HiRez Poll Trower, Robin - BRIDGE OF SIGHS [Blu-Ray Audio (Dolby Atmos)]

[rtbluray]

Please post your thoughts and comments on this brand new deluxe edition of the classic album "Bridge of Sighs" by Robin Trower.
Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, this new deluxe edition contains the first ever remixes of the album in both 5.1 surround and Dolby Atmos.

 

[mandrix]

10's all around for me.
I thought "Day of the Eagle" got it started a tiny bit weak, but it only gets better from here, mix and sound wise.
If you are a fan of Robin Trower and his seminal second solo album, have an Atmos system, I believe you can't go wrong. (I have not listened to the full album in other than Atmos so YMMV)
The packaging is superb. The extra's are nice. Someone put some thought into this and it shows. After some crappy mixed CD's of his other work over the years I am gratified beyond measure with this release.

 

[perzon57]

10's all around for me.
I thought "Day of the Eagle" got it started a tiny bit weak, but it only gets better from here, mix and sound wise.
If you are a fan of Robin Trower and his seminal debut solo album, have an Atmos system, I believe you can't go wrong. (I have not listened to the full album in other than Atmos so YMMV)
The packaging is superb. The extra's are nice. Someone put some thought into this and it shows. After some crappy mixed CD's of his other work over the years I am gratified beyond measure with this release.

How are height/top speakers used?

 

[mandrix]

How are height/top speakers used?

The rear heights and surround backs sometimes carry more subtle sounds, say like a bell or cymbal. The front heights are a little harder for me to discern from the fronts.
If you are looking for a bunch of sounds circling the room you will be disappointed, though the wind sounds on BOS's does traverse the room.
I'll let those better than I at breaking things down explain, I'm sure much better than me.

I did turn my sub up a little.

 

[SHB]

I agree with mandrix, Day of the Eagle is a bit weak but I think the mix gets better from there. I like it, but I would have preferred Tayler getting a crack at mixing it. I especially like what was done with BOS and ITP. It's a little difficult to turn the pages in the book. It's a bit stiff due to the sleeves holding the discs. I liked that they used the green album cover version for the visuals. It has a ripple effect. I give it a 8.

 

[RustyM]

A crankable 10!

 

[Quady]

Please post your thoughts and comments on this brand new deluxe edition of the classic album "Bridge of Sighs" by Robin Trower.
Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, this new deluxe edition contains the first ever remixes of the album in both 5.1 surround and Dolby Atmos.

10's all around for me.
I thought "Day of the Eagle" got it started a tiny bit weak, but it only gets better from here, mix and sound wise.
If you are a fan of Robin Trower and his seminal debut solo album, have an Atmos system, I believe you can't go wrong. (I have not listened to the full album in other than Atmos so YMMV)
The packaging is superb. The extra's are nice. Someone put some thought into this and it shows. After some crappy mixed CD's of his other work over the years I am gratified beyond measure with this release.

At first listen I gave it an 8, though with subsequent listens this could go higher. We all hope to be blown away from the get-go, but this didn’t happen. The first track, as others have noted is underwhelming. That alone precludes a score of a perfect 10. A 10 for me would require every track to sound better in surround than stereo and that is simply not the case for Day of the Eagle. It does however get much better! I need more time to assess if my expectations for one of my all-time favourite albums was too high and if I was too distracted by its very unusual mix.

More and more atmos releases are at least 9.1.6. My system is 9.1.4 so I can say Bridge of Sighs was at least that. Some album mixes have subtle enhancements in the wides and others contain very discreet and pertinent elements. Not only was BoS in the latter category, the main guitar was placed in the wide channels on every track! The LCR spread was most often exclusively bass and drums. This effected to showcase Dewar’s fine bass skills! There were very fine moments on Little Bit of Sympathy when Isadore’s drums expanded from the fronts into the wides providing a wall of intricate percussion! There were times when the rears had more content than the side surrounds. On a few occasions the rears had nothing but vocals, sometimes interjected with a brief burst of overdubbed rhythm guitar. I don’t know if Dewar’s vocals were originally double-tracked, but they could be heard simultaneously emanating from different surrounds, and they weren’t just reverbed, but succinctly different.

Although the mix was unorthodox, it wasn’t random. Each element was carefully considered. Yes, there were brief moments when it felt like an all-channel stereo, but that simply isn’t the case. While overall it’s a static mix, the side, rear and height channels are employed differently depending on what was happening at the time.

So, while I was initially distracted by the mix, it wasn’t a distractive mix, if that makes sense. While we all enjoy listening to our favourites at loud volume the uniqueness of how the elements were placed goes away the louder I play it. And Robin Trower at reference volume levels is always a good thing!

 

[Willie Wilson]

Disappointing news, but it’s all about him coming back in better health:
https://ultimateclassicrock.com/robin-trower-2024-tour-cancel/

 

[mandrix]

Disappointing news, but it’s all about him coming back in better health:
https://ultimateclassicrock.com/robin-trower-2024-tour-cancel/

I truly hope he recovers. As was said in the article, shame he does not get more credit for his work.
Admittedly, some of his CD's are not so good. Not because of Trower but compression and not so good mixing.
I have some videos from quite some time back where he looked absolutely awful. Godspeed, Robin Trower.

 

[Matt Wilson]

Great album, and the only RT LP I have ever heard. I'm giving the 5.1 mix a 9. As good as most of the Procol Harum records I own.

 

[srbjab]

Not ready to vote yet, but first listen was positive for the Atmos mix and really enjoyed the alternate album stereo mix. Not a fan of the packaging though. Hate tight cardboard sleeves for discs and will never understand why some deluxe editions insist on oddball size packaging that doesn't fit anywhere. Also, the book is way too tight - feels like it might tear itself apart if you try to open it flat to see the pages.

 

[Ranasakawa]

At this stage it's a 7 from me. I finally got my 7.1 system set up right and I couldn't wait to play one of my favourite albums in Atmos. To my ears the guy who mixed it doesn't know much about mixing in surround. It is definitely not very immersing to my ears. Bloody disappointment. The book is a challenge to actually turn the pages and read and it is also a challenge to get the discs out to actually play them and lastly the menu screen music is about 2-3 times louder than the actual music content so when the album finishes it almost blows your ears or the speakers.

 

[jhw59]

8 overall with half a point off for the packaging. I'm inserting liners for the discs. Fairly priced so might move up to a 9.

 

[marpow]

I voted 10.
This album like for many of you is iconic to me. My very first version was cassette. I had a hot rodded 1973 Chevy stepside and gave that vehicle everything I had including a very nice cassette player and speakers.
Since then CD's including the mini LP SHM CD collection from Japan released in 2015.
My review is of the entire Blu Ray, taking notes with pen and paper.
I enjoyed reading the reviews above me.
I will go in order of the rear of book contents. But first.
Hard Disc in player: Easy menu, plays well, no issues.
Book construction: Too tight for the four discs. Too tight for opening to read, however I was able to open enough to read the liner notes without cracking the binding.
Liner notes: Great information with commentary by guest artists. Great information for each individual disc, recording facts, etc.
Ripping Notes: I used Make MKV for the rip and MMH for the tagging, no problems.
Listening: MKV and Flac files played via JRiver>MCH DAC>AVR>2 channel pre amp>2 channel amp> 3 channel amp> 4 channel amp. Speakers, 5 floor, 3 subs, 4 heights, room size 12' X 14' wall treated. Listening 80db to 60db depending on mood and source.
Original 1974 Album (2024 Remaster): FLAC file, PCM 24bit/48Khz. DR's are 7's, 8's, 9. It must be noted that the Atmos and the 5.1 take there mixing from this 1974 release, probably people would have freaked out if the mixes came from the longer 2024 stereo mix.
2024 Stereo Mix: FLAC file, PCM 24bit/48Khz. DR's are 8's, 9's, 10. I liked this and thought it was very fun to listen to. The liner notes say "NB: When we began researching and listening through the original multi-tracks we soon realised that the original 1974 recordings were edited on the original release. With Robin's authorization, we present here for the first time, the full, unedited versions of the recordings". I do not know who N/B is?
I thought this really fun to play each track back to back the original 1974 and the 2024 remix to hear the differences, some tracks on the 2024 are close as 2 minutes longer. I was surprised on the 2024 track 2 Bridge Of Sighs they left out chimes and wind.
Outtakes & Rarities: FLAC file, PCM 24bit/48Khz. DR's are 9's, 10's, 11's, 12. This of course too repetitive but interesting to the point how tight the band was and there was moments of piano and organ, that I believe never made it. Note: CD 2, you will miss a few songs that the BD has.
Instrumental: FLAC file, PCM 24bit/48Khz. DR's are 8's, 9's, 10, 11's. Good, one time good. Give me the real thing.
Live At The Record Plant, Sausalito May 29th 1974: Being a Bay Area person, these were frequently done for KSAN radio and we could listen to many of these broadcasts, Montrose has the same thing on there remasters of Montrose and Paper Money. Micing is not good on the Robin Trower takes, but nice to get a feel for the times. I liked Track 4 Lady Love, starts cowbell right, guitar center to vocals left all in a sequence.
5.1: FLAC DTS HD MSTR, 24bit/48Khz. DR's are 9, 10, 11, 12's, 13. Many on QQ do not have Atmos capability and I really try to find benefit in the 5.1, do you really need an Atmos setup, is 5.1 good enough? This 5.1 lacks the power of the Atmos version.
Dolby Atmos: MKV file, TRU HD, 24bit/48Khz. DR's are 10's, 11, 12's, 13's. This is the version that brings it all together. Think raw power and amplification, the tone of Trower's guitar, very solid, great overhead ambience and many discrete moments, here and there, rears and heights. This is the one I listened to at 80db. Think of the Quadio CTA and Terry Kath's power solo Free Form Guitar, where you can hear the air going through the amps, Bridge Of Sighs comes close to that. Super great listen.

I spent hours yesterday listening to the same thing, different variants, never got tired of it, beautiful album, played many times my whole life and will play this new 2024 release many times again.

PLEASE KEEP POLL THREADS PURE TO YOUR PERSONAL LISTENING EXPERIENCE.

 

[chaz25]

NB is the famous Nota Bene

 

[marpow]

NB is the famous Nota Bene

Definition: Nota bene, also known as N.B., is a Latin phrase that means "note well" or "take special notice." It is often used to draw attention to important information or details in a written document or text.

 

[Guy Robinson]

The ATMOS (in 7.1) on this one is a 10. Better than the 5.1 track.