Jethro Tull - A (A La Mode edition) - Next boxset in 2021

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Listening in surround now, music is good, Ian Anderson always has such a good voice.
Picture of autographed postcard that came with my copy from BurningShed.
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Just finished DVD 1 and DVD 2, listened to straight DTS 96/24 5.1 direct from hard disc and DVD player.
Super good, no experience from before, but loved that 1980 sound, song writing and music was just superb. SW mix, great.
The star of this release is the Live show also mixed by SW.
I loved the live show, band was extremely tight, loved the double bass drumming of Mark Craney. I felt note for note a perfect band.
Also loved how they didn't chop the audience encores, they just moved on, that is how encores used to be, the audience had to work, now the bands come back at a planned pace.
I read the book with SW interview, nice for him to verify how most live concerts are mixed with audience rears, as we at home are to hear as it was live in audience, but hey, it's 40 years later and we are in our homes, lets mix it in true surround, brilliant, I love gimmicky surround and this disc breaking away from a traditional live recording surround mix works great for me.
Highly enjoyable.
 
Yeah, I must admit when I was first working my way through the Tull catalogue, it was a record-scratch for me at A (I got pulled back in when my local classic rock station played some of Catfish Rising when it first came out).

I purposely didn't revisit it in stereo prior to just picking this up, because I wanted to see if hearing it in 5.1 (and mixed by SW) would change my mind (that's happened to me before). Well, maybe it's a combo of there being a lot more miles on my odometer, my being more forgiving (worldly?) in general (especially of stuff that at one time I would have thumbed my nose at), or any number of other things, but my verdict was "actually, this is pretty darn decent with some great moments—I'll actually listen to this again." FWIW.

"So tell me what I said I'd never do
Tell me what I said I'd never say
Read me off a list of the things I used to not like but now I think are OK" - Ben Folds
 
Can you try it on another DVD player? I suspect that is when there is a layer switch on a double layer DVD, I have had similar things happen, plays on one machine but not another as it didn't like something done in the authoring.
Good call. My Sony x800 plays it just fine. Weird that it makes my OPPO BDP-103 freeze SOLID. Like, completely unresponsive. Hard power shutdown.
 
Yeah, I must admit when I was first working my way through the Tull catalogue, it was a record-scratch for me at A (I got pulled back in when my local classic rock station played some of Catfish Rising when it first came out).

I purposely didn't revisit it in stereo prior to just picking this up, because I wanted to see if hearing it in 5.1 (and mixed by SW) would change my mind (that's happened to me before). Well, maybe it's a combo of there being a lot more miles on my odometer, my being more forgiving (worldly?) in general (especially of stuff that at one time I would have thumbed my nose at), or any number of other things, but my verdict was "actually, this is pretty darn decent with some great moments—I'll actually listen to this again." FWIW.
I had a similar reaction when I bought the LP when it was first released, and I've rarely played it since. However, I did play it a few weeks ago when this package was announced, just to see how it hit me. And I'll be damned, like you, and probably for similar reasons, I found myself really digging it. I just listened to the surround version, and I actually prefer it over the Stormwatch release I bought to hold me over until A was delivered.
 
I had a similar reaction when I bought the LP when it was first released, and I've rarely played it since. However, I did play it a few weeks ago when this package was announced, just to see how it hit me. And I'll be damned, like you, and probably for similar reasons, I found myself really digging it. I just listened to the surround version, and I actually prefer it over the Stormwatch release I bought to hold me over until A was delivered.
I have to agree. Maybe its just too long since we've heard new Tull music that was this good? Maybe its an age thing. Like we've mellowed to it? Jobson's keys are pretty cool.
 
Good call. My Sony x800 plays it just fine. Weird that it makes my OPPO BDP-103 freeze SOLID. Like, completely unresponsive. Hard power shutdown.
After seeing your comments Mike, I broke out my set which just arrived today and put DVD2 in the external Blu-ray drive attached to my iMac. Track 12 played fine on the computer. But when I tried it in my OPPO BDP-95, sure enough it's skipping, in all audio modes. It also has trouble with track 13. Bummer... I guess I'll have to rip it and play it off a USB drive in the OPPO - no alternative disc player for me, other than the computer drive, which only plays over the iMac's built-in speakers.

Seems like a defect to me, even if it works in some players. Does anyone know a channel to report this to the correct corporate overlord, to see if they might fix it and offer a replacement disc?
 
After seeing your comments Mike, I broke out my set which just arrived today and put DVD2 in the external Blu-ray drive attached to my iMac. Track 12 played fine on the computer. But when I tried it in my OPPO BDP-95, sure enough it's skipping, in all audio modes. It also has trouble with track 13. Bummer... I guess I'll have to rip it and play it off a USB drive in the OPPO - no alternative disc player for me, other than the computer drive, which only plays over the iMac's built-in speakers.

Seems like a defect to me, even if it works in some players. Does anyone know a channel to report this to the correct corporate overlord, to see if they might fix it and offer a replacement disc?
Some OPPOs are playing it fine. I wonder if it's a certain processor chip or firmware or something along those lines.
 
Some ripping notes for you rippers. I just finished ripping DVD1 and DVD2 with DVD Audio Extractor, no problems, works perfect.
I ripped as follows:
SW remix 2.0 LPCM 24/96
SW remix 5.1 DTS 24/48 Actually 24/96
Associated Recodrings 2.0 LPCM 24/96
Associated Recordings 5.1 DTS 24/48 Actually 24/96
Flat vinyl transfer 2.0 LPCM 24/96
DVD 2 Live: 2.0 LPCM 24/96
DVD 2 Live: 5.1 DTS 24/48 Actually 24/96

Advertised in book and read on DVDAE both show the two 5.1's as DTS 24/48, but they rip at 24/96.
I have no explanation, just information for those who care.
 
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Does anyone else think the live 5.1 could've been just a bit more adventurous? There are definitely moments where the rears are engaged in an aggressive fashion (keyboard intro to "Hunting Girl", backing vocals in "Songs From The Wood", swirling electric violin in "The Pine Marten's Jig"), but for much of the time there's just some low level keys or piano in the right rear speaker. I guess I was hoping for a full-on surround extravaganza like the Big Big Train concerts, though that's probably not a fair comparison considering how many more instruments there are in play.
 
Does anyone else think the live 5.1 could've been just a bit more adventurous? There are definitely moments where the rears are engaged in an aggressive fashion (keyboard intro to "Hunting Girl", backing vocals in "Songs From The Wood", swirling electric violin in "The Pine Marten's Jig"), but for much of the time there's just some low level keys or piano in the right rear speaker. I guess I was hoping for a full-on surround extravaganza like the Big Big Train concerts, though that's probably not a fair comparison considering how many more instruments there are in play.
I think I read in his part of the book that he had to take care not to reveal limitations of the recording. The live show is definitely not as discrete as his PT/SW live mixes, but I'm trusting he made the best call he could.
 
Some ripping notes for you rippers. I just finished ripping DVD1 and DVD2 with DVD Audio Extractor, no problems, works perfect.
I ripped as follows:
SW remix 2.0 LPCM 24/96
SW remix 5.1 DTS 24/48 Actually 24/96
Associated Recodrings 2.0 LPCM 24/96
Associated Recordings 5.1 DTS 24/48 Actually 24/96
Flat vinyl transfer 2.0 LPCM 24/96
DVD 2 Live: 2.0 LPCM 24/96
DVD 2 Live: 5.1 DTS 24/48 Actually 24/96

Advertised in book and read on DVDAE both show the two 5.1's as DTS 24/48, but they rip at 24/96.
I have no explanation, just information for those who care.
The audio menu says DTS 96/24 as says the display on my Denon AVR.
 
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