I think I was almost more excited to see the original quad released digitally than the remix! I mean, the quad is a remix itself. There are some gratuitous moves. Maybe a missed cue with the fx tape on Here They Come. Few other things that smell of lack of budget for a little rework that the stereo counterpart got. But it has serious vibe and clearly Alvin Lee's involvement.
I thought the Q4 transfer I had was in decent-ish shape. The clarity in the high end here is revealing! The old copy has generational damage very much revealed by this. But this new mastering is pretty thin. I suppose it's possible the fatness in the old copy could be some tape bass bump running a little wild but it sounds more intentional and under control than that. The damaged old copy still sounds a decent amount better in general despite the obvious generational damage.
The new 7.1.4 mix is a decent mix. It's not a showroom 12 channel mix that will convert a 5.1 listener to 7.1.4 or anything but it's a good mix and a well done 12 channel mix at that. But it just kind of sits there. Nearly all the surround moves from the original surround mix are unceremoniously dismissed or downplayed here. Kind of a shitty attitude with that. The opening 360 deg swirl might be a gratuitous example but the acoustic guitar walk around the room was really on point. For just one example.
Not a mix I'm likely to return to with the original quad being what it is. And I'll be hoping for a much better mastering job in the future on that!
I was never aware of the SACD mentioned. The quad channels in this bluray release match the Q4 transfer I listen to. The few 360 deg pans throughout suggest this channel order is correct. (It tracks around the room as expected as opposed to doing a criss cross.) So if this was released with the rear channels reversed from that, I'd say that would be the one in the wrong. (The SACD that is.)
I consider myself to be a TYA expert, childhood fan have everything, even saw them twice, both times Winterland San Francisco.
This Blu Ray with all of the recordings is definitive you will never hear better.
Regarding tape hiss sometimes if not too loud, I like it as it adds character to what I am listening to.
Little TYA fact, On the
Cricklewood Green recording, the song called
Working On The Road Track 2 has a mistake in the recording that they left in as it sounds cool.
At about :50 to :54 seconds depending on what you are listening to you hear the rhythm of the song slow down, this effect was not on purpose, it was in fact someone accidentally brushed the tape recorder and actually slowed down the recording, very brief.
TYA in my opinion is a very high candidate for a surround series as they where one of the first bands to use many non music recordings, trains, hissing, sounds, feet, on and on in there recordings, these would be prime for a surround series.
I believe in it so much I would even be willing to donate to such a project.
Regarding the 2012 release
SEE DISCOGS INFO, the big flaw was nobody believes on purpose, but they put Alvin's vocals in the rears. Many people corrected it on there little home machines but this 2023 Blu Ray corrected it officially.
This picture shows the information on the 2012 DVD label.