HiRez Poll Marillion - FUGAZI [Blu-Ray Audio]

[splinter7]

His equipment was much better thane mine, He had Misplaced Childhood, It sounded amazing, I think the first DDD, recording I had heard, On top of that, I really liked the music.

I thought Misplaced was recorded on 30 IPS analog?

In some regions, the manufactured CDs indicated DDD and some indicated ADD.

It was the early days of digital and commercial CDs. I don’t think the labels actually knew or settled on how to properly use the codes. Much like Amazon and other retailers today not identifying the proper type of sound codec.

At worst they bending the truth from a marketing perspective to make the release format sound sexier.

As for Misplaced Childhood, multiple sources attributing quotes from the band indicate that this was an analog production.

In the documentary video on the recent deluxe set, the band talks about recording in long takes that were broken up periodically to change reel tape.

In the two most credible Marillion book documentaries, it indicates that the all of their major label releases were mixed down to analog.

 

[splinter7]

Do you know if the band had any input with respect to the 5.1 mixes?

The band and Fish have reportedly had input on these mixes.

In regards to the Script mixes, it was somewhere stated that A&B where reviewing some passage of a song they originally tried to place discretely in the rears but they and the band members didn’t think it worked and they opted for a much more conservative placement. I apologize but I can’t quote the exact source.

On the latest Fugazi re-mix, the band & Fish indicated they were never happy with original fade out on the title track. Guess what? That song now has the most obvious change of new mix as it no longer just fades out.

They actually state that they never heard the final mix from the label until after it had been sent off to manufacture and they all felt it could be tweaked better. Another reason given that the band and Fish do not rank it as high as their other releases.

 

[beerking]

Although, to my ears, this is moving Marillions music to new heights. There are parts where the mix is just a little bit too shrill in its fidelty, to give it top marks.

Fish had the voice, vision and ability to make Marillion into a tour de force, they once were.

He still has a glint in his eye when speaking in the documentary.

A nice package, overall.

A Fishy 9

 

[madship]

I thought Misplaced was recorded on 30 IPS analog?

Looks like you're correct. I never owned the original CD and was either told it was full digital or I just made it up.

 

[madship]

In some regions, the manufactured CDs indicated DDD and some indicated ADD.

Or maybe I wasn't dreaming.

 

[bgf1973]

Great album and surround mix but for me the Marillion’s 10 is Misplaced Childhood. I vote 9

 

[splinter7]

Fish had the voice, vision and ability to make Marillion into a tour de force, they once were.

They still are

 

[JediJoker]

In some regions, the manufactured CDs indicated DDD and some indicated ADD.

It was the early days of digital and commercial CDs. I don’t think the labels actually knew or settled on how to properly use the codes. Much like Amazon and other retailers today not identifying the proper type of sound codec.

At worst they bending the truth from a marketing perspective to make the release format sound sexier.

SPARS codes were notoriously unreliably accurate. One label you could trust for absolute accuracy: DMP (Digital Music Products), a.k.a. Tom Jung's baby and the home of Flim & The BB's. Everything on DMP was "DD:" recorded and mixed live to digital 2-track, then mastered digitally for compact disc.

 

[sjcorne]

Do you know if the band had any input with respect to the 5.1 mixes?

The band and Fish have reportedly had input on these mixes.

I would add that Steve Rothery seems to be the most-interested/involved band member when it comes to the 5.1 remixes. SW had mentioned back in 2017 that he was the only one who requested any changes to the Misplaced 5.1 remix.

...working with four distinct surround overseers brought forth different challenges. “When Steven Wilson did Brave, my only comment was to add a little more guitar EQ for some things,” Rothery clarifies. “Steven’s a good friend but also a huge fan of the music, so he approached the Brave and Misplaced mixes with a reverential frame of mind. Andy Bradfield and Avril Mackintosh have clear understanding of the dynamics and exactly what we were doing at the times of Script and Straws. It’s good to be able to trust people who are incredibly talented technically, but who also come at it from the viewpoint of a fan, and what they would like to hear.”

When asked to pinpoint his personal favorite 5.1 mixes from the two different eras of the band, Rothery instantly exclaimed, “That’s a very difficult question to answer!” Following only the slightest of pauses, the guitarist cited a pair of clear-cut gems—Clutching at Straws’ oppressive Cold War libation “White Russian,” and Brave’s uplifting denouement, “The Great Escape.”

SDE: How did any approvals from the band work? Was Fish and the current Marillion line-up both involved?

SW: Steve R came and listened to it, and made some changes. Then I sent the files to the band, but to be honest I don’t know who actually got to hear it after that. I didn’t get any more changes requested.

 

[Muppet69]

Just listening to the 5.1 for the second time and I’m really impressed by how it works. There’s definitely some (good) changes to parts of the songs as mentioned on other reviews here, most notably the title track. My favourite is Incubus and have always loved the “your perimeter of couturiers jerk like celluloid puppets” section. I think it’s so far the best surround mix that’s been done for Marillion and is involving to listen to. I don’t have any issues with shrillness like others have. The value for money of these sets (like the Jethro Tull ones) is exceptionally good and cannot fault them. I’ve never heard the versions of the extra tracks so that’s a bonus too. Have yet to listen to the live album but it’ll be great I expect. The documentary is really great and so is the track by track video. Nice to have all the other video footage too. Even like the visuals while listening to the music. All in all it’s a big thumbs up from me.

 

[madscot]

My least favourite Marillion (with Fish) album, I would say this is the best of the 5.1 mixes by Andy and Avril, i’d hardly played this album in the last 30 odd years but have played it a few times now and am voting a 9, one of the reasons I wasn’t enamoured with the album was that on this and the first album Fish’s lyrics were too intelligent for me to understand so never really took the lyrics in, having watched the story of the songs it has given me an understanding, far superior to the original album and will be played regularly from now on

 

[Progfiend]

I’ve been a Marillion fan since Misplaced was released and love the Fish era of the band, so the content on this is right in my wheelhouse. The packaging is very well done, I like the Jethro Tull style books for these deluxe packages. I agree with a lot of the comments above, this is definitely one of the better Marillion 5.1 mixes. It’s not quite perfect, but it’s close for me so I gave it a 9.

 

[timothyemerson]

Just got this and here's my 2 cents:
1. Great surround mix. Lots of discreteness going on. Can they go back and do the others again?
2. Fidelity/live performances/documentaries/booklet info: Excellent value.
3. Love the pic of the band with Neil from The Young Ones in the doco/packaging:

 

[Muppet69]

Just listening to the 5.1 for the second time and I’m really impressed by how it works. There’s definitely some (good) changes to parts of the songs as mentioned on other reviews here, most notably the title track. My favourite is Incubus and have always loved the “your perimeter of couturiers jerk like celluloid puppets” section. I think it’s so far the best surround mix that’s been done for Marillion and is involving to listen to. I don’t have any issues with shrillness like others have. The value for money of these sets (like the Jethro Tull ones) is exceptionally good and cannot fault them. I’ve never heard the versions of the extra tracks so that’s a bonus too. Have yet to listen to the live album but it’ll be great I expect. The documentary is really great and so is the track by track video. Nice to have all the other video footage too. Even like the visuals while listening to the music. All in all it’s a big thumbs up from me.

I spent quite a bit of time yesterday listening to the live cds from Montreal show and I must say that it’s really good. I would have really enjoyed being at one of the fish era shows ( luckily I was able to see a brilliant Fish live gig at The Albarni Bar in Winterthur Switzerland when I lived there in the early 2000’s). It inspired me to pull out the live cds from the SFAJT box set (also very good) to compare and there’s definitely an upward trajectory in the performances. I think the live in Switzerland video is next on my agenda.

 

[Muppet69]

I spent quite a bit of time yesterday listening to the live cds from Montreal show and I must say that it’s really good. I would have really enjoyed being at one of the fish era shows ( luckily I was able to see a brilliant Fish live gig at The Albarni Bar in Winterthur Switzerland when I lived there in the early 2000’s). It inspired me to pull out the live cds from the SFAJT box set (also very good) to compare and there’s definitely an upward trajectory in the performances. I think the live in Switzerland video is next on my agenda.

Finally got time to watch the live video from Zurich in 84 and it’s damn good. Really tight band and excellent enjoyable performance……. Has just begun!!!

 

[Matt Wilson]

An 8.
The only really good Marillion 5.1 mixes to my ears are the two Steven Wilson ones. Having said that, all of them are at least listenable if not worth owning (ownable?) and this is no exception. And I like the album too.

 

[groo]

A Solid 9 from me. The surround mix is amazing compared to the last 2 non-Wilson mixes. I have to say that this time around, I barely hear any compression except for a tiny hint on Assasing intro. Its lucid Additionally the screen animation is superb, on par with Gentle Giants Power and Glory. And this is one of the rare cases the surround mix uplifts the content to a whole different level. Kudos to the mixers! And the $39 is well worth and a bargain to this frugal idiot.

 

[WBP]

Enjoying this release, got it for a great price and its really well put together, going for a 9 for the 5.1 mix.

 

[artwwweb]

Another in my short series of 'making the stereo-only extended version into a 5.1 version'. (As explained in another thread, I like to have the best of both worlds - I want the long version AND I want it in surround ) Doing the editing is not that difficult, it's finding which bit to insert, which is why I like to mention it here in case anyone else wants to give it a try.

The stereo-only 'Alternate Mix' of Assassing is the same as the LP version except it has an extended middle 8 from approx 4.17 for approx 38 seconds - a bit of quiet 'noodling'. So, if you rip the 5.1 version and the alternate version, you can insert 38s (actually I found I had to insert 38.073s) of silence in all the 5.1 stems and then the alternate mix should align from 0.00 to 4.17 and from 4.55 to end with the extra bit in between, covering the silence you've just inserted in the other tracks.

It works quite well, as there is a keyboard fade into the quieter extra bit and then it explodes back into 5.1 when the 'noodly' bit is over. The fact it is only stereo for a while doesn't seem particularly wrong as the section is intentionally a contrast to the bombast of the surrounding pieces. (Though ideally it should pan around the room a bit but I'm not that ambitious with Audacity.) I did a cross fade into the edit but a hard edit on the way out.


Also...

I don't know why the bonus tracks are only in 48/16 rather than 96/24. Maybe they were recorded digitally at that res but I doubt it seeing as Cinderella Search was a contender for the album. Also don't know why the other B side from Punch and Judy (the new recording of Market Square Heroes) was not included.

 

[RustyM]

Solid "9". Premium musical content would have pushed this one to a 10. Great work, IMO, but Andy and Avril.
LiS Review:

Well done!