DVD/DTS Poll Jethro Tull - THIS WAS [DTS DVD]

[edisonbaggins]

Baggy much, much slower on votes...

 

[J. PUPSTER]

I just got done listening to this new version and was very impressed. I’ve only heard some of these songs, as I’ve never owned this particular album. I came onto this in a very roundabout way. I own the US 1972 version of “Living in the Past” (a beautiful cover/package by the way); this has one of my favorite Tull songs on it, “Christmas Song.” I recently discovered that “Living in the Past” is actually a compilation album, which I had forgotten about. So I searched for “Christmas Song” and lo and behold it turns up on their first album, but Steve Wilson style in 5.1 surround no less. Also, good timing as Christmas is fast approaching. So as I’m really enjoying SW’s other mixes I had to have this. My first impression on hearing some of these more bluesy songs for the first time, was how similar they seemed to me (invoking the “John Mayal Blues Breakers” album, you know the Beano album.) It’s got that classic late sixties Gibson SG or Les Paul humbucker through a wet (reverb) Marshall Stack kind of sound. Overall, I’m really loving this album, especially because of the SW mix. I enjoy how Steve mixed some of the lead guitar tracks panning between the front left and rear left speakers, but doing it in a nice fluid fashion. This is exactly the type of mixing that I enjoy. It was also helpful to read about how he mixed this from just four tracks, utilizing effects like mono track reverb and moving it into another speaker helping to fill out the sound. I’m a 9 vote on this one and pleasantly surprised by just how enjoyable a listen it is.

 

[marpow]

I just voted 9. Because I am unfamiliar with this release and it was my first listen, (2 X listen to 4.1). The content slowed my vote from a 10 to a 9. Marvelous sounding surround and the music is way more enjoyable than I thought it would be.
I have collected all the SW Jethro Tull releases and of course I couldn't stop with this. I am actually a bigger fan of Jethro Tull now because of these surround releases.
The fidelity, the way the music moves within the speakers is just great.I would recommend this release for the casual JT fans such as myself. I very much liked the 4.1 as SW worked the phantom center lie the true master he is.
Glad I have it.

 

[blue.monk]

I'm really glad they've given This Was the same deluxe treatment as the other JT releases. I've loved each and every one. As usual the book is wonderfully designed and researched. We also get a healthy amount of bonus audio. Steven Wilson does a good job with the quad mix, but given the limited tracks, it understandably makes for the least satisfying of all the JT surround mixes. However It's still a very entertaining listen, and of good sound quality. I'm quite grateful that they made the effort! Given the limited tracks they certainly could have decided against the project. A very happy "9" from me.

 

[jefe1]

I'm enjoying this too. This deserves a top score for what he achieved with limited tracks.Imagine what we might be saying if Steven had been given the chance to remix the Moody Blues instead of that fiasco we got

 

[LuvMyQuad]

I own the US 1972 version of “Living in the Past” (a beautiful cover/package by the way); this has one of my favorite Tull songs on it, “Christmas Song.” I recently discovered that “Living in the Past” is actually a compilation album, which I had forgotten about. So I searched for “Christmas Song” and lo and behold it turns up on their first album, but Steve Wilson style in 5.1 surround no less.

I'm not absolutely sure, but I believe this release along with the next 3 or 4 albums in the series will allow for the complete reconstruction of a 5.1 version of "Living in the Past". Anyone know for sure?

 

[jimfisheye]

I'm not absolutely sure, but I believe this release along with the next 3 or 4 albums in the series will allow for the complete reconstruction of a 5.1 version of "Living in the Past". Anyone know for sure?

It does yes.

I'm a fan of Living in The Past and have been slowly putting it back together as these have been released.

A compilation yes. But of singles and obscure b-sides, a couple unreleased cuts, and the (at the time) unreleased live material on side 3. Love the original hard cover full color coffee table book cover as well.

PS. Witches Promise multitracks are apparently lost. I made an upmix of that to complete the album side.

 

[Simon M]

I'm not absolutely sure, but I believe this release along with the next 3 or 4 albums in the series will allow for the complete reconstruction of a 5.1 version of "Living in the Past". Anyone know for sure?

Wouldn't it still be missing the last three tracks on side four in 5.1 surround, 'Dr. Bogenbroom', 'From Later' & 'Nursie'??? ...or am I missing something?

 

[LuvMyQuad]

Wouldn't it still be missing the last three tracks on side four in 5.1 surround, 'Dr. Bogenbroom', 'From Later' & 'Nursie'??? ...or am I missing something?

PS. Witches Promise multitracks are apparently lost. I made an upmix of that to complete the album side.

Yes both of you are correct. I was primarily thinking of studio tracks, forgetting about the live tracks. So its actually four tracks short of being complete.

 

[H.A.L.]

I'm enjoying this too. This deserves a top score for what he achieved with limited tracks.Imagine what we might be saying if Steven had been given the chance to remix the Moody Blues instead of that fiasco we got

This will have to be moved -- although I love this THIS WAS! -- to the recent ISoTLC thread, but I have to say here that I rather enjoyed the recent (and original) surround version(s) and find myself listening to them as much as the others. Unless you mean the earlier surround MB releases . . . yet another thread and, yea, a fiasco.

 

[sjcorne]

I like this early, bluesy Tull! I don't think this album is quite as good as its successor Stand Up, but it's an impressive debut and it's got some good tunes. I'm particularly enamored with the stripped-down "Some Day The Sun Won't Shine For You" and the instrumental "Serenade To A Cuckoo", which is basically an extended jam session. I definitely didn't expect to hear so much harmonica on a Tull album...

The mix is quite different than past Tull 5.1 releases, obviously necessitated by the four-track source. You'd think the sparse instrumentation would make it sound smaller when expanded to surround, but not at all. SW mentions in the liners how he used reverb to fill out the extra channels and it gives the album a nice room-filling sound.

While there is the occasional bit of instrumentation totally isolated in the rears, what you'll find more often in this mix are instruments hard-panned left or right, but suspended between the front and rear speakers. I'm normally not a big fan of that mixing choice because it necessitates you sit in just the right spot or you'll lose the effect, but considered the limited source it was probably the only way to fill the room without leaving a "black hole". You really do get that almost-holographic quality of a guitar floating just beside you.

I definitely appreciated the couple of around-the-room pans, such as flute circling the room at the end of "Beggar's Farm" and (appropriately) the entire track "Round".

The aforementioned "Some Day..." ended up being my favorite mix. I was hoping SW would take the vocals placed hard left/right in stereo and mix them hard front/back instead. He did! I guess it was kind of a no-brainer, but I literally pictured that the first time I heard the song and now here it is. I might've thrown either the guitar or harmonica back there too, but why split hairs...

Overall it doesn't really measure up to Steven's other Tull work (particularly the hyperactive Wood and Horses). But taken on its own merits it's a great mix, and undoubtedly the best that could be accomplished with the limited source material. I gave Horses a 9, so this is an 8.

"Some Day The Sun Won't Shine For You":


"Serenade To A Cuckoo":


One annoying side-note: the surround track is encoded as straight 5.0 (FL, FR, Sub, RL, RR), so DVD-Audio Extractor refuses to cut a DTS-CD image. So if you're an Acura owner, be prepared to jump through a few extra hoops to make a car disc.

 

[elmer]

My first exposure to Tull was Stand Up and I was hooked all the way through Passion Play. For some reason or other, I never really listened to this release although some of the songs are familiar. All considered though, this is a fine release with another expert mixing job by SW. I have no issue giving this a 9.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

I like this early, bluesy Tull! I don't think this album is quite as good as its successor Stand Up, but it's an impressive debut and it's got some good tunes. I'm particularly enamored with the stripped-down "Some Day The Sun Won't Shine For You" and the instrumental "Serenade To A Cuckoo", which is basically an extended jam session. I definitely didn't expect to hear so much harmonica on a Tull album...

One annoying side-note: the surround track is encoded as straight 5.0 (FL, FR, Sub, RL, RR), so DVD-Audio Extractor refuses to cut a DTS-CD image. Acura owners: be prepared to jump through a few extra hoops to make a car disc.

If you have Foobar; you may be able to make that disc?

 

[sjcorne]

If you have Foobar; you may be able to make that disc?

I ripped the 5CH AC3 layer (DVDAE rip "demuxed" files), added an empty center channel to each track in Audacity, compiled the new 6CH AC3 files into a VIDEO_TS container in AudioMuxer, then ran that back through DVDAE to get a DTSWAV and cue sheet.

I really wish the devs for DVDAE would add a patch that lets you encode 4.0/4.1/5.0 material to DTS-CD.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

I ripped the 5CH AC3 layer, added a blank center to each track in Audacity, compiled the new 6CH AC3 files into a VIDEO_TS container in AudioMuxer, then ran that back through DVDAE to get a .dtswav and .cue.

Of course you did...… that's the way a QQ Shooting Star gets er' done!

 

[Ninecats]

What a stunning mix considering the background, not ready to vote just yet.

Question: I ripped this to computer and my receiver can’t seen to get more than stereo out of this? Foobar clearly say FL, FR, Sub, RL, RR. This is my only disc doing this - no problem playing the dvd in my blurayplayer - still want to get it sorted the all digital way.

 

[sjcorne]

Question: I ripped this to computer and my receiver can’t seen to get more than stereo out of this? Foobar clearly say FL, FR, Sub, RL, RR. This is my only disc doing this - no problem playing the dvd in my blurayplayer - still want to get it sorted the all digital way.

I would guess it has to do with 5.0 formatting. I've noticed sometimes receivers don't like a direct 4.0 or 5.0 stream. Add an empty center channel to your files and see what happens.

 

[Ninecats]

I would guess it has to do with 5.0 formatting. I've noticed sometimes receivers don't like a direct 4.0 or 5.0 stream. Add an empty center channel to your files and see what happens.

Thanks for the tip. Actually what I first tried was to rip and save this in its original format DTS and AC3 without manipulatijg with extra silent channel - that went fine to play. Very odd since all other dvd-v discs I have play fine when ripped in FLAC. Probably something to do with PCM 4.1 ish, as you suggested.

Anyway, my next post will be on topic and some scribbled thoughts on this, dare I say, stellar mix!

 

[LuvMyQuad]

I guess I better check my rip. I still need to vote on his one too. I gotta go an 8.

This might be my least favorite Tull release. Keep in mind the context here... I've never owned the original LP either. So its fresh music for me. I dont like the bluesy stuff. I gotta nick it 1+ point for content. This is never going to be my first choice when I wanna hear some Tull.

I understand the limitations of the source, but the bottom line is, the mix isn't quite up to the standards of the other releases. I gotta nick it for another 1+ point.

Sonics are respectable, keeping in mind I cant compare it to anything.

no video extras... but the same excellent book package.

but the redeeming feature is a stellar 5.1 mix of A Christmas Song

A 9 would put it on par with the other Tull releases... and that's too far a stretch for me. So an 8 it is.

 

[JerseyEd]

I guess I better check my rip. I still need to vote on his one too. I gotta go an 8.
This might be my least favorite Tull release. Keep in mind the context here... I've never owned the original LP either. So its fresh music for me. I dont like the bluesy stuff. I gotta nick it 1+ point for content. This is never going to be my first choice when I wanna hear some Tull.
I understand the limitations of the source, but the bottom line is, the mix isn't quite up to the standards of the other releases. I gotta nick it for another 1+ point.
Sonics are respectable, keeping in mind I cant compare it to anything.
no video extras... but the same excellent book package.
but the redeeming feature is a stellar 5.1 mix of A Christmas Song
A 9 would put it on par with the other Tull releases... and that's too far a stretch for me. So an 8 it is.

My feelings exactly about this release. I was holding off voting my 8 on this because I voted 8 on 2 other Tull releases that everyone loved (MITG and HH). I still look over my shoulder when walking in the dark because of those votes . You put this in better words than I could. 8 it is.