HiRez Poll Nash, Graham - SONGS FOR BEGINNERS [DVD-A]

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Rate the DVD-A of Graham Nash - SONGS FOR BEGINNERS


  • Total voters
    59
I'm giving it a (7)
Upon reflection, the 5.1 mix is fine; songs, ditto
Problem is, the music is somewhat forgettable
Good for a listen, every six-twelve months, for nostalgia
If I gave it a higher number, it would be a "keeper"; (repeat plays, etc.)
Not exactly, Gaucho, GBYBR, Brothers in Arms, Love, etc.
Thoughts?
 
In my opinion, probably my favourite surround release ever. This one I play even more than Lilium. Beautifully clear and clean. It sounds like a very modern recording to me. I am totally biased of course as it is an all time favourite. I did have the single of Military Madness before the LP and still love it. If only some of my other favourite albums could have new life breathed into them such as this surround version, I'd be content for at least a little while
 
Unlike most people posting here, I didn’t know this album until I got this DVD-A, but I love it.

Great mix, great sound. It’s fairly simple instrumentation at times, and the music is generally very mellow - this is a good ‘late night’ disc. So there’s nothing showy in the mix, but the rears are still well used.

I also like the extras – there are dozens of Nash’s photos and a documentary about his photography. Overall, not flashy, but a tastefully made disc which will delight fans of the music, and maybe convert others.
 
I vote 9. Real good music and mix. I like this one a lot.
 
This is a great disc, but I don't like the drum sound on this one. Too "modern" for such a classic 70s album.
I hate what he did to this great LP. The loud, overbearing drum sound totally changes the feel of the album, and not for the better. The stereo remix is worse than the 5.1, however.
 
Short Take: Recommended.

This was such and interesting process for me because I happened to start my listening session with Songs for Survivors, the other surround solo disc by Graham Nash. In a way I wish I had paid better attention, because I had not realized I was listening backward in time. Songs for Survivors is the more recent release, and the sonics and clarity have benefited greatly from 30 years of technological advancement.

Songs for Beginners was recorded in 1970 & 1971, and released May 28, 1971. The DVD-A was released September 23, 2008 (as a CD+DVD package).

Songs for Survivors was recorded in less than two weeks in October of 2000, and released July 30, 2002. I am not positive as to whether the DVD-A received a simultaneous release, but the first QQ reviews appear in October of 2004.

Here is the most striking difference: the sonics and presence of the latter disc are stunning, and particularly when played back to back with the earlier recording. In comparison, the sonics of the earlier disc sound a little flat to me. The further away I get from that comparison, the better this disc sounds to me. It is after all a recording literally from a different era.

And ---- I like the music on Beginners more, partly I am sure because much of it has already been imprinted on me over the years. Military Madness, Man In The Mirror, Chicago > We Can Change the World - all very familiar to me. And yet I was not so intimately familiar with this LP that the new mixes were hard for me to adjust to. So I also had that advantage. New to me were the performances of Lesh & Garcia on I Used To Be King, Garcia on Man In The Mirror (I knew this one more from live versions), and the David Lindley performance on Simple Man. So these were pleasant to find. And I was reminded of great backing vocal performances from Venetta Fields, Rita Coolidge, Pat Arnold, and others with whom I was not familiar.

If there is reverb added to the drums as is referred to in previous posts, I confess I am not a fan of this technique, and particularly not in revisionary mixes of classic recordings (are you listening, ZZ Top?). It seems There's Only One may suffer from this. Thankfully it does not seem overdone as compared to some bands in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

The mix is plenty discrete, the way I like 'em. Yet I did not find any of it to be awkwardly so. I feel the blend at the sweet spot is great.

I like this record, and I like the mix. I might have said it is a great archival presentation of the original material were it not for the discussions of omissions and modifications of elements from the original.

So for entirely different reasons than the Songs for Survivors rating, I also give this one an 8.

Although tracks 10 > 11 - Chicago > We Can Change The World - KILL! This pair is a perfect 10 demo track.

Oh, by the way, I checked out the bonus interview with Graham talking about his photography. As I photographer, I found it interesting and worth a listen, although your mileage may vary. It would have been nice to have some discussion about the album as part of the interview.
 
I recently had the pleasure of hearing Songs For Beginners, Songs for Survivors and If I Could Only Remember My Name on my Meridian 800 Reference DVD~A player and I have NO idea how Songs for Beginners could possibly merit a "3."

To my ears and on my system ALL three merit a 9 or 10.

I have always considered Rhino/Warners DVD~As to be somewhat state of the art and IMO, the release of Songs For Beginners and If I Could Only Remember My Name are solid hi res releases. DTS Entertainment also did a stellar job with Songs For Survivors and another Crosby/Nash DVD~A 5.1 'treasure' Another Stoney Evening........

Now if they'd ONLY release some CSN and CSNY in multichannel. Sigh!
 
BTW, I gave it a 3. I find the remix unlistenable. I used to love this album, now, I can't listen to it.

Graham really did tweak the crap out of it and modify many tracks, so I can understand how some people like Larry don't like it at all. I thought it was great, then again some of my enthusiasm came from the joy of having the damn thing come out on DVD-A in the first place. Again, no vote is bad as long as it's legit and especially if the voters explain why they voted.

Larry's vote is just as important and valid as yours or mine! :phones
 
Did they mess with the stereo layer as well? I would hope that the DVD-A has the original stereo master in high resolution as well. (Too lazy to go downstairs and look for myself. :))
Yep, it's the same stereo remix he substituted on the regular CD, even worse than the 5.1 mix. Original mix lost to the ages.
 
Another old disc I'm just getting to now. I really like it!

I'm not familiar with the original LP, so it's interesting reading that this remix differs quite a bit from the original. I found the original stereo mix on Spotify and sure enough, there is no acoustic strumming in "Chicago".

The surround mix is nice, but not wildly discrete. Nash's vocals are isolated in the center channel, while the steel guitar and backing vocals make their way into the rears. It's not a made-for-surround out-of-body experience like Crosby's If I Could Only Remember My Name, but it's still quite enjoyable. Gets an 8 from me.

It's real shame they didn't keep going with this CSNY stuff in surround. Based on what I've read, Crosby Stills & Nash, Deja Vu, and Stephen Stills were all slated for DVD-A release at one point in time.
 
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Another old disc I'm just getting to now. I really like it!

I'm not familiar with the original LP, so it's interesting reading that this remix differs quite a bit from the original. I found the original stereo mix on Spotify and sure enough, there is no acoustic strumming in "Chicago".

The surround mix is nice, but not wildly discrete. Nash's vocals are isolated in the center channel, while the steel guitar and backing vocals make their way into the rears. It's not a made-for-surround out-of-body experience like Crosby's If I Could Only Remember My Name, but it's still quite enjoyable. Gets an 8 from me.

It's real shame they didn't keep going with this CSNY stuff in surround. Based on what I've read, Crosby Stills & Nash, Deja Vu, and Stephen Stills were all slated for DVD-A release at one point in time.
Stephen's Stills album is on a DTS disc in 5.1, surprising I can't find a thread on it on this forum though.
 
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