Pink Floyd - The Early Years - 1965 > 1972

[jimfisheye]

I doubt that will happen. All the reviews I have seen, don't mention the problems you have with it. Maybe because I haven't heard it yet, but I just don't get why you think this will get a remix or remaster anytime soon or ever in our lifetime. I don't think it's fair to AJ truthfully. Do you always give a similar critique and question the standards of every mix you don't like or is this one especially poor.

Well, maybe I think that because Meddle is a kind of big Floyd album and as such will get a bluray edition one day. And beyond selections from it on expensive box editions. Who knows. Don't take my comments as any kind of almanac.

I try to describe what I hear. I talked about what I liked, what I liked to the point that I no longer liked that about the original, and what I didn't like.
I was surprised the issues I mentioned because these guys have set the bar so high.

As far as liking this album, I could probably listen to it on a cassette boombox around a campfire and it would be the greatest sounding thing ever.
I'm happy to have so much stuff beyond the perfectly polished in this set too.

Altering the menu in any way would require reauthoring as well.

Couldn't you just quick edit the menu file?

Just trying to come up with a scenario that fits an innocent mistake. Nevermind if that makes no sense.
Otherwise it suggests easter egg right? Or something not innocent.

 

[himey]

Well, maybe I think that because Meddle is a kind of big Floyd album and as such will get a bluray edition one day. And beyond selections from it on expensive box editions. Who knows. Don't take my comments as any kind of almanac.

I try to describe what I hear. I talked about what I liked, what I liked to the point that I no longer liked that about the original, and what I didn't like.
I was surprised the issues I mentioned because these guys have set the bar so high.

As far as liking this album, I could probably listen to it on a cassette boombox around a campfire and it would be the greatest sounding thing ever.
I'm happy to have so much stuff beyond the perfectly polished in this set too.

Just seems like a strange comment, wanting a remix, three days after the release.

 

[rontoon]

Couldn't you just quick edit the menu file?

No, because everything is connected to the menu.

 

[rtbluray]

I wonder why the decision was made to include a new stereo mix of "Obscured by Clouds" in the box set and yet they did not do the same for "Meddle"?
(Officially, that is, as I understand that the Blu-Ray does have a new stereo mix of "Meddle" along with the 5.1 mix in the same title)

 

[skherbeck]

Listened to Meddle 5.1 tonight... overall, I LOVE this... but I have to say, I agree with Jimfisheye about One Of These Days. Just for fun, I loaded this track into Audacity, lowered the center section by 3 dB (which has an awesome mixing effect where the bass bounces all over the room), and raised the level of the remainder of the song by 3dB (where the band kicks in after the vocals), and immediately that "anemic" sound that Jimfisheye mentioned was alleviated. (Just a quick, crude fix, but effective). Anyway, I'm so glad we have this and I really don't need or expect any future versions (but One Of These Days, as presented, does sound a little off).

 

[himey]

Listened to Meddle 5.1 tonight... overall, I LOVE this... but I have to say, I agree with Jimfisheye about One Of These Days. Just for fun, I loaded this track into Audacity, lowered the center section by 3 dB (which has an awesome mixing effect where the bass bounces all over the room), and raised the level of the remainder of the song by 3dB (where the band kicks in after the vocals), and immediately that "anemic" sound that Jimfisheye mentioned was alleviated. (Just a quick, crude fix, but effective). Anyway, I'm so glad we have this and I really don't need or expect any future versions (but One Of These Days, as presented, does sound a little off).

I absolutely love the quad mix of One of These Days on Pompaii, how does the new 5.1 Pompaii mix sound?

 

[himey]

I wonder why the decision was made to include a new stereo mix of "Obscured by Clouds" in the box set and yet they did not do the same for "Meddle"?
(Officially, that is, as I understand that the Blu-Ray does have a new stereo mix of "Meddle" along with the 5.1 mix in the same title)

I think someone mentioned it was a screwup that was fixed by adding the extra disc.

Is the new 2.0 Meddle a fold down?

 

[onthewall2983]

I wonder if the mix will be fixed (if needed) and made more readily available for when the set is released individually next year? Hopefully we'll get a stereo mix on CD at some point too.

 

[jimfisheye]

I listened to the HD tracks versions and compared a few things.

I think what's going on with the CD versions is a healthy amount of dither. And that boosts the apparent level up about half a db vs. the 24 bit versions. If I balance the CD version with the 24 bit version by lowering the CD .5db, then I hear more natural fatter sound very apparently in the 24 bit versions. The CD sounds just a little thin next to that and also doesn't turn up as well. But if I A/B them 0db to 0db the CD version sounds more immediate. The differences vary a little track to track.

I noticed the noise reduction on a few CD tracks. I bet the brightness from the dither brought out the hiss more so someone made the call to do that.

I guess that kind of hyping is SOP for CD versions often enough. Weird that they did that but didn't also slam the level up 6db which usually goes along with such things. Good that they didn't!! Just saying. The CDs still sound excellent overall in the grand scheme of things even with that.

I don't think this was an intentional degrading beyond questionable things that are SOP for CD versions of releases. The only question might be how come a $500 deluxe box set has the made for CD versions of a bunch of stuff in it.


So many things that are huge upgrades. Vegetable Man and Scream would be upgrades if they issued them on 8-track tape for this set. Well...
Anyway, so much good stuff here. The Stockholm show is amazing to have sounding like this. Of course Murphy's Law is in full effect and the vocals aren't really a thing this show. Sounds like all they could get was feedback when they tried to turn up their vocal PA. But all right fine. This is the show that gets recorded like this. You can actually appreciate the musical high points as they really sounded.

Picnic Embryo sounds just awesome. The original vinyl sounded very good and for whatever reason that Works album version sounded awful. This blows away the original.

Listening to the 3 OBC tracks.
Childhood's End: I like the vocal production (most elements of it anyway) and that bass part sounds great.
It sounds more compressed than the original. There's an openness in the original that's constricted here. That's not necessarily a deal breaker. The vocal mix sounds more natural and open in the new mix though.

Was it in one of the interview bits in Live at Pompeii that Roger makes a comment about the OBC 1st pressing with the sibilant issue? He continues on to say it's corrected in the 2nd pressing. Does that make him the one annoyed the most by that? Or does he just happen to be the one talking about it?

I love the sound of the first pressing but I do agree the sibilant thing on the vocals sounds like an artifact. But then the later pressings and CDs sound muddy. I'll take the sibilance!

But this new mix. Wow the sibilance is back times 4! And the high end in the cymbals and the high end in everything! All 3 songs with this (I'm afraid to listen to the expected thinner sounding CD tracks for the rest). It's worse on the 2nd two songs I think. I still like a lot of this mix of Childhood's End better.

Both Meddle and OBC seem to have a lot of toppiness going on. Maybe Roger still doesn't like it too toppy. Maybe that's why.

 

[rusinurbe]

If it makes you feel any better, I preordered months ago and it hasn't shipped either.

I am really excited for this 5.1 Meddle now after the news here, but I don't have a computer with a Blu-Ray drive to extract it

Same boat no Computer with a blu ray drive Oh Hum but at least its there within my reach

 

[Deek57]

I wonder why the decision was made to include a new stereo mix of "Obscured by Clouds" in the box set and yet they did not do the same for "Meddle"?
(Officially, that is, as I understand that the Blu-Ray does have a new stereo mix of "Meddle" along with the 5.1 mix in the same title)

If it does I can't find it, all I get is the 5.1....Is it there, have I missed something in the ripping process, or is the stereo mix just a fold down of the 5.1.. Cheers.

 

[Robert van Diggele]

Same boat no Computer with a blu ray drive Oh Hum but at least its there within my reach

isn't it possible, by displaying title and chapter info using your remote, to navigate to the correct title?

 

[quicksrt]

isn't it possible, by displaying title and chapter info using your remote, to navigate to the correct title?

No, the menu had that 5.1 mix removed from it, no navigation to that content. However, content is still there.

 

[Robert van Diggele]

No, the menu had that 5.1 mix removed from it, no navigation to that content. However, content is still there.

I understand, but on my Oppo when I hit the info button on the remote, I see titles and chapters. So I was thinking if it possible to go to the Meddle 5.1 title this way. I cannot try as I do not have the bda.

 

[atrocity]

Is the new 2.0 Meddle a fold down?

No.

 

[Fourplay]

Just finished running Meddle through my ears. Here are my initial impressions.

#1 *@#$ YES!
#2 Definitely more toppy. I am so mixed about this. I suspect it was an attempt to include more of what is on the master tapes. There are definitely things here I have never heard in the original mix. Of particular note are the EFX backgrounds around the "ping" at the start of Echoes.
#3 There are some things I would rather not point out, so that if you don't notice them you will not be looking for them. But I totally agree with previous posters that there is an LFE cliff after the middle section of One Of These Days, and I do not prefer it.
#4 I hesitate to make any criticisms until ALL Floyd material is mixed to 5.1 so they don't say "screw these ungrateful bastards" and scrub the others.
#5 In light of that - thank you thank you thank you to all persons who made it possible for me to hear Meddle in surround, be their actions intentional or inadvertent. The importance this holds for me is as irrational as it is significant, but I do not care to understand it. It just is!

#6 I feel the same about Obscured By Clouds. Please have mercy on my hungry soul!

 

[Fourplay]

Oh, PS - having Meddle 5.1 be a hidden gem in the box adds a slightly naughty edge to the experience, which is usually more fun. I know that must be annoying to suggest for those who have not yet heard the mix, and easy for me to say having heard it. Good thing there is not a "hate this post" button!

 

[jimfisheye]

Oh, PS - having Meddle 5.1 be a hidden gem in the box adds a slightly naughty edge to the experience, which is usually more fun.

I very much enjoy 'behind the scenes' looks at things. I can listen to rough mixes never intended for consumer ears and appreciate all the magical moments. I can listen to a poor recording of a not that great live show and listen for and enjoy the few shining moments that still came through.

From that perspective this bonus Meddle mix is a great thing to have.

Approaching this mix after listening to the quad master of AHM and then part of TER (for an Andy Jackson warmup set) with expectations set on 'full Pink Floyd quality' is not recommended unfortunately.

A frustrating listen for sure as there are moments of greatness and elements of work that seriously better the originals.
In full hindsight now it's very clear why both Meddle and OBC were nixed. Something went wrong. I'm actually surprised the CD reduction of the stereo OBC remix wasn't removed too. The 3 tracks released in full HD have the same shrill toppy thing (it isn't the fault of the portable CD treatment). Childhood's end has elements of the mix that run circles around the original too. But the toppyness they originally had a problem with is 10x here and just brutal.

Roger gets the benefit of the doubt on this one it turns out. He made the right call.
I'm still happy to have my grubby hands on all this but I'd be happier if it would have worked out perfectly for them.

 

[ArmyOfQuad]

Wow, what a story this whole release has turned into. A perfect example of what happens when you have an industry that insists on remaining completely out of touch with their customers, and a band that seems to be rather dysfunctional within their members. How nice that a mistake actually works in our favor for once.

Between already wanting everything that is on the box, the quad Echoes and AHM, the 5.1 Pompeii, and now the 5.1 Meddle, and add to that the possibility this could be "corrected" on future releases, how could I resist? Glad I threw in my order on amazon.it before the price jumped up.

It still sucks that we're missing out on 5.1 OBC....but one withdrawn 5.1 mix is a bit easier to stomach than 2.

 

[César]

I very much enjoy 'behind the scenes' looks at things. I can listen to rough mixes never intended for consumer ears and appreciate all the magical moments. I can listen to a poor recording of a not that great live show and listen for and enjoy the few shining moments that still came through.

From that perspective this bonus Meddle mix is a great thing to have.

Approaching this mix after listening to the quad master of AHM and then part of TER (for an Andy Jackson warmup set) with expectations set on 'full Pink Floyd quality' is not recommended unfortunately.

A frustrating listen for sure as there are moments of greatness and elements of work that seriously better the originals.
In full hindsight now it's very clear why both Meddle and OBC were nixed. Something went wrong. I'm actually surprised the CD reduction of the stereo OBC remix wasn't removed too. The 3 tracks released in full HD have the same shrill toppy thing (it isn't the fault of the portable CD treatment). Childhood's end has elements of the mix that run circles around the original too. But the toppyness they originally had a problem with is 10x here and just brutal.

Roger gets the benefit of the doubt on this one it turns out. He made the right call.
I'm still happy to have my grubby hands on all this but I'd be happier if it would have worked out perfectly for them.

What I can't imagine is Roger vetoeing this mix after what Nigel Godrich did to his Wall Live. Neither on terms of sound quality or based on the mix itself he seems to be qualified to ban Meddle.
And AtD was far from perfect too.
Strange story this is.