James Taylor SACDs (The Sony 5.1 discs, not the "new stereo only" ones!)

[JonUrban]

I've always wondered why the 5 James Taylor SACDs never did that well in the polls. I know that "October Road" is a very 'slight' 5.1 mix, which can actually be improved immensly by turning up the volume to the rear channels (or doing it on the computer with software)

However, the Nataniel Kunkel (Son of JT Drummer and Section member Russ Kunkel) mixes, when 'looked at' on the PC, are pretty odd.

I decided to look at the wav files from FLAG. Flag is an uneven disc musically, not my favorite JT album by any stretch, but I wanted to really see and hear the 5.1 mix.

On the PC, when watching and listening to the mix, I found that the choice of music placement to be very odd. For example, the song B.S.U.R. James is solo in the center channel, which is normal. However, he is absent from the front channels, and present in the rear channels. Also, the Carly Simon background vocals are in the fronts and absent from the rears! It's almost like the fronts and the rears are swapped! In fact, when I swapped them in Sound Forge, the playback sounded much more 'quad' and 'normal' to me that the other way around.

It might be a preference of course, but those of you that like fooling around with this stuff might want to play around with some of the Nathaniel Kunkel mixes.

Very strange

 

[quadtrade]

I agree these mixes might be screwed up, if ya listen at the Graham Nash titles, they seem to be right on.

 

[EMB]

You're both right, but I would also add that Taylor's laid-back, often banal music doesn't allow much for anyone remixing to do anything that is really interesting (also true of many old country/pop quad mixes). And while we don't really want to admit it, the more exciting and enjoyable the music, the more likely we are to forgive a lackluster mix than with an artist or album that are fairly lackluster and unchallenging by nature.

ED

 

[key_wiz]

I’ve been listening to “JT” for the last couple of days, and other than the surrounds needing to be cranked up quite a bit, I think the mix on it is superb. I disagree that the type of music doesn’t lend itself well to surround. It’s very discreet with the guitars, keys, strings, etc all separated nicely.

I haven’t played “Flag” or “Dad Loves His Work” in awhile. I may have to go back to those and see if they aren’t as good. Did Kunkel mix those earlier than “JT” and was maybe still learning the craft, perhaps? I don’t have any of his other MC discs (yet They tend to be a bit pricey).

I don’t know how it looks on a computer screen, but I think it sounds great!

BTW, Jon, you raved about the “JT” mix calling it one of the best ever back when you first reviewed it. .

 

[key_wiz]

Just played “Flag”. I think the mix is fine. Very much like the “JT” mix although the surrounds aren’t as quiet. But nice and surround-y and involving. I hear what you mean about the vocals on BSUR, and it does make you wonder if it was a mistake or if he was just trying something different. But I think Nathaniel Kunkel is a very competent surround engineer. Faithful to the stereo but much more than “big stereo”. Other than the center speaker, I find the mix to be very reminiscent of some of the better Columbia quads like Art Garfunkel’s “Breakaway”.

The doo-woppy vocals on “Is That The Way You Look? are stunning! The cell door slamming shutting across the rears at the end of the album is a nice touch.

BTW, I think he has the center a bit too loud on both of these. But some of that is probably personal taste. I like my lead vocals to sit back in the mix a bit more.

 

[JonUrban]

BTW, Jon, you raved about the “JT” mix calling it one of the best ever back when you first reviewed it. .

Where do I say anything different? The "Lambert's Cove" section of "Terra Nova" is a surround spectacular. My thoughts above are about "Flag" and "October Road".