HiRez Poll Marillion - MISPLACED CHILDHOOD [Blu-Ray Audio]

[MCDave]

Very god job both of you guys for keeping the discussion civil, which is often not there in discussion forums.
Yes, it is ok to disagree and it is possible to disagree without throwing fireballs at each others...

Absolutely. I hardly have a basis for arguing when 10 others have voted 8 or above and I'm the only one who is hearing these things. Until I figure it out, logic requires me to accept that the "it's not the disc, it's you" argument has merit. Besides, there are plenty of others here who are far more knowledgeable and experienced at evaluating music than I am. I've been an audiophile for 38 years but I'm no professional, just a hobbyist. And now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go evaluate some more, this time without the cotton wadding in my ears.

 

[MCDave]

Well, I’m going to have to order myself to stand in the corner for an hour. I found out the issue. Partially, that is. I had somehow engaged the THX processing on my AVR, which played havoc with the 5.1 mix. When I realized this, I turned it off and the world was right again! Drums, cymbals and vocals were back where they were supposed to be, the marimba-sound was more clearly audible in the RR on Waterhole, and everything else was fixed. The mix sounds wonderful now! Except…

The upper bass issue on certain tracks is still there. Convinced now that it’s not the mix’s fault, I determined that the offending sound is coming from the left rear. I tried 2 other speakers in that channel, experimenting with placements, and was able to remedy the problem only by leaving the left rear disconnected. But since it was only somewhat affected by placement and not at all by the speaker itself, I’m left to conclude that the problem is a room mode being excited by just the right frequency in just the right place, and just hadn’t revealed itself until now. That’s all I can think of.

So I’d like to revise my rating to 8. Can a moderator change it for me? Or delete my previous rating so I can vote again?

Although I think I still slightly prefer the 98 mix, this is certainly right up there, and more discrete. It was a pleasure to listen to it this time! Apologies all around (and to you, SW ). I’ll edit my previous post.

 

[drphibes]

I know what you mean. Once you become familiar with something, any differences seem 'wrong'.

Boy howdy is that true.

Case in point - there's a slightly out-of-sync first chorus in "Eminence Front". Versions that have this corrected or minimized drive me insane.

 

[LuvMyQuad]

Boy howdy is that true.

Case in point - there's a slightly out-of-sync first chorus in "Eminence Front". Versions that have this corrected or minimized drive me insane.

Wow, they corrected that on some later release? It just doesn't seem right.

 

[drphibes]

Wow, they corrected that on some later release? It just doesn't seem right.

1997 remaster, I think? I swear I've heard a version without it.

It's like removing the "click" from a light switch or the percussive sound from a Hammond B3. Yeah, it wasn't intended, but we grew to love it.

 

[beetle]

Just had my first listen to the 5.1 mix. Initially, I was horrified that the energy seemed to be missing when compared to the original stereo mix. Of course it was because I am so very much used to the original mix (It is my most played Marillion album). Then, I listened again with the volume at a much higher level. The opening to Bitter Suite gave me goose bumps. Win!

I do think the vocals could have been at a slightly higher level. I played it in 5.1 using my HDMI pre, and found the centred vocals a bit too centred. I preferred playing it with my Quad DAC setup where the vocals are sent to both fL & fR. There's room correction with that as well, so it always sounds better to my cloth ears. I haven't listened to the 2ch remaster as yet.

I'm giving it

 

[edisonbaggins]

Baggy gave this release a quasi-well-deserved 10...
Some of you Ma' Fuggas down-graded this mix undeservedly and you KNOW it...
This is maybe a 9. Maybe a 10. Why quibble? This wasn't recorded for multichannel.
It was economically recorded for stereo and expertly translated here.
It is immersive. It is occasionally discrete. It is tasteful and musical.
The extras on this set are everything you could hope for. Videos. Interviews. B-sides. Just get this!

 

[splinter7]

Perhaps I am wrong in my thinking but I am giving this an 8 with my deductions being 5.1 mix related.
I LOVE this album too death and originally agreed that it was so efficiently recorded and mixed that there wasn't an abundance of layered material to expand upon in surround. The documentary illustrates that a point. The guys are discussing how the band recorded the majority of side one in single takes.

However, in that same documentary the band and producer Chris Kimsey (on more than one occasion) isolate sounds they hear on playback. Sounds that still seem buried even in the 5.1 mix. When they isolated some of the vocal takes, it reveled some interesting layers in Fish's lyrics that would seemed to have been better explored more fully into the surround mix. To be fair some of what they played back during the documentary likely would be distracting to the overall piece. Near the end of the album, buried on the vocal track is what the band called a "drunken chorus" with the drummer plainly isolated saying "how was that chris?".

I also feel that the drums have been marginalized in Steve's mix. My impression of the original mix is that all the main instrumentation (guitars, keyboards, drums) are evenly leveled in the mix. I was expecting Steve to put a little more punch in the drums. I have no skills at this (I just like to listen) and don't even know if it could have been done. The playback of the isolated tracks in the documentary perhaps illustrates that it could have been done.

I still feel that Steve did a great overall job. Maybe I unrealistically expected something more - Maybe I would have liked him to mess with the mix a bit more. Maybe I am glad he didn't. More than likely, I perhaps shouldn't expect him to automatically make a masterpiece even more priceless. For the uninitiated to Marillion, this is likely the most straight forward album they have made. The band jumps light years ahead in instrumentation, effects and layers in next title announced in the series - "Brave".

I am still going to stick with the 8. My feelings say the drums have always need a tad more prominence and given the documentary; the backing vocals could have been more prominent in the surround field. All without compromising the spirit of the original.

Blessed having it now improved in surround - wishing it was just a tad bit better.

 

[hwkn]

I gave this mix a 10........Steve Wilson has hit another homerun imho.

 

[marpow]

I voted 10. I like others never heard this before and the biggest surprise to me is how well I actually like the music, very Genesis sounding. The catchy tunes and the extended jams are very good. The 4 videos, the making of commentary, Steven Wilson saying he didn't have much to work with as it was originally recorded so well and almost live continuation of tape, makes this a 10 for me.

 

[LuvMyQuad]

This is an excellent reissue. I believe Steven Wilson when he says he did all he could with multi tracks to create the 5.1 mix. And while its not the last word in discreteness, it is quite enveloping and enjoyable. In terms of overall fidelity, this is the best this release has ever sounded in my experience. I love the album, and all the extra content is very worthy. I do wish "Freaks" could have also been given the 5.1 treatment, but its great to have "Lady Nina". It follows the Jethro Tull reissue packaging style, which I like very much. I'd do a 9.5 if I could, but alas, I'm limited to whole numbers, and I always round up. A 10 from me.

 

[John Svensson]

Il'l have to echo the general sentiments here and call it a 9.....not the last word in quadiness, but very good presentation and sound quality, love the extras and book style. I had been listening to the RBCD recently since its announcement, that CD had been missing for so many years, didn't even remember that I had it/

 

[Spock]

I love the album, been playing it everyday since I got it. Great surround mix and fidelty, a strong 9!

 

[capsid]

Votes so far on this are 8-10 with one 4 by MCDave who admits his system was set up incorrectly at the time of voting and asked for it to be revised. Will the scores be adjusted therefore to truly reflect the voting for the polls?

 

[edisonbaggins]

Votes so far on this are 8-10 with one 4 by MCDave who admits his system was set up incorrectly at the time of voting and asked for it to be revised. Will the scores be adjusted therefore to truly reflect the voting for the polls?

It's my understanding that an algorithm tosses "outlier" votes before calculating the final rating.

 

[MCDave]

Hopefully it will throw my 4 out. I noticed that the '4' in the poll results is in italic font, whereas all the other numbers are normal. Maybe that's an indication that the algorithm is treating it as an outlier.

 

[skherbeck]

Hopefully it will throw my 4 out. I noticed that the '4' in the poll results is in italic font, whereas all the other numbers are normal. Maybe that's an indication that the algorithm is treating it as an outlier.

Your vote always shows up in italics.

 

[GOS]

Your vote always shows up in italics.

Just his does? lmao...I kid, I kid...

 

[LuvMyQuad]

I love the album, been playing it everyday since I got it. Great surround mix and fidelty, a strong 9!

Yeah me too. So much so, that the Misses asked for a moratorium on Marillion music. Could be that I've also been playing the deluxe version of "Script for a Jester's Tear" in my car as well. I told her it could be worse... it could be the Sgt Pepper album or Songs From the Wood that I developed a jones for (both of which she pretty much despises for some reason). Not to worry, a few days of Flaming Lips in heavy rotation and she'll be begging me to go back to the Marillion again.

 

[edisonbaggins]

Yeah me too. So much so, that the Misses asked for a moratorium on Marillion music. Could be that I've also been playing the deluxe version of "Script for a Jester's Tear" in my car as well. I told her it could be worse... it could be the Sgt Pepper album or Songs From the Wood that I developed a jones for (both of which she pretty much despises for some reason). Not to worry, a few days of Flaming Lips in heavy rotation and she'll be begging me to go back to the Marillion again.

I always enjoy a good WAR (wife approved recording)!