HiRez Poll Genesis - SELLING ENGLAND BY THE POUND [SACD/BDA]
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Yup, Amazon UK too...
It is also at Amazon.ca
http://www.amazon.ca/Selling-Englan...TF8&qid=1399000388&sr=8-1&keywords=B00GXQELGO
http://www.amazon.ca/Selling-Englan...TF8&qid=1399000388&sr=8-1&keywords=B00GXQELGO
I want to pick this one up, but it is not on Amazon USA - Stupid Question.......Is them there UK Blu Ray Audio Discs compatible with our fancy U.S. Blu Ray PLayers in them here United States? I reckon so ----Yeeeeeeeeeeee Haw
From What I have read, they probably are...........But I still see region A B C......blah blah blah.
Thanks for any update.
From What I have read, they probably are...........But I still see region A B C......blah blah blah.
Thanks for any update.
Last edited:
AFAIK BD's do not have region codes. I could be wrong. At any rate, mine plays no problema! You gotta have it
Woody71
Senior Member
BD's do have region codes (for example, in Australia I'm in region B), but it seems that the HFPA discs are all-region as there is no marking at all on any of the titles I own.
All the Genesis surround DVD seem to be bass heavy but really good surround mixes, gave it a 9.
I'll vote on poll later. Listening now to 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio 24/96. Actually pretty good so far, needs to be played in higher volume, I'm at 66.5db and is solid. I am listening to BD-A, HFPA, not an SACD. This content is a little before my time as I came into Genesis after Hackett and Gabreil, but seems like a superb 5.1 mix, albeit I have heard better. I need to listen.
After taking a few days off from my Genesis binge, I sat down with Selling England. (I am listening to the SACD.) It feels like Nick Davis went with an approach similar to Foxtrot on this one, still plenty of discrete information coming from the rear corners, but also creating a bit more of an immersive feel with Banks' organ and Mellotron being spread across the room. One constant across these early Genesis titles is that when a song has several acoustic guitar parts going at once, Davis mixes individual guitars to opposite sides of the room. It's a wonderful effect that works beautifully on songs like "More Fool Me" and "Cinema Show." There are other highlights as well. The percussion spread around the surround field in "I Know What I Like" is very fun. At the beginning of "The Battle of Epping Forest" the opening processional marches past you. The synthesizer fill announcing the arrival of the cavalry comes from the rear right to great effect, as does one of Gabriel's Python-esque characters which is very amusing. "After the Ordeal" unfortunately is not a highlight. I really love this piece and think it's a very underrated bit of early Genesis, but the mix doesn't really offer anything. In contrast, the closing "Aisle of Plenty" is a real highlight of the disc. A solo nylon string guitar opens the song appearing only in the right rear. The rest of the instruments enter and are spread around nicely. Gabriel's multiple vocal parts in the coda are spread all around. It's a very effective way to close the album.
As for fidelity, I did find the SACD to be a little fatiguing. Not nearly as bad as Invisible Touch, but it's there nonetheless. I will have to give the DVD version a spin and see how it compares. Going from comments above, I guess I should have bought the Blu-ray when I had the chance.
And as for the music..... They really stepped things up (yet another) notch here. Collins has said that Selling England was the first time the band played really well on an album and I have to agree with him. The sloppiness of the performances on Foxtrot are replaced by a band that has now been gigging across the world for two years. There is a higher level of energy here and a tightness that was previously lacking. Collins really shines. The songwriting is a welcome step up as well. Multiple songs that are not only highlights of the Genesis catalog, but of the entire progressive rock genre as well. Even during their later more mainstream period, several songs from this album would remain in their set lists. On the band's final tour in 2007, three songs (well one song and significant chunks of two others) were played every night. It would be tough to pick a favorite Genesis song, but "Firth of Fifth" would be very high up on my list. However I will say (and I know that there might be some folks lining up with pitch forks outside my home after I say this) but there is one song on this album that I have always felt was substandard. As much as I love a lot of prog-rock (ELP, ELO, Yes) I always felt that some other prog bands had a tendency to get a bit obnoxious when it came to trying to make their songs overly long and/or complex. Mind you, I do feel that if you have enough solid musical ideas for a twenty minute song, go for it. (I love "Supper's Ready" and "Tarkus" for example.) However I always felt that some other prog bands would stretch songs out longer than necessary, throw in crazy chord changes and odd time signatures just because they could, not because they should. What I always loved about Genesis was that they (almost) never fell into that trap. If they had a ten minute song, there was enough there to hold your attention. If they were playing in an odd time signature, it was still musical. Unconventional chord changes still managed to flow nicely. Which brings me to "The Battle of Epping Forest." The song has always felt very bloated to me. Too many lyrics, time signature changes not smooth, chord sequences that feel like they're trying too hard. It's the only Genesis tune that pre-dates "Me & Virgil" that didn't get into my iPod. Enough said.
As I work my way through the Genesis catalog (this is the seventh title I've listened to in the last month,) I find that the most rewarding titles so far have been Trespass and Nursery Cryme. This one comes close to matching those but seems to fall just a little short. A few songs the mix is less adventurous, the fidelity is not quite as nice, and then there's "Epping Forest." However, there's the seven other wonderful songs, a band that has a new level of energy and a mix that more often than not makes me very happy sitting in my sweet spot. I will go with a very strong 9.
As for fidelity, I did find the SACD to be a little fatiguing. Not nearly as bad as Invisible Touch, but it's there nonetheless. I will have to give the DVD version a spin and see how it compares. Going from comments above, I guess I should have bought the Blu-ray when I had the chance.
And as for the music..... They really stepped things up (yet another) notch here. Collins has said that Selling England was the first time the band played really well on an album and I have to agree with him. The sloppiness of the performances on Foxtrot are replaced by a band that has now been gigging across the world for two years. There is a higher level of energy here and a tightness that was previously lacking. Collins really shines. The songwriting is a welcome step up as well. Multiple songs that are not only highlights of the Genesis catalog, but of the entire progressive rock genre as well. Even during their later more mainstream period, several songs from this album would remain in their set lists. On the band's final tour in 2007, three songs (well one song and significant chunks of two others) were played every night. It would be tough to pick a favorite Genesis song, but "Firth of Fifth" would be very high up on my list. However I will say (and I know that there might be some folks lining up with pitch forks outside my home after I say this) but there is one song on this album that I have always felt was substandard. As much as I love a lot of prog-rock (ELP, ELO, Yes) I always felt that some other prog bands had a tendency to get a bit obnoxious when it came to trying to make their songs overly long and/or complex. Mind you, I do feel that if you have enough solid musical ideas for a twenty minute song, go for it. (I love "Supper's Ready" and "Tarkus" for example.) However I always felt that some other prog bands would stretch songs out longer than necessary, throw in crazy chord changes and odd time signatures just because they could, not because they should. What I always loved about Genesis was that they (almost) never fell into that trap. If they had a ten minute song, there was enough there to hold your attention. If they were playing in an odd time signature, it was still musical. Unconventional chord changes still managed to flow nicely. Which brings me to "The Battle of Epping Forest." The song has always felt very bloated to me. Too many lyrics, time signature changes not smooth, chord sequences that feel like they're trying too hard. It's the only Genesis tune that pre-dates "Me & Virgil" that didn't get into my iPod. Enough said.
As I work my way through the Genesis catalog (this is the seventh title I've listened to in the last month,) I find that the most rewarding titles so far have been Trespass and Nursery Cryme. This one comes close to matching those but seems to fall just a little short. A few songs the mix is less adventurous, the fidelity is not quite as nice, and then there's "Epping Forest." However, there's the seven other wonderful songs, a band that has a new level of energy and a mix that more often than not makes me very happy sitting in my sweet spot. I will go with a very strong 9.
Nice review of the mix, and I agree with all. Epping Forest? Not on my all -time favorites Genesis list either, but I take it for what it is, a bit of comical whimsy with a whole lot of great word play.
Nursery Cryme FTW, solidly.
jimfisheye
2K Club - QQ Super Nova
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2010
- Messages
- 3,032
These Genesis remixes are among the most frustrating listen I've had.
Disclaimer: I've been a fan of the band and listened to the stereo mixes for a long time. I also like Steve Hackett and believe his recorded parts should stay on these albums!
The mix work here is top shelf. There are details revealed throughout that were just buried before. Nothing ever stood out with the original mixes as being a problem (beyond the album length dictating the narrower groove width on the vinyl resulting in many copies taking a hit there). But these remixes reveal a lot and often in a great way.
That's the good.
The bad starts with treble hyped mastering. These mixes ended up going through the "CD preset" meatgrinder. Really stepped on them hard. It is possible to save with some eq work to attenuate the high end back to where it was. Pretty trashy presentation with that.
But the big one: Tony Banks directing Steve Hackett's parts to be buried throughout. Electric guitar? Cut the level in half! Electric guitar solo? Cut the volume even more so it's the same volume as one of my 7 keyboard parts! If you're a fan of this band from way back and familiar with the mixes, you're going to go back and forth between just amazing moments in the mix and screaming "WTF!?" Assuming you did that required eq fix. Otherwise you'll drop out about 10 minutes in.
Love the mix work!
Hate the trashy mastering damage.
Hate the history revision with Steve's guitar.
Disclaimer: I've been a fan of the band and listened to the stereo mixes for a long time. I also like Steve Hackett and believe his recorded parts should stay on these albums!
The mix work here is top shelf. There are details revealed throughout that were just buried before. Nothing ever stood out with the original mixes as being a problem (beyond the album length dictating the narrower groove width on the vinyl resulting in many copies taking a hit there). But these remixes reveal a lot and often in a great way.
That's the good.
The bad starts with treble hyped mastering. These mixes ended up going through the "CD preset" meatgrinder. Really stepped on them hard. It is possible to save with some eq work to attenuate the high end back to where it was. Pretty trashy presentation with that.
But the big one: Tony Banks directing Steve Hackett's parts to be buried throughout. Electric guitar? Cut the level in half! Electric guitar solo? Cut the volume even more so it's the same volume as one of my 7 keyboard parts! If you're a fan of this band from way back and familiar with the mixes, you're going to go back and forth between just amazing moments in the mix and screaming "WTF!?" Assuming you did that required eq fix. Otherwise you'll drop out about 10 minutes in.
Love the mix work!
Hate the trashy mastering damage.
Hate the history revision with Steve's guitar.
The mastering on the blu-ray of Selling England seems fine to me.
jimfisheye
2K Club - QQ Super Nova
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2010
- Messages
- 3,032
Oh yeah?
So this is apparently the first of the bluray reissues and the only one released so far? Was this 2014? Wonder if that means the rest of the reissues were cancelled then or just on a relaxed schedule?
I mean, the bigger issue is the revisionist history burying the electric guitar parts but proper unmolested mastering at least would be welcome here! These are excellent mixes that don't deserve the treble hyped mastering treatment the DVDV and SACD releases got hit with.
2013. Looks like the planned bluray releases were cancelled. As you guessed, Selling England was the only one.
Surely there are other QQ'ers who bought this bluray. I'd love to hear other opinions about the mastering.
I've been seeking it at a comfortable price.
Mj33
Member
Best Genesis album with a great DTS-HD surround mix. Firth of Fifth comes alive in this format. Aisle of Plenty guitar harmonies in 5.1 made me cry.
Kind of late but I have the M/C SACD, DVD V & Blu-ray. The DTS-HD Blu-ray is my favorite. I've heard it's the same mix but I wonder.....
It doesn't seem to have the exaggerated high's & lows like the other two versions. It's also not as loud to my ears.
I just discovered this album! I'd love to get this on Blu-ray Audio, but it currently seems kind of rare. Oh well.
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