I understand exactly how you feel...due to health issues I made the overall decision to cut my internet time and focus on real life issues...but even if that hadn't happened I would have stopped posting on here on a regular basis...this is the best forum I have ever posted on...and it's due to Jon's "silent" leadership and the
intellectual maturity of the members(most of them)..and very understanding moderators...but things started to change when AF started releasing the Quads and surround titles...at first it was like the proverbial honeymoon on here...everybody was happy...then unfortunately people started to become "greedy"...like an addict the more you give them the more they want and EXPECT...complaints about content..or this..or that surfaced...and suddenly a man(Marshall) that had bent over backwards to go against the grain(and most business models)to bring these timeless recordings out of the graveyard was being criticized...despite numerous explanations by Bmoura.. it fell on mostly deaf ears...that just started to wear on me...the final straw was the Fleetwood Mac releases and Sgt Peppers...to get those releases... at this point in time... was IMO close to a miracle...but when I returned after a few weeks after the Sgt Peppers release and saw some of the absurd comments about that release...that was the clincher for me...if you didn't like it..fine...but some of the complaints were just plain moronic...no other way to say it.....because if I would have been an active member I would have been in someone's face...and that's something I don't need in my life...this is supposed to be an enjoyable hobby...not some type of confrontation contest...
It's just the overall "entitlement" mindset that just saps all the joy out of these releases...and when you consider the reality of the situation.. it's mind blowing that some people can't appreciate these releases...it's gotten to the point where if it's not STEVEN WILSON quality and it's not cheap..and it's not a standalone or if it's not this or not that...then the moaning and groaning begins....it's not just a few anymore that have these entitlement issues...more and more seem to be heading in this direction...and some still won't face the fact that surround music is not a money maker...it's a TINY fraction of the disc market...and situations like AF and Dutton are rare.....the sad part is that these are... for the most part... great people on here...and when the music stops(releases stop)...they will realize how foolish they were to take all this for granted...
I hope you come back Simon...you are one of the good guys
While I do feel Clint and Simon's arguments are extremely valid about entitlement including criticism of AF, MO FI, ETC, I think a point is being missed.
This IS the world wide net and agreeing to disagree has always been a hallmark of posting on ANY forum and Clint is absolutely correct that the moderators and site owner Jon Urban HAVE done a yeoman's job in keeping QQ Forum civil.
I've been into surround sound since the late 60's and have dabbled in just about every format available and as far as I'm concerned, this is a
surprising and IMO
unexpected renaissance of, as Clint would say, a TINY niche market in resolutions unimaginable at the outset of Quadraphonic Sound. And yes, even I've been guilty of being greedy [I WANT, I WANT!!!!] but after reading bmoura's 'patient' explanation of the rigamarole involved for US companies to license and release QUAD/5.1 music and the disinterest of MoFi to do the same, I finally understood in laymen's terms that what we WERE getting was indeed somewhat of a miracle. When AF could no longer release SACDs in surround formats, I, like MANY others, WAS disappointed but CLEARLY understood WHY. AF's CEO Marshall Blonstein who himself loves surround was beholden to the company's stockholders and had to pull the plug. But I did point out on many occasions that Marshall was instrumental in releasing MORE surround SACD titles than both MoFi and Analogue Productions COMBINED in a VERY short period and to this day, I appreciate what AF was able to release.
As for kvetching about pricey boxsets with NO stand alone surround discs: well, I'm certainly guilty of that. I was heartened when Alan Parsons convinced his releasing company to release a stand alone BD~A of Tales of Mystery and Imagination [and hopefully Eye In The Sky] as I have most of Parson's output in multiple formats and could see NO need for RBCDs and Vinyl. And I WILL stand firmly on that. And I do bitch, moan and complain when titles like Fleetwood Mac's Mirage and Tusk are released in LOSSY DTS formats......sorry, but it IS 2017 and the cost of releasing these MUCH sought after titles in hi res would certainly NOT break Warner's bank. But for the most part, I do applaud the fact that THEY'RE BEING RELEASED AT ALL.
As for Dutton Vocalion: I am SUPREMELY gratified that Michael Dutton was able to take up AF's banner and can release these older QUAD titles for probably a fraction of what AF was paying for licensing fees, etc. And I do caution all QQ posters to be VERY patient with Mr. Dutton's efforts and DO realize that his base does NOT consist of Metal Heads or Hard Rock devotees so whatever popular titles he DOES choose to release....consider it a blessing in disguise. And for the price D~V is charging, MOST ESPECIALLY those two~fers, also consider that a GIFT.
In closing, even though I have NO interest in Q8 or SQ/QS/EV/CD~4 LPs I applaud those posters who continue collecting them and derive much pleasure in doing so. And even though I love ALL genres of music, where SA~CDnet veered 99% toward the classical spectrum, QQ veers towards R & R but site owner Jon Urban has ensured through QQ's Private Messaging system that like minds can PM each other and further pursue whatever eclectic taste in music they desire.
Without getting political, the world is so fractured today that when I click onto QQ forum everyday, it always brings a smile to my face because even without filtering out questionable poster's comments, I always find something interesting and illuminating and I hope posters Clint Eastwood and Simon A can manage to do the same.
There is still SO much good in this beautiful world of ours and QQ Forum is SO good that it's very easy to forgive [AND forget] the few negatives which inevitably pop up.