I can't believe I'm the first to rate this. I'm honored.
The sonics on this are the best you are likely to hear from this album. Warm 70s analog type sound. But very clean. Not as bright as the Parsons mixes of Time Passages, and the especially YOTC. The winner here is still TP IMO.
The mix is pretty spectacular.
@Stephen W Tayler did his normal, stellar job. The rears are used well. No double stereo here. The biggest advantage is that you can now hear into the mix and separate the instrumentation so easily. This is a major improvement over the stereo and upmixes I've heard. It can easily sit in the company of the Parsons albums, and in places it is more adventurous.
For me the content is above reproach. This was always my go to Stewart disc, but the others are good as well. What a brilliant idea...songs about history and historic figures. Past, present and the future as seen through the Eyes of Nostradomas. It's all killer, no filler. Every track is good in its own right. If you like stories and great lyrics, buy this album. You won't regret it.
Terminal Eyes, an admitted wink to the Beatles
I Am The Walrus, is just pure enjoyment, as I hoped it would be.
The packaging is similar to the other Stewart releases, which is nice, but I'm not a big package guy. The Tull packages are the best IMO. You also get a bonus track in surround. (I can see how it didn't fit the albums theme) and some live stereo I haven't played yet.
If I didn't like the album so much this would get a 9. But I gotta award it a 10. It's that good to my old ears.
One last thing. The British cover sucks compared to the US version.
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