Pink Floyd - The Early Years - 1965 > 1972

[jimfisheye]

I took a look on HDtracks page... There is no sign of ANY of the bluray content in the downloadable versions! The downloadable versions are promoting 24 bit for the content that was reduced to 16 bit on the box edition (but it's still reduced to 44.1k here). It would be nice to confirm weather or not the 24 bit content is pre portable device mastering hype or not. (Lots of reason to assume it isn't but we won't know until someone buys one.) Just be aware that this purchase omits all the bluray content!

These are turning out to be the ultimate bait & switch editions!

Someone mentioned that the Pink Flpyd PR people are not fans. I don't think they're even music listeners.

 

[Simon A]

I'm sure Clint would encourage you to spend, spend, spend! Has anyone heard from him?

Unfortunately not. He is sorely missed.

I've sent a few letters and a care package and I've never heard back. Maybe he does not have access to his P.O. Box.

I sometimes have the sad impression that the space station he lives in is the one from the movie Gravity...

 

[skindzier]

This one might be worth a watch...
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Pink-Floyd-...001280?hash=item41c0789180:g:rZYAAOSwXYtYzuxM

Bummer...
Why am I even thinking this way...

I could buy the box set on Amazon UK for $391 shipped. That is a LOT of money....but I've been down this road. I feel I'm getting weak....so weak...it's in my cart...staring at me, taunting me. :violin

 

[skherbeck]

I'm still glad I held off on the Big Box for the individual releases... I was only interested in three of the sets which I was able to get for $130... and everything I wanted is on the sets (except Meddle), so there you go. (And there's always the dark side of the web, as previously mentioned!)

 

[rtbluray]

Not only that, but they corrected the packaging on the 1972 set to make space for both CDs.
Isn't that pretty bad that you pay all that money for a box set and one of the best CDs is in a paper slip?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[César]

Not only that, but they corrected the packaging on the 1972 set to make space for both CDs.
Isn't that pretty bad that you pay all that money for a box set and one of the best CDs is in a paper slip?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Can you please do a quick sample of OBC and Pompeii to check of they corrected the mastering too? Thanks!!!

 

[rtbluray]

Can you please do a quick sample of OBC and Pompeii to check of they corrected the mastering too? Thanks!!!

What's (supposedly) wrong with the mastering on the original CDs? And what could I compare my CDs in the individual sets too? Something on Spotify, perhaps?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[César]

What's (supposedly) wrong with the mastering on the original CDs? And what could I compare my CDs in the individual sets too? Something on Spotify, perhaps?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

They are as bright as hell, if you can listen to any of them for more than 10 minutes in a row then the mastering is correct. You'll notice if something is wrong almost immediately.
I can send you samples of my CDs if you want to compare eventually

 

[rtbluray]

They are as bright as hell, if you can listen to any of them for more than 10 minutes in a row then the mastering is correct. You'll notice if something is wrong almost immediately.
I can send you samples of my CDs if you want to compare eventually

Yes, if you can send me WAV or AIFF files of some of the tracks on those CDs from the big box, I'll compare them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[César]

Yes, if you can send me WAV or AIFF files of some of the tracks on those CDs from the big box, I'll compare them.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Sure, I'll send you a PM with the files in about 3 hours from now

 

[rontoon]

It would be nice to confirm weather or not the 24 bit content is pre portable device mastering hype or not.

Can you please explain what this means, Jim?
The individual volumes on HD Tracks are the same exact audio as on the CDs only in 24 bit (and not bumped up to 24 bit either). No additional tinkering.

 

[jimfisheye]

Can you please explain what this means, Jim?
The individual volumes on HD Tracks are the same exact audio as on the CDs only in 24 bit (and not bumped up to 24 bit either). No additional tinkering.

We talked about this on Y! but for everyone here:

The portable device style mastering work (the slamming and eq hyping) gets done to the full resolution master files (ie. the 24 bit 96k files). Then there's the final step after the processing to put that data into the reduced format container. First you do the slamming and eq "work". Then convert the sample rate down. Then reduce the bitdepth from 24 to 16.

What I'm saying is I've heard more than a few releases where the "24 bit master" is actually the file that has already been slammed and hyped for the CD release but before the 'container' reduction. It's bait & switch when the point was to purchase a master edition with full dynamic range.

Well the cat's out of the bag then. I would have rather been wrong.
We've seen things get updated versions on HDtracks before. Don't hold your breath but maybe cross your fingers?

So these downloads are being sold pointedly as upgrades for the CDs. None of the bluray content is included.
And... they're 24 bit copies of the CD mastering.

Ya know, there's plenty of stuff I'd like to spend money on from these guys. This is all something else.

You know what? A straight conversion of the master to 44.1k and then 16 bit would be much preferable to the 24 bit copy of the boosted/eq hyped/noise reduced version!

 

[jsulzinger]

Now my questions are, is there only one pressing of the big box?, and if so have they removed the hidden surround from the later pressings, and if so how can one tell the difference?

 

[rtbluray]

Bummer...
Why am I even thinking this way...

I could buy the box set on Amazon UK for $391 shipped. That is a LOT of money....but I've been down this road. I feel I'm getting weak....so weak...it's in my cart...staring at me, taunting me. :violin

I'll be very honest.
I just went through all of the surround content from the three sets ("Echoes" in 4.0, Pompeii in 5.1, and "Atom Heart Mother" in 4.0) and if you were to buy the entire box set mainly for that content (and "Meddle" in 5.1) I think you would be sorely disappointed.
First off, you wouldn't be able to play "Meddle" in 5.1 straight from the Blu-Ray disc itself.
Then, the 4.0 Quadraphonic mix of "Echoes" is not great at all. It's definitely a very amateurish Quadraphonic mix, which I'm sure is why it has remained unreleased until this past year.
As for the other surround content, the Pompeii performance is wonderful, but the mix is not the most impressive, and the visuals are rather annoying. Plus, there's definitely some distortions present at times…
So what are you left with? The 4.0 Quadraphonic mix of "Atom Heart Mother", and while it is a good mix, it's far from the best Quadraphonic mix out there, and most including myself feel that it is far from being Pink Floyd's best album.

I would seriously only get the full box set if you really think you'll enjoy going through all of the CDs and other visual material.
Otherwise, just get the 1970, 1971, and 1972 sets.
It's much cheaper that way, takes up a lot less space, and still offers lots of great content.

 

[woody]

I'll be very honest.
I just went through all of the surround content from the three sets ("Echoes" in 4.0, Pompeii in 5.1, and "Atom Heart Mother" in 4.0) and if you were to buy the entire box set mainly for that content (and "Meddle" in 5.1) I think you would be sorely disappointed.
First off, you wouldn't be able to play "Meddle" in 5.1 straight from the Blu-Ray disc itself.
Then, the 4.0 Quadraphonic mix of "Echoes" is not great at all. It's definitely a very amateurish Quadraphonic mix, which I'm sure is why it has remained unreleased until this past year.
As for the other surround content, the Pompeii performance is wonderful, but the mix is not the most impressive, and the visuals are rather annoying. Plus, there's definitely some distortions present at times…
So what are you left with? The 4.0 Quadraphonic mix of "Atom Heart Mother", and while it is a good mix, it's far from the best Quadraphonic mix out there, and most including myself feel that it is far from being Pink Floyd's best album.

I would seriously only get the full box set if you really think you'll enjoy going through all of the CDs and other visual material.
Otherwise, just get the 1970, 1971, and 1972 sets.
It's much cheaper that way, takes up a lot less space, and still offers lots of great content.

Thanks rtbluray

Based on this comment, i'll only be buying the set that contains 'Atom Heart Mother'.

Never heard the early Pink Flloyd stuff, and as I understand it, 'Meddle' was probably the best of the bunch in terms of Album.

Regards

Woody

 

[DuncanS]

I think thats a good fair review, I'm a Floyd fanatic so I had to get the full set. I became 'aware' of PF around late 1970 when I was 13, then discovered the Syd Barrett era music, but it was Meddle which made me the fanatic. So I've loved the music and listening to how the songs evolved (with the exception of the more bizzarre experimental stuff), its also killed off my misconception that Embryo became Echoes. I would say the full box set is great for us fanatics, but not really aimed at the 'casual' listener.

I'll be very honest.
I just went through all of the surround content from the three sets ("Echoes" in 4.0, Pompeii in 5.1, and "Atom Heart Mother" in 4.0) and if you were to buy the entire box set mainly for that content (and "Meddle" in 5.1) I think you would be sorely disappointed.
First off, you wouldn't be able to play "Meddle" in 5.1 straight from the Blu-Ray disc itself.
Then, the 4.0 Quadraphonic mix of "Echoes" is not great at all. It's definitely a very amateurish Quadraphonic mix, which I'm sure is why it has remained unreleased until this past year.
As for the other surround content, the Pompeii performance is wonderful, but the mix is not the most impressive, and the visuals are rather annoying. Plus, there's definitely some distortions present at times…
So what are you left with? The 4.0 Quadraphonic mix of "Atom Heart Mother", and while it is a good mix, it's far from the best Quadraphonic mix out there, and most including myself feel that it is far from being Pink Floyd's best album.

I would seriously only get the full box set if you really think you'll enjoy going through all of the CDs and other visual material.
Otherwise, just get the 1970, 1971, and 1972 sets.
It's much cheaper that way, takes up a lot less space, and still offers lots of great content.

 

[GOS]

I think thats a good fair review, I'm a Floyd fanatic so I had to get the full set. I became 'aware' of PF around late 1970 when I was 13, then discovered the Syd Barrett era music, but it was Meddle which made me the fanatic. So I've loved the music and listening to how the songs evolved (with the exception of the more bizzarre experimental stuff), its also killed off my misconception that Embryo became Echoes. I would say the full box set is great for us fanatics, but not really aimed at the 'casual' listener.

I completely understand what it means to be a fanatic. I guess I'd say I"m not a Floyd fanatic. Huge fan, yeah. For perspective, had this been Sabbath - I would have fallen over myself buying it.

 

[~dave~~wave~]

..the 4.0 Quadraphonic mix of "Echoes" is not great at all.
It's definitely a very amateurish Quadraphonic mix, which I'm sure is why it has remained unreleased until this past year...

Maybe I'm unsophisticated in this regard.
I love the stereo panning on old Hendrix and Zep recordings.
Personally, I'm delighted to have this historic quad track from one of my favorite albums.

I've listened to it half a dozen times in the past few days.
For me, it's why we love hearing old favorites in surround.
Instruments emerge from the mix in new perspectives.
I especially dig Rick Wright's Hammond / Leslie licks surfacing above the swirl of the band.

My best jaw dropping moment so far is around 21:10 when the bass guitar pans around the corners of the surround field rhythmically on the down beats of the phrases.

................

I'm thrown a bit by the DVD and the BluRay being exact duplicates of each other, and the fact that the CD tracks aren't on the BluRay as I've come to expect from Tull and Yes releases.

Is anybody interested in trading their 1972 or 1970 DVDs for my 1971?

The only advantage to having both formats I've found is I can listen to the audio of Echoes while watching the videos (from the DVD) on my laptop.

 

[fizzywiggs41]

No Meddle in surround on the separates , shame-but not too late.

It's time to get pro-active .

Anyone attending Roger's upcoming concert , do us a favour and hold up a little sign begging for Floyd releases in quad.

Nothing offensive please !

He is pro-surround . But ego got the best of him perhaps . It's never too late to ask , and asking is all you can do , and if it doesn't work----well at least you tried .:sun

 

[jimfisheye]

I completely understand what it means to be a fanatic. I guess I'd say I"m not a Floyd fanatic. Huge fan, yeah. For perspective, had this been Sabbath - I would have fallen over myself buying it.

I would LOVE to see an analog of this set for Black Sabbath!!


I'm holding these guys to an impossibly high level when commenting on this Floyd box. They set the bar impossibly high with their history and I'm commenting with that history in mind. As a consumer who has decided he wants to invest in the most deluxe version of the audio possible, this is most frustrating when they aren't offering that!

Sabbath "Early Years"...
Um... watch the Paris 1970 video again?
Then listen to the copy of the Q4 reel of Paranoid?