OK so I reviewed the comments in here before committing to a rating. Honestly, the My Michelle kick drum I didn't notice, but once it was pointed out, I went back and listened and yeah, it's definitely not really there. And it doesn't help that it follows up a song like Paradise City where the kick and snare is so prominent and integral. Paradise City is kind of like We Will Rock You in that regard. I think it's less an issue with Think About You, and when I go back and listen to the kick in songs that aren't named Paradise City, it seems more consistent with them. It's kind of hard to tell sometimes because not all songs are created the same-- some have toms that propel them, some have more space for the kick to fill, etc...
But generally speaking, I'd say the lack of kick in My Michelle was an oversight at the mixing board. It's easy to get caught up in listening for other things and forget about the kick if you're a mixing novice like me, but the pros should know better, or at least have a different set of ears to back them up and notice such things.
As for the mix, there is a lot to like about it, a lot of cleaning up involved. I echo what I said in the box set sale thread though in that it really seems like a decision was made to throw all backing vocals in the rear and any extra lead guitar...and pretty much nothing else. There are exceptions, like the little percussive thing at the beginning of Anything Goes, and some of the chorused rhythm guitar for songs like Paradise City. But the end result for me is that it all feels somewhat detached, like they just threw the overdubs in the rear channels. I contrast this with other rock albums like Slippery When Wet or Reckless, which all had a formula for the rears throughout, but felt more like a surround mix should feel. Maybe there were just too many tracks bounced on top of each other to throw into the rears, but I don't know. Still, the balance between the channels feels mostly right, and a song like You're Crazy just sounds brutal in a good way. I've never heard the rhythm playing on that song as well as I do with the surround mix.
I was hoping for better sex sounds in Rocket Queen, and that whole segment sure seems shorter than my little 16 year old self remembers. Rocket Queen, Paradise, and Sweet Child probably sound the best to me, but those three songs also have a lot of space to them, more so than the others.
I really like that the acoustic numbers from Lies were on this too, in a surround format. I mean, everything is pretty much here, and while I could do without the replica tickets, the posters, etc, I like the book a lot and the quality of the photos really captures the time well I think. Honestly, the extra stuff on here really pushes this up a notch.
So I'd probably give this surround mix somewhere between an 8 and a 9, but the extras on the boxset and the general improved clarity/fidelity kick this to a 9 I think.
