i wonder if using where instruments are positioned in the soundfield in a gig setting as his reference point for how to pan a surround remix of a studio track is part of "the problem"..
That certainly does seem plausible. Luckily for us, it appears he's slowly growing out of that conservative approach- some choices in his recent mix of Sgt. Pepper would completely violate it.
"Fixing A Hole"- probably the most adventurous mix on that disc- would suggest George is playing his guitar directly behind you.
"When I'm 64"- Piano overdub behind you
"Strawberry Fields"- Harp does 360 pan
Granted, those parts that are "rear only" are really like 75% rear, 25% front. Better than 1+ for sure though.
Glad to see he's getting more adventurous. Haven't heard the recent INXS disc done by him yet- comments on the poll thread seem to be positive.