HiRez Poll Wilson, Steven - Hand. Cannot. Erase. [BluRay Audio]

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Rate the BDA of Steven Wilson - Hand. Cannot. Erase.

  • 7:

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 5:

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 4:

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 3:

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 2:

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 1: Poor Surround, Poor Fidelity, Poor Content

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    144
Another faultless solo album from Steven Wilson. Musically more varied than some of his previous works. The surround experience is everything we have come to expect from the master of the art. It has a wonderfully dynamic presentation that really adds to the experience. So it's a 9 from me. I bought the deluxe version which is a work of art in its own right too. Can't wait to hear it live in two weeks.
 
I've played it twice and will not cast a vote until I've done at least 5 plays - have to get really familiar with some of the material. Initial thoughts though are that for me it's a lot more enjoyable than either the last 2 albums, a better mix of styles.

I can pretty much say that the 5.1 mix gets a 10/10, wonderfully done. I'm still not sure about *some* of the music on the album but even the bits I'm not fond of are mixed excellently.
 
I got a chance to listen to this last night. So far, I really, really like this album. So much as to say I love it and feel it's the best work he's done as a solo artist and with Porcupine Tree. I have not heard any of his other side projects. The on screen photos are great too. I won't Post a final impression until I've gone through the whole BD but from what I've seen and heard, it's going to be an easy 10 for me. :)
 
Steven is just on fire with his mixes. 10 years ago, he was already among the best in the business. Now I would say he is THE best. Hand. Cannot. Erase. continues a run of incredible releases in surround. So many mixers out there focus on specific speakers for specific instruments. Steven excels at realizing scenes in the telling of a story with sound. His aural-scaping feels realistic and personal. The way the layers of guitar, Hammond, toms and cymbals dance and swirl about the room and the vocals transition between the stereo and center channel is just flat out amazing. The man just has an ear for when specific sounds should project from single directions and when they should blend from multiple directions. I can't say Hand. Cannot. Erase. is any better than his recent remixes, but it sure as hell is keeping up with the trend of excellence. 10/10!
 
I REALLY like the fact that it is NOT that similar to "The Raven..." or any of his other releases...
i just listened to the BD last night for the 1st time...

The Deluxe edition is a REAL treat....

One question..are the lyrics anywhere to be found?

Will report back later...

(Why didn't Neil Wilkes do any of the authoring/Mastering?)
 
I REALLY like the fact that it is NOT that similar to "The Raven..." or any of his other releases...
i just listened to the BD last night for the 1st time...

The Deluxe edition is a REAL treat....

One question..are the lyrics anywhere to be found?

Will report back later...

(Why didn't Neil Wilkes do any of the authoring/Mastering?)

I have the standalone BD and the lyrics are in the booklet.
 
I like JanBakker. Oh, sorry :yikes, I like this album. A ten.
 
I have the standalone BD and the lyrics are in the booklet.


Hey! In the deluxe edition the lyrics are intelligently hidden within the artwork. Sometimes explicitly printed over the pictures and some other times in the attachments (take a look at the notepad or the Christmas letter)
 
On second listen now (first in the car and now on headphones) and this is a brilliant, fascinating piece of ART. The concept is good itself, but the way Steven has created a whole story from childhood to disappearance is wonderful and a bit scarring at times when I wonder if there are autobiographical hints such as the electrical engineer father. How can you write about loneliness without having ever feel lonely in a similar way?
Concept apart, the artwork on the deluxe edition is amazing, maybe one of the best I own. Blu-ray authoring is good too, made by Ray Shulman!
And the music... Steven sounds again like himself, much more original than when he tries to pay homage to the seventies' prog (Raven or Grace). As an Insurgentes fan, I find this record much fresher and modern than the previous ones. Perhaps due to the fact that Theo's contribution is more subtle or maybe due to the more "electronic" sound, don't know yet.
Ninet's voice is a nice addition, I need to find more of her music (made a quick internet check and she's a beauty too!)
And kill me because of what I'm going to say, buy I'm missing a bit of mastering! The record is so dynamic that the abrupt volume changes are a bit annoying at the car (but who bought this record to play it only in the car?)
In half an hour the surround version will be blasting at home, so more impressions later...
 
Hey! In the deluxe edition the lyrics are intelligently hidden within the artwork. Sometimes explicitly printed over the pictures and some other times in the attachments (take a look at the notepad or the Christmas letter)

I found all the lyrics part for Routine. Anyone found those?
 
Hey! In the deluxe edition the lyrics are intelligently hidden within the artwork. Sometimes explicitly printed over the pictures and some other times in the attachments (take a look at the notepad or the Christmas letter)

I can't I don't have the deluxe edition but at least I didn't have to look for them :). In the standalone BD the lyrics are in plain sight in the booklet.
 
Here we go:

Wilson's 4th album has been described as his most ambitious and varied to date, so is it?

Starting off the surround mix are some effects including school children playing outside, along with deep bass!
When "Three Years Older" starts, the mellotron fills up the surround channels. Everything sounds just as full as it always does on his records once the full band is in.
At times, Steven's lead vocal is very forward and present while other times it's tucked back. His harmonies envelop you in the surrounds.
The title track starts off with the beatbox elements in the surrounds. A fantastic pop song this is! Might have fit well on a Blackfield album.
Having heard the stereo mix several times before my deluxe set arrived, I came to dislike 'Perfect Life'. The music is good, but the dialogue and melody do absolutely nothing for me. The surround mix doesn't do much for me either, but at least it does build over time, which is always a good thing.
"Routine" on the other hand has always been one of my favorites, and it's just as haunting and beautiful in surround. The choir boy and Ninet's singing will give you chills, particularly getting near the end when Ninet just lets it rip! Guthrie also does some wonderful soloing on this song as well. Also at the end of the track, an entire boy choir envelops you in the surrounds!
"Home Invasion" brings the metal back into Steven Wilson's music. Reckon the last time we heard that was on "The Incident". Adam Holzman's distorted Rhodes takes up a lot of the surround real estate, which really helps to emphasize what an incredible player he is! Steven's vocal effects also envelop you to great effect. Only complaint is I wish his lead vocal was a little more present on this one.
Then comes "Regret #9", which is a solo showcase for Adam and Guthrie. Not a very gimmicky mix but really solid!
Next is "Transience", a track that sounds like it could have been on "Storm Corrosion". The picking acoustic guitars come from all sides of you along with Steven's vocal doubles.
And now we come to the beast of the album, "Ancestral". The beatbox effects are once again dominating in the surrounds, while Theo Travis' flute finally makes its first appearance on the album. There are also great string arrangements on this song that envelop you. Guthrie pulls off yet more amazing soloing on this track. His solos are one the best things about this lineup of musicians that Steven has put together! The track then builds up into the heaviest moments on the album, including more metal! The ending also sounds like it came out of "Thick as a Brick"! Fun stuff! Could have used a little more guitar in the surrounds on this mix, but it's still powerful.
'Happy Returns' starts with sound effects similar in feel to the start of the album, except this time we are nearing the end of the journey. Steven's vocal sounds wonderful, so full, present, and upfront. Adam's piano and Guthrie's rhythm licks take up some of the surround real estate along with those lovely strings and vocal harmonies! The choir boys are also back in full effect. Finishing off the track are great solos by Steven and Guthrie, which leads right into the ethereal finale of "Ascendant Here On...", another showcase for the choir boys, which is such a fantastic tone color throughout this album!

What can I say? Steven Wilson amazes yet again with a near perfect work of art! Music, mix, and fidelity are about as good as you could hope for, so I can't give this anything but a '10'. Go get the standalone Blu-Ray wherever you can so you can experience this in its ultimate form! :)

On a side note, nice authoring work by Ray Shulman that really brings the story to life with pictures while the album is immersing you!
 
I've played the heck out of this, both in my car, and at home. Another "what we should expect" from SW. Been playing the DVD-A at home. I will switch to the DTS-MA in a few days to see if there are any glaring differences. 10 10 10!
 
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