HiRez Poll Yes - THE QUEST [Blu-Ray Audio]

[rtbluray]

Please post your thoughts and comments on this new 2021 album entitled "The Quest" by classic Progressive Rock band Yes.
The album has been mixed in 5.1 surround and is available in a variety of formats.

 

[alansanchez86]

I dug the mix, however I didn't like the music that much, hence why I gave it an 8. This has nothing to do with Close To The Edge or Fragile. It stands way off them.

 

[colsky]

This is a mellow, later years Yes, and if you keep that it mind then you might enjoy it more. The album is definitely growing on me the more I hear it, and the surround mixes are only making me like the songs more. The production of the album and the clarity and separation of the surround mix are amazing. Some random surround observations of mine from this album, about how surround and discrete the mix is-

The Ice Bridge - the music is all around and fills the room. Powerful keyboards from everywhere. In the interaction section the guitar is front and keyboards rear. And yes, the ice cracks do come from the rears, and make you jump if you're not expecting them!
Dare To Know - orchestra parts start in rear speakers and later are all around. Bass guitar is thudding along nicely in the front centre. Instrumental ending has acoustic guitars and percussion from different speakers.
Minus The Man - orchestra again from the rear. Lovely clear bass and snare drum from front centre.
Leave Well Alone - Again, bass nicely from the front centre. When the vocals begin there are different acoustic parts from each rear speaker, then joined by percussion. In the stories section the vocals are coming from all 4 left and right speakers. When the excellent instrumental part in the second half of the song begins, there are different acoustic guitar parts coming from all 4 corners, and then the bass and snare come in front centre.
The Western Edge - a lot of keyboard parts are in the rear speakers.
Future Memories - Jon D's vocals are really good on this song, sounding very natural, and the vocals are nicely isolated in the front centre. Backing vocals from all around. Steve's steel guitar coming from front right, acoustic guitar firstly from the rear, then moves to the front.
Music To My Ears - piano front, acoustic guitars rear, vocals centre front, later keyboards rear
A Living Island - excellent start, with acoustic guitars coming from all 5 speakers. As the song develops there's excellent use of the rear speakers for backing vocals and organ.
Sister Sleeping Soul - acoustic guitars everywhere and nice percussion in the rears.

I know there are certain (sometimes argumentative!) threads on here regarding poll voting. My view has always been that we're not necessarily voting on the music itself. Yes, when you buy something, its music first, followed by surround mix, so you wouldn't normally buy a disc unless you had some liking of the music. I think the "content" element of the vote, for me, is about the actual physical content, so the package and extras. That said, I tend to vote mainly based on the fidelity of the music, and the quality of the surround mix, which is why we're all here on this forum! So, as I think the production and surround mix of The Quest are excellent, even though it's nowhere near the band's best album, I'm voting a 10

 

[Bill B]

This is why I find the validity of polls questionable at best and useless at worst.
When you give something a rating it should be "in comparison to something else". So I have to ask, what did you rate the core Yes albums (The Yes Album to Relayer) that Steven Wilson did? If you voted those albums as 8, 9 or 10 and you vote this album an 8, 9 or 10 then you are saying this album is as good as those others. That is very hard to believe.

 

[colsky]

This is why I find the validity of polls questionable at best and useless at worst.
When you give something a rating it should be "in comparison to something else". So I have to ask, what did you rate the core Yes albums (The Yes Album to Relayer) that Steven Wilson did? If you voted those albums as 8, 9 or 10 and you vote this album an 8, 9 or 10 then you are saying this album is as good as those others. That is very hard to believe.

The general feeling seems to be that you can vote how you like, as long as you put a comment on the thread explaining your vote (as I have done). I agree with this method, as the polls are a guide, not an exact science. As I hopefully explained in my first post I am rating the fidelity and surround mix of The Quest in comparison to other albums' mixes, not in comparison to the music. Different people vote in different ways and I respect that. I agree that the polls are questionable if you look at just the numbers. There is one example that I always give to show my argument - Steven Wilson's mix of Tales From Topographic Oceans is, in my opinion, one of the best surround mixes ever. Sgt Peppers however is a fairly average surround mix. There have been many posts saying "the mix of Tales From Topographic Oceans is superb and one of the best, but its not my favourite Yes album so I voted a 7". There are also many posts saying "Sgt Peppers is an average/poor surround mix, but its The Beatles so I voted 10". To me this is strange, considering this is a surround sound forum!

 

[edisonbaggins]

The general feeling seems to be that you can vote how you like, as long as you put a comment on the thread explaining your vote (as I have done). I agree with this method, as the polls are a guide, not an exact science.

I like that all methods are tolerated here. That said, I really think the polls would work best if everyone followed Jon's original intent. Musical quality should be included, but only 30%. So, you're favorite album, like SPLHCB should not be a "10" if the surround mix is lacking. It could/should lose up to 3 points. The Quest should not be a "10" if the music is lacking. Again, it could/should lose up to 3 points.
That said, according to your method, you're really saying this mix/sound stands up to the best mixes you've ever heard, like TFTO? If so, cool stuff.

 

[colsky]

I like that all methods are tolerated here. That said, I really think the polls would work best if everyone followed Jon's original intent. Musical quality should be included, but only 30%. So, you're favorite album, like SPLHCB should not be a "10" if the surround mix is lacking. It could/should lose up to 3 points. The Quest should not be a "10" if the music is lacking. Again, it could/should lose up to 3 points.
That said, according to your method, you're really saying this mix/sound stands up to the best mixes you've ever heard, like TFTO? If so, cool stuff.

I know, sorry I don't want to turn this into another poll debate! I used to look at the voting closely, thinking that we're a surround forum here, not a music poll forum, but then I learned to breathe, relax and just look through the comments and not the numbers.

Yes, from my listenings so far, I would say the mix/sound is up there.

 

[edisonbaggins]

I know, sorry I don't want to turn this into another poll debate! I used to look at the voting closely, thinking that we're a surround forum here, not a music poll forum, but then I learned to breathe, relax and just look through the comments and not the numbers.

Yes, from my listenings so far, I would say the mix/sound is up there.

Well, IMO, that's about all that is asked of folks around here. Though I'll continue to advocate for Jon's intent! I truly believe it is "the way"!!!
3 points music
3 points mix
3 points sound
1 point misc/value

 

[Bill B]

The general feeling seems to be that you can vote how you like, as long as you put a comment on the thread explaining your vote (as I have done). I agree with this method, as the polls are a guide, not an exact science. As I hopefully explained in my first post I am rating the fidelity and surround mix of The Quest in comparison to other albums' mixes, not in comparison to the music. Different people vote in different ways and I respect that. I agree that the polls are questionable if you look at just the numbers. There is one example that I always give to show my argument - Steven Wilson's mix of Tales From Topographic Oceans is, in my opinion, one of the best surround mixes ever. Sgt Peppers however is a fairly average surround mix. There have been many posts saying "the mix of Tales From Topographic Oceans is superb and one of the best, but its not my favourite Yes album so I voted a 7". There are also many posts saying "Sgt Peppers is an average/poor surround mix, but its The Beatles so I voted 10". To me this is strange, considering this is a surround sound forum!

Sorry if you felt like I was singling you or Alan out, I was speaking more generally and I should have made that clear. For the most part I have tried to avoid saying too much when the whole poll process is debated, but if you look at the polls they are all skewed toward the top end for every release. IMO that makes them useless. If you went out and read reviews of every movie and they were all 10s you would soon enough stop reading them because what's the point? And you are correct in that the comments should be the guide and not the numbers. Once again sorry if it sounded like I was speaking directly to you. BTW, I love the Beatles but SPLHCB was never one of my favorites and the mix isn't that great,,, I'd give it a 5 or 6 (while the White Album and Abbey Road would get a 9 or 10).

 

[splinter7]

Too bad the poll can't display multiple categories in voting. I would prefer the polls to focus on Mix & Fidelity. I can figure out if I will like the music on my own. It's the mix that I look for guidance on from these polls.

 

[srbjab]

Too bad the poll can't display multiple categories in voting. I would prefer the polls to focus on Mix & Fidelity. I can figure out if I will like the music on my own. It's the mix that I look for guidance on from these polls.

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I think I agree most with splinter7 and colsky that any poll in a surround sound forum should be based primarily on the quality of the surround mix and fidelity of the sound/recording. Evaluating the music (is it any good, is it bad, do I like it or not, etc.) is easily the most subjective aspect of a review and is amply covered in the mainstream review press - I don't think that aspect is what most readers of this forum are interested in. There is a lot of music out there that I would typically never buy because I really don't care for it, BUT, if that music was presented in an absolutely great sounding surround mix I would consider a purchase because I appreciate good surround. I don't need another opinion on whether the music is any good, how it compares to other band releases, or is my cup of tea, but I do need an evaluation of the mix to make an informed decision. That is something you typically don't get in the mainstream press. A couple of recent releases illustrate this: Point by Yello and The Future Bites by Steven Wilson. Nearly everyone agrees that Point contains one of the best Atmos music mixes available - anyone interested in the evolution and impact of surround sound should at least hear it. In this case, whether or not someone "likes" the music of Yello or would normally buy it is secondary to the quality and importance of the mix, something a forum like this makes clear. Similarly, nearly everyone who reads this forum knows that the music of SW's TFB was highly divisive (loved by some, hated by some, dismissed by some) but the Atmos mix was an important event that needed specific evaluation because of Steven Wilson's pivotal role as a surround mixing engineer/advocate. Again, whether or not you "liked" the music on TFB was secondary to the evaluation of the surround mix on a notable album by a popular artist. I'm not saying that a surround poll must totally exclude an evaluation of the music in a release, but for me, opinions about the music are probably the least relevant bit of information I'm after and should have the least impact on the rating given.

 

[splinter7]

Good post @srbjab

 

[Guy Robinson]

I vote based on the surround mix and not the music. That doesn't enter into the voting for me now. There are so many surround mixes that it would be hard to vote it relevant to the other thousand+ titles probably at this point. Therefore I also try to rate a title on it's own surround merits and how much I enjoyed the surround mix. A 10 is a mix that I find no flaws in. I loved it. A major title like Sgt Pepper for instance would be likely voted a 3 if it was mainly stereo with not much surround activity. Also in there is whether the title sounds better to me than what I have heard over time. So if I heard more detailing in Sgt Pepper (for instance), I would boost the score up because that is part of the overall effect of the listening experience. So for this title I vote an 8. It's just made it out of the 7 category for me. As a Yes album it's a 5 which I didn't factor into my voting. I must note that this wasn't always my way of voting as I was highly biased for or against the title musically.

 

[Ranasakawa]

7
Not bad music
The surround mix is not very immersive for my ears

 

[Progfiend]

I don’t know if it’s been mentioned before, and, meaning no disrespect to Alan White, who hasn’t been well, but I find the drumming on the album very weak and pedestrian. I think a powerhouse drummer would have elevated this album immensely. BB, we miss you. Maybe it’s partly the songs, but I also think that the tepid drum performance makes a lot of it sound lacklustre. I will say that I enjoyed the album’s surround mix, it is very good. If I was voting just on that, it’s either a strong 9 or a possible 10. In light of recent comments on including musical quality in the voting, that brings my vote down to a 7.

 

[SomethingAnything]

Going by the comments so far, this album is probably a good example why it's important to take a wholistic approach to rating surround albums, otherwise you risk ending up with a lot of not very good albums sitting at the top of the surround charts, entirely because they have been mixed well.

Thank Heavens for the discerning music tastes of the likes of Wilson and Taylor!

 

[birrrdy!]

Thank Heavens for the discerning music tastes of the likes of Wilson and Taylor!

Ahh, Wilson mixed Gentle Giant, so I’m not exactly sure how discerning he is….

 

[edisonbaggins]

Going by the comments so far, this album is probably a good example why it's important to take a wholistic approach to rating surround albums, otherwise you risk ending up with a lot of not very good albums sitting at the top of the surround charts, entirely because they have been mixed well.

30/30/30/10

It is the way!

 

[SomethingAnything]

Ahh, Wilson mixed Gentle Giant, so I’m not exactly sure how discerning he is….

Wow! Really? Those GG reissues are amazing. But really, my main comment was about review ratings. We can't all have the same tastes.

 

[birrrdy!]

Wow! Really? Those GG reissues are amazing. But really, my main comment was about review ratings. We can't all have the same tastes.

LOL, I think the Wilson GG mixes are indeed great. I just bought them all. It's the source material that borders on novelty to me. Not in the same category as some of the classic Yes albums when thinking about how we rate great music vs. great mixes...