HiRez Poll TEMPLE OF THE DOG - TEMPLE OF THE DOG [Blu-Ray Audio]

[rtbluray]

Please post your thoughts and comments on this 2016 release containing a 5.1 surround mix of the self-titled album by the band Temple of the Dog.
This 2CD/DVD/Blu-Ray Super Deluxe Edition is available to order from the band's webstore: https://templeofthedogshop.com/collections/music-exclusives/products/super-deluxe-edition

 

[marpow]

Thank you RT, I think I'll listen/watch the DVD/CD's first and listen to 5.1 last. Looking forward to posting my thoughts even after reading the article Snood supplied. I have to ride my bike first, not interested in turning into a giant audiophile sitting.

 

[Jeddia]

This is a solid 9.

I was pretty apprehensive about buying it after the reviews of the Superunknown box set. But this album, in my opinion, contains some of the greatest songs ever written. I love it. And even a bad 5.1 mix would still be a 5.1 mix of one of my favorite albums. I paid $119 for it on Amazon (US) and I have to say, I would've paid twice that had i known that the set would be this great. Decent swag (poster, holographic print, awesome packaging), great CD material (remixed album, demos on disc 2), cool DVD with live footage, and the blu-ray with the 5.1 mix.

The gem here, of course, is the 5.1 mix. Much like my predictions, it clearly wasn't as much of a challenge as mixing a Soundgarden album into 5.1. There's a bit too much attention to mid-range here and there, but overall this is a solid 5.1 surround mix of an album that highlights the talents of a handful of the Seattle icons from the early 90's. Of course, everyone knows Vedder's voice and those tones that Ament and McCready gave us throughout that decade. But what should be evident, especially after all this time, is that Chris Cornell's vocals are what brings this release to the front of the Seattle releases. Temple of the Dog is the Reese's cup of that scene. It's an album that drops great lyrics, great songwriting, and great production right in your lap - and doesn't really falter throughout its runtime.

Cornell's voice is obviously spotlighted here. The mix puts him right up in your face - which is where you want him. The subtle instrumentation of tracks like Call Me a Dog and Times of Trouble (the latter of which may be one of the greatest songs I've ever heard...and I've heard alot), compliment both Cornell's powerful voice and the intuitive writing behind these tracks. If you're a fan of this record, you know what I'm talking about. If you're not, well...I have to ask 'why?'.

I could probably gush about this album, and this Deluxe set, all night. But I'll leave you with my final thought and a lyric.

Buy this set. Period.

And when it's my time
To throw the next stone
I'll call you beautiful if I call at all

 

[marpow]

OMG, I thought Coldplay was the # 1 5.1 of 2016 but now, you don't know how happy I am at 72 db a 100 % bonafide 5.1 of my youth, fuck yeah. I'll be back. Really, "visual option" with 5.1 on the menu, I'm blown away.

 

[marpow]

I voted 10, solid. Everybody has there moments in life and I was with this chick and both of us where solid into this disc. I did full on listen, the two CD's whatever, there cool, I have the original 92 disc and I cant here a difference. The RBCD's are called 25th anniversary mix. The DVD is cool but a little boring except from a historical point of view. It starts off with home movie camera and ends with professional camera. I liked when they where playing at one venue to about 25 people that when they started playing people where running in, cool video. The MTV video of Hunger Strike is only on the DVD, I think that the artists said, WTF, that's what people saw back then, so lets not make it pretty with Blu Ray. I'm cool with that.
I don't understand why they put the Live At Alpine Valley and Live At Benaroya Hall on the DVD and the Blu Ray, seems stupid. Disc 2, the Outtakes are what you would expect, there outtakes, whatever.
So far, so good on 3 discs, what can go wrong, it's 1992 and all is good. Next my loving of the 5.1. Like Jeddia said, buy it. The Amazon guy that Snood posted is way to technical/critical. I feel alive.

 

[marpow]

5.1 Disc 4 review. First, Eddie Vedder is drinking Corona, not Miller High Life as the Blu Ray has more clarity. Unfortunately my McIntosh MVP 891 did not like the menu of Disc 4. I was not able to access some of the video. The music video of Hunger Strike is on the Blu Ray even though it is not listed on the (yellow back cover). Mike McReady does an over the top guitar solo on the live portion. I treated my BD disc with Ultra Bit Diamond Plus. For some reason, and I am very dissapointed, on Hunger Strike both in the 5.1 video and the album, it starts off great with Chris Cornell's vocals but when Eddie Vedder comes in the vocals drop, not this way on CD. Oh well, it all comes back by the end. Now I am able to access all of menu, as I found a way but it stress's me out and i don't want to talk about it.
The Mix : isn't that what we are wondering about ? I listened at 72 db, no ear fatigue, and I was in rock heaven, beautiful surround , sound stage was literally as wide as my walls. Chris Cornell is the boss.Jeff Ahmet is Mr. Bass, Stone Gossard is Mr. Rhythm, Mike McCready is Jimi Hendrix and Matt Cameron is solid as anybody.
I'm not going to be a freak and say..............., but if you are of my age and you where digging this whole scene in early 90"s than you just have to. The fact that my machine did not like the menu, blows, but I love everything about this box set. I bet my bottom dollar it will be a candidate for best surround album at the Grammy's.
I have purchased three iconic 5.1 sets in the last two weeks. Fleetwood Mac, Mirage, sucks, Coldplay, A Head Full Of Dreams, awesome and Temple Of The Dog, awesome. TOTD is a sonic historical landmark with long hair to short hair over 25 years. I love my flannel shirts, drinking beer, and camp fire, that's me.

 

[Odys]

I'm going to listen to it a few more times before I vote, but it seems to me that the fronts are mixed too low and the rears too high. I like what's going on in the rears, but the fronts have me concerned.

 

[dobyblue]

For some reason, and I am very dissapointed, on Hunger Strike both in the 5.1 video and the album, it starts off great with Chris Cornell's vocals but when Eddie Vedder comes in the vocals drop, not this way on CD.

For me the biggest problem with Hunger Strike is Eddie's vocals are completely through the surround channels, even when he's singing his verse by himself. It's a ghastly decision and I find it absolutely unlistenable because of it. My wife, who really doesn't listen to music in the same way I do but does love that we have very good sound in our house, listened to Hunger Strike with me because she loves the song and said half way through the second verse, "that doesn't sound good at all, I want to hear Eddie's voice much louder than that...it sounds muffled"

So absolutely the levels are dropped but the main vocal through the surrounds is everything that was wrong with Superunknown. Fortunately not every song suffers like this.

I'm only half way through the album in surround and so far for me it's 5/10. The well mixed songs like Wooden Jesus sound great, but Times of Trouble and Hunger Strike are absolutely disasters. My rating would be higher for the box set as a whole, but presumably here we're rating the surround mix only. Times of Trouble has the doubled vocal line coming out the rear right surround, why on Earth would you unbalance the mix like that? I think it would have been a great mix if the doubled vocal had been through the front left and right with the main vocal through the centre. For Hunger Strike both vocals should be through the center. The stereo remix is very good and not slammed.

My Pioneer BDP-62FD also didn't like the menu. I didn't have any trouble with it when it was up and could select everything, but pressing the menu during playback had some glitches.

I definitely need to finish listening before voting, I have five songs left (SH2H, Reach, Dog, Four and All Night) so hopefully most of them are closer to Wooden Jesus than Times of Trouble. I expect anything with a doubled main vocal by Cornell is going to be awful.

Also - woah!! - http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/temple-of-the-dog-members-mull-new-music/

 

[peterzach]

Some interesting discussion here, here's my take on Hunger Strike mixing.

First listen I did not have it cranked that loud and when vocals start for Hunger Strike sounds ok, which I think is starting with Chris in center channel.
When Eddie starts his part its in the rear and is much louder than Chris's parts which are still in front center channel.
Its a unusual choice but not totally terrible but the volume level of vocals is definitely off, Eddie's in rear is way louder which maybe makes sense as his vocals are coming through 2 rear speakers and Chris's is only coming through on the one center channel.

I don't know how to futz with recordings so I do it by adjusting my speakers or my sitting position in the surround field so on my second listen I just sat closer to the fronts so that I am closer to the the center so it is coming through a bit louder and it sounded better for sure.
I wonder if its as a result of criticism Adam Kasper got about compression and rears not used for proper discreet use on Soundgarden Superunknown and now he has over compensated with stuff coming from the the rears and did make this recording less compressed which is definitely a good thing.

peter

 

[salsdali]

a solid 9 for the BD-A

I think I like the thickness (more analog sounding than digital) of the DTS-MA better than the (digital) clarity of the (mlp) Dolby TrueHD but each has it's pros and cons.

true Grunge at it's finest, Seattle never sounded better

I'm transported to being 20 years old again

I like this a bit better (not much but definately a bit) than Soundgarden's Superunknown or Badmotorfinger BD-A's

If you were 20 when these hit this is the definitive release, hands down. Took 'effing long enough

the stereo (only) extras of the live performances (Alpine Valley especially) on the BD are also fantastic, some of the best live stereo I've heard, great PQ also

I wanna (You gotta) reach down
and pick the crowd up
carry back in my hand to the promised land

You gotta rest, you gotta rest

Highly recommended

RIP Chris Cornell, Scott Weiland, Tom Petty, My Dog, Sugar

 

[markshan]

Just finished listening to the 5.1 Blu Ray. This is worth seeking out if you are a fan of the album, not essential for the casual listener. A nice mix, but not outstanding. Ironically, the part I was most looking forward to ended up being the biggest disappointment. I love the Chris Cornell/Eddie Vedder duet on "Hunger Strike" and was hoping for a creative mix there. It was creative. They went with a front/rear mix for the two singers. IMHO this would have worked great except that they put Cornell front center, and Vedder rear left and right (I suppose for the lack of a rear center). The problem is that putting Eddie across two speakers while Chris is in just the one gives the effect of his vocal being bigger. Of course in the stereo mix this isn't the case and it makes no sense to have that effect here. Had they put Cornell across the front two speakers rather than just in the center this mix would have been brilliant. There is no "credits" page on the disc (the menuing as a whole is not great), so I don't know who did the mix, but they were so close.

 

[edisonbaggins]

This is as good as this awesome album sounds. I'm glad I read past all the comments about Cornell/Vedder unbalanced....
All I can say is, on my system, it sounds perfectly balanced and AWESOME.
I have run Audyssey calibration with minimal tweaks to the sub.
Anyway, RIP, Chris Cornell. Thank you, whomever, for the competent mix. This smokes any CD or LP of TotD you're going to come across.
10...

 

[salsdali]

you're on a tear tonight

good music does that

 

[beerking]

In my opnion, the mix on this is better than Badmotorfinger which I just gave a 10 to, therefore its only rite that this should be a 10 .
Its very discrete and I'm at one with Jeddia and Edisonbaggins views on this release.
If you can find it for a reasonable sum, its deff worth that purchase price ...umm its good.
My head will fall off if I keep nodding it any more...

More info here:

https://www.discogs.com/Temple-Of-The-Dog-Temple-Of-The-Dog/release/9182342

 

[musicmemorabiliashoppellc]

Hello out there

Can anyone answer this question for me? I just received the box set but haven't opened it yet. What is the actual size of this set? Is it like an OVERSIZED LP BOX SET or like a 7" BOX SET? Im curious because I was expecting an OVERSIZED edition like LP sized box but got a small box instead. Wondering if there were 2 different pressings or not. Thanks again

 

[Juggsnelson]

Not LP sized.

 

[edisonbaggins]

Hello out there

Can anyone answer this question for me? I just received the box set but haven't opened it yet. What is the actual size of this set? Is it like an OVERSIZED LP BOX SET or like a 7" BOX SET? Im curious because I was expecting an OVERSIZED edition like LP sized box but got a small box instead. Wondering if there were 2 different pressings or not. Thanks again

Approximately 7" x 7" x 1"

 

[Juggsnelson]

Hello out there

Can anyone answer this question for me? I just received the box set but haven't opened it yet. What is the actual size of this set? Is it like an OVERSIZED LP BOX SET or like a 7" BOX SET? Im curious because I was expecting an OVERSIZED edition like LP sized box but got a small box instead. Wondering if there were 2 different pressings or not. Thanks again

It's the size of a 45.

 

[svengaleekie]

Been listening to this on YouTube and liking it, but it's a bit dear £85 or so, I remember deciding not to get it when it came out, 'cos of the price. Can anyone convince me to spend that money on it?

 

[beerking]

Been listening to this on YouTube and liking it, but it's a bit dear £85 or so, I remember deciding not to get it when it came out, 'cos of the price. Can anyone convince me to spend that money on it?

I had never heard of them until I read about the release in the QQ surround poll. Like you I hesitated for a while. Never wish to convince anyone to spend hard earn't cash but I'm glad I did...eventually.