HiRez Poll Porcupine Tree - DEADWING [DVD-A/BDA]

[JonUrban]

Please post your thoughts and comments!
Originally released in 2005, the album was mixed in 5.1 surround by renowned mixing engineer Elliot Scheiner.
This 2005 5.1 surround mix has now been reissued in a brand new 3CD/Blu-Ray edition with lots of additional audio and video material on the Blu-Ray.

 

[YmSeb]

I already voiced my opinion in one of the PT's Deadwing threads.

It's one of the absolute top surround mixes ever.

Not surprising since Steven Wilson wrote the songs with the surround in mind.

It even beats In Absentia's surround mix, not by far but it does, IMHO.

In Absentia was 9, so I put 10 for Deadwing. This is genius. Period.

I can't add anything else. Just sit, relax and enjoy.

 

[selder]

Thanks for the review, Ive been anxiously waiting for the reviews to be posted here. Ive wasted alot of $ on really bad surround discs. Unfortunately none of the brick&morter stores are carrying it here in the SF bay area. Ive had to order it online which is very disappointing!

 

[peterzach]

What has been said is correct. This is a awesome cd and fantastic surround mix. It is very much like listening to a modern "Dark Side of the Moon' and what I mean by that is it has long lasting classic potential. It's moody,ambient,heavy guitar's,space rock,hard rock all on the same cd.
I would also give the cd a 10 rating.

 

[MIDIQ]

I can only vote an 8 here, not real big on the band, but it is a nice surround mix. But i probably won't listen to it too often, but nice to bring out every once in a while. I think the music and surround mix is very much like thier last surround disc. But if you liked that one, you will like this one. I am sure i will be in the minority by not giving this a 10.

 

[Cai Campbell]

I agree with the sentiment that this disc is awesome and an instant classic. Every aspect of this disc is spot-on. The music, production, surround mix, EVERYTHING comes together to form a spectacular surround-sound experience. This one is going to see a lot of time in my player, no doubt!

10 points!

 

[Guy Robinson]

This is a tough one to rate. If you just look at the surround mix and the sonics it surpasses In Absentia. However I can't see it reaching In Absentia musically. It reminds me of "Wish You Were Here" following after "Dark Side of the Moon". One is the masterpiece and the other while being better than the best reached by most other bands does not quite reach the high water mark set by the bands previous release. That being said, the final track (before the extras) "Glass Arm Shattering" is unreal when cranked way up. Highly recommended however if you don't have the DVD-A of In Absentia, get it first. I give it a 9 just because it doesn't musically reach the bands previous release. 9 is bad????

 

[BananaSlug]

I've been listening to the stereo version for some time now... getting more and more excited for amazon to finally ship the god damn disc to me... argh!! So, I finally got it on Thursday (yes, of THIS week), got myself comfy in the sweet spot and had a listen. I have to say that after the build-up I was a little confused at the tameness of the surround mix - for about a minute and a half. By the time I got to 'Halo' I was convinced that this disc is, in and of itself, justification for the existence of surround music.

To me, this disc is better than In Absentia in every way. Though In Absentia is a great disc, it doesn't usually hold my attention for more than 4 or 5 songs. Deadwing reminds me more of Stupid Dream, but with the heavyness of In Absentia - and it works perfectly. I almost always listen to this disc all the way through. Sound quality is definitely a step up, though not among the very best in my collection. The mix is basically perfect.

If you don't dislike this type of music it's a no-brainer, buy it. A '10' only because the scale doesn't go any higher.

 

[timbre4]

Just great all around; if they don't get you with this one, you probably can't be got. It does resonate with some of Stupid Dream's dreaminess and that is exquisite. It also rocks as hard as anything I'm exposed to. But above all, it works and is a good listen all the way through.

 

[Guy Robinson]

To me, this disc is better than In Absentia in every way. Though In Absentia is a great disc, it doesn't usually hold my attention for more than 4 or 5 songs.

Well that's what makes the world go round but you can substitute Deadwing For In Absentia and vice versa in your reply above and those are my thoughts. The only track that I thought was a true standout on Deadwing was Glass Arm Shattering and the other 2 tracks I really like are extras on the DVD-A. I have only listened to it 3 times so maybe my opinion will change over listenings. I have listened to In Absentia an uncountable number of times and everytime I play it is just like the first.

 

[neil wilkes]

(sigh)
Still waiting for play.com to get their act together. It's been out a week, and they still do not have stock. Time was when the release date meant the date it was available to buy in the shops......
The avatar is definitely suitable here.

 

[daved64]

(sigh)
Still waiting for play.com to get their act together. It's been out a week, and they still do not have stock. Time was when the release date meant the date it was available to buy in the shops......
The avatar is definitely suitable here.

Still waiting here, cuz amazon.ca threw me a curve. Had it on order for weeks....release date came.....nothing.....suddenly showed ships in 3-5 weeks. Cancelled the order and got it from ebay......next day, amazon.ca shows ships in 24 hours....*&%@(*%(*#&*&@^*&(!!!!!!!!!! Still waiting for the package to come from ebay.

 

[Guy Robinson]

Still waiting here, cuz amazon.ca threw me a curve. Had it on order for weeks....release date came.....nothing.....suddenly showed ships in 3-5 weeks. Cancelled the order and got it from ebay......next day, amazon.ca shows ships in 24 hours....*&%@(*%(*#&*&@^*&(!!!!!!!!!! Still waiting for the package to come from ebay.

Sometimes these "slip ups" work for some people.

 

[Guy Robinson]

Okay, on my 4th listening everything is coming together. I concede that this is at least as good as In Absentia. Familiarity doesn't breed contempt. I should have realized that I shouldn't have voted until I listened to it more. It took me 3 or 4 listens to get fully into In Absentia. So I would like to change my "low" score of 9 to 10.

 

[YmSeb]

I have been searching what are the exact specs of the various tracks available on the DVD-A and I'm unsure (it's unbelievable that DTSEntertainement website doesn't give this type of info).

MLP 5.1 : which rez and which sampling rate ? (96 kHz / 24 bits I guess)
DTS 5.1 : 48 kHz / 24 bits I guess ?
PCM stereo : 48 kHz / 16 bits or 24 bits ?

What about the four bonus tracks : "Mother And Child Divided" "Revenant", "Half Light" and the hidden bonus track "Shesmovedon" ? In which format exactly are they available on the disc ?

Thanks for the help.

 

[mrtanner]

I have been searching what are the exact specs of the various tracks available on the DVD-A and I'm unsure (it's unbelievable that DTSEntertainement website doesn't give this type of info).

MLP 5.1 : which rez and which sampling rate ? (96 kHz / 24 bits I guess)

Don't watch the numbers, listen to the music. You will become a convert to the importance of bit-depth. OK, it's "only" 48KHz/24 bits.

 

[YmSeb]

It was mainly for my records. I do enjoy the sound and have no complaints. Thanks for the answer.

What about the four bonus tracks ? (well, the three bonus ones + the hidden one). Can somone clarify in which format they are available ? Thanks in advance

 

[Manmc]

The rates are mlp 5.1 24/48
dts 5.1 24/48
pcm 2.0 24/48

Music is great but you cant read lyrics while listening
It arrived too, in a (shattered) cd-case unlike 'In Absentia'.

I'm overdosing this week, I've just inadvertently got 2 copies of 'Lightbulb Sun' and now this !

M

 

[Bob Romano]

Best Buy FINALLY got one copy in and man I am one happy guy. I loved In Absentia but this one just blows me away from start to finish. The music, the mix... everything about this is perfect. A definite 10 from me .

 

[Scottmoose]

Oh yes. Very, very good indeed. I'm a happy man. Subtle, melodic, enveloping. I'm building some bipolar speakers at present (yes, I know, I know, I'm always building speakers, but it had to be done), with the drivers mechanically coupled together internally (have a look here at the designs if you're interested for some examples:
http://www.t-linespeakers.org/FALL/bipolar/index.html )

These will work rather well with this sort of mix I think -massive soundstage alert. Quite organic isn't it? Well, I think it is anyway. A much smoother sound than IA (which I also loved.) The CD sounds pretty good too through PLII.