Jimi Hendrix - "Electric Ladyland" (50th Anniversary Edition with new 5.1 mix on Blu-Ray) 11/9/2018

[beerking]

first impressions on the 5.1, from the London listening party, as relayed by SHF member phil1db...

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threa...dition-4-cd-box-eh-sony-nov-9.769994/page-115

(Posted by a trusted facebook friend and it worries me)

"This one is for the trainspotters out there...

So, I've just come back from the premiere playback of the 5.1 mix of 'Electric Ladyland' (an album I know VERY well) at The Aures in Waterloo, London. Unfortunately they didn't play any of the original to enable us to tell what the system/room sounded like, so I can't tell if this was the fault of the system or the mix... but god it sounded awful.

That 'scooped' sound - all top and bottom, with the middle scooped out. The top sounded like it was isolated and boosted with a very narrow Q, and the bottom was boomy and indistinct, probably due to the lack of middle to give it any definition. The snare sounded like an annoying trebly biscuit tin throughout, with no thump.

The 5.1 element was a let-down - I was hoping for a psychedelic freakout - but all I got was a strange 3D-ish smeared stereo effect which ruined any sense of presence, placement or definition, and gave me the distinct impression that the speakers were out phase. Horrible - I really hope its their system, and not the mix. "

Hummm….Please don't let this go the same way as the Moodys flop…Just got a slight element of doubt creeping in...
Soz peeps, normally a very positive chap.
And yes mines due to arrive on the ninth.

 

[Old Quad Guy]

Hummm….Please don't let this go the same way as the Moodys flop…Just got a slight element of doubt creeping in...
Soz peeps, normally a very positive chap.
And yes mines due to arrive on the ninth.

I'm buying this for the Hi-Rez Stereo, extras and strangely enough, the intended cover by Jimi. If the 5.1 mix is Killer, great! But if not, I don't see how anything beats running the Stereo mix through a QS decoder - as what has been done all these years. Let's wait and hear for ourselves what we get.

 

[beerking]

I'm buying this for the Hi-Rez Stereo, extras and strangely enough, the intended cover by Jimi. If the 5.1 mix is Killer, great! But if not, I don't see how anything beats running the Stereo mix running through a QS decoder - as what has been done all these years. Let's wait and hear for ourselves what we get.

I fully agree..This one won't be going back. Too big a fan of Jimi to let that happen.

 

[John Svensson]

Old Quad Guy, Oh Wise One.....after reading that full page I concluded I should not believe, or act on, anything that I read there! hahaha

 

[4-earredwonder]

I'm buying this for the Hi-Rez Stereo, extras and strangely enough, the intended cover by Jimi. If the 5.1 mix is Killer, great! But if not, I don't see how anything beats running the Stereo mix through a QS decoder - as what has been done all these years. Let's wait and hear for ourselves what we get.

At least this Hendrix box set didn't break the bank and I've paid $60 for a Stereo SHM~SACD so the hi res stereo should sound sublime but I am hoping for a stellar 5.1 remix, nonetheless.

Which brings up a crucial point: We've become so accustomed to Steve Wilson and Elliot Scheiner's remixing prowess and have been stupidly spoiled by those incredible, masterful D~V QUADS that anything less can be construed as a disappointment. I'm hoping that future remix engineers do take a lesson from the past and start to give us, a MOST discerning niche market, some masterful surround mixes and avoid fiascos like In Search of the Lost Chord because of subpar multitracks [it obviously wasn't initially remixed in QUAD FOR A REASON] or poor mixing choices.

 

[Clint Eastwood]

indeed.. its 'too soon' to write anything off, of course.. and i acknowledge its only one report, from someone who's fondness
for 5.1 is unknown and in potentially less than ideal conditions maybe..

..but.. i can't conceal i've been semi-dreading the possible results of this surround release ever since i found out it was being done by someone with no track record in doing 5.1 music mixes of studio productions (as opposed to live 5.1 mixes) and so far there has been no mention of anynassistance or collaboration with someone who has done this surround stuff a lot and done it well. if it turns out its been co-mixed with someone like Elliot Scheiner i think we'd be in for something special (insinuations he's too conservative rebuffed for me by Flaming Lips' Yoshimi 5.1 etc., he could and would do the swirly out of phase backwards stuff if that was the brief).. and we may well still be getting a surround spectacular without his involvement (interference some might say! he does have his detractors!)

..ah well, we'll all know for ourselves in the next however many hours i guess.. and like i said on here the other day, a bit like the new ISOTLC 5.1, that this album is happening at all in 5.1 is to me "a good thing".. it just would be equally fab if the 5.1 mix is "a good thing" too! not long to go now!

IMO...this is the release of the "titans" that worries me the most...I think it's the highest RISK/REWARD title....it will either be a total flop or brilliant...no in between...

 

[haikubass]

NOT canceling my order! After watching & listening to the documentary off the 2010 Legacy edition I just can't see how this Schrödinger's mix could end up lifeless.

 

[TheAbsentMind]

I hope this turns out better than currently feared. I’m not very familiar with the album cuts. This isn’t a diss, but I’ve never been much of a fan. The beauty of this release for me is two-fold. Find a new entry point via a discreet mix that makes what feels (to me) like cluttered music more approachable. Also, consolidated archival material often engages me more since I frequently like “process” and raw “in the room” takes more than finished product. This is especially true of psychedelia.

Hendrix’s estate has released a lot but it’s been a giant mess for the interested outsider, so I’d hoped that once my wallet recouped from Beatles, Dylan, Lennon and R.E.M. (my personal must haves) I’d scoop up this, the Moodies, the Band and some stereo of The Kinks. I’m a big fan of the Moody Blues but not that particular album. Based on my tastes, aesthetics, etc. I “should” be a fan of The Band yet somehow can’t connect (likewise Kinks) so these are all all 2019 fodder.

Subpar 5.1, though, dampens my interest and begins to put a release like this further on the back burner. Hopefully this turns out well enough for me to re-open my wallet in time for my “vote with your dollar” to count rather than “when camelcamelcamel” emails me a pre-cutout blowout deal that’s just a nail in the coffin of future releases.

Meanwhile, I’ll be watching this thread with great interest to see how 5.1 turns out and what people think of the additional archive audio. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for the longtime fans.

 

[sjcorne]

first impressions on the 5.1, from the London listening party, as relayed by SHF member phil1db...

Yeah, I'd take that with a grain of salt. Not really sure how you can listen to a 5.1 mix on a 50-speaker system. Perhaps they used some kind of DSP to spread it out over all those speakers and it wreaked havoc with the mix? We all know how easy it is to playback a 5.1 mix incorrectly.

We already know from Kramer himself that he'll be making good use of the pan-pot (completely appropriate for this album IMO), so my main concern with this one is that we could end up with something akin to those old Frank Zappa quad mixes: double or "big" stereo with some panning action sprinkled in. Styx's The Mission was kinda like that too, a big wash of sound over the room with a few good 360 pans. I hope that in addition to the panning effects we get a well-defined and logical soundstage: something like drums and vocals upfront, rhythm guitars in the rear, well you know the drill...

This is the only one of the 11/9 releases I've ordered so far...and I'm gonna have to wait about a week after release to hear it.

 

[jhw59]

If someone here had posted a negative review of the 5.1 mix, that would be one thing. An anonymous report played on who know what system is another. It is also an album from the 60s so I am not expecting the perfect surround mix.

 

[Clint Eastwood]

If someone here had posted a negative review of the 5.1 mix, that would be one thing. An anonymous report played on who know what system is another. It is also an album from the 60s so I am not expecting the perfect surround mix.

This will be an interesting observation for me....just how much does a "reputation" get you in the surround community...a lot of people have bent over backwards defending Jakko because he has done some good work and I do think the source was a big problem to overcome...but here comes 76 year old Eddie Kramer who doesn't have the same pedigree...and he's probably faced with the same problem...IIRC Steve Hoffman mentioned the poor condition of the tapes for this release....so if this turns out bad...will the understanding and compassion that was shown to Jakko be on display for "Fast" Eddie Kramer....or will he be thrown to the dogs....it's even worse for Eddie because he's entrusted with one of the all time great albums...unlike the Moodies offering....so more eyes and wallets are on the line....

 

[John Svensson]

I see it now on his tombstone....

"Edward Kramer-
He Made a Bad 5.1 Mix"

 

[ar surround]

Frankly, given what I've heard on Hendrix albums before, I am hoping that at least the stereo layer of the DVD will be true high-fidelity audio and not a sonic mess. If the 5.1 turns out to be good, it's a bonus; but as with The Moody Blues ISOTLC, my aural expectations are low.

 

[rtbluray]

Here's that lovely "Electric Ladyland" backside I know you have all been waiting to see...

 

[sjcorne]

Just posted at SHF:

My opinion of the 5.1 track:​

​

It's aggressive but not "stupid aggressive". It maintains a forward balance the uses good localization for instruments but it also works the surrounds to pretty good effect.​

​

Unsurprisingly, this becomes most noticeable during the "trippy" songs like "1983" but the more straightforward tracks also broaden to the rear speakers in a fairly active manner.​

​

It seems like a good sonic compromise to me. I think the mix uses all five channels actively enough to satisfy the surround enthusiasts, but it doesn't become over the top or so exaggerated that it becomes a distraction.​

​

With one possible exception: lead vocals. 99 percent of the time, I want lead vocals to stay front and center, whereas these tend to be a bit looser.​

​

Jimi's lead vocals still come from the front most of the time, but they blend with the surrounds a little more often than I'd like. It's not a real distraction, but I'd still prefer a more front/center choice for the leads.​

​

Plenty of backup vocals come from the surrounds, and that's fine with me.​

​

Overall, I think this feels like an appropriate mix for the material. I don't know if it'd be my go-to for the album, but other than the occasional spread of the lead vocals, I think it works...​

 

[Juggsnelson]

spooky, I'm just watching him as the Great Santini in Columbo!

ohh.. not that Jack Cassidy..!

I love that episode!!!!

 

[marpow]

Mine arrives Friday, can't wait. One thing that I have observed is that on audio forums, social media, etc, some people want a 5.1 release to see what's wrong rather than what's right. Just an observation on my part. Like you are a better audiophile if you can not like something, that proves you know a lot. For me I just go old school, all stereo is better than Mono and all surround is better than stereo, even ambient rears sound cool to me. Nothing is perfect and I have been critical/dissapointed with surround but hardly ever. When the polls come up I always want to vote 10 for surround. It will be very hard for me to not completely embrace the surround of Electric Ladyland.

 

[GOS]

Mine arrives Friday, can't wait. One thing that I have observed is that on audio forums, social media, etc, some people want a 5.1 release to see what's wrong rather than what's right. Just an observation on my part. Like you are a better audiophile if you can not like something, that proves you know a lot. For me I just go old school, all stereo is better than Mono and all surround is better than stereo, even ambient rears sound cool to me. Nothing is perfect and I have been critical/dissapointed with surround but hardly ever. When the polls come up I always want to vote 10 for surround. It will be very hard for me to not completely embrace the surround of Electric Ladyland.

You got it my man....I'm still very fascinated by this and can't wait to hear it. Hendrix....

Mine arrives Friday, can't wait. One thing that I have observed is that on audio forums, social media, etc, some people want a 5.1 release to see what's wrong rather than what's right. Just an observation on my part. Like you are a better audiophile if you can not like something, that proves you know a lot. For me I just go old school, all stereo is better than Mono and all surround is better than stereo, even ambient rears sound cool to me. Nothing is perfect and I have been critical/dissapointed with surround but hardly ever. When the polls come up I always want to vote 10 for surround. It will be very hard for me to not completely embrace the surround of Electric Ladyland.

 

[Clint Eastwood]

Just posted at SHF:

Although it's the stereo layer and not the surround....this sends cold shivers down my spine

 

[GOS]

Although it's the stereo layer and not the surround....this sends cold shivers down my spine

I know...but it seems so illogical. Hmmmm.