The very beginning of "Roundabout" leaves something to be desired, but then, once the full band kicks in, we're off! And it just sounds glorious!
This is the very first time I have ever heard this song presented in surround in a way that is not only discrete but one that also honors the spirit and sound of the original stereo mix.
If there is one critique I have concerning the new stereo and surround mixes of "Roundabout", it's that Steven still doesn't quite nail the mixing of the backing vocals. They are too clean, too separated, and not properly balanced. This is clear when the vocals come back in after the keyboard and guitar solos. It's more apparent to me when listening to the new stereo mix and less so on the surround. I do like the backing vocal mixing on the very end section before the solo guitar outro. So one little minor squabble, and the rest is perfect.
"Cans and Brahms" no longer has the overbearing bass, which is good, but I keep wanting more from this particular surround mix, and I don't get it. Ah well, not really that significant of a track for me, so onto "We Have Heaven"!
Like "Roundabout", SW nails the discrete aspect of great surround mixing on this song while also honoring the original sound well-known in the stereo mix. Gone are the overdrenched reverbs from the 2002 surround mix, which makes me very happy! (Naturally the footsteps at the end are just perfect for surround, but then, we already knew that)
The next big song is "South Side of the Sky", and I'm happy to say the trend continues, which is to provide discrete surround mixes that honor the original sound and spirit of the album. Loving it! Listening to the middle section of "South Side of the Sky" almost makes me want to take back what I said earlier about the way SW mixes backing vocals as he completely gets the balance and blend of the vocals in this section. Good for him!
The original surround mix of "Five Per Cent For Nothing" annoyed me with its constant motion about as much as certain moments of those Flaming Lips mixes do, but Steven Wilson's mix is like a fun Quad mix with one instrument in each corner of the room. It's incredibly effective without being annoying, so if you like really discrete mixes, that one's for you!
When it comes to this new surround mix of "Long Distance Runaround", it's missing a little bolshoi (apologies if my Russian isn't right for his instance…) This mix is a little tamer than I remember, whereas the old Eddie Offord mix seemed to drive a little more. Regardless, this mix is still miles better than the older surround mix from 2002. The ending guitar bit is also a fun surround moment before "The Fish" kicks in.
I always found the 2002 surround mix of "The Fish" to be too overblown, whereas this one from Steven Wilson is still very discrete but not overbearing. A wonderful and fitting tribute to this fun piece of music that the late Chris Squire presided over. Many of his over-layered bass moments are more intelligible than ever before, and the backing vocals at the end are a wonderful blend, so maybe Steven Wilson's better at that than I thought…
Nothing to really see or hear when it comes to "Mood for a Day". A stereo presentation with hall-like ambience in the surrounds would actually be fitting for a composition and recording like this one.
Now finally, it's time for my favorite song on the album, "Heart of the Sunrise"! Once Jon Anderson's voice enters, it seems to be closer to you in the room than it was for many of the other songs on the album. Like all of the other songs on this album, Steven offers us a wonderfully discrete presentation that fits well with the original sound and feel of the classic stereo mix.
To top it all off, the reentrance of "We Have Heaven" at the end is like that wonderful cup of coffee after a delicious full course meal.
Everything we have known or heard about this album in surround before now was wrong, and all has now been set right, so what else can I say except I'm gladly giving this release a vote of '10', and I recommend that everyone go out and pick this one up for your collection, especially on Blu-Ray!
