HiRez Poll Chicago - QUADIO [BluRay Audio]

markshan said:

Chicago were a lot like Heart, or Paul McCartney, or Stevie Wonder, or several others. They were brilliant in the 70s but horrible in the 80s. I blame it on Reagan. :couch

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True..but , man...their production in the 80's (Humberto Gatica was a genius!) was SOMETHING TO BEHOLD...yeah,I know , the 80's production style was VERY bright sounding..BUT I LOOOVE BRIGHT SOUNDING stuff , as opposed to dull sounding stuff!!!

ssully said:

...'four large speakers in the corner' doesn't change low bass....

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That is dead wrong. Bass will couple to any wall it is placed near. Putting it in a corner couples it to three walls definitely increasing low bass.

JediJoker said:

Technically, the catalog number does not change. What does change is that there is no longer a separate ID number for the disc. On each replacement disc, the number printed on the disc is now just the catalog number, as printed on the original sleeve. But, yes: the numbers printed on both corrected discs start with "BA2," a fairly simple way to spot them.

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I just got this set and it seems all of my discs are labeled with "BA2." However, I am really pretty sure I have the mono problem on the stereo layer on Chicago II Wake Up & Ballet. The transition from In the Country to Wake Up is pronounced, as is the transition to Fancy Colours, in the other direction.

Are you sure BA2 is an indicator of the replacement? For instance, are you sure your CTA disc does not start with BA2 like mine does?

pti said:

Are you sure BA2 is an indicator of the replacement? For instance, are you sure your CTA disc does not start with BA2 like mine does?

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I should have corrected that statement sooner; my apologies. The discs had different numbers than the spine catalog numbers in my European set, whereas the North American discs bear the same numbers as on the spines. So, when I got replacements in California, they had different disc numbers than my old ones and I thought that this was an easy way to spot a replacement disc. As I later found out, this was not the case.

Chances are that you should request replacements.

It's been awhile for me, but I give this a 10.
I do this only because no higher rating is available.

I can't change what you think of Chicago's music nor would I try. Just know that with this set you'll be hearing the top material from this band in the best presentation possible. The mixes are consistently some of the finest work ever done in the surround medium, let alone quadraphonic. With a few hitches, most are very faithful, carefully executed and -- most important -- sonically faultless. This is the best-sounding collection of tracks in the history of quadraphonic sound.

I didn't have any interest in Chicago's album cuts.
Now I do.
This collection has made me check out the songs between hits, and I'm finding much to like.
Great-sounding surround will do that to a fella.

Don't usually talk about packaging, but here I just have to. It's simply magnificent -- nine cute little albums made with the same cardboard and paper inner sleeves of the originals, with all the original artwork gloriously reproduced in miniature. If you're aged like me, you'll re-experience the joy of holding an album in your hands. If not, here's your chance to learn of it.

With this package, Rhino has set the platinum standard for contemporary quad re-releases. They were always experts at this -- no one does it nearly as well.

LONG LIVE QUADIO!
I raise a glass.
May there be many more.

I'm late to the party (thought I'd wait seeing as how quality control pretty much doesn't exist anymore and anything with more than 2 discs is probably gonna have some problems cos whoever's in charge is too lazy to check everything, aaaaaaanyway...) but something interesting happened when I ordered via Amazon.com:

I did Amazon.com's chat thing so I could ask the rep if this set has the 2 corrected discs. They said it did and gave me a link where I could order it. The price on this link was less than the already cheap price I found when searching for it on Amazon.com and when I tried to find the cheaper price using Amazon.com's search function, I couldn't. I didn't retain the link to the cheaper set either, so can't post it here, sorry!

I bought it, it arrived quickly and only cost $18 NZD per disc (including shipping to the bottom of the planet).

As you all well know, this set is superb in all respects. Fidelity, mix, value, content, value - all truly awesome.

Quad really did rule and still does. The phantom centre channel is still a wonder to me after all these years. One track on Chicago 4 managed to produce a phantom centre, then other voices either side of centre but in from the fronts (so, between the centre and fronts). Sounded like it was coming from the bottom corner of the TV. Really cool.

I'm unfamiliar with Chicago's music but am really enjoying it. 1973's under-seen gem of a movie Electra Glide in Blue got me interested. Director is credited as James William Guercio (but I've read he didn't really know what he was doing, and so Robert Blake and cinematographer Conrad Hall did the directing).

If you're interested in picking this up, this version is the one to get: http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Electra-Glide-in-Blue-Blu-ray/67064/ The slick artwork on the back states it's Region A but I have a Region B locked Sony that plays it. There's another version with Robert Blake's mug large on the front but the audio is only Dolby Digital stereo.

timothyemerson said:

I'm late to the party (thought I'd wait seeing as how quality control pretty much doesn't exist anymore and anything with more than 2 discs is probably gonna have some problems cos whoever's in charge is too lazy to check everything, aaaaaaanyway...) but something interesting happened when I ordered via Amazon.com:

I did Amazon.com's chat thing so I could ask the rep if this set has the 2 corrected discs. They said it did and gave me a link where I could order it. The price on this link was less than the already cheap price I found when searching for it on Amazon.com and when I tried to find the cheaper price using Amazon.com's search function, I couldn't. I didn't retain the link to the cheaper set either, so can't post it here, sorry!

I bought it, it arrived quickly and only cost $18 NZD per disc (including shipping to the bottom of the planet).

As you all well know, this set is superb in all respects. Fidelity, mix, value, content, value - all truly awesome.

Quad really did rule and still does. The phantom centre channel is still a wonder to me after all these years. One track on Chicago 4 managed to produce a phantom centre, then other voices either side of centre but in from the fronts (so, between the centre and fronts). Sounded like it was coming from the bottom corner of the TV. Really cool.

I'm unfamiliar with Chicago's music but am really enjoying it. 1973's under-seen gem of a movie Electra Glide in Blue got me interested. Director is credited as James William Guercio (but I've read he didn't really know what he was doing, and so Robert Blake and cinematographer Conrad Hall did the directing).

If you're interested in picking this up, this version is the one to get: http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Electra-Glide-in-Blue-Blu-ray/67064/ The slick artwork on the back states it's Region A but I have a Region B locked Sony that plays it. There's another version with Robert Blake's mug large on the front but the audio is only Dolby Digital stereo.

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I missed out on the cheap price when this was released (and also missed the hassles with the bad discs) but what is a good deal on this now? Amazon.com usually has very high overseas shipping to anywhere, so i usually use a uk seller to Australia

timothyemerson said:

I'm late to the party (thought I'd wait seeing as how quality control pretty much doesn't exist anymore and anything with more than 2 discs is probably gonna have some problems cos whoever's in charge is too lazy to check everything, aaaaaaanyway...) ........

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HEEEYYYY.. I RESENT THAT!!!! (just kidding... ) ... I only say that cause me and a "few cool QQ weirdos" do (have done) some really extensive QC on many a releases, a lot of them being multi disc ones, and we're proud of our work!!! It's a "dirty job" but somebody's gotta do it!!!

kap'n krunch said:

HEEEYYYY.. I RESENT THAT!!!! (just kidding... ) ... I only say that cause me and a "few cool QQ weirdos" do (have done) some really extensive QC on many a releases, a lot of them being multi disc ones, and we're proud of our work!!! It's a "dirty job" but somebody's gotta do it!!!

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All good, kap'n! Yeah, I remember seeing names that look familiar in the disc credits on a few releases I have and thinking, "Hey, that's so-and-so from QQ!".

Yes, there'd be plenty of other opportunities for errors to slip in along the process. Even after everything's checked and approved, there'd still be room for things to break once the entire production run is done. I've seen weirdness in other industries along this line. If the production house then did a final check of a few discs from the actual production run, that'd be a good final check.

van1 said:

I missed out on the cheap price when this was released (and also missed the hassles with the bad discs) but what is a good deal on this now? Amazon.com usually has very high overseas shipping to anywhere, so i usually use a uk seller to Australia

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Hmmm, not sure who has the best price these days but I can only recommend picking it up if you can manage to wrangle one at a decent price - it's a great set.

The NZ dollar is rubbish at the moment and has been so for about 6 months (not sure about the Aussie dollar). I've got a bunch of movies and music in my Amazon.com/co.uk carts waiting for it to sort itself out.

Just finished listening to the final disc in this fantastic set. Wow, what a journey! I've always enjoyed most of the hits, but never played one of their LP's. This release sure opened up my eyes in a big way! The band can rock out quite a bit and Cetera's bass sounds killer on these discs. Well executed mixes and packaging. These quad mixes are among some of the most imaginative yet cohesive sounding I have ever heard. Stellar! A 10 all the way!

Funny story...

I recently replaced an older Yamaha home theater receiver with a new 4K compatible one. A few days ago I decided to crank up something from the Quadio collection, the first time since the receiver swap, and my wife an I looked at each other and wondered why it sounded strange.

I'm going through the settings in the new receiver figuring there was something I missed but I couldn't find anything. I then looked at the manual for my BD player and realized that there was a default setting which was correct for a 1080P receiver but not a 4K one (BD Audio Mix setting ON). I had to turn the setting off.

I can only describe the effect as "Chicago Unplugged". The front channels played across my seven speakers, so mostly no horns or drums. It was an INTERESTING effect, but it sounds better now.



LH

Received this set for Xmas. Not a huge Chicago fan, but after reading comments from QQrs I figured I had to have it. I could have received some new ties or hipster socks for the money my wife spent on this set, but I'm glad she followed that Amazon Wishlist.

Although I have yet to finish listening to all of the discs in this incredible quad collection, I've decided to cast my vote nonetheless. It's a very high 9 for me.

I grew up listening to and falling in love with Chicago during the Chicago I-IV phase of their career. My listening pleasures then moved on to harder rocking fare during my college days and the few Chicago songs I infrequently heard thereafter were the saccharine poppy hits that made them mega stars and that I had zero interest in. Imagine my surprise to find that the musical treasures offered up by this amazing band extended well beyond my original exposure to their discography!

Unfortunately, I was thinking 10 all the way until I got to Chicago VIII. I couldn't even finish listening to the sugar coated schmaltz it contained and I haven't dared to listen to Chicago X yet for the same reason. Chicago VIII represents everything I grew to loathe about Chicago in spades. But everything else about this release is a 10+. The packaging and quad mixes are beyond superb and the music is too (for the most part).

I was totally blown away by Chicago VII as many here expected I would. WOW! Never knew Chicago could be as proggy, funky, and jazzy as they were on VII. The Lalo Schifrin vibe on Italian From New York is awesome. Devil's Sweet sounds incredible in quad with Danny Seraphine especially cooking on this very fusionesque epic. The funk literally drips from Life Saver with Cetera's deep bass driving the song impressively. The mix throughout VII is very immersive and open with incredible instrumental fidelity and discretion. Even big hit Wishing You Were Here sounds superlative in quad; glorious even!

Musically, I always loved Terry Kath's contributions to Chicago and had no clue how a guy who couldn't read music could be such an integral part of a very sophisticated band. However, I never did pay too much attention to Peter Cetera's bass playing and this box set makes it clear that I made a major mistake in doing so. Further, I know some have complained that the bass sound is a bit overwhelming in the mix, but I find it simply exhilarating to experience!!!

I can't say enough about what the quad mixes here add to the music listening experience. Everything literally opens up beautifully and the highly discrete nature of the mix ensures you hear every musical element with incredible clarity. I feel very fortunate to have this in my collection and thank Rhino for extending it for a second run. Ok, Rhino - bring on the Doobies Quadio box!!!

I

The56Kid said:

Although I have yet to finish listening to all of the discs in this incredible quad collection, I've decided to cast my vote nonetheless. It's a very high 9 for me.

I grew up listening to and falling in love with Chicago during the Chicago I-IV phase of their career. My listening pleasures then moved on to harder rocking fare during my college days and the few Chicago songs I infrequently heard thereafter were the saccharine poppy hits that made them mega stars and that I had zero interest in. Imagine my surprise to find that the musical treasures offered up by this amazing band extended well beyond my original exposure to their discography!

Unfortunately, I was thinking 10 all the way until I got to Chicago VIII. I couldn't even finish listening to the sugar coated schmaltz it contained and I haven't dared to listen to Chicago X yet for the same reason. Chicago VIII represents everything I grew to loathe about Chicago in spades. But everything else about this release is a 10+. The packaging and quad mixes are beyond superb and the music is too (for the most part).

I was totally blown away by Chicago VII as many here expected I would. WOW! Never knew Chicago could be as proggy, funky, and jazzy as they were on VII. The Lalo Schifrin vibe on Italian From New York is awesome. Devil's Sweet sounds incredible in quad with Danny Seraphine especially cooking on this very fusionesque epic. The funk literally drips from Life Saver with Cetera's deep bass driving the song impressively. The mix throughout VII is very immersive and open with incredible instrumental fidelity and discretion. Even big hit Wishing You Were Here sounds superlative in quad; glorious even!

Musically, I always loved Terry Kath's contributions to Chicago and had no clue how a guy who couldn't read music could be such an integral part of a very sophisticated band. However, I never did pay too much attention to Peter Cetera's bass playing and this box set makes it clear that I made a major mistake in doing so. Further, I know some have complained that the bass sound is a bit overwhelming in the mix, but I find it simply exhilarating to experience!!!

I can't say enough about what the quad mixes here add to the music listening experience. Everything literally opens up beautifully and the highly discrete nature of the mix ensures you hear every musical element with incredible clarity. I feel very fortunate to have this in my collection and thank Rhino for extending it for a second run. Ok, Rhino - bring on the Doobies Quadio box!!!

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i hope you didn’t pull the plug on VIII before you got to Kath’s “Oh Thank You Great Spirit”.

Probably the hardest rocking track the band ever did and he is full-on channeling Hendrix with this one.

Just skip past “Harry Truman” and go right to it. It almost makes up for the rest of the album. .

keywhiz said:

I

i hope you didn’t pull the plug on VIII before you got to Kath’s “Oh Thank You Great Spirit”.

Probably the hardest rocking track the band ever did and he is full-on channeling Hendrix with this one.

Just skip past “Harry Truman” and go right to it. It almost makes up for the rest of the album. .

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Thx for the tip, Keywhiz. Will give Spirit a proper listen as I can’t get enough Kath, especially in Hendrix mode!

The56Kid said:

Thx for the tip, Keywhiz. Will give Spirit a proper listen as I can’t get enough Kath, especially in Hendrix mode!

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Crank this one. The quad mix is superb!

keywhiz said:

Crank this one. The quad mix is superb!

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Looking forward to it!

The56Kid said:

....Unfortunately, I was thinking 10 all the way until I got to Chicago VIII. I couldn't even finish listening to the sugar coated schmaltz it contained and I haven't dared to listen to Chicago X yet for the same reason. Chicago VIII represents everything I grew to loathe about Chicago in spades. But everything else about this release is a 10+. The packaging and quad mixes are beyond superb and the music is too (for the most part).

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Chicago VII is a desert island disk for me in Quad. it's just perfect.

While I don't share your level of distaste with the pop Chicago, I agree you can see a big shift in Chicago VIII. I routinely listen to Chicago I-VII, VIII and X just don't hit me the same way.

As a document, I like them. You can see the progression of their music to more radio friendly fare with those two albums.

drphibes said:

Chicago VII is a desert island disk for me in Quad. it's just perfect.

While I don't share your level of distaste with the pop Chicago, I agree you can see a big shift in Chicago VIII. I routinely listen to Chicago I-VII, VIII and X just don't hit me the same way.

As a document, I like them. You can see the progression of their music to more radio friendly fare with those two albums.

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Yep, Chicago VII was the last of their albums in my library. I only got VIII and X (IX doesn't count) when I got the Quadio set. I would suspect that many fans of early Chicago also went this route.