First in!
I was relatively surprised awhile back when I read that this had been mixed into surround and was awaiting release. This makes two of my all-time favorite albums to get released in surround in the past year (the other being Temple of the Dog). The folks on QQ are aficionados, to be sure. But most of you seem to focus mostly on the more mainstream classic rock stuff - which I'm also a huge fan of....but it's damned refreshing to see a title like Love & Rockets' debut album get the 5.1 treatment. So, here comes my review - as an aficionado of alternative music and collector of all things dark and 80's....
Firstly, let me say that this album takes me back. I went to Europe on a senior class trip in the late 80's and I was listening to this record heavily back then. It reminds me of a German girl named Olga...but I digress... As a big fan of the Bauhaus, I always found this album to be more of a Bauhaus album than a Love & Rockets album. Especially if you hear the similarities between this and the Bauhaus' Burning From the Inside. Much the same way that Pink Floyd's The Final Cut can feel more like a Roger Waters album... Regardless of all that, you cannot argue with the beautiful and innovative writing on this LP. It's difficult to find anything derivative here. They forged a unique sound, much like their origin band....and they ran with it. Onward....
Got my blu-ray yesterday and spent all morning at work thinking about how I couldn't wait to get home. Snagged a fifth of scotch (I do love a buzz while getting my 5.1 on...). I went with the LPCM 5.1 mix....and here we go:
If There's a Heaven Above - The mix is extremely pleasant. Mids that stood out in all of the previous stereo releases are subdued slightly. The drums on this track are surprisingly low in the mix, which I personally found a bit distracting - but it didn't really detract from the overall effort. The LP contains a lot of sharp, mid-range guitar hits - and navigating these could not have been easy. This is one of the great tracks from this album, but in the 5.1 presentation it is a bit lackluster.
A Private Future - Absolutely beautiful. A track that falls relatively flat on the previous stereo releases, is brought to life in 5.1 surround. Here I sat up in my seat and realized why this album needed to be remixed into surround. A fine mix of the acoustic guitar work, the bass, and the drums. And the harmonies, which are key to most of these L&R tracks, are brought to life like never before.
The Dog-End of a Day Gone By - Stunning! This track has always been one of my favorites on the LP, but because of the mid-range onslaught (the guitars), it's tough to ... turn up to 11. This new mix has coerced the offensive mid-range down to a more manageable level and brought all of the other aspects out of the maelstrom to be glorified. Seriously, this song has never sounded better than this - and may never sound better.
The Game - This track was always a bit of a toss up on previous releases. No one ever seemed to quite get the tone of it right. The song itself is brilliant, but the mix was always mediocre. Here we have an amazing, ear-opening revelation... Things long-buried in the stereo mix are reincarnated for your listening pleasure. This haunting song is given new life with a newly enriched bassline that makes the track deceptively menacing. Enjoy!
Seventh Dream of Teenage Heaven - The title track. Nothing short of amazing. The dark harmonies on this one are displayed to your ears the same way the violent images are conveyed to Alex's eyes in A Clockwork Orange. You will hear it, and you'll like it, and you'll accept it...or you will pay. Sadly, the arrival of the snare halfway through the song does not rival the earlier stereo mixes - a bit disappointing. But a minor flaw.
Haunted When the Minutes Drag - If you are a true fan of Love & Rockets, you understand the signature sound of their acoustic guitar work. When the "bridge" of this song is coming, this song shifts gears and the electric acoustic guitar that fills the mix is something that can make you weep. I was glad to hear that Wilkes understood this and he did not disappoint. Beautiful mix here. The vocals are yanked out a bit from the center channel and it sounds fantastic. Always loved this song and frankly, when I started the BD...I was just waiting for this one - one of all time favorite L&R tracks. It is absolutely great.
Suadade - An instrumental that properly closes this LP down is presented here in a non-aggressive surround mix that truly compliments both the strength of the writing and the strength of the musicianship of the band. A gorgeous mix here, that brings everything about the song that you love right out to your ears and blankets you in what this album is all about - that strange pseudo-gothic beauty.
Now, about the bonus tracks... And let me say, I am eternally grateful for the inclusion of these tracks on this release. What's been missing on 99% of all 5.1 releases over the years are the odd B-sides and 12" mixes that made the era/album truly great for fans. I would own the Tears For Fears blu-ray right now if it had the 12" mixes of Shout and Everybody Wants to Rule the World on it....Mr. Wilson!
While I'm not a huge fan of the single version Ball of Confusion (the 12" mix is superior by far), it was nice to see it included here. The mix is a bit lackluster - it should've been more punchy/dancey... Inside the Outside, while a B-side, is widely considered to be part of the actual LP to begin with, thanks to the inclusion of it on all CD releases of this album. The mix of is actually pretty amazing. A lot of the original feel of the track is there while still being pulled and stretched into 5.1 surround.
A real gem on this BD is the mix of Lucifer Sam, which is a great cover of the Pink Floyd classic. Here its presentation has a lot more meat than the stereo version we've heard all these years. I was pleasantly surprised by it.
******
In conclusion, I have to say that Mr.Wilkes did a fine job here. I rate the mix at 9 and the material at 10. For an album that I would've never believed to have been considered for a 5.1 remix release, I am so thankful that someone who had an understanding of the original material was put in the driver's seat.
Well done, sir. Please do more L&R... and maybe some Bauhaus?
Buy this blu-ray if you have ever been a fan of Love & Rockets.