Gentle Giant - (most of) Octopus in 5.1 coming soon!!

[rtbluray]

Good grief, amazon have an issue on their hands…

7 out of the 8 reviews thus far are people complaining that they received the CD-only version even though it said "5.1 Remix" on it.

 

[skherbeck]

Good grief, amazon have an issue on their hands…

7 out of the 8 reviews thus far are people complaining that they received the CD-only version even though it said "5.1 Remix" on it.

Is there an "I told you so" coming?

 

[GOS]

I initially also had ordered the "5.1" from Amazon and RT said it was wrong, so I cancelled order. My order is through Burning Shed. While there is NO excuse for Amazon.....for those of us that frequent QQ...we were in the know...

 

[rtbluray]

Is there an "I told you so" coming?

Haha, not to the reviewers on amazon. They are mostly an insufferable lot.
As a matter of fact, when I spoke with Steven Wilson last year on the phone as part of my Master's Degree Final Project on Surround Mixing, we had a good laugh about some of the ridiculous things said and reviews given on there for some of his remixes.

 

[Which_One_Is_Pink]

Helloooooooo Octopussy, YAY! Mine was waiting for me when I got home!

 

[rtbluray]

A picture of the back cover from amazon:

 

[ar surround]

I had heard of this band, but I never got familiar with their music. I listened to some snippets from Octopus and have now asked for the Bluray as a Christmas present. Thanks again to you QQ members for the enlightenment on yet another new-to-me artist!

AR

 

[wavelength]

I had heard of this band, but I never got familiar with their music. I listened to some snippets from Octopus and have now asked for the Bluray as a Christmas present. Thanks again to you QQ members for the enlightenment on yet another new-to-me artist!

Octopus has approx 13 minutes of upmixes. You might be happier with The Power and the Glory as your first Gentle Giant surround album.

 

[DennisMoore Jr.]

I had heard of this band, but I never got familiar with their music. I listened to some snippets from Octopus and have now asked for the Bluray as a Christmas present. Thanks again to you QQ members for the enlightenment on yet another new-to-me artist!

AR

Hi ar,

Gentle Giant defines the term "enigma". Many GG fans differ strongly on the band's best work. For me:

Octopus & Free Hand & The Power and The Glory are perfection while I find the first three GG records chaotic at best. Others LOVE those first three GG records the best! Go figure. Point is:

Check out all Gentle Giant. Every album is a new invention unlike what any other band did. If you don't like a particular GG record you may find you will simply love another one. So keep trying them!



@Good Sir wavelength: Yes I was heart-broken when I heard the mulit tracks for the three strongest tracks from Octopus were missing I was beside myself, but the "replacement tracks" are original 2.0 masters worked by the gifted ear of SW with some nice upmixing magic.

So I say the issue of Octopus in surround is still a miracle and an absolute must have. Sounds like the extra 16 minute live 5.1 remix is to die for also.(I'm still waiting for my order from Headphone Dust...)

 

[rtbluray]

Dennis, what's your opinion on "In A Glass House"? I have been hoping that this album will be the next one of theirs to be remixed if they come across the multitrack tapes. I'd particularly love to hear the opening track ("The Runaway") and the closing song (the title track) in surround.

 

[IMachine]

Hi ar,

Gentle Giant defines the term "enigma". Many GG fans differ strongly on the band's best work. For me:

Octopus & Free Hand & The Power and The Glory are perfection while I find the first three GG records chaotic at best. Others LOVE those first three GG records the best! Go figure. Point is:

Check out all Gentle Giant. Every album is a new invention unlike what any other band did. If you don't like a particular GG record you may find you will simply love another one. So keep trying them!



@Good Sir wavelength: Yes I was heart-broken when I heard the mulit tracks for the three strongest tracks from Octopus were missing I was beside myself, but the "replacement tracks" are original 2.0 masters worked by the gifted ear of SW with some nice upmixing magic.

So I say the issue of Octopus in surround is still a miracle and an absolute must have. Sounds like the extra 16 minute live 5.1 remix is to die for also.(I'm still waiting for my order from Headphone Dust...)

Hey...you got Knots in real discrete 5.1. This is also one of the best tracks, GG have ever recorded.
At it sounds absolutely stellar!

 

[IMachine]

Dennis, what's your opinion on "In A Glass House"? I have been hoping that this album will be the next one of theirs to be remixed if they come across the multitrack tapes. I'd particularly love to hear the opening track ("The Runaway") and the closing song (the title track) in surround.

The closing track has the best guitar-riffing GG performed!

 

[keenly]

The clarity of this album is excellent. I do prefer the drumming on P&G, but this album still displays some great musicianship.
Very good upmixes BTW, sound clean and crisp, I would recommend to all.

 

[keenly]

The clarity of this album is excellent. I do prefer the drumming on P&G, but this album still displays some great musicianship.
Very good upmixes BTW, sound clean and crisp, I would recommend to all.

 

[ssully]

The upmixes sound great...every bit as good as the remixed tracks. In fact in some ways I prefer them, since they retain the overall 'punch' of the original, whereas in at least one case SW's remix seems to have lost some impact.

I hope this lays to rest the idea that discrete remixes are 'obviously' or a priori better listening than good upmixes.

 

[FVDnz]

One thing I'm really digging about Raconteur Troubadour for example is how the violin is brought up in the mix so clearly. Love this remix, big time. Dunno what they plan on delivering next so either In a Glass House or Three Friends for me.

 

[keenly]

The upmixes sound great...every bit as good as the remixed tracks. In fact in some ways I prefer them, since they retain the overall 'punch' of the original, whereas in at least one case SW's remix seems to have lost some impact.

I hope this lays to rest the idea that discrete remixes are 'obviously' or a priori better listening than good upmixes.

I am listening to Zeppelin III upmix right now, Out on the tiles, the section at the end where it changes, the drums are flying from speaker to speaker, sounds like SW mixed it! Shame it is done from an inconsistent sounding German vinyl.

Of course well want real surround from the original tapes, but when not possible upmixes can be fine. It all depends on the original stereo mix.

 

[wavelength]

The upmixes sound great...every bit as good as the remixed tracks. In fact in some ways I prefer them, since they retain the overall 'punch' of the original, whereas in at least one case SW's remix seems to have lost some impact.

I hope this lays to rest the idea that discrete remixes are 'obviously' or a priori better listening than good upmixes.

OK you like them and I'm glad you do. For me I just get tired of being asked to compromise. Oh sorry, that's only available in DTS; oh sorry the mutlis are missing but we made a surround mix anyway. My point is we all draw a line - especially when it comes to buying things. All those arguments about lossy vs lossless and upmixes vs multi-track mixes - I really don't care. I just have my line and I want a specific product for my money.

 

[DennisMoore Jr.]

Dennis, what's your opinion on "In A Glass House"? I have been hoping that this album will be the next one of theirs to be remixed if they come across the multitrack tapes. I'd particularly love to hear the opening track ("The Runaway") and the closing song (the title track) in surround.

Hi rt,

Sorry for the delay, I wanted to give this proper thought before responding since I know you really enjoy Glass House.

I have known all the other GG records since I bought them in the seventies, but Glass House was not sold in my area so I never had it until I bought all the Alucard 25th(??) remasters a few years ago!

I've known the lone Glass House live song from Playing the Fool way back and that track seemed kinda dissonant. GG always pushed the limit on melodic interplay(into the realm of dischord, imho...) I love GG music that stays on the less "Phillip Glass" side of things..

Truth is: I've become such a radical 5.1 looney, that I have't given my Alucard 25th 2.0 remaster of Glass House a fair shake. But your glowing admiration provides good motivation for me.

I would place Glass House in the batter's on deck circle, right after Steven completes remixing Free Hand.




@the group: Does anybody know if the multi-track tape exist for GG - Free Hand??? I have the 4.0 release, of course...

 

[rtbluray]

OK you like them and I'm glad you do. For me I just get tired of being asked to compromise. Oh sorry, that's only available in DTS; oh sorry the mutlis are missing but we made a surround mix anyway. My point is we all draw a line - especially when it comes to buying things. All those arguments about lossy vs lossless and upmixes vs multi-track mixes - I really don't care. I just have my line and I want a specific product for my money.

FWIW, my opinion is that upmixing songs with missing multitrack tapes is definitely a lot more excusable than not releasing a surround mix in a lossless format.
Then again, I would never advise that an album be released in surround if close to all the multitrack tapes are missing. Better to stick with remixing albums where all or most of the multitrack tapes are available and useable, but that's just what I think. Everyone's mileage varies of course…