HiRez Poll Wayne, Jeff - WAR OF THE WORLDS [SACD]

[JonUrban]

Please post your thoughts and comments....

 

[JonUrban]

I have not voted yet, because I have to listen to the whole thing, but............

It showed up in the mail today, directly from Jeff Wayne Music (via eBay), and I immediatly cued up "Forever Autumn". Holy smokes, this thing sounds great. The guitars are EVERYWHERE!!!

It is a very dicrete mix, with instruments and sounds all over the place. Very satisfying to a surround guy like me. The SACD sound is spectacular.

More later.....................

 

[BARKSTAR]

I have listened to the whole Album from start to finish. I am a bigger fan of the first disc as opposed to the second but both have been fantastically realised. The PCM and Hi Rez Super Audio Stereo layers are both excellent but the Multi Channel recording is just superb. Even if you own, or have owned 'The War of the Worlds' already and have a Multi Channel SACD set up then this is definately worth picking up. 9/10.

 

[EMB]

I'm not a big fan of the album...it's really just a lot of cheese, and some of it--well, a lot of it--is faintly ridiculous, even though it can be evocative and haunting in places("Forever Autumn" is the album's only true masterpiece). Having Richard Burton do the narration from the professor's POV was a great coup(even when he didn't act well he had a marvelous voice). Of course I've never been a big fan of rock operas or concept albums like this, though to be fair, this holds together much better than things like Reizner's TOMMY, or ALL THIS & WORLD WAR II.

That said...this is one of the most intelligent 5.1 mixes I've ever heard! :51banana: Obviously it was remixed in a sense of the cinematic: Burton front and center, main instrumentation in front, and some very active action in the backs, and some nice woofer action! :banana:

WOTW is a great example of a dubious project that is made more enjoyable--even at times delightful in its fashion--because of the multichannel mix(I think of my old Quad-8 of Steve Miller's FLY LIKE AN EAGLE: I was never a Miller fan, and didn't particularly like the album or the lightweight, derivative material, but the Quad mix won me over to the point where I really like it now in spite of myself... )

And so I rate this a '10' strictly by the fact that I can't really imagine a mix that would be more fitting or sensible for this album...which is also my opinion of BROTHERS IN ARMS...I tried, listening many times, to find something different that could have been done. But I still can't, and I've played it beyond a dozen times(and WOTW three times thus far).

ED

 

[wapfu]

I give it an 8 simply cause I love the first disc but the second drags and isn't as lively as the first. That being said its a wonderful mix. I have the original vinyl the original sony 20 bit CD's, the twin SACD disc set and yes call me mad the super edition, all 7 discs. The book is oh so big and if your eyes are going so much easier to read. Havn't listened to it all - time will tell. Love the dialogue positions and the opening of the cylinder (sauce pans recorded grating the lid slowly) moves and pans around. Fantastic.
Regards
Bill

 

[solaris]

I have not listened to this since 1980. I though I might listen to it once or twice for the mix and then put it away for a while. Well the chances of listening to this once are a million to one I said.
The mix is a great Quad mix as the center is not as important as the other 4. It was always well recorded so they sound is mostly very good. There are a few places where I want more bass though.
I'm surprised I keep play this all over AGAIN~^/\/\/\*all over AGAIN~^/\/\/\*all over AGAIN~^/\/\/\*all over AGAIN~^/\/\/\*.

 

[MIDIQ]

Got this in the mail today. I had never even heard of this title before, but i am very glad i bought a copy. I really liked it. I haven't voted yet because i am not sure if it is a 9 or a 10 yet, i will have to give it another listen or two before i vote. But i can surely say that the surround mix is GREAT.

 

[MIDIQ]

After another listen through, i voted a 9. I really like the SACD, but it is not quite a 10 to me (very close, i must say). But the surround mix is a 10.

 

[ferret-e]

10.
Only one disappointment : this is my first sacd withoun cd-text !!! I hope, last.

 

[bugdaddy]

I give it an 8 simply cause I love the first disc but the second drags and isn't as lively as the first.

i go along with wapfu on this one. much of the second disk is just as bombastic and boring as i remember it - - disk 1 remains in heavy rotation, however. and to echo what's been stated by many, great job on the mix throughout.

 

[omega4]

I voted this a 9. I agree with the comments about disc 1 being more accessible than disc 2. But the opening up of the sound stage in surround makes this an essential album.

I am going to the live show at the Albert Hall next April and I only hope it is as special as this release. For those outside the UK, Jeff Wayne is taking WOTW on tour, a dress rehearsal and 12 (virtually sold out) shows. And, of course, Justin Hayward is appearing. I don't think it would work without him. I'm not sure if Jeff Wayne is planning to go to other parts of the world. If not it can only be because of the risk of bumping into martians! :alienrob: @: (He may have seen Spielberg's version!) There is to be a live DVD.

 

[Cai Campbell]

This one is an absolute 10. The surround mix is incredible; it fully envelops you and places you within the story. This album is without a doubt the perfect application for surround-sound and the execution here is flawless. This has to be the best retro-fit surround mix I have ever heard. If I didn't know any better, I would say it was recorded as a surround-sound project (which it wasn't).

Phenomenal! :spot

 

[Dusty Chalk]

I got the box set -- highly recommended, but what a weird mish-mash of content. The main two discs are SACD hybrids, the bonus material are redbook, and the DVD is...well, DVD. The SACDs sound superb.

 

[Chris Gerhard]

I just received this SACD today. My only prior experience was listening to a special Halloween radio broadcast back in Wichita, KS around 1979. I thought it was a very fine work based on that and the SACD is excellent. An 8.

Chris

 

[Chris Gerhard]

yourmusic.com has a release date of 1978 listed, so that's not the SACD.

Hi Kaz.

What does that mean? The album was released in 1978 and I know for a fact the CD was not released in 1978 and yourmusic either has a CD release or an SACD hybrid. As far as I know all SACD discs shown on yourmusic show album release date, not SACD release date. Has anybody ordered this from yourmusic to see what it is?

Chris

 

[Guy Robinson]

Little behind the times here. I finally picked this one up. I have looked at it 3 or 4 times in the Best Buy rack but everytime I put it back......until today of course.......I had an extreme case of "New Disc-itis" and this one was just too accessible. I voted 9. I just had to take a point off for the cheesiness of some of the sections. I had this one on LP but haven't heard it for years. I don't remember it being this good. Must be the excellent surround mix. From this perspective it is as close as it comes to perfection and enveloping the listener in a soundscape. After hearing this once I would say that anyone that has SACD surround capability should get this. It's got those 70's analog dynamics. Anyway, I am glad that I finally got it and did not miss it entirely...which almost happened....

 

[JonUrban]

It's an SACD, so there is no DD or DTS surround component. You need an SACD 5.1 player with a 6 Ch in capable receiver (unless you have iLink or Denon Link).

 

[mch007]

A 10 on strength of very entertaining surround mix. One of my favorite mixes

 

[0tto]

nice release with well done 5.1 mix. bad side only, a repetitive musical themes
which make this listening at some moments quite boring. perhaps would be more
interesting in DVDA with picturesque slideshow during playback.
anyway, i voted 9

 

[Analogueghost]

This is one of my very favorite surround discs. I love the music, I love the mix and it always manages to impress as a demo. 10/10.