Anathema - The Optimist

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My deluxe set arrived today from Amazon.de - well packed, perfect condition. I'd had hopes of giving the 5.1 a play this evening but what with family here, grandkids riled up and raising all hell....the beer calls me more than the music. Maybe tomorrow.
 
First play today, as always it's too soon to score - I really hope I can spin again this week as my first impression was pretty positive. Reading elsewhere many fans seem to rate this one weaker than the last but as it's my first delve into their music I've nothing to compare to.

Initial comments though - VG+ 5.1 mix by Bruce Soord - some movement, some stationary in the rears, good balance. The stuff that moves about the 5.1 field doesn't fall into "gimmick" territory, and it's done at times where it works really well. Pretty impressed.

Do I start moving backward with this band, and how far back to go?
 
Listened to this several times now. I like it very much. Can't say I love but it's an excellent blu ray and glad I own it. Also came with free download. I particularly like the play the band gave Lee Douglas on this album love her voice. I give it a 9.
 
Do I start moving backward with this band, and how far back to go?

I started to really get into Anathema from their 1999 album "Judgement" onwards. Their material before that was a bit rough to my ears.

A very good place to start discovering their work is their 2001 album "A Fine Day To Exit", to which "The Optimist" is conceptually and thematically linked.
But there is a lot to discover between "Judgement" and "The Optimist" and it is all pretty excellent.

Enjoy!
 
Do I start moving backward with this band, and how far back to go?
Well, as far as surround is concerned, there are three others. In reverse chrono:

- Distant Satellites
- Weather Systems
- We're Here Because We're Here

These are their previous three "main" albums. My personal favorite is the oldest, which was co-produced and mixed by Steven Wilson. Weather Systems is a more overtly emotional album, so if you enjoy that aspect of their music, I might recommend that one above We're Here Because We're Here. Distant Satellites is far and away my least favorite of the three, so I can't really recommend it (but it's not bad, per se).
 
I would recommend working backwards, start by getting the 3 mentioned by JediJoker first (my fave of those is WHBWH, but all 3 are great albums and imo much better than The Optimist).

The mix on Weather Systems is pretty poor but it's listenable. Plenty of it's material features on the live Blu-ray 'Universal' which while it only has PCM 2.0 audio, the mix is great and much better than the album versions.
 
The for the recommendations everyone - I think I might try one or two recent ones as I'm really not interested in the earlier more "metal" ones - will be checking clips one youtube, stuff on their site etc....the acoustic Homecoming set looks like it might be my best bet - love the idea of it.
 
First play today, as always it's too soon to score - I really hope I can spin again this week as my first impression was pretty positive. Reading elsewhere many fans seem to rate this one weaker than the last but as it's my first delve into their music I've nothing to compare to.

Initial comments though - VG+ 5.1 mix by Bruce Soord - some movement, some stationary in the rears, good balance. The stuff that moves about the 5.1 field doesn't fall into "gimmick" territory, and it's done at times where it works really well. Pretty impressed.

Do I start moving backward with this band, and how far back to go?

I've been a fan since their early days. The song writing was always good, so even the early "heavy" albums have lots of really great tracks and several "classics" that are well worth picking up and to my ears they weren't really *that* heavy.

The Homecoming album is a good choice, but I would say Were Here Because Were Here, Weather Systems, A Fine Day to Exit and A Natural Disaster (my favorite of the earlier stuff) are all pretty much essential, Satellites isn't so good imho. Some great tracks but patchy.

They also have a number of superb compilations of the really early material - Resonance 1 and 2, which are compilations of the less heavy songs (lots of Lee Douglas on them too) and Hindsight and Falling Deeper which are both re-recordings of earlier material. Hindsight is acoustic and Falling Deeper is orchestral!
 
They also have a number of superb compilations of the really early material - Resonance 1 and 2, which are compilations of the less heavy songs (lots of Lee Douglas on them too)...
To be clear: Resonance 1 is the lighter stuff, while Resonance 2​ is decidedly heavier.
 
To be clear: Resonance 1 is the lighter stuff, while Resonance 2​ is decidedly heavier.

Yes! Thanks for the correction. :) It's been a while since I listened to Vol. 2 and you're absolutely right.

"Fragile Dreams" is (arguably) the most essential song from that album, but it's also on Hindsight, Homecoming, Universal and (the original) Alternative 4 so plenty of other places to get it!
 
i am surprised that no-one has commented on the weird ending to the optimist. Complete silence for a considerable period of time. And then weird singing, talking etc. Thought something was wrong at first. Anyone care to explain?
 
i am surprised that no-one has commented on the weird ending to the optimist. Complete silence for a considerable period of time. And then weird singing, talking etc. Thought something was wrong at first. Anyone care to explain?

It's the lead up to a hidden track. Courtesy of wikipedia for more details:

The song "Back to the Start" ends at 7:35. After 3 minutes of silence (7:35 - 10:35), a hidden song begins.
 
i am surprised that no-one has commented on the weird ending to the optimist. Complete silence for a considerable period of time. And then weird singing, talking etc. Thought something was wrong at first. Anyone care to explain?

This album is considered a follow on to their 2001 album "A Fine Day to Exit" or, more accurately, was inspired by the cover art of "Exit."

"Exit" also features a "hidden" acoustic track "In the Dog's House" which follows five minutes silence at the end of "Temporary Peace" (which is an Anathema classic, btw, so if you haven't heard it get a copy now) so I guess they're acknowledging that.

[Edit]: BTW it was missing from the first BluRay test pressing that I got during play testing, so you can thank/blame me for it's inclusion on the final, released version! :)
 
This album is considered a follow on to their 2001 album "A Fine Day to Exit" or, more accurately, was inspired by the cover art of "Exit."

"Exit" also features a "hidden" acoustic track "In the Dog's House" which follows five minutes silence at the end of "Temporary Peace" (which is an Anathema classic, btw, so if you haven't heard it get a copy now) so I guess they're acknowledging that.

[Edit]: BTW it was missing from the first BluRay test pressing that I got during play testing, so you can thank/blame me for it's inclusion on the final, released version! :)

Thank you Sir :D!
 
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