I suspect a few of us are gunshy. Also, it is good to chat about the releases and give them a few more listens so our votes and comments in the polls are, for lack of a better word, settled down.
Tears for Fears-Songs From The Big Chair - HiRez 5.1!
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I suspect a few of us are gunshy. Also, it is good to chat about the releases and give them a few more listens so our votes and comments in the polls are, for lack of a better word, settled down.
Well, I would agree. Gotta be a thread where we can dissect it...talk about it....over and over. Seems the poll thread is not that place...but....I'm sort of new here.
TFF is an interesting band for this reason, if nothing else. They started out as dark, new wave synth band for sure with "The Hurting". But according to interviews I've read with Orzabal, "Seeds of Love" is the album he always wanted to make. "The Hurting" is a synth album because that's the gear they had to work with at the time, the album they could afford to make, and is dark because that's what he was going through at the period. He's said about SFTBC that life was good for them at that point. He didn't have any real reason to be dark, so he wasn't going to make a dark album along the lines of "The Hurting".
But the goth kids who made up their original hardcore fan base and LOVED "The Hurting" and still thought SFTBC was pretty good (even if they resented it having big hit singles) all HATED "Seeds". They thought it was adult-contemporary/pop sell out. Which, to address some earlier points (maybe on another thread perhaps?) is why "Elemental" and "Raoul" didn't fare well. The hardcore fan base left the band after "Seeds" and so those albums were left to succeed or fail based on how well the singles fared on the charts. They were no longer considered an "album" or "message" band.
I don't think any of their albums were ever anything more or less than what Orzabal wanted them to be at the time and within the limitations of the available money and technology at the time. Clearly he's always had a penchant for big, grandiose arrangements and productions which no one could have known at the outset. But I love the band for crossing all the different boundaries and the fact that really, none of their albums are the same and they are all quite good in their own way.
I'm still just amazed by how good and special "Everybody Loves A Happy Ending" is. Has any band ever put out a years-later "comeback" release that sounds so unlike their classic material and yet is still so good on its own? Zero attempt whatsoever to sound like anything on the first 3 big hit albums. Love that record.
"Shout" was always my least favorite song on the album and I felt it should have clocked in at around no more than 3 minutes because it was way too repetitive. With this new 5.1 surround mix, I want it to keep going past the 6 and a half minute mark. I actually enjoy it better and it just sounds so good! 
Yep..I was going to say that..in fact I was going to use gunshy..I think it's members trying to follow Jon's wishes and not "litter" the poll threads with non essential points...because one post might lead us down the "off topic" path..it happens..
I think on the topic of bias you are correct...it exists...not just with Steven Wilson but with our musical preference...it's unavoidable...it's pretty easy to see there are a lot of prog music fans on this site.. some titles benefit from being in that genre when it comes to voting on polls...and that's fine...you like what you like...I like some of it...but it depends on the specific title..I can't give a blanket endorsement of the genre.....I'm more on the rock side usually...but I've tried to expand my horizons the last couple of years...I'm glad I did...I've been exposed to some great music I would have never even considered 5 years ago...it's never too late to experience new music(for me anyway)...bias even enters into the format on here...I've never been on any forum with so many SACD haters..again...you like what you like...and that's fine(I just skip the posts with charts and graphs telling me about the evils of the SACD format)...my point is bias exists everywhere..and with music being so subjective it's hard to say there are rights and wrongs...
When you say there are no WOW's on Songs From The Big Chair I would disagree..IMO Everbody Wants To Rule The World is a wow song...I have never heard it so well done...so open...of course that's my favorite song on the album so I guess bias influenced my decision..and on the topic of giving out numerical ratings it's a mixed bag in these polls...nobody should have to explain a rating of 7 or above IMO and in reality what was a 10 in 2003 might be an 8 today...that's the reality...when DVD-A was just getting started people were just so happy to get anything in surround the voting was very generous..just saying...it's only human...there are certain posters that are more generous with their ratings than others...it's just human nature..I'm just glad we have something to talk about(more surround titles)...
I'm surprised more prog fans don't dig this album. It's very prog in many ways. "Working Hour" "Mothers Talk" and "Listen/Head Over Heels/Listen (live)" have a lot of prog elements. The quieter moments on the album are stuff you'd find on a Peter Gabriel album.
I always thought it something of cross between Gabriel and the 80's Yes albums.
Which, BTW, I'd love to have "Security" and "90125" in 5.1.....
I always thought it something of cross between Gabriel and the 80's Yes albums.
Which, BTW, I'd love to have "Security" and "90125" in 5.1.....
fourml8r
Senior Member
i find a lot of people write TFF off as a "pop" band (based in their hit singles) without taking time to really listen to their albums in full. they definitely have several "layers" to the band. at times, somewhat pop oriented but certainly at other times much darker with lots of prog rock influence.
I really appreciate your post.......it all comes down to human nature.....sometimes bias is unavoidable.....and is normal.....by the way, Steven Wilson is a genious of our days. Maybe i was expecting a miracle from him in TFF's SFTBC.....i just wanted to feel goosebumps as when i heard Eagles Hotel California on dvd-audio or Roxy Music's Avalon in SACD or LAGQ's Guitar Heroes.....or even Steven Wilson's Insurgentes......i was expecting too much.....but i really love Head over heels and Everybody wants to rule the world......two gems in this title IMO!!!!!
I felt goosebumps and I'm in awe whenever I listen to "Songs From The Big Chair' in 5.1. Maybe, it's system dependant on what one hears? I feel this walks all over "Reckless" and, to some extent, "Relayer".
You guys are killing me. I've heard so many different "views" of this disc. I can't wait to get it and toss the coals to it on my system. I guess, in the end....what matters is how it sounds in YOUR listening environment.
Opinions are like A-holes. Everyone has them.
Amazon.de has a very good price on the box at the moment, only 32,84 euros, http://www.amazon.de/Songs-Chair-Li...ords=tears+for+fears+songs+from+the+big+chair
Hey guys! After listening to this several times, I wonder if it's just me: has anybody else noticed that the vocals on this release are very quiet?
I mean, e.g. in Mothers Talk or Shout, the main vocals - in the center channel - are almost completely buried.
I thought something was wrong with my system at first, so I went ahead and checked the waveforms of both the DTS and LPCM 5.1 tracks, and then I looked at and listened to the Boys and Girls SACD by Bryan Ferry for comparison. Center was perfectly fine.
How does the TFF BluRay sound to you in terms of center/vocals?
I mean, e.g. in Mothers Talk or Shout, the main vocals - in the center channel - are almost completely buried.
I thought something was wrong with my system at first, so I went ahead and checked the waveforms of both the DTS and LPCM 5.1 tracks, and then I looked at and listened to the Boys and Girls SACD by Bryan Ferry for comparison. Center was perfectly fine.
How does the TFF BluRay sound to you in terms of center/vocals?
Shout had that problem..of course it was part of the overall problem of that song being too "congested" or "dense"..lack of separation...didn't really notice it too much on the other songs...other than Shout...I have no problem with the balance of the album.....while not perfect...I love that disc and it will get a lot of plays..
That's $25 less than what I paid. Suckered once again.
Me too, well 10,00 euros in fact. But I only posted the link for people on the fench. Lately I am less concerned about the lowest price. I do like a good deal, but if I buy it at 5 or 10 euros more, for something I will be enjoying in years to come, it is peanuts.
kap'n krunch
2K Club - QQ Super Nova
Precisely my point!
The voices are buried in this one,,,you can notice because, in the upmixed "Broken" the voices are THERE!!!!
Sorry all, but I just don't get this one . I never particularly liked this band's music back in the day, but was convinced to get the Blu Ray Audio version of this after reading all of the glowing reports about the sound quality. I've heard this disc now 3 times. My opinion of the music unfortunately hasn't improved from my memory of it. Also, in my opinion, the surround mix is good, but not one of the best. Obviously there may be a subconscious element here, in the way that there must be with peoples' voting. i.e. if you are listening to one of your favourite albums then it will sound good to your ears, whereas if you are listening to music that you don't like then it won't sound as good. A little simplistic maybe, but there must be an element of truth to this. Before my last listen of Songs from the Big Chair I was listening to Porcupine Tree - Anaesthetise, and afterwards I listened to The Power and the Glory and Legend, and these other 3 sounded so much better.
I would also add 2 more comments on this. I'm not a massive fan of XTC, but I have both the Nonsuch and Drums and Wires blu rays and these sound superb to me, such that the music has improved to me and I listen to both regularly. Also, I played Songs from the Big Chair to my wife, who is a bigger fan of this album (and eighties music in general) than I am, and she wasn't wow'ed by the surround mix either.
Sorry to go against the flow of opinion on this disc. As they say opinions are like a-holes, everyones got one. And ears are like lugholes.
2014 is shortly coming to an end, and it was surely the best year so far for surround releases. The top 3 sounding discs released in this bumper year remain in my opinion as: The Yes Album, The Power and the Glory, and Legend.
. I never particularly liked this band's music back in the day, but was convinced to get the Blu Ray Audio version of this after reading all of the glowing reports about the sound quality. I've heard this disc now 3 times. My opinion of the music unfortunately hasn't improved from my memory of it. Also, in my opinion, the surround mix is good, but not one of the best. Obviously there may be a subconscious element here, in the way that there must be with peoples' voting. i.e. if you are listening to one of your favourite albums then it will sound good to your ears, whereas if you are listening to music that you don't like then it won't sound as good. A little simplistic maybe, but there must be an element of truth to this. Before my last listen of Songs from the Big Chair I was listening to Porcupine Tree - Anaesthetise, and afterwards I listened to The Power and the Glory and Legend, and these other 3 sounded so much better.I would also add 2 more comments on this. I'm not a massive fan of XTC, but I have both the Nonsuch and Drums and Wires blu rays and these sound superb to me, such that the music has improved to me and I listen to both regularly. Also, I played Songs from the Big Chair to my wife, who is a bigger fan of this album (and eighties music in general) than I am, and she wasn't wow'ed by the surround mix either.
Sorry to go against the flow of opinion on this disc. As they say opinions are like a-holes, everyones got one. And ears are like lugholes.
2014 is shortly coming to an end, and it was surely the best year so far for surround releases. The top 3 sounding discs released in this bumper year remain in my opinion as: The Yes Album, The Power and the Glory, and Legend.
To each his own. There is the element of your own preferences to reinforce or overcome. There is also the factor of surprise and delight because none of us saw this one coming. All of this plays into the voting.
As for the vocals, they do not seem buried to me. I played this album on DVD-A last night as the Blu Ray hasn't arrived yet.
From QQ HQ
As for the vocals, they do not seem buried to me. I played this album on DVD-A last night as the Blu Ray hasn't arrived yet.
From QQ HQ
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