you who are so inclined can't utilize the iron on patch as a coaster....for what "ALES" them:ugham:

 

[ar surround]

sound is amazing, detail on the packaging awesome. I GIVE IT 2F's - for F*** king FANTASTIC

I hope the powers that be at Rhino, Warner Brothers and the other labels, say... mmm maybe we should do this too.

I sent Rhino an email last night praising them for this set and asking that they do more like it in high-res Blu-ray audio. I got a note back this afternoon from "Dr. Rhino" thanking me for the complements, but more importantly saying that he sent my request to their suggestion box. Perhaps others might want to do the same to encourage them, but of course sales will be the driving force.

 

[cupboy]

HAHAHA ... missed one... this is the only post of mine that wasn't ... what was the word, Pruned?

 

[4-earredwonder]

I'm helping with the sales figures. Maybe everybody could buy two ?

C~boy........two Chicago Quadio boxsets and THREE (count 'em) AF QUAD The COLLECTION SACDs. Ever hear of the Collier Brothers?

BTW, are you a polygamist?

 

[4-earredwonder]

I may be construed as going out on a limb by saying this, but after listening to CTA and Chicago X, I consider these textbook QUAD remasters as good as anything I've heard from either Wilson or Scheiner. IMO, Warners/Rhino (and MOST especially kudos to the original Columbia Records engineers) who knocked this out of the ballpark.

Furthermore, I consider BD~A THE format to reckon with. My $1200 OPPO BDP~105 sounds like the equivalent of my $10K Reference DVD~A player when playing these BD~As.....actually, any well mastered BD~A (whether stereo or multi).

A further wish........that Warner/Rhino collect 10 unreleased QUAD or 5.1 remasters from LIKE artists and put them in one big boxset and charge accordingly instead of releasing them as single discs and charging a premium for each. It may sound absurd but it would be a canny way of releasing as many of these multichannel releases as feasible before the plug is pulled on physical disc manufacture....or Warners decides to go BD~A AWOL again.

Warner may have come late to the BD~A game, but it is releases as auspicious as the Chicago QUADIO boxset which make this hobby of ours so utterly delightful, delicious and delovely.....to borrow a phrase from the late Cole Porter.

Two down and SEVEN more to GO.....Can't Wait. And perhaps Jon Urban can recalibrate the Poll on this set to max out at 11!:flame

And tell the truth, fellas....does anyone REALLY miss the center channel?

 

[lennon fan]

I love this set very much and am grateful to Rhino for doing such a nice comprehensive box.

 

[himey]

For those of you who want only the C.T.A. album and have decided to remain satisfied with the original DTS Quadio release, I've got bad news for you. The BR-A DTD-MA of C.T.A. that I just listened to today renders the original DTS Quadio totally obsolete. The improvement in sound of the BluRay is absolutely staggering. There is more clarity, depth and ambience. There is less "grain", subsequently it does not fall apart at high volumes or cause listening fatigue as does the straight DTS. I can hear things on the BluRay that I did not on the DTS.

C.T.A. has always been one of my "go to" discs that I have always been glad to give a spin. Now I finally have it as it was meant to be heard. Worth the price of the entire set on its own. As I said, absolutely staggering.

AR

At least one person on the other forum seems to think the first two discs have boosted upper frequencies and the others are fine. He prefers the original dts release of CTA. Can't wait to do my own comparison and listen to the critiques of the others here.

 

[lennon fan]

I'm seriously swooning over this set. Any downsides I see are more than made up for in the up sides
I like the packaging. I like the sound placement. I like the songs. (up to 7 anyway) and I've loved this band for 45 years now.
This is the era that matters to me, it endures and the music is finding new generations. This set helps that along IMO.
I could never thank the band and Rhino enough for making this happen.