HiRez Poll Tears for Fears - SONGS FROM THE BIG CHAIR [DVD-A/BluRay Audio]

[wavelength]

Over Xmas I was off work for 2 weeks and had lots of time to listen to my system. After re-arranging my speakers I have to admit, somewhat sheepishly but happily as well, that I am liking this album a lot more than my previous comments indicate.

The thing is I have 2 pairs of paradigm studio 60 v2 speakers. Even at that they are not identical. 1 pair has thicker sides which was marketed as a "deluxe" version of the v2. Up until now I've been using the deluxe for the L & R and 1 of the other "normal" pair for the Center. Over the holidays as I was listening I started to wonder what would it sound like if I used the normal pair for the L & R and 1 of the deluxe speakers for the Center.

Well great googly moogly! It sounds better because the normal speakers (the new the L & R) match up better sonically with the LS & RS. THe whole surround field is more cohesive. It doesn't sound like a big change and I was surprised that it does matter as much as it does. I know...it never stops but that's what makes this hobby so interesting.

The end result is I'm playing this album on a regular basis and enjoying it very much. Like all good albums it offers a new and satisfying listening experience. A nice sit back and travel along with the vibe.

 

[atlantasteve]

I listened to many songs on this album for years and years but never bought the album. Now I have solved 2 deficits: not having this album and not having it in surround! I am enjoying it more and more with every listen. This is one of the best "new wave" albums of the 80's. Solid from start to finish.

The surround is aggressive but matches what these kinds of songs sounded like in the mid 80's. Maybe not a demo disc but a disc that deserves to be on your shelf.

 

[Franklin]

This is a weird one for me. I'm not loving it, I'm not finding it dreadful, it's just kind of okay, and I'm not sure why. I thought the vocals on Mother's Talk were clearly too low, and despite the album being opened up somewhat by the multichannel mix, it still sounds strangely cluttered, or low res, or something. There's no real surprises and no wow moments for me, and I wonder if that is because it was built up from the stereo mix. It's definitely cohesive, but the sound is a little unpleasant to me. Not sure what to rate it.

 

[Franklin]

I voted this a 5. I don't find it very interesting, and it still sounds cluttered. Maybe this is to do with SW's approach of attempting to make an identical stereo mix then make the 5.1 out of that but retaining the same left/right panning just choosing front and/or rear. I really wanted to like it, and I was expecting to like it. I don't actively dislike it but it just doesn't excite me; it's too samey for my taste.

 

[Odys]

A huge surprise for me. I was never a big fan of the band, but I really enjoyed this disc. The mix is great, and the songs I was unfamiliar with are way better than I had hoped. I was only familiar with the hits, which have a pleasant nostalgia factor going for them. A must buy. 10.

 

[arnold_layne]

I give this a 9. Reason, Broken is not a true surround mix. You can really hear it when listening that it's an upmix. Shame the original muli-tracks for that song could not be found. Luckily it's a short song (both parts) so it doesn't ruin the listening experience too badly.

 

[skherbeck]

I bought this for 2 reasons: I liked the hits (Shout, EWTRTW, and Head Over Heels) and Steven Wilson... Well, I still pretty much only like the hits, but I have added "Listen" to my play list. The sound quality is excellent (even with the 80s reverb), and the surround mix is discrete and Immersive. Unfortunately, I still get the feeling this is music for girls (as I did in High School), but since I'm now listening at home in surround, at least I won't have to turn down the volume at Stop lights! I give it an 8.

 

[ar surround]

I bought this for 2 reasons: I liked the hits (Shout, EWTRTW, and Head Over Heels) and Steven Wilson... Well, I still pretty much only like the hits, but I have added "Listen" to my play list. The sound quality is excellent (even with the 80s reverb), and the surround mix is discrete and Immersive. Unfortunately, I still get the feeling this is music for girls (as I did in High School), but since I'm now listening at home in surround, at least I won't have to turn down the volume at Stop lights! I give it an 8.

For me, the non-hits come across way better in high resolution surround sound than in redbook CD stereo. I never sat and actually listened to the whole album until Steven Wilson worked his magic. There are a number of titles where the intent of the artist, especially textures, can only be captured in hi-res surround sound. Steely Dan's Gaucho is another one that comes to mind.

 

[Tornado Red]

...And now for something completely different. I love SW's approach to MC mixes, he doesn't just use the extra channels as ambience, there is SO much surround involvement! I have the stereo cd...don't need another version of that...and thankfully this HFPA isn't A 9 for me.

 

[edisonbaggins]

Solid 10 to these ears. Not much to add. Even if you don't like '80's music, get this.

**btw - my OPPO bdp-83 produced some drop-outs during the HD-Master track, so I tried the 5.1 PCM track and heard no drop-outs.**

***"Listen" is an all-time demo track. Good Heavens that was incredible.***

 

[rtbluray]

Solid 10 to these ears. Not much to add. Even if you don't like '80's music, get this.
***"Listen" is an all-time demo track. Good Heavens that was incredible.***

So glad you loved this disc!
I happened to revisit this disc myself over the weekend, and I was reminded of why I fell in love with this album and this surround mix in the first place.
Besides Steven's work with XTC, we had mostly become used to his surround mixing magic on several 70s prog classics (and I for one am still looking forward to his eventual surround mix of "Tales from Topographic Oceans") but this mix showed that he could do it all just as easily for an 80s pop masterpiece, which this most certainly is!
I hope he has the opportunity to work with more 80s artists like this one in the future cause this mix proves what an impact surround sound can have on music from that era!

PS Ditto on "Listen"! It's like it was always made for surround!

 

[eatbostik]

Blu Ray - Excellent disc.

I did have a similar issue as an earlier poster here and thought the vocals were a little quiet in the centre. Cranked it up though so not a major issue and could well be my current poor setup (though not noticed it on any other discs).

Going to give it a 9. I just feel the available storage on these discs is not being utilized and think that it wouldn't take much to give a few extras. A few B-sides (even in an original stereo mix) or a video, anything and I'd have given this a ten.

Hopefully this doesn't go against forum rules (I've not seen it mentioned anywhere but am a bit worried it might be construed as advertising or something) but I bought my copy from Amazon which came with their free Autorip thing. Downloaded the album for my phone and it gives you both of the first two discs from the full boxset. 31 tracks in total including the b-sides and remixes. Not sure if this is deliberate but it was a nice little bonus.

 

[seilerbird]

This is a solid ten. I have listened to it at least once a day since I got it a month ago. I love everything about it.

 

[salsdali]

10

so good

 

[artwwweb]

One disappointment for me with the 5.1 mix: the guitar on Mothers Talk. I love the rough guitar chops that come in under the chorus (“My fate is formed...”) They are much quieter on the new mix.
I’m used to hearing the 12” mixes of all the singles, so I thought I’d better remind myself of the original LP master, and the guitar is loud enough there. But on the 5.1 mix it is much quieter. Might seem like a tiny detail but it’s one of my favourite TFF moments, so I really miss it. I don’t expect the 5.1 mix to match the stereo exactly, but I know that is always Steven Wilson’s laudable intention, so I’m surprised this wasn’t picked up on.

Anyway, still a great album with great sound and a great mix.

(In fantasy land, I’d love to have the LP versions replaced with their 12” versions, plus the B-sides - all in hi-res 5.1, of course.)

 

[sbrom]

Listening to the 5.1 channel mix of Tears For Fears "Songs from the Big Chair" makes me nostalgic for the simplicity and optimism of the 80's. My personal situation at that time: a great family life with young kids, rewarding start to a new career, and a general excitement for what the future might bring. To quote a Tricia Yearwood: "The Song Remembers When"

This release of "Songs from the Big Chair" is beautiful. Steven Wilson's airy and discrete mix enhances the ethereal feeling that flows through the music like whisps of smoke.

Why did I wait 18 months, since starting my surround adventure, to experience this disc?

10.

 

[JonUrban]

This is the first Steven Wilson disc I did not care for due to the way the vocals were mixed. If you own the Mercedes Benz dts DVD compare the mixes of "Shout", the vocals are present as they should be on the Mercedes disc. As much as I hate too, I rate this a 7.

I'm a bit late on this one @:, but here is a look at the wav forms from the SW BluRay of "Shout" compared to the completely different mix on the MB demo disc. The biggest difference is in fact in the vocals. The SW mix, as he does on most of his releases, has the vocals solely in the center channel. Now listening to this in the car, it comes off with perfection, as the center channel in the Acura sits up on the dash and it's high and right in you face, so to speak, and the vocals sound terrific. However, when you get it to a home system that has the center speaker under a monitor, off on a shelf, or maybe a smaller speaker than the other 4, it can sound like the vocals are "buried", because they are in the center and nowhere else prominently.

The MB mix puts the vocals in the center and the rears. And the "round" part of the song shifts in volume between the rears and the center. These vocals are not discrete, it's not a true "echo response" of the round, but the audio levels give it a perception of a bouncing round. Having these two files on the PC I could easily see why many listeners feel the SW mix has "buried vocals".

Here are the wav file jpg's:

 

[Strilo]

Super late to this one, but I had to chime in. Songs From the Big Chair was literally the first album I ever bought, I still have the original vinyl release from 1985. Also, TFF is in my top 10 artists of all time, so when I heard about this being released in surround, I was very excited. I was even more excited when I heard it was Steven Wilson. I gave this release a 10, tho I have the Blu Ray release only. It is for me one of the best surround mixes I own and I play it anytime I am in a TFF mood. I also play it frequently for friends to demo hi-res surround music and it always gets a hugely positive response. I think "Everybody Wants To Rule the World" is one of several major highlights on the album, along with "The Working Hour" and "I Believe." The subtle and quiet brilliance of "I Believe" is truely apparent in the surround mix and only served to deepen my appreciation of the song.

Definitely a 10/10 from me for the 5.1 mix (and the new stereo mix, which I have listened to exclusively ever since).

 

[beerking]

Mine is the stand alone Blu-ray version.
I'm just hitting so much nostalgia today.
A fantastic Mr Wilson mix.
These two lads allowed thier creative juices to explore every nook and cranny available to them back in the 80's.
A pity their personalities and respective ego's stopped them in their prime.
Although, I gather they have recently appeared on stage together.
This is and was a brilliant album.
No shedding tears here
It's an unbroken 10

 

[HugoPhyrst]

Reading through this today, I realized I had not voted.

The fidelity is fantastic. This mix is one of the best I've heard. Every track is a new experience. I love the percussion shifting in the fronts and center on Mothers Talk. The beautifully full sound and discrete elements on Listen gave me a better appreciation for that song. Just amazing. 10