Wham! - Fantastic & Make It Big Atmos Blu-Ray Audios w/bonus tracks (SDE Surround Series #19 & #20) March 22, 2024 (Delayed until April 26)

[srbjab]

Just not my thing, so an easy pass for me. It's my bias and I'm sticking to it!

 

[Bill B]

So, you're saying you're going to buy these....lol

No, but you talked me into buying those clear TDSOTM picture discs, just on their cool factor.
As you should know, I don't even have a turntable.

I wouldn't even want these Wham discs if someone gifted them to me. I know they will just be clutter and I don't need more of that.

And yes, I see the flaw in my comment above. TDSOTM picture disc will just be clutter as well by definition because I can't even play tit.
BUT IT IS SO COOL. (and that album does mean a lot to me personally).

 

[The Bright Side]

Just read about this on SDE. These two discs are the very definition of "Jam-packed". Insane!

 

[Dynamic Editor]

I've listened to Make It Big on Apple Music, and I can only speak to the 5.1 fold-down, but I'm not enthused at all -- there's not much discreteness going on, and the mix is very reverby, to the point where everything feels really diffuse and unfocused.

I would certainly buy a quality surround mix of Make It Big, but to my ears, this isn't it. YMMV, of course.

BTW, in the comments on the SDE site, Paul says the mixes were done by Chris Porter, the original engineer on Make It Big.

Anyone else give a listen to Make It Big's Atmos mix on streaming services? This was a definite buy for me at first, but I'm leaning towards no after Monkish's comments here.

 

[Monkish]

Frank Filipetti did the Atmos mixes of George Michael's solo albums, which are much more involving.

100% agree -- the solo albums are very nice mixes. I wish he'd gotten a shot at the Whams.

 

[Ranasakawa]

I doubt that Paul from Super deluxe Web site will be putting out much rock or prog rock Blu-ray discs he is definitely a fan of the 80s pop stuff and seems to have a big influence on what he wants to come out on Blu-ray.

 

[NYMo]

I doubt that Paul from Super deluxe Web site will be putting out much rock or prog rock Blu-ray discs he is definitely a fan of the 80s pop stuff and seems to have a big influence on what he wants to come out on Blu-ray.

Maybe that's why I'm 3/20.....Oldfield, TYA and Eno ...enough said !

 

[JulesRules]

I think it should also not be forgotten that prog has been relatively well served in surround. Just look at all those Steven Wilson mixes that didn't need Paul's initiative to be released. The SDE series is partially tapping into some artists and styles that have not been deemed as a profitable proposition in 5.1 or Atmos by whoever makes the decisions to release reissues and the like.

 

[Ranasakawa]

I think it should also not be forgotten that prog has been relatively well served in surround. Just look at all those Steven Wilson mixes that didn't need Paul's initiative to be released. The SDE series is partially tapping into some artists and styles that have not been deemed as a profitable proposition in 5.1 or Atmos by whoever makes the decisions to release reissues and the like.

I agree with you on this point. One of the reasons I rarely buy any surround music 'now' is that you almost always need to buy an expensive box set that even includes a vinyl LP etc....
Paul's Blu-ray discs are simply just a single disc that includes a few bonus audio as well. Problem for me is that it is not the kind of music I'm interested in surround sound. Imagine listening in 5.1/7.1 to Stevie Ray Vaughan's 1980s classic Couldn't Stand The Weather or Big County The Crossing for example.

 

[GiorgioV]

I've listened to Make It Big on Apple Music, and I can only speak to the 5.1 fold-down, but I'm not enthused at all -- there's not much discreteness going on, and the mix is very reverby, to the point where everything feels really diffuse and unfocused.

I would certainly buy a quality surround mix of Make It Big, but to my ears, this isn't it. YMMV, of course.

BTW, in the comments on the SDE site, Paul says the mixes were done by Chris Porter, the original engineer on Make It Big.

This doesn't sound good. Very reverby, diffused and unfocused. Damn. I mean, the two SDE BDs look great, content-wise, but if your impression is correct I wouldn't bother with them.
Has anybody else given a listen to these new Atmos mixes on Apple Music?

 

[armyjazzer]

If you are a fan of Steven Wilson and his Atmos work, There is a nice article and interview in the new March 2024 issue of Stereophile, page 106.

 

[The Bright Side]

Yeah I listened to all the Wham! Atmos mixes (only in 5.1 though). I love them, I think they're great.

 

[woody]

This doesn't sound good. Very reverby, diffused and unfocused. Damn. I mean, the two SDE BDs look great, content-wise, but if your impression is correct I wouldn't bother with them.
Has anybody else given a listen to these new Atmos mixes on Apple Music?

I have a 7.6.1 system and to my ears they sound great. (In fact ‘ Everything she wants’ is one of my favorite mixes.) I beg to differ on the ‘Faith’ album too. ‘Father Figure’ track for eg. to my ears was a real disappointment.

Each to there own I guess , but If you blacked out the cover and labelled this post-Disco Chic then I reckon folks would be all over it. (Has some cringe factor eg ’Wham rap’ but you have to consider for it’s day this would’ve been cutting edge funk/rap fusion).

Edit: Corrected song title error.

 

[perzon57]

I have a 7.6.1 system and to my ears they sound great. (In fact ‘ Everything she wants’ is one of my favorite mixes.) I beg to differ on the ‘Faith’ album too. ‘Father Figure’ track for eg. to my ears was a real disappointment.

Each to there own I guess , but If you blacked out the cover and labelled this post-Disco Chic then I reckon folks would be all over it. (Has some cringe factor eg ’Wham rap’ but you have to consider for it’s day this would’ve been cutting edge funk/rap fusion).

Edit: Corrected song title error.

Do you have 6 subs? Or is it a miss spelling? I have 4 subs in my 7.4.4 setup with 4 heights.

 

[quicksrt]

Maybe that's why I'm 3/20.....Oldfield, TYA and Eno ...enough said !

And Bob Dylan.

He knows which side of the toast is buttered on.

 

[JulesRules]

I agree with you on this point. One of the reasons I rarely buy any surround music 'now' is that you almost always need to buy an expensive box set that even includes a vinyl LP etc....
Paul's Blu-ray discs are simply just a single disc that includes a few bonus audio as well. Problem for me is that it is not the kind of music I'm interested in surround sound. Imagine listening in 5.1/7.1 to Stevie Ray Vaughan's 1980s classic Couldn't Stand The Weather or Big County The Crossing for example.

I personally still like the simple CD+BD model because then you also have a (stereo) disc you can put into any optical drive and rip very easily. It's actually kinda insane that Sony aren't doing some CD edition to go along with these Wham! reissues.

Big Country has been requested a lot, and I think it's up SDE's alley, so it's probably just a case of whether it can be negotiated and the multis still exist. Paul did occasionally post about SRV but I suppose it's not a priority of his.

 

[JoshBasswood]

I doubt that Paul from Super deluxe Web site will be putting out much rock or prog rock Blu-ray discs he is definitely a fan of the 80s pop stuff and seems to have a big influence on what he wants to come out on Blu-ray.

Well he is the owner of the SDE label so he had better have influence on what is and is not released. That said, there was an interview with him over on the immersive audio website I think in which he sort of explains his mode of operation. It seems to be a mixture between personal preference, the opportunities that present themselves and of course the feasibility of making a profit on the release.

As to prog, he always seems to give Marillion some fair attention, but that might be because they once were in the 80s pop/rock league AND they have been releasing some great and very reasonably priced SDE's over the past years.

All in all it is indeed quite hard to make sense of his preferences so completists beware for the inevitable hit and miss character of the output. Just pick up what you like, is my motto. And like it or not: it's quite a brilliant strategy because he has a very broad audience keeping an eye on his website. And I am quite certain that if he continues like this, more and more artists/labels will approach him to release their stuff. And hopefully some kind of distribution will become possible that allows for friendlier pricing of the p&p, which is my biggest beef with the SDE shop at the mo.

 

[CINERAMAX]

More Canterbury-P-L-E-A-S-E, More Fusion P-L-E-A-S-E.

 

[hi-res_edition]

I listened to several songs from both of the Wham! albums on Apple Music last night, and in general they sounded immersive when listening in Atmos. While I have heard the hits, I do not know these albums, so can't speak to how wet the mix is, specifically compared to earlier versions which I do not have on hand.

 

[LennonCobain]

From SDE Saturday Deluxe post re: Wham! BD-As:
https://superdeluxeedition.com/feat...l5TMETk30QonqNVhCNXoqqrUrsSlrM7CO0_pwbF3zBk_A

“I’d love to do the same for George Michael’s solo albums. No promises of course, but if these do well that obviously increases the chances, so if you haven’t done so already, don’t forget to place your order via the SDE shop!”