HiRez Poll Mott the Hoople - THE HOOPLE [SACD]

[sjcorne]

Mark Smotroff comments on this disc over at Audiophile Review:
https://audiophilereview.com/audiophile-news/mott-the-hooples-quadraphonic-swan-song-on-sacd/I can't say I agree with many of sentiments regarding the quad mix, particularly that "Roll Away The Stone" sounds good in surround--that track sounds it was artificially re-processed into quad on my system. There's just cavernous echo in the rear speakers.

 

[Bill Houston]

Very excited to get this! Pretty much Mott's best albums.

 

[Bill Houston]

Alright, so I failed to read that only Hoople was in surround. Moderate bummer. Especially since that's my least favorite of these three, although Hoople is still a good album and easily one of the best DV has ever released from their 70's easy-rock bargain bin selection (I mean this in a complementary way). I feel like DV should give away a free 1 x 1 patch of pea-green carpet stained with cigarette butts or Schlitz, your choice if you break some monetary threshold in purchases.

I already have these 3 albums on analog vinyl and sonically those will remain my emotional touchstones for this type of cocaine-fueled, dick-swinging, glam rock with the exception of this new surround version of The Hoople. There are few bands who did this style of music well: David Bowie (briefly), The Rolling Stones (Some Girls), T.Rex, and you can hear echoes of glam in power pop bands like Big Star.

The sonics on these albums are quite good. In some ways, comparing the SACDs to the analog versions can be a little like comparing apples and oranges given the differences in my playback equipment. The DV editions of these albums sound dynamic and faithful to the originals. Well done DV.

I agree at least half of Hoople's mix could be described as "cavernous". A good deal of Ian Hunter's vocal is buried on the first 4 tracks. That being said, I like murky cavernous mixes. Exile on Main Street, The Moon and Antarctica (the first mix), Led Zeppelin, and The Faces come to mind. Also, we're not listening to Chinese Democracy where every note has been perfectly played and digitally recorded. This is boozy analog-driven music meant to presage excess and bad decisions. The sound is like a hang-over. There are also some cool sonic surprises in Hoople's mix such as quick strikes of keyboard and guitar coming out of the rears. QQ members should pick this one up. Who knows, younger QQ members may have even been conceived to this music.

The Hoople
Music: 7.0
Mix: 7.5

All the Young Dudes
Music: 9.5

Mott
Music: 8.5

 

[uffeolby]

Finally received this after a lot of Brexit delivery problems...

I am really impressed by the sound quality and mastering for all the albums in stereo, the best I have ever heard them. And getting the three best albums by the group collected on a double disc, what is not to love? I really appreciate many of the DV Quad discs over the years but this must now be my favorite. Definitely not due to the quad version of The Hoople but for the overall sound quality and the musical content being closer to my heart than any other DV disc so far.

Regarding the quad version of The Hoople, I consider it to be a nice bonus on this disc. It is for sure very discrete but it is also very inconsistent when it comes to mixing and sound quality. The worst offenders here are unfortunately the two most well-known songs - The Golden Age of Rock'n'Roll and Roll Away The Stone. But there are also others with good mixes and sound quality, like Trudi's Song and Through The Looking Glass.

I voted a well deserved 9.

 

[perzon57]

Finally received this after a lot of Brexit delivery problems...

I am really impressed by the sound quality and mastering for all the albums in stereo, the best I have ever heard them. And getting the three best albums by the group collected on a double disc, what is not to love? I really appreciate many of the DV Quad discs over the years but this must now be my favorite. Definitely not due to the quad version of The Hoople but for the overall sound quality and the musical content being closer to my heart than any other DV disc so far.

Regarding the quad version of The Hoople, I consider it to be a nice bonus on this disc. It is for sure very discrete but it is also very inconsistent when it comes to mixing and sound quality. The worst offenders here are unfortunately the two most well-known songs - The Golden Age of Rock'n'Roll and Roll Away The Stone. But there are also others with good mixes and sound quality, like Trudi's Song and Through The Looking Glass.

I voted a well deserved 9.

I voted 9 too based the quad mix of The Hoople,which is what this poll is for,not the complete release.

 

[uffeolby]

I voted 9 too based the quad mix of The Hoople,which is what this poll is for,not the complete release.

Hmmm, interesting comment actually. I thought the vote was for the complete content but your comment is kind of supported in the wording by rtbluray in the initial post. If I should follow this route my vote should be around 6 which makes no sense for me when it comes to evaluating the whole package. Is there a consensus that it is only the multichannel portion that should be included in the vote? In any case, discs like this one is hard to squeeze into any given template/rules for voting...

 

[perzon57]

Hmmm, interesting comment actually. I thought the vote was for the complete content but your comment is kind of supported in the wording by rtbluray in the initial post. If I should follow this route my vote should be around 6 which makes no sense for me when it comes to evaluating the whole package. Is there a consensus that it is only the multichannel portion that should be included in the vote? In any case, discs like this one is hard to squeeze into any given template/rules for voting...

I voted 9 for the quad,if it was for the whole set it would be 7. I don't play stereo in my music room so I don't like this way to do it.I bought it to at least get one quad from MTH.

 

[edisonbaggins]

Ye olde voting guidance, from Sir @JonUrban is 30% Mix, 30% Sound quality, 30% Musicality, 10% packaging/value/misc.
Or something along those lines. This is a perpetual discussion here on QQ. The admins have never been strict with voting.
Do you thing. Explain with comments. Live long and prosper. May the 4th be with you.

 

[gvl_guy]

I can't find it on the DV site this afternoon. I guess it was that popular!

https://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=2CDSML8578

 

[perzon57]

I can't find it on the DV site this afternoon. I guess it was that popular!

https://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=2CDSML8578

I think it was confirmed somewhere on QQ that it was sold out,but that it would be repressed soon.

 

[H.A.L.]

Alright, so I failed to read that only Hoople was in surround. Moderate bummer. Especially since that's my least favorite of these three, although Hoople is still a good album and easily one of the best DV has ever released from their 70's easy-rock bargain bin selection (I mean this in a complementary way). I feel like DV should give away a free 1 x 1 patch of pea-green carpet stained with cigarette butts or Schlitz, your choice if you break some monetary threshold in purchases.

I already have these 3 albums on analog vinyl and sonically those will remain my emotional touchstones for this type of cocaine-fueled, dick-swinging, glam rock with the exception of this new surround version of The Hoople. There are few bands who did this style of music well: David Bowie (briefly), The Rolling Stones (Some Girls), T.Rex, and you can hear echoes of glam in power pop bands like Big Star.

The sonics on these albums are quite good. In some ways, comparing the SACDs to the analog versions can be a little like comparing apples and oranges given the differences in my playback equipment. The DV editions of these albums sound dynamic and faithful to the originals. Well done DV.

I agree at least half of Hoople's mix could be described as "cavernous". A good deal of Ian Hunter's vocal is buried on the first 4 tracks. That being said, I like murky cavernous mixes. Exile on Main Street, The Moon and Antarctica (the first mix), Led Zeppelin, and The Faces come to mind. Also, we're not listening to Chinese Democracy where every note has been perfectly played and digitally recorded. This is boozy analog-driven music meant to presage excess and bad decisions. The sound is like a hang-over. There are also some cool sonic surprises in Hoople's mix such as quick strikes of keyboard and guitar coming out of the rears. QQ members should pick this one up. Who knows, younger QQ members may have even been conceived to this music.

The Hoople
Music: 7.0
Mix: 7.5

All the Young Dudes
Music: 9.5

Mott
Music: 8.5

A most excellently-written post! Need to vote on this, which means A / B'ing with a most excellent Japanese remaster of AtYD, and I'm not sure that is a good comparison. . . .

 

[fizzywiggs41]

Without a doubt one of my favourite quad releases from the 70's

I don't have any complaints regarding this mix . FWIW I have had this album in SQ quad for a long time.

Too bad there were no other quad mixes from Mott (I think ?)


+ Bonus stereo albums

Voted *NINE*






PS the liner notes on the quad mix , kinda suggest more than one quad mixer.

 

[Scott65]

its quite something, the trajectory of DV's SACD releases.. just a few short years ago some folks were less than enthralled by some of the "elevator music" choices the label were making, we were crying out for Rock, dammit! we wanted Rock and we wanted it now!

"now that we've got Rock, what are we gonna do with it.."

hand on heart i'm faintly aghast at the shift part of the latest batch represents! Bachman-Turner Overdrive and Mott The Hoople's undeniably a million miles away from Helen Reddy and Percy Faith! (not picking on Percy, or Helen, they're great but you know what i mean!) i really never thought Sony or Universal would allow these kinds of Rock albums from their clutches!! it may even be the first time the BTO and Mott The Hoople albums have been licenced in this way?

ultimately i hope people get behind these Rock releases and show DV there is real interest in more of the same!

I'm in the fortunate position of liking music from Helen Reddy and BTO and Mott the Hoople (haven't tried Percy Faith ... yet). Lets hope we get more rock and easy listening.

 

[fredblue]

I'm in the fortunate position of liking music from Helen Reddy and BTO and Mott the Hoople (haven't tried Percy Faith ... yet). Lets hope we get more rock and easy listening.

me too! - and Percy rocks as well!
i'd say start with the wonderful "New Thing" and go from there, its a great album with a tremendous Quad mix, worth it for the opening Chuck Mangione number alone!

we're in such another fortunate position whereby DV's output has broadened its scope to the point where it really feels like they now have something in Quad to suit just about every musical taste

 

[Scott65]

me too! - and Percy rocks as well!
i'd say start with the wonderful "New Thing" and go from there, its a great album with a tremendous Quad mix, worth it for the opening Chuck Mangione number alone!

we're in such another fortunate position whereby DV's output has broadened its scope to the point where it really feels like they now have something in Quad to suit just about every musical taste

Percy's on my 'catch-up' list of DV acquisitions.