HiRez Poll Gaye, Marvin - THE MARVIN GAYE COLLECTION [SACD/DVD-A]

[fredblue]

It's funny this surround mix got slated by some quarters back when.. for me it's a triumph! I've heard Marvin's back catalogue zillions of times (another artist I have everything of, I looooove that voice.. It's such a gorgeous instrument hard in the Centre) and yet this Surround Collection (for that's what it is, I guess the producers didn't put it together as such, it's origins being on DTS CD solely in 5.1.. and I didn't buy it for the zillionth stereo mixes and I imagine I'm not alone in this!) really takes this overfamiliar material and utterly transforms it!

FWIW, there's a few Motown DVD-V Video collections of various artists (incl Marvin, Four Tops, Temptations) which have some 5.1 and a Capella mixes where you can isolate the lead vocals in similarly spectacularly spine-tingling fashion.

The Motown DVD's I'm talking about include..

This:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002QVTBEM?

and this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Four-Tops-Definitive-Performances/dp/B001G9LVB6

and this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B001O1ADC4?

and this:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Marvin-Gaye-Thing-Performance-1964-1961/dp/B000EU1LKE/

 

[blue.monk]

Intriguing, thanks! Do you have a favorite?

 

[fredblue]

Intriguing, thanks! Do you have a favorite?

The Various Artists compilation and the Marvin one.

Not everything has an a capella mix or genuine surround (the "Here, My Dear"/"In Our Lifetime" era Marvin for example) but what is, is sensational (despite being lossy Dolby etc).

 

[Cibola]

I did notice some noise reduction was used, sometimes glaringly so during the fadeouts - my only big beef with this disc and my reason to knock my rating from 8 to 7. All the top end just disappears as the songs fade. There is nothing wrong with tape hiss - that should be rule #2 after YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE LOUD. Fortunately, however, the songs proper don't sound as affected by "no-noised" fadeouts.

Could this explain, as much as I enjoy this one, the need to push the volume to get a "feel" for the music but then always ending up turning it back down? It's not too loud but still strangely loud. Any thought's from our sound engineers?

 

[JonUrban]

Wow. I found myself in a "Marvin mood" this morning, and put this DVD-A on for a spin. Holy crap, I forgot what great surround mix this is. Looking at the stats, it looks like I voted an '8' back 10 or so years ago. Today I'd vote a '10'. What a terrific surround mix on this disc. Wonderful tunes, great mix, I agree with the poster above (somewhere) that the center channel does sound a bit muffled, but on the whole, it's great.

PS - I will never listen to the stereo track, so that does not impact my vote.

This one is a MUST HAVE.

 

[sjcorne]

Finally picked this one up on DVD-A - the above review sealed the deal

Fantastic surround mix! Nothing conservative about it at all. I haven't heard a modern surround mix this experimental since "Idlewild South".

Every song has some hidden detailing and/or aspects that aren't revealed in stereo. "Let's Get It On" has an especially different feel in 5.1, with some buried percussion parts and lovely separated harmonies permeating the rears. I wonder how it fares compared to the Japanese CD-4 version? “Ain't No Mountain High enough" is another highlight with the vocals trading off front and rear.

The mix is a solid 10, but I don't love every track, so I'll go with a 9.

 

[fredblue]

Finally picked this one up on DVD-A- the above review sealed the deal

The mix is absolutely awesome! Nothing conservative about it at all. I haven't heard a modern surround mix this experimental since "Idlewild South".

Every song has some hidden detailing and/or aspects that just aren't revealed in the stereo. "Let's Get It On" has an especially different feel in 5.1, with some buried percussion parts and lovely separated harmonies permeating the rears. I wonder how it fares compared to the Japanese CD-4 version. I also really dig "Ain't No Mountain" with the front/rear split vocals...wish more surround mixes used that technique.

The mix is a solid 10, but I don't love every song and the surround mix is 44.1/24, so I'll go with a 9.

its a curious thing with this surround music game, in that there are artists, albums and songs we wish would get the 5.1 (or had the Quad) treatment and it never happens/happened.. and then there are tracks that seem maybe less likely to have had so much surround attention such as "Let's Get It On", that have received not one not two but three different remixes over the years!*

* 1.) the CD-4 Quad of the "Let's Get It On" album, 2.) the Marvin Gaye Collection SACD & DVD-A/Forever Yours DTS CD and 3.) the "Let's Get It On" album in MultiCh on SACD/DVD-A/HFPA BD.

 

[marpow]

If you are into Marvin Gaye you might like this stereo hybrid SACD, more of his earlier tracks. I like it.

 

[4-earredwonder]

If you are into Marvin Gaye you might like this stereo hybrid SACD, more of his earlier tracks. I like it.
View attachment 31745

+1....Excellent!

 

[sjcorne]

its a curious thing with this surround music game, in that there are artists, albums and songs we wish would get the 5.1 (or had the Quad) treatment and it never happens/happened.. and then there are tracks that seem maybe less likely to have had so much surround attention such as "Let's Get It On", that have received not one not two but three different remixes over the years!*

* 1.) the CD-4 Quad of the "Let's Get It On" album, 2.) the Marvin Gaye Collection SACD & DVD-A/Forever Yours DTS CD and 3.) the "Let's Get It On" album in MultiCh on SACD/DVD-A/HFPA BD.

Ha! I suppose that track can join the very exclusive triple remix club (other members include DP's "Machine Head" album and Clapton's "461 OB").

I guess I should ask - which one is your favorite?

 

[fredblue]

Ha- I suppose that track can join the very exclusive triple remix club (other members include DP's "Machine Head" album and Clapton's "461 OB").

I guess I should ask- which one is your favorite?

very good question! at the risk of copping out, i like all 3, they're all good in their own right.

the Quad LP and the SACD/DVD-A/HFPA BD of the album are, on the title track at least, so close in basic assignment its tough to like one of those two over the other.

the Quad and album SACD/DVD-A/HFPA BD both have lead vocals in all channels, strings in rear right and guitar & sax in rear left.

the DTS CD/SACD/DVD-A Collection mix has lead vocals, sax and the guitar upfront, harmony vocals in the rears, piano rear left, percussion & strings rear right.

the Quad has some reverb on vocals but they are drier than the SACD/DVD-A/HFPA BD which has a bit more reverb than the Quad and the DTS CD/SACD/DVD-A Collection has the most reverb on his vocals.

 

[Mesozoic Mike]

I sure wish the fidelity was better. But, given the age of the source material, I suppose they did the best they could.

 

[key_wiz]

Just picked the DVD-A of this one up rather cheap. ($22.50 from a third party on Amazon) and I keep thinking I should give this a “9” but the more I think about it I can’t see why I shouldn’t give it a “10”. So I will.

Surround mix and fidelity are as good as can be expected for the age of the material. This is the best I’ve heard the older tracks sound. And these are some of the best classic R&B recordings of all time! Only complaint is it should have run 18-20 tracks! But I can’t knock off anything for that. I can only judge it for what it is, not what it isn’t.

Some have said the stereo lacks? It might. I dunno. I’ll never play it.

It’s freakin’ Marvin Gaye. Every track is a winner. And listening to Tammi Terrell always makes me sad. . How can it not be a “10”?

 

[Monkish]

DVD-A.

My only real qualm (other than the age of the tapes showing in a few spots) is that Marvin’s lead vocal on “Let’s Get It On” isn’t loud enough. I mean, that is *such* an iconic vocal entrance (“I’ve been REALLY tryin’, baby...”), and it just doesn’t quite *pop* the way it needs to.

(Wondering if the song has that same issue on the surround mix of the actual Let’s Get It On album?)

And yeah, eleven songs aren’t enough. Or, if there couldn’t be any more, I would’ve put “Inner City Blues” on instead of “Mercy Mercy Me”.

But, otherwise... man oh man, what awesome music, and a terrific surround mix.

An easy 9 for me.

 

[atlantasteve]

I just changed my vote from 7 to 8 based on the beauty of Tammi Terrell in the rear and Marvin in front on Ain’t No Mountain High Enough (and me in the middle!)

 

[Goona]

Just got this one in first impressions are very good,

 

[Sal1950]

I just got the DVD-A in the mail today but I'm having a hard time getting it to rip with DVD Extractor. I get it all set to rip and the at the last window I hit Start and it zips thru the disc in a couple seconds only creating a bunch of empty files for the tracks. I've done a bunch of searching but can't find any info. Anyone here know anything?

 

[sjcorne]

I just got the DVD-A in the mail today but I'm having a hard time getting it to rip with DVD Extractor. I get it all set to rip and the at the last window I hit Start and it zips thru the disc in a couple seconds only creating a bunch of empty files for the tracks. I've done a bunch of searching but can't find any info. Anyone here know anything?

Try ripping the raw .MLP tracks with DVD-A Explorer and then convert those to FLAC in either Foobar2000 or AudioMuxer.

 

[Sal1950]

Try ripping the raw .MLP tracks with DVD-A Explorer and then convert those to FLAC in either Foobar2000 or AudioMuxer.

Thank you for this!

While I was doing some more searching I found another one step process from a gentleman on Steve Hoffmans site using DVD-Extractor. Seems some pure DVD-A discs and others too, have for some reason put audio files in the video folder?
To use DVDAE
"according to DVDAE help, you can point it to the video folder using the 'folder - open dvd files from folder' option and just navigate to the video folder on the dvd.
hey presto".
That worked a treat for me and loaded the 6 channels, then ripped them to flac in one shot as usual.
https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/extracting-audio-files-from-a-dvda.274790/#post-10754227Success! :}

Fantastic surround mix! Nothing conservative about it at all. I haven't heard a modern surround mix this experimental since "Idlewild South".

+1 !!! This is the best sounding Motown recording from back then that I've ever heard.. To top it off with whipped cream and a cherry, it's a GREAT 5.1 mix too.
So glad I got this guy!

 

[quicksrt]

While I was doing some more searching I found another one step process from a gentleman on Steve Hoffmans site using DVD-Extractor. Seems some pure DVD-A discs and others too, have for some reason put audio files in the video folder?
To use DVDAE
"according to DVDAE help, you can point it to the video folder using the 'folder - open dvd files from folder' option and just navigate to the video folder on the dvd.
hey presto".
That worked a treat for me and loaded the 6 channels, then ripped them to flac in one shot as usual.
https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/extracting-audio-files-from-a-dvda.274790/#post-10754227Success! :}

I saw your lost over there. I'm also glad to know about the disc navigation with DVD Audio Explorer on some discs to find the tracks that appear to be hidden on certain discs.