Comments Inspired By Doobie Brothers, The - QUADIO [Blu-ray Audio]

[ar surround]

4. Make sure you reserve time for your spouse. This is so you can keep an eye on them to make sure they don't go near your sound system. They may inquire how the remote works and insist that you explain it to them but don't do it. Nothing is worse than to try to find and undo someone else's adjustments. If you can set up a code access to lock them out of the critical menus, then maybe.

ROTFLMAO!!!!

 

[knifeman]

I give it a "10" overall. Have always loved the music. Only issues: seems like the pause between tracks is really l-o-n-g on some, not all, like 15 to 20 seconds between some tracks. Not like that on the albums. And the plastic sleeves the discs came in.

Also I think they should have included a "bonus disc" of the first Doobies album mixed in 4 channels, what could have been in quad but never made it sort of thing. Its a good album too. Yeah, dream on!

View attachment 56547.

I couldn't knock off a half-point for the plastic bags the discs are in that are causing some weird clouding. I cleaned off the haze and replaced those with poly-lined paper CD sleeves, similar to the poly-paper sleeves of the '70s ☺. At first I was concerned there might be some chemical process going on between dissimilar plastics, etching the playing surface.

The first album is available on SACD, but stereo only. I like it, too. Would've been a nice inclusion, I don't think it was ever mixed in quad.

 

[sjcorne]

I have, however, a DTS disc of "Takin' It To The Streets" which purports to be an unreleased Quad mix, and it is very, very discrete. Since that album was released in 1976, the tail end of the Quad era, it's entirely possible that it's real and laying in a vault somewhere, forgotten...

Steve Woolard mentioned back in March 2018 that he looked for unreleased Doobies quad mixes and didn't find any. I'm not surprised, since Warner was the first of the majors to get out of quad - their last CD-4 LP release was sometime in 1975.

I have that same DTS-CD of Streets and my conclusion is that it's a really well-done upmix from stereo. None of the elements in the rear channels are fully detached from the fronts (unlike the four Doobies mixes in this set), and the drums occasionally have a touch of that 'metallic' processed sound. Upmixers like SPECWEB and Penteo can do some amazing things with the right material.

What I'd really love to know is whether or not Minute By Minute was actually mixed to 5.1 back in the mid-2000s. It appeared on a Warner DVD-A pre-release list back then, and some of those announced/unreleased titles (Fleetwood Mac's self-titled and Tusk) did turn out to be real...

 

[Scott65]

looking forward to receiving my copy so I can 'Listen to the music'

 

[Dillydipper]

It's good you are messing around to see what works best. [snippety-snip...and...]
My guidelines for adjusting my sound system are: [snippety-snip again!]

Welcome to this wonderful hobby and this great forum! Looking forward to your further comments and contributions.

This is the most helpful post of the day! For once, it admits there's more than one way to skin the cat, more cats than just the one to skin, more than one reason things are so complex...and opens the newb's mind to getting a handle on it, instead of seeking the first, simplest solution.

This very idea, needs a thread of its' own.

 

[jaybird100]

I think they were just doing a release of material in the can - if they'd gone back to try and remix existing audio, the band's permission would have to have been obtained, creative involvement given, a mixer hired...too much expense for too little return (in Warnerthink).

I have, however, a DTS disc of "Takin' It To The Streets" which purports to be an unreleased Quad mix, and it is very, very discrete. Since that album was released in 1976, the tail end of the Quad era, it's entirely possible that it's real and laying in a vault somewhere, forgotten...

An unreleased DTS CD of "Takin' It To The Streets"? I'm drooling...

 

[weekendtoy]

In terms of the merits of the engineering/transfer/original recording audio quality, that's an easy 9-10. I would place the "gravitas" rating of the Music/Performances/Lyrics (something SO subjective that each opinion gets to be its own virtual "reference standard") just below the best of my (personal) favorites that are subjects of other polls, so I'd have to give that a lowly "9". So I will vote "9". Not because I don't think it deserves a ten if judged solely on its own merits. I just think there are a few Artists whose collective outputs deliver a little more on the non"quad" virtues of the Musical Art and I don't think most of those get enough affection from those within the Industry (or popular music fans), not of our generation. I'd include Blood, Sweat & Tears, Alan Parsons, and maybe a few other Artists that borrowed broadly from other musical idioms, but didn't commit commercial suicide by marketing themselves as something other than "Rock". Bach's music was ignored for a couple of Centuries after his passing, and then was rediscovered and celebrated on a scale that far exceeded the success that his music enjoyed during his lifetime. I'm wagering (Obviously, I won't be around to see it) that many of these "more thoughtful and process-focused" Artists (Steely Dan could be a contender, too) will enjoy a renewed renaissance of appreciation-IF the Music itself survives physically-in an as yet unimaginable future. One hopes, anyway. I think of Artists like Zappa, Four Freshmen, Ferguson/Kenton, Woody Herman, and others and think that the quality of their catalogs will experience a renewed appreciation if there is enough social/economic headroom (like there was during the best times of our lives) to allow for the luxury of single task-focused "active" listening. There's so much competition for everyone's attention span bandwidth in contemporary times, that's likely the biggest threat to both Music Performance and Music Appreciation in the future. I think it's in the process of being "blip-verted" (you have to be old enough to remember "Max Headroom" to know what that is) into irrelevancy and that's why I periodically post about it. As for what can we do about it, well...not much...except let the good times roll and set a good example for those around us... : - )

Holy buckets that is super hard to read. I may or may not agree with you...

 

[kap'n krunch]

..... I think it's in the process of being "blip-verted" (you have to be old enough to remember "Max Headroom" to know what that is) into irrelevancy and that's why I periodically post about it. ....

it was never "funny" but nowadays it's WAY less funny!!!

 

[jaybird100]

Holy buckets that is super hard to read. I may or may not agree with you...

Dang... talk about nitpicky! Just put it on your player, kick back, "Listen to the Music", and enjoy!

 

[weekendtoy]

Dang... talk about nitpicky! Just put it on your player, kick back, "Listen to the Music", and enjoy!

I have been enjoying. Thanks. But if I start talking like this and you have a wall of words, sometimes it gets hard to understand the information the individual is trying to convey. For instance, I'm a CPA by trade. I can provide you a wall of numbers, those numbers may make perfect sense to me, but to anyone else, it's just a wall of numbers. Sometimes you need to provide information in a concise manner so people can make informed decisions. Or maybe use some sentence structure and so forth. Know what I mean? But I digress, so lets discuss the release. In terms of the merits of the engineering/transfer/original recording audio quality, that's an easy 9-10. I would place the "gravitas" rating of the Music/Performances/Lyrics (something SO subjective that each opinion gets to be its own virtual "reference standard") just below the best of my (personal) favorites that are subjects of other polls, so I'd have to give that a lowly "9". So I will vote "9". Not because I don't think it deserves a ten if judged solely on its own merits. I just think there are a few Artists whose collective outputs deliver a little more on the non"quad" virtues of the Musical Art and I don't think most of those get enough affection from those within the Industry (or popular music fans), not of our generation. I'd include Blood, Sweat & Tears, Alan Parsons, and maybe a few other Artists that borrowed broadly from other musical idioms, but didn't commit commercial suicide by marketing themselves as something other than "Rock". Bach's music was ignored for a couple of Centuries after his passing, and then was rediscovered and celebrated on a scale that far exceeded the success that his music enjoyed during his lifetime. I'm wagering (Obviously, I won't be around to see it) that many of these "more thoughtful and process-focused" Artists (Steely Dan could be a contender, too) will enjoy a renewed renaissance of appreciation-IF the Music itself survives physically-in an as yet unimaginable future. One hopes, anyway. I think of Artists like Zappa, Four Freshmen, Ferguson/Kenton, Woody Herman, and others and think that the quality of their catalogs will experience a renewed appreciation if there is enough social/economic headroom (like there was during the best times of our lives) to allow for the luxury of single task-focused "active" listening. There's so much competition for everyone's attention span bandwidth in contemporary times, that's likely the biggest threat to both Music Performance and Music Appreciation in the future. I think it's in the process of being "blip-verted" (you have to be old enough to remember "Max Headroom" to know what that is) into irrelevancy and that's why I periodically post about it. As for what can we do about it, well...not much...except let the good times roll and set a good example for those around us... : - )

 

[Quadly McQuadmeister]

Holy buckets that is super hard to read. I may or may not agree with you...

It's unambiguous enough. Your comment (not wishing to offend) could be interpreted as a symptom of the "blip-vert" phenomenon I wrote about. It's ironic that the computer revolution has coincided with the near literal decimation of attention spans since about the time of the invention of "pong". These days, nobody tries to write in a prose style aspiring to the style of the better writers from previous generations. So...there's that. My prose style is what it is. I was reading encyclopedias by the time I was six. (Understanding what was in them admittedly took longer, within context even longer than that.) It was a complex analysis of a complex topic and that was purposeful. It wasn't meant to pre-digest or lead to you a conclusion, it was meant to give context, depth, and texture. Conclusions are the reader's (or in the original post-the listener's) heavy lift, not mine. I held my end up. : - ) Accessibility in the name of non-specificity is how we've wound up where we now find ourselves. Not just within the context of Music (popular and otherwise), but pretty nearly everything else. To borrow a turn of phrase from an old Zappa tune: "You will do, as you are told, until, the rights, to you, are sold". Being analytical has been discouraged, EVEN IN ACADEMIA, now for a number of decades. Popular culture helped enable post-mid-Century generations to do it to themselves. In 140 characters or less.

 

[DaverJ]

post deleted to stay on topic.

 

[LuvMyQuad]

There used to be an effort put forth by members to keep poll threads on point. We seem to have lost that capability. Now the polls just seem like free-for-alls, even to the point of offering critiques and lessons about writing.

So for those not in the know here (and for those who should know better), postings in poll threads are meant to describe and comment on the aspects of the poll ratings and your thoughts regarding the release being reviewed.

 

[Audiowannabee]

I have been enjoying. Thanks. But if I start talking like this and you have a wall of words, sometimes it gets hard to understand the information the individual is trying to convey. For instance, I'm a CPA by trade. I can provide you a wall of numbers, those numbers may make perfect sense to me, but to anyone else, it's just a wall of numbers. Sometimes you need to provide information in a concise manner so people can make informed decisions. Or maybe use some sentence structure and so forth. Know what I mean? But I digress, so lets discuss the release. In terms of the merits of the engineering/transfer/original recording audio quality, that's an easy 9-10. I would place the "gravitas" rating of the Music/Performances/Lyrics (something SO subjective that each opinion gets to be its own virtual "reference standard") just below the best of my (personal) favorites that are subjects of other polls, so I'd have to give that a lowly "9". So I will vote "9". Not because I don't think it deserves a ten if judged solely on its own merits. I just think there are a few Artists whose collective outputs deliver a little more on the non"quad" virtues of the Musical Art and I don't think most of those get enough affection from those within the Industry (or popular music fans), not of our generation. I'd include Blood, Sweat & Tears, Alan Parsons, and maybe a few other Artists that borrowed broadly from other musical idioms, but didn't commit commercial suicide by marketing themselves as something other than "Rock". Bach's music was ignored for a couple of Centuries after his passing, and then was rediscovered and celebrated on a scale that far exceeded the success that his music enjoyed during his lifetime. I'm wagering (Obviously, I won't be around to see it) that many of these "more thoughtful and process-focused" Artists (Steely Dan could be a contender, too) will enjoy a renewed renaissance of appreciation-IF the Music itself survives physically-in an as yet unimaginable future. One hopes, anyway. I think of Artists like Zappa, Four Freshmen, Ferguson/Kenton, Woody Herman, and others and think that the quality of their catalogs will experience a renewed appreciation if there is enough social/economic headroom (like there was during the best times of our lives) to allow for the luxury of single task-focused "active" listening. There's so much competition for everyone's attention span bandwidth in contemporary times, that's likely the biggest threat to both Music Performance and Music Appreciation in the future. I think it's in the process of being "blip-verted" (you have to be old enough to remember "Max Headroom" to know what that is) into irrelevancy and that's why I periodically post about it. As for what can we do about it, well...not much...except let the good times roll and set a good example for those around us... : - )

 

[Quadly McQuadmeister]

Pinched for time resources. When not doing so, I have and shall continue to "embrace paragraphs". Content matters. Form matters, but matters LESS. That post was sourced from a phone and editing capability on that particular device is problematic. But I appreciate your response. I won't burden you further...
: - )

 

[Scott65]

I'd buy the album just for that track.

And Take me in your arms (possibly my favourite Doobies song) sounds fantastic in quad!!!

 

[Audiowannabee]

My Doobies Quadio set just arrived yesterday and I am not yet ready to enter a rating until I have critically listened to all four (4) discs. Toulouse Street is one of my favorite albums from "back in the day" so I could not resist listening first to a few of my favorite tracks. Last night I did listen to all of "What Were Once Vices, etc." and the sound of everything I have heard thus far is exceptional. Here is the strange thing that I want to mention. I have a 6.1 set up. I fully expected the front center channel speaker to be silent - as these are Quad recordings - and as expected nothing comes out of it. The imaging of these recordings is so well done that a center channel is not necessary - because it is already there! The odd thing is that there is plenty of output from the rear center channel!! What is that? This is Quad!! I like it - but it does not seem to fit the Quad format and this does not happen with the Quad SACD's I have. Any ideas? I will provide my score and comments after I have completed all of my listening.

Some players dont play nice w some Quad discs also variable s w Hdmi handshaking issues occasionally between player n AVR

Make sure both settings on every connection is set to bitstream not auto

Itd help if we knew what ur using to play it on

Im sure you'll figure it out...but yeah its in the settings somewhere

U should only be getting 4.0

 

[Lord British]

Some players dont play nice w some Quad discs also variable s w Hdmi handshaking issues occasionally between player n AVR

Make sure both settings on every connection is set to bitstream not auto

Itd help if we knew what ur using to play it on

Im sure you'll figure it out...but yeah its in the settings somewhere

U should only be getting 4.0

"Make sure both settings on every connection is set to bitstream not auto"

I have a 7.2.2 setup, and I find that with my Oppo UDP-205 if I have the output set to bitstream, my Pioneer Elite SC-95 decodes it as DTS-MASTER Audio and sends a signal to the surround back speakers if I'm using the "Auto" surround feature on the AVR. In that case, I have to go into the AVR settings and turn my surround back speakers to "off" if I want a true quad experience. If I have the OPPO send a PCM signal, my receiver only plays those 4 elements (FL/FR/RL/RR) and doesn't create the surround back signal on it's own.

 

[Audiowannabee]

"Make sure both settings on every connection is set to bitstream not auto"

I have a 7.2.2 setup, and I find that with my Oppo UDP-205 if I have the output set to bitstream, my Pioneer Elite SC-95 decodes it as DTS-MASTER Audio and sends a signal to the surround back speakers if I'm using the "Auto" surround feature on the AVR. In that case, I have to go into the AVR settings and turn my surround back speakers to "off" if I want a true quad experience. If I have the OPPO send a PCM signal, my receiver only plays those 4 elements (FL/FR/RL/RR) and doesn't create the surround back signal on it's own.

Yep again what player your using reacts differently

Oppo vs Sony vs Pioneer
Settings n AVR hookup matters

Find thread re Sony x800

 

[christcomesalive]

After almost a month and a half of waiting, my copy of the quadio set has finally arrived. I have a bottle of rum, a jar full of grass and the entire next day off work. I cannot wait to get home from work tonight!