DVD/DTS Poll Duran Duran - Astronaut [DD DualDisc]

[Bob Romano]

Please post your comments, thoughts and observations.......

 

[neil wilkes]

I like this album. There is not a bad track on it, and it grabs you right from the start with the single from it.
Again - only Dolby Digital (lose one mark) and a basic still for each track - lose another mark. If this were high Res or DTS I can understand the poor visuals, but they used DD so there is plenty of room. I mean, why do a dual disc with Redbook on one side and 16/48 LPCM on the other?
What is the point?
Why not give us High Res and/or DTS as well as the Dolby?

Score bonus points for the video content, but lose them again for it being in stereo only.

I know that it is Sony - but still.
PLEASE - get it right guys. This could have been a perfect 10, but prejudicial treatment by the label loses marks.

 

[Patrick Cleasby]

I like this album. There is not a bad track on it, and it grabs you right from the start with the single from it.
Again - only Dolby Digital (lose one mark) and a basic still for each track - lose another mark. If this were high Res or DTS I can understand the poor visuals, but they used DD so there is plenty of room. I mean, why do a dual disc with Redbook on one side and 16/48 LPCM on the other?
What is the point?
Why not give us High Res and/or DTS as well as the Dolby?

Score bonus points for the video content, but lose them again for it being in stereo only.

I know that it is Sony - but still.
PLEASE - get it right guys. This could have been a perfect 10, but prejudicial treatment by the label loses marks.

Mine hasn't arrived yet - what's the mix like Neil? Who did it?

 

[neil wilkes]

Mine hasn't arrived yet - what's the mix like Neil? Who did it?

It was mixed by someone called Jeremy Wheatley for 365 artists. Never heard of him myself.
The mix itself is very good - but I am biased as I really like this album. It ranges from almost traditional to downright aggressive in it's execution.
It is a crying shame we only have a Dolby Digital version, as to me it is lacking in open ness and air - although I strongly suspect this is due to the compression muddying things up somewhat.

 

[Patrick Cleasby]

It was mixed by someone called Jeremy Wheatley for 365 artists. Never heard of him myself.
The mix itself is very good - but I am biased as I really like this album. It ranges from almost traditional to downright aggressive in it's execution.
It is a crying shame we only have a Dolby Digital version, as to me it is lacking in open ness and air - although I strongly suspect this is due to the compression muddying things up somewhat.

Looks to have been a Sugababes producer (Hole In The Head), and a lot of other recent pop stuff (Girls Aloud - great records!). He also mixed Kirsty MacColl's excellent Tropical Brainstorm album.

 

[dprokopy]

I'm a big D2 fan from waaaaay back. (First concert I ever went to - 1984, age 12!) Haven't really paid any attention to them in the past... well, okay couple decades. But I felt possessed to buy this one (partly for the 5.1). I really like this one a lot. Very strong come-back for the boys. :sun

The mix, as mentioned, isn't terribly fancy, but well-suited for the material. I don't have a DVD-A player (yet), so only having it in DD wasn't a horrible loss for me (of course, would have preferred at least DTS).

By the way, this is my first Sony DualDisc purchase, and it seems to be playing everywhere I've tried it. Although my work computer's CD-ROM drive hiccupped a bit on the first song. The real test will be tomorrow's double-whammy of Bruce and Ben...

 

[Cai Campbell]

Disclaimer: I am an anti-Duran Duran fan. I despised their 80's output and met this new release with more than a bucketful of trepidation. The fool I am, I bought the damn thing only for the surround tracks. It's true, I'd buy a recording of a moose pissing in a river if it were released in surround-sound. So sue me. A nod to our Canadian friends for those scratching their heads over that rather odd image...

Ah, but I digress... "Astronaut" finds the band as formulaic as ever, but at least it is a new, more palatable formula (at least for this ol' curmudgeon). Yep, the band so bad they had to be named twice have matured... for the better, I'd say, for what that's worth.

The first two cuts are pretty damn enjoyable, I must say, in a guilty-pleasure sort of way, especially "Want You More!", which is much better than it has a right to be. It degenerates from there but picks back up by the fifth cut... dammit, why does "Bedroom Toys" have to be so catchy? My brain says no but my feet say yes!

Track 6, "Nice", still finds the band as formulaic as ever... but damn, that groove won't let me go! WTF! I'm not supposed to like this!

Okay! I admit it! I like this disc! I'm even more embarrassed to admit that I like a Duran Duran disc than I am to admit I like a Britney Spears disc. Ah, but track 7 is pretty bad. Make that REALLY bad <SKIP>

It's pretty much downhill for the remaining five tracks, except for the last two tracks, with their lush, hypnotic production.

What pulls this release up from mediocrity is the very excellent technical production and near-excellent surround mix. I wanted to hate this disc but can't quite bring myself to. Something other than a lame Dolby Digital presentation would have been greatly appreciated.

Four points. Considering all the variables, this is a compliment indeed.

 

[MIDIQ]

I agree with Cai on this one, i wasn't expecting very much. But i was nicely surprised by most of the music, it was nice, with only a couple of songs i didn't like to well. But the surround mix kept me entertained {I am such a sucker for almost anything with a descent surround mix}. I give the music a 6 and the surround mix an 8, so over all i voted 7. If you like Duran Duran I am sure you could add a point or two to my score. It's a keeper.

 

[timbre4]

Better than expected all around; catchy songs, good use of surround.

I'm going to look for the SACD and upgrade!

 

[neil wilkes]

Better than expected all around; catchy songs, good use of surround.

I'm going to look for the SACD and upgrade!

If you find it - please let me know where.
It's never been available in the Uk at all......

 

[zabble]

The SACD version sounds good.

If you find it - please let me know where.
It's never been available in the Uk at all......

One of these places probably ships to the UK:

http://www.betamonline.com/duran-duran-astronaut-hybrid-hybr-SACD-pr-484080.html

http://www.cdpacific.com/CDitem.asp?ID=701201

http://entertainment.circuitcity.com/Music/Album.aspx?prodid=SNY76175SACD&si=ccity-prod&store=Music

http://www.bestprices.com/cgi-bin/vlink/828767617527?source=GBase

http://www.cdconnection.com/details/_Duran_Duran_-_Astronaut_/44781&source=googbase

 

[Jens]

If you find it - please let me know where.
It's never been available in the Uk at all......

The DualDisc probably has never been released this side of the big pond but the SACD should have. I never saw it in the shops so in the end I ordered it from my local record store.

Does anyone here happen to have both the DualDisc and the SACD version and care to share his opinion on the differences?

 

[jarofclay73]

Disclaimer: I am an anti-Duran Duran fan. I despised their 80's output and met this new release with more than a bucketful of trepidation. The fool I am, I bought the damn thing only for the surround tracks. It's true, I'd buy a recording of a moose pissing in a river if it were released in surround-sound. So sue me. A nod to our Canadian friends for those scratching their heads over that rather odd image...

Ah, but I digress... "Astronaut" finds the band as formulaic as ever, but at least it is a new, more palatable formula (at least for this ol' curmudgeon). Yep, the band so bad they had to be named twice have matured... for the better, I'd say, for what that's worth.

The first two cuts are pretty damn enjoyable, I must say, in a guilty-pleasure sort of way, especially "Want You More!", which is much better than it has a right to be. It degenerates from there but picks back up by the fifth cut... dammit, why does "Bedroom Toys" have to be so catchy? My brain says no but my feet say yes!

Track 6, "Nice", still finds the band as formulaic as ever... but damn, that groove won't let me go! WTF! I'm not supposed to like this!

Okay! I admit it! I like this disc! I'm even more embarrassed to admit that I like a Duran Duran disc than I am to admit I like a Britney Spears disc. Ah, but track 7 is pretty bad. Make that REALLY bad <SKIP>

It's pretty much downhill for the remaining five tracks, except for the last two tracks, with their lush, hypnotic production.

What pulls this release up from mediocrity is the very excellent technical production and near-excellent surround mix. I wanted to hate this disc but can't quite bring myself to. Something other than a lame Dolby Digital presentation would have been greatly appreciated.

Four points. Considering all the variables, this is a compliment indeed.

I love it! An accidental Duran fan. Say what you want about Duran2 but they have always been a band (sans the "boy") with accomplished musicians and musicianship. It's Top 40 and cutesy-popsy but it's rock solid.

I've been a big fan of the way John Taylor plays funk riffs on his bass. And Roger Taylor was a monster on the drums.

Although I was a Duran fan back in the early 80s and even the mid-90s but very reluctant to get this album. Even though it sported the original lineup of its heyday.

 

[kap'n krunch]

6.
Grat music, great mix ,
BUT,
-4 for being lossy and as Neil points out, not using the space available for xtra stuff.
Love Duran Duran...saw them on this tour for the 1st time.
THe SACD sounds definitely better than this!

 

[fredblue]

I only bought this in my desperation for something "new" and cheap in surround.. and what a (very) pleasant surprise!

The mix is excellent! Hats off to whoever did the 5.1, it makes pedestrian pop come alive!

despite it only being Dolby Digital, the more compressed sound kind of suits mindless jangly pop like this anyway!

Even though I could never stand Duran Duran, this is a great little album with a very nice surround mix.

An ("I can't believe it's Duran Duran and I don't HATE it!!") "8" out of 10.

 

[fredblue]

ps. I reckon if this had been a Hi-Rez DualDisc, it would figure quite highly in the Polls.. the SACD is impossible to get now so this will remain overlooked which is a great shame, imo.

 

[cupboy]

I remember when wherehouse.com had a close out price on the SACD. It was under $5. Should have bought 'em all.

 

[sjcorne]

First dualdisc I bought...was dirt cheap and I really like it! Worth picking up alone for "Reach Up For The Sunrise" and "What Happens Tomorrow".

Very aggressive 5.1 mix with great use of panning and some cool added bits (the bongos panning around in "Reach Up For The Sunrise" are either mixed down or missing entirely from the stereo cut).

Unfortunately it is DD (Sony felt the need to sabotage dualdisc at every turn I guess) and it's brick walled, but it actually sounds a lot better than it looks. Would love to upgrade to the very elusive and expensive SACD version.

Now how cool would it be if Duran Duran's 80s output came out in surround...

 

[Nova]

I Think RIO would be a great choice for a 5.1 treatment !!