I received my box yesterday from BurningShed. Without further ado, my thoughts:
ELP - BSS is one of my top 5(perhaps top 3) recordings of all time so I consider that I am quite fortunate to have this mixed into surround
twice now in high resolution 5.1.
The box was a must buy for me personally and I'm glad I bought it, but I will try to rate it objectively.
I didn't like the box set design considering the price. It feels too "paper-ish" or cardboard like. The design is bad frankly. I was expecting a die cut LP sleeve and record. Instead the whole double sided LP cover houses the 4 papers disc cases and they throw in disc 5 where the LP record is
@: This is simply an amateur design and Sony should not have accepted it from the art dept.(considering the price, IMHO). And no Die Cut opening design.
About the 5.1 mix:
It is very different than my original 2000ish DVD-A. Yes, you can hear instrument tid bits and gongs that I don't recall hearing from the 1st 5.1 mix. Jakko has done a great job trying to present a really sonically deep & layered presentation. I enjoyed Jersalem & Still.. & Benny & KE9 1st imp. The mix is a bit thinner than the 2000 DVD-A but that seems to be Jakko's style. For example: He will hard pan an instrument so it sounds more directed but at the price of sonic depth.
One thing for sure. He went
too far on KE9 3rd impression. The vocals are too low in the beginning and he put too much distortion on the bass guitar(briefly), I suppose to create an effect. It did not work at all for me.
But the great news is: Benny The Bouncer now has the correct vocal takes! :banana: :banana: :banana:
For sure I will also be buying the 3CD set when it comes out to better match with the wonderful paper-sleeve ELP & Tarkus I already have.
Jakko's mix has many things to like and I think I might enjoy a few tracks better than on the 2000 DVD-A. But I am so glad I have the original 5.1 mix for KE9 3rd impression.
I took off a point for the amateur art design of the box set and I took off a point for the mess on KE9 3rd...
I voted an 8.
I hope that Trilogy is a more faithful 5.1. remix. I think that Jakko was a bit too
creative on Brain Salad Surgery.
For me I was going to buy the box, regardless. For many people though, I do think the
more economic 3CD set is a better value.
Please see my update posted down a few frames.