HiRez Poll Grateful Dead - AMERICAN BEAUTY [DVD-A/DualDisc]

[JonUrban]

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

 

[Cai Campbell]

This title is a revelation on a classic. The surround mix blows this masterpiece wide open! The intricacy, delicacy and resolution are cause for salivation! It just doesn't get any better than this. As a bonus, the hi-rez stereo mix is equally superb. A bona-fide 10!

 

[EMB]

Very thoughtful, open mix, can't imagine anyone not enjoying this one. A '10' here also!

ED

 

[ChristopherLees]

I've never been a big Grateful Dead fan...and I'm still not one...although I loved the way they sounded on their early double live lp (skull and crossbones cover ) and on David Crosby's "If only I could remember my name"...but for me their vocals were their weak points...that said...this dvda is good...If you like the Grateful Dead and you like multichannel music you must own this one..

 

[beljah]

As ChristoperLees stated, I'm not a huge Grateful Dead fan, but I did spring for this title and it (along w/ "Workingman's Dead") is one of my favorite DVD-A titles. I had to give it a '10' because I can't think of any way it could be better. I went to see a lecture by Mickey Hart in the Fall after I bought the disc and brought it along w/ me. He had an autograph session afterwards and he was genuinely surprised to see the disc. He leafed through the booklet because he hadn't seen the finished product. When he went to sign it, he wanted to write on the cover, but I asked him to sign it on the last page where his credit for surround/stereo mix was. He kindly obliged. The lecture was on musical archiving/preservation, btw.

 

[mdphunk]

I must admit that, as a HUGE deadhead (perhaps QQ's "resident hippie"), this is a no-brainer for me. The mix is amazing, the songs are amazing, without a doubt a 10.

The first time I heard the end of "Ripple" in 5.1 I had shivers in my spine and tears in my eyes.

 

[bugdaddy]

The first time I heard the end of "Ripple" in 5.1 I had shivers in my spine and tears in my eyes.

"Ripple" is indeed a revelation. And overall, Mickey Hart did a fabulous job creating a soundstage for American Beauty that breathes a new dimension into this classic album. I can't listen to it in stereo anymore.

 

[kvsawilson]

I've probably used this as my demo disc more than any other. Gotta be a 10.

KW

 

[dprokopy]

Anyone know if there's any significant difference between the original DVD-A of this title and the new DuelDisc version (besides the obvious)?

 

[sspsandy]

As another longtime Deadhead hippie, I have to say that this one is killer. I really dig how they remixed the songs with more guitar parts and instumentation on the 5.1 mix, yet kept the original mix on the Hi Rez stereo tracks. I gave this a 10.

 

[dprokopy]

Picked this one up last week (on DuelDisc, no less, since I never owned the album on CD). Honestly, hate to be in the minority here, but I don't get it. The mix didn't impress me at all. WAY too much reliance on the rears, to the point where some songs ("Sugar Magnolia" is the one that sticks out) sound like they're backwards - most of the instruments and vocals are in the rears, and it only sounds like Jerry's pedal steel is in the front. Almost like a reverse DPLII mix!

Great album, though. Took a risk and popped the CD side onto my in-dash CD player on the way home from the store. The stereo (re)mix sounds great. Very crisp indeed. But the surround mix... eh.

 

[Kazaam]

I've given it a 10 here, too!

This is one of the most pleasingly warm recordings I own. The sonics are just wonderful! And the surround mix is exciting but not overly done. This is easily one of the best discs in my collection. Oh... The songs are good, too!

For my system, the channel levels needed to be adjusted in order to truly appreciate this disc. Otherwise, I had the sensation of too much going on in the rears. I also fiddled with the sub level just a tad. All this is easily done by adjusting the 5.1-external input levels on my Denon receiver. I do it to lots of discs. It's definitely worth doing. It made this disc go from questionable to one that is of reference quality.

 

[Guy Robinson]

Not my favourite but I gave it an 7. 4 for the mix and 3 for the music.

 

[analogdemon]

Oh yeah. This was a revelation. Everything was brought out so much clearer, even the Grateful Dead's achilles heel...the vocals!

Overall, I'm very pleased with the disc. I give it a solid 9.

 

[Chris Gerhard]

Very good mix and fidelity for this old recording. What a great job, my only wish is better music from the era could have received such treatment. A 9 for the mix, 6 for the music an 8 overall, a pleasant surprise to hear how much better than the original album this DualDisc sounds.

Chris

 

[timbre4]

American Beauty on DVD-A is a total revelation for a quasi-Dead fan who only owns 3 of their albums and some concert boots.

Great songs brought even further alive with this mix; Micky Hart did a great job and hopefully can talk Warner into making some DVD albums with the catalog.

 

[Dan Of Steel]

Fantastic mix. Mickey did an excellent job on this and Working Man's. It would be nice to see Anthem and Europe 72 in 5.1.

 

[buc18]

Ripple brought tears to my eyes too. Solid 9.

 

[JazzDoc]

Bought a used copy fairly cheap from Amazon Marketplace. I am a self confessed 'Deadhead' and have just about all of their releases from the two box sets of Warner/Arista albums and all the 'Dick's Picks' and 'Vault' releases.

I wondered how I would get on with a 5.1 version of an album that I know so well and have loved since it came out.

It's a revelation! Not necessarily better than the remastered stereo CD release but it provides a new insight into a classic album.

Is 'Workingman's Dead' in 5.1 just as good?

 

[Larry Geller]

Anyone know if there's any significant difference between the original DVD-A of this title and the new DuelDisc version (besides the obvious)?

Exactly the same. Plus you get the original stereo mix on the CD side to go with the 2.0 remix on the DVD-A side(but not the bonus tracks of the remastered CD).