Queen's first album gets deluxe edition, but disappointingly no surround

[JediJoker]

So they're judging the sound of the entire enterprise on one song, and possibly a lossy stream at that. Who's to say the issues they're complaining about aren't at least partly caused by a lossy codec?

The sounds of vocal pitch correction and lossy compression are not easily confused for one another.

 

[Owen Smith]

Not quite sure, I haven’t heard it myself but I’m sure the people posting on Reddit are listening to the stereo mix, which if they’re listening on Apple Music it would be lossless? I have no idea though

If it's in Atmos as you said earlier then it's in DD+ which is not lossless.

 

[bookofsaturdays]

If it's in Atmos as you said earlier then it's in DD+ which is not lossless.

Correct but my point was not everyone is listening to the Atmos mix, they’d be listening to the stereo mix which on Apple Music is lossless

 

[Thonolan]

For anyone who might find it interesting, the DR of the 2024 stereo mix is 9 or 10 depending on the tracks, so luckily it doesn't seem badly brickwalled. I haven't heard it yet though.

According to the Spatial Audio Finder, there's only one song in Atmos at the moment on Apple Music. I guess (hope) they'll update that.

 

[haikubass]

Full album available now (tracks 1 - 11):
https://tidal.com/album/394900410?u

 

[Thonolan]

They are bashing the stereo remix on the SHF as expected...

 

[Owen Smith]

I've had email saying my copy has been posted.

 

[fredblue]

Full album available now (tracks 1 - 11):
https://tidal.com/album/394900410?u

it was in a way a slightly strange choice to start remixing Queen's albums in Atmos (if that's what this is, the start of a remixing programme, i mean) as it's such a basic original recording but it feels like they've eeked some cool stuff out of the tapes and if it is indeed the start of a series (we know it seldom usually is with these things! ) then it's a good place to start and i can see why the band felt like the album needed some sprucing up in a way, maybe.

there's definitely been some jiggery-pokery going on, drums sound so modern it's almost as if they've been re-recorded but they have nice oomph so they're not like crisp packets now!

the basic Atmos layout remains the same throughout, the bulk of the track (rhythm section and Freddie's Vocals) are mostly in the Front Left and Right.

there's no isolated vocals hard in the Centre that i could detect (although i wasn't exactly expecting them to be mixed that way i was still disappointed, if that makes any sense at all.!? ) and Freddie's vocal is often sent reverbed to other channels.

backing vocals are often in the Rears/Surround Backs and a lot of lovely heroic guitar work pops up and pans about the Sides/Rears/Surround Backs to great effect! ️

the "i just get two steps nearer to my grave" refrain in "Keep Yourself Alive" pops up behind you from the Surround Backs for instance, which is rather fun!

the tracks with the most use of the Heights are i would say "My Fairy King" (guitar sweeps suitably majestically from above!) and "Jesus" (refrain vocals blast out from on high!) however, most tracks barely do anything interesting or much at all with the Heights apart from muted Freddie vocals (tantalisingly isolated.. if they weren't so grungey thanks to Atmos streaming compression i may just listen to them in isolation for fits and giggles ).

"Modern Times Rock n Roll" has Roger's vocal blasting out up there at full pelt everyw now and again in the track, which is definitely a cool move.

i'm out for the rest of the day now but will revisit the mix over the weekend.
right now, after one proper full listen to the mix in aggregate (in 7.1.4) and a 2nd bitty listen picking bits of the mix apart,
i'd say i'm happy enough with the Surround-y-ness of it, by and large.

hopefully they tackle Queen II next that could benefit from a remix more than this one tbh, also it's one of my all-time favourite albums by anyone and easily in my Queen Top 5 LPs so keeping everything crossed for that and pleased as Punch for what we have now

 

[fredblue]

ps. SDE, if you're hanging/reading/lurking at QQ at all, please please give this your HFPA BD standalone treatment!?? pretty please!!

 

[Owen Smith]

ps. SDE, if you're hanging/reading/lurking at QQ at all, please please give this your HFPA BD standalone treatment!?? pretty please!!

Yes this is begging for an SDE blu ray exclusive release with the entire album in Atmos.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

More Queen stuff

I have the original US LP someplace but haven't listened to it in ages. Wonder how the new mix/mastering differs from the original?

Yeah, no Blu-ray for the Atmos is a real bummer!



https://www.discogs.com/digs/music/...edium=Discogs&utm_campaign=Queen-Paid-Article

 

[J. PUPSTER]

SDE Unboxing of QUEEN I by Paul Sinclair
SuperDeluxeEdition

 

[Owen Smith]

Paul specifically mentions there is an Atmos mix but is disappointed it isn't in the boxset. It seems pretty certain to me he either has or will be enquiring about the possibility of an SDE Exclusive blu ray of this. And since he's in the UK and so are Queen and their staff Paul should have the industry contacts.

 

[Musichronosphere]

it was in a way a slightly strange choice to start remixing Queen's albums in Atmos (if that's what this is, the start of a remixing programme, i mean) as it's such a basic original recording but it feels like they've eeked some cool stuff out of the tapes and if it is indeed the start of a series (we know it seldom usually is with these things! ) then it's a good place to start and i can see why the band felt like the album needed some sprucing up in a way, maybe.

there's definitely been some jiggery-pokery going on, drums sound so modern it's almost as if they've been re-recorded but they have nice oomph so they're not like crisp packets now!

the basic Atmos layout remains the same throughout, the bulk of the track (rhythm section and Freddie's Vocals) are mostly in the Front Left and Right.

there's no isolated vocals hard in the Centre that i could detect (although i wasn't exactly expecting them to be mixed that way i was still disappointed, if that makes any sense at all.!? ) and Freddie's vocal is often sent reverbed to other channels.

backing vocals are often in the Rears/Surround Backs and a lot of lovely heroic guitar work pops up and pans about the Sides/Rears/Surround Backs to great effect! ️

the "i just get two steps nearer to my grave" refrain in "Keep Yourself Alive" pops up behind you from the Surround Backs for instance, which is rather fun!

the tracks with the most use of the Heights are i would say "My Fairy King" (guitar sweeps suitably majestically from above!) and "Jesus" (refrain vocals blast out from on high!) however, most tracks barely do anything interesting or much at all with the Heights apart from muted Freddie vocals (tantalisingly isolated.. if they weren't so grungey thanks to Atmos streaming compression i may just listen to them in isolation for fits and giggles ).

"Modern Times Rock n Roll" has Roger's vocal blasting out up there at full pelt everyw now and again in the track, which is definitely a cool move.

i'm out for the rest of the day now but will revisit the mix over the weekend.
right now, after one proper full listen to the mix in aggregate (in 7.1.4) and a 2nd bitty listen picking bits of the mix apart,
i'd say i'm happy enough with the Surround-y-ness of it, by and large.

hopefully they tackle Queen II next that could benefit from a remix more than this one tbh, also it's one of my all-time favourite albums by anyone and easily in my Queen Top 5 LPs so keeping everything crossed for that and pleased as Punch for what we have now

 

[Musichronosphere]

How about Queen 1 in quadraphonic? Or Atmos, 5.1? "Queen in quad" has a nice ring to it, though. I like the commentary by fredblue. This new box set's CD sound quality is exceptional, with a very wide, enveloping soundstage

 

[Owen Smith]

it was in a way a slightly strange choice to start remixing Queen's albums in Atmos (if that's what this is, the start of a remixing programme, i mean) as it's such a basic original recording but it feels like they've eeked some cool stuff out of the tapes and if it is indeed the start of a series (we know it seldom usually is with these things! ) then it's a good place to start and i can see why the band felt like the album needed some sprucing up in a way, maybe.

there's definitely been some jiggery-pokery going on, drums sound so modern it's almost as if they've been re-recorded but they have nice oomph so they're not like crisp packets now!

The reason for this remix is the band never liked the sound of the instruments on the first album. The drums were dead in a US style drum booth, other aspects were wrong, the band complained but being unknown were told "we'll fix it in the mix" which they knew wouldn't actually happen. The purpose of remixing this is to actually do that "fix it in the mix" and make the instruments sound how Queen originally wanted them (or at least 2024's interpretation of that). The Atmos mix appears to be "well if we're remixing it we might as well do an Atmos mix as well as stereo".

So given the purpose wasn't to do an Atmos mix, it's an open question whether this will result in more Queen Atmos remixes. Not releasing the Atmos mix on disc is going to do it no favours, it'll have the usual crappy Atmos streamed sound quality.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

Liar - Live 1974 (Official)
*one of the big bands back in the day, that I never got a chance to see live.

 

[himey]

Liar - Live 1974 (Official)
*one of the big bands back in the day, that I never got a chance to see live.

Looks and sounds great!

 

[GOS]

Liar - Live 1974 (Official)
*one of the big bands back in the day, that I never got a chance to see live.

Just wow! Queen was so amazing back then.

 

[Owen Smith]

Just wow! Queen was so amazing back then.

I split Queen into three eras: Early, middle and late. I like early Queen best, late the next, and middle the least. Middle for me starts around News Of The World and ends with Hot Space (easily my least favourite Queen album).