WARNING: RANDOM THOUGHTS
Well this is an interesting listen, that's for sure. It's not all-reverb, as you might conclude after a quick listen. There is a lot of reverb, and echo, but that's fitting for an '80s mix.
I really wanted to get this mix onto my PC so I could really check it out, and I finally did. You can see a screen grab of the wav files to "Run to You" below. Listening to it channel by channel reveals it to be a isolated vocal in the center most of the time, but with main vocals also in the fronts. The rears have a clearly defined echo vocal that's delayed as well. If you listen to the rears solo you hear the vocals, reverbed, but also delayed as well. When listening to all channels at once, it really gives a "big hall" effect. Bombastic, as was the music of the time.
Synths and other instruments are in the rears, not "SW Clear", but they are clearly there in the rears only. It's hard to describe. Of course, it's not always a good idea to listen to isolated channels in a 5.1 mix, and I'm sure the mixing engineers cringe at that thought. It's a presentation that's not meant to be picked apart.
However, if you are on the fence with this title because you thinks it's a "Chi-Lites" type reverb, forget it. It's a real 5.1 mix and a discrete at that. It's just a BIG BIG sound mix, and taken in that spirit, it really works.
As for voting, I am leaning towards an '8', and that's not to be taken as a diss. A freaking '8' is supposed to be a good rating. These days, it seems everyone wants to give everything a '10', and if something does not get a '10', it's looked at poorly. But comon, they can't all be '10's!
To sum up these random thoughts, this release is great. So amazed that UMe is doing new surround titles. This has to be through the efforts of "Jimby". I wish he would return to the forum. I know these classic '80s albums were played to death on radio at the time, but it's nice to hear them again in surround giving them a new angle on listening. I probably would not have bought this album again on CD or iTunes, but I am surely glad I bought it on BluRay and in 5.1. It is worthy of the price, and when you get right down to it, that's what it's all about, right?
:banana:
RUN TO YOU (5.1 WAV) [FL-FR-C-LFE-SL-SR]