HiRez Poll Ziroq - ZIROQ [DVD-A]

[JonUrban]

Please post your thoughts and/or comments on this disc

 

[MIDIQ]

I remember the first week i got this one, i must have listened to it 5 times that week, just couldn't quit listening to it. I kept looking at this one at the online stores, and it sounded interesting, but flamenco music and rock ??? It took me a long time to break down and buy it, mainly because it was Silverline. But after reading positive reviews here about it, i finally tried it. Very happy with this one, nice use of surround, and a very warm sound. I vote 10.

Here is what Acoustic sounds says about it:

Ziroq stirs up an amazing blend of traditional flamenco and rock with shade of Led Zeppelin and musical strands from the Middle East, India, Morocco and Latin America, as eclectic as that may sound. Ziroqu’s music is exciting and unpredictable - a warm, swirling breeze one minute, dangerous, compelling and edgy the next.

 

[Cai Campbell]

Ziroq stirs up an amazing blend of traditional flamenco and rock with shade of Led Zeppelin and musical strands from the Middle East, India, Morocco and Latin America, as eclectic as that may sound. Ziroq’s music is exciting and unpredictable - a warm, swirling breeze one minute, dangerous, compelling and edgy the next.

Spot on description!

I love this album. The music is phenomenal, and like nothing I've ever heard before. The surround mix, in typical Silverline fashion, barely hints at what could be. The stellar musicianship, song-writing prowess, sound quality and astounding delivery more than make up for the less-than-ideal surround-sound presentation.

Another lost opportunity. Thank you Silverline. Could have EASILY been a 10 but we only get an 8.

 

[Chris Gerhard]

Just finished listening to this album. There are a few obscure gems from the Silverline catalog and this is one of them. I don't hear any Led Zeppelin, more like Peter Gabriel to me but very listenable unique sound. A solid 8 in my opinion.

Chris

 

[Chris Gerhard]

I guess these guys have disbanded since I can't find any information about a possible follow up and no website. This album has gotten better with subsequent plays for me but it wouldn't surprise me if it wasn't a big seller. My rating would be 9 today. If anybody thinks they might like rock mixed with flamenco/gypsy/world music, this album is definitely worth finding although it might not be easy to find. The Silverline treatment is topnotch this time in my opinion as well. Subsequent albums could have been really great! What a shame, this is like one at bat in the big leagues with a line drive out and never a second at bat because nobody noticed.

Chris

 

[beached]

I agree with everybody here. Great sound, good songs. Nice job Silverline.
NOW THAT WE ARE GETTING SHORT ON BUYING OPTIONS WE SHOULD HAVE A "SILVERLINE THAT ARE WORTH BUYING LIST".

Ziroq
Gordon Goodwin
Robert Cray (Just)

..........anymore?????????

 

[Chris Gerhard]

I agree with everybody here. Great sound, good songs. Nice job Silverline.
NOW THAT WE ARE GETTING SHORT ON BUYING OPTIONS WE SHOULD HAVE A "SILVERLINE THAT ARE WORTH BUYING LIST".

Ziroq
Gordon Goodwin
Robert Cray (Just)

..........anymore?????????

This one remains one of my favorites. There are many more worth owning, I think we have covered this in other threads. Titles from Dar Williams, Widespread Panic, Jane Monheit, Pere Ubu, BJ Cole, Brimstone Butterfly, The Mavericks, Queensryche, Geoff Tate, and the COC studio album, not the live one. There is a show off disc of electronica music I can't recall now, the music doesn't do much for me but the mix and fidelity are impressive. I am sure there are others and quite a few from Immergent like those from Dishwalla and Alan Parsons (only DVD-V). Nothing has been released from 5.1 Entertainment Group in some time I am aware of so once we get a final list, it won't likely change. I don't own any of the From the Front Row Live series but understand those are awful without exception. The Cell Series of releases seems consistently awful to me, but others disagree and a couple of those might be worthwhile.

Chris

 

[hafquark]

I just got my copy about two weeks ago. Used copies are available dirt cheap on Amazon.

I love the mixture of Latin, Middle Eastern, and Flamenco styles. The audio quality is exceptional. I was afraid this would be a typical Silverline "auto-matrix" mix, and the first track did indeed sound disappointingly passive, but things picked up from the second track onwards. Repeated listening has convinced me this is a superlative surround mix, subtle but much more than just ambient. And the music -- wow :sun

So, yeah, I'm in complete agreement with all the previous rave reviews

 

[callmez]

Interesting music as previous posters have stated, mostly sung in Spanish with two English tracks. Not an in-your-face surround mix by any means, but the rears are discrete at times and definitely add to the presentation (sounds best loud!) A nice bunch of bonus material too -- interviews, live performance video, and more. A solid 8, and as hafquark says, copies can still be found at very reasonable prices.

Mark Z

 

[LizardKing]

Decent sound quality, a good 5.1 mix, and (considering it's a Silverline disc) I was suprised to see Hi-Res stereo also (so I can rip it to my i-Pod!!!)

Love the flamenco style guitar...

Still dirt cheap "2nd hand" on Amazon.....

 

[beerking]

Midiq's review hits all the nails on the head.
Is this really a Silverline release!!

Certainly has rear action.

Like this...rocky flamenco.
Here you go, neck on the block time.
If this your thang, then for Silverline, it's a very nice surprise.
Mixed by Gary Lux

A Mediterranean 9

 

[ubertrout]

My view of Silverline is that their surround mixes generally follow a straightforward formula - the quality of the surround mix varies inversely with the popularity of the act. There are some exceptions like Ace of Spades, but mostly they got good results with lesser-known artists (often with very well known musicians but not under the band they're known for). Apparently Sanctuary Records promised them multitracks of popular stuff but only delivered stereo tapes, and we can see the results.

Meanwhile, I got this disc for 50 cents at Academy Records in NYC. Self-recommending at that price.

 

[4-earredwonder]

My view of Silverline is that their surround mixes generally follow a straightforward formula - the quality of the surround mix varies inversely with the popularity of the act. There are some exceptions like Ace of Spades, but mostly they got good results with lesser-known artists (often with very well known musicians but not under the band they're known for). Apparently Sanctuary Records promised them multitracks of popular stuff but only delivered stereo tapes, and we can see the results.

Meanwhile, I got this disc for 50 cents at Academy Records in NYC. Self-recommending at that price.

That title was certainly one of the better Silverline efforts and for $.50 ..... what can I say! People can knock Silverline all they want but IMO, they put out some wonderful titles and some of them sound outstanding.

BTW, I just voted a much deserved 9 for ZIROQ!