HiRez Poll Nektar - JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EYE [SACD]

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Rate the SACD of Nektar - JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EYE

  • 5:

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 4:

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 3:

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 2:

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 1: Poor Surround, Poor Fidelity, Poor Content

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    17

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Please post your thoughts and comments on this 2004 SACD Hybrid release of Nektar's JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EYE album. (y):phones(n)


Journey Eye SACD Front.jpg
Journey Eye SACD Back.jpg
 
Looks like I bought the last one of these at the "cheap" price of 30 pounds over at amazon.co.uk
Once it's here, I'll give it a listen, a review, and (most importantly) A VOTE! :)
 
This is a strange thing with a very poor mastering. While listening you should try this:
Bass: +4dB
Treble: +5dB
Front Left: 0dB
Front Right: 0dB
Surround Left: +12dB !
Surround Right: +8dB
(Since this whole album runs as one track the recommended levels are average.)
Then you'll listen to a great album. I would give it an "8".
So this is nothing to look for and buy it.
You should wait until someone will find the time to remix it.
 
Four very different votes before I added mine: '10', '8' '6' & '1' (although since the '1' is from Dixie4, that can be immediately discredited, lol)
I feel the urge to vote inbetween the '8' & '6' for this one as the music's pretty good, and while the mix is discrete, it pales so much in comparison with other 70s prog mixes, particularly the Steven Wilson & Genesis mixes.
It's a '7' at best for me.
 
This is a strange thing with a very poor mastering. While listening you should try this:
Bass: +4dB
Treble: +5dB
Front Left: 0dB
Front Right: 0dB
Surround Left: +12dB !
Surround Right: +8dB
(Since this whole album runs as one track the recommended levels are average.)
Then you'll listen to a great album. I would give it an "8".
So this is nothing to look for and buy it.
You should wait until someone will find the time to remix it.

Hi floydflush, intrigued by your findings, are you sure it's this Nektar disc and not the other one from the Quad tapes? I only ask as I didn't encounter any such weirdness/rear imbalance etc from this one but the Remember The Future is definitely a bit muddy/murky and wonky-sounding.. but this "Journey to the centre of the eye" SACD is a bit bright on my system if anything.

one other little thing, strikes me you could well achieve much the same EQ boost if you were to increase the Treble only by +1 and raise the master volume a little bit as your treble is still only notched 1db above your bass by going 5 up and 4 up respectively..isn't it?

not being rude on either point and I'm happy to be wrong on both, just saying out of interest as you raise some v.curious points here :)
 
Four very different votes before I added mine: '10', '8' '6' & '1' (although since the '1' is from Dixie4, that can be immediately discredited, lol)
I feel the urge to vote inbetween the '8' & '6' for this one as the music's pretty good, and while the mix is discrete, it pales so much in comparison with other 70s prog mixes, particularly the Steven Wilson & Genesis mixes.
It's a '7' at best for me.

thanks for the prompt, rt, just realised I haven't voted on this. I'd need to play it again to refresh my memory but I reckon I'd give it a 7 too (possibly an 8) I remember it as a pretty cool mix that doesn't sound half bad at all :)
 
First of all: The edition for what I voted is the Eclectic SACD. I like this album so much. But everytime I listen to it it's a big disappointment how it sounds.
The values for bass and treble I've given on the other post should only show how flat (and boring) this good album sounds.
Then the rears are not much more than an ambient sound in the back. Once you boost them you will listen to an exciting mix
at several places.
But there is hope: On a well known place out there is a conversion as a DVD-A.
So the several channel files could be extracted easily. Once the correction is done the album could show its quality finally.
In this case the effort should be worth-while.
 
Great album. Poor, small sounding drums. It sounds like the drum kit is 6 inches wide. Poor stereo imaging. Bass way too low. I would love SW to redo the Nektar catalog, I would settle for DTS DVDs.
 
Great album. Poor, small sounding drums. It sounds like the drum kit is 6 inches wide. Poor stereo imaging. Bass way too low. I would love SW to redo the Nektar catalog, I would settle for DTS DVDs.

IIRC, this LP was recorded on a 4-track tape machine. So the sound will always be lo/no-fi.

I'm a HUGE Nektar fan, but even as a super-fan I would say that this recording is half-baked at best. A few good ideas with lots of noodling around. This record is nothing compared to RTF or Recycled or even Tab In The Ocean.

Nektar has almost NO record label muscle behind them so its a true miracle we have this & RTF in surround. I believe this & Remember The Future are actually the original quad mixes and not 5.1 remixes from the original multi-tracks.

For me, Remember The Future(although in quad) is the real multi-channel Nektar recording not to be missed. I'd give iMachine's front teeth to have: Recycled & Tab & Down To Earth & Magic Is A Child & Man In The Moon in discrete 5.1.(y)

P.S. I gave this an eight. Probably two digits too much, but I am a Nektar faithful.
 
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IIRC, this LP was recorded on a 4-track tape machine. So the sound will always be lo/no-fi.

I'm a HUGE Nektar fan, but even as a super-fan I would say that this recording is half-baked at best. A few good ideas with lots of noodling around. This record is nothing compared to RTF or Recycled or even Tab In The Ocean.

Nektar has almost NO record label muscle behind them so its a true miracle we have this & RTF in surround. I believe this & Remember The Future are actually the original quad mixes and not 5.1 remixes from the original multi-tracks.

For me, Remember The Future(although in quad) is the real multi-channel Nektar recording not to be missed. I'd give iMachine's front teeth to have: Recycled & Tab & Down To Earth & Magic Is A Child & Man In The Moon in discrete 5.1.(y)

I discovered Nektar through these releases and now love them. I agree i would love more titles in surround. Who owns their catalog? Does SW know of the band? We get XTC and Gentle Giant in 5.1 but no Nektar( who are a million times better).
 
afaik the JourneyTTCOTE M/Ch SACD is a remix from the multi's (done by Paschal Byrne & co who oversaw the Moodies' SACDs), while RememberTF is repurposed from the Quad mix.
 
Nektar was on the German Bellaphon label around 10 yrs ago but no idea now I'm afraid. Their back cat's in dire need of an SW overhaul (y)

It is very hard for these things to happen when we don't know who owns their masters? Maybe if it is Bellaphon they would allow the back catalog to be done? I have no idea how the process materializes but i am sure SW would enjoy their music. Does he get asked by the label or does he ask the label?

http://www.bellaphon.de/

I might email them and ask.
 
I discovered Nektar through these releases and now love them. I agree i would love more titles in surround. Who owns their catalog? Does SW know of the band? We get XTC and Gentle Giant in 5.1 but no Nektar( who are a million times better).

The Nektar catalog has bounced around so many times. I think the catalog may have reverted back to the band. But it would take a record company to put out some semi-big $$$ for any reissue or 5.1 remix campaign. I don't recall Steven Wilson ever mentioning Nektar. I love 'em. Roye Albrighton is a fine guitarist, singer & songwriter. By the way, Nektar re-released most of their stuff, approved by Roye in 2002. So when you buy Nektar make sure you buy the 2002 "Nektar approved remasters". There are several truly horrible sounding Nektar CD issues out there to be avoided.

You need to be patient with Gentle Giant, ignore the GG records your don't like(like I do). I think you will enjoy:

Free Hand
Octopus
The Power & The Glory

As far as XTC, I can see why neither you nor I care much for that band. You sir, have excellent taste in music, just like me! :cool:

@the XTC fanboy bandcamp: I am just having fun here, don't get your panties in a bunch. If SW likes XTC then they must be doing something good.(y)
 
The Nektar catalog has bounced around so many times. I think the catalog may have reverted back to the band. But it would take a record company to put out some semi-big $$$ for any reissue or 5.1 remix campaign. I don't recall Steven Wilson ever mentioning Nektar. I love 'em. Roye Albrighton is a fine guitarist, singer & songwriter. By the way, Nektar re-released most of their stuff, approved by Roye in 2002. So when you buy Nektar make sure you buy the 2002 "Nektar approved remasters". There are several truly horrible sounding Nektar CD issues out there to be avoided.

You need to be patient with Gentle Giant, ignore the GG records your don't like(like I do). I think you will enjoy:

Free Hand
Octopus
The Power & The Glory

As far as XTC, I can see why neither you nor I care much for that band. You sir, have excellent taste in music, just like me! :cool:

@the XTC fanboy bandcamp: I am just having fun here, don't get your panties in a bunch. If SW likes XTC then they must be doing something good.(y)


It costs big money to do 5.1 mixes? Does SW charge that much :} DTS DVDs would do me if DVD As and Blu Rays cost too much. Maybe just press LTD edition 2500 copies or something like that? I have emailed Cleopatra to inquire.
 
The Nektar catalog has bounced around so many times. I think the catalog may have reverted back to the band. But it would take a record company to put out some semi-big $$$ for any reissue or 5.1 remix campaign. I don't recall Steven Wilson ever mentioning Nektar. I love 'em. Roye Albrighton is a fine guitarist, singer & songwriter. By the way, Nektar re-released most of their stuff, approved by Roye in 2002. So when you buy Nektar make sure you buy the 2002 "Nektar approved remasters". There are several truly horrible sounding Nektar CD issues out there to be avoided.

You need to be patient with Gentle Giant, ignore the GG records your don't like(like I do). I think you will enjoy:

Free Hand
Octopus
The Power & The Glory

As far as XTC, I can see why neither you nor I care much for that band. You sir, have excellent taste in music, just like me! :cool:

@the XTC fanboy bandcamp: I am just having fun here, don't get your panties in a bunch. If SW likes XTC then they must be doing something good.(y)

GG records have really annoying vocals but i like the music.

The vocals on RTF are divine. I do not like the mix though, lead vocals in rears are fine if the vocal is moving around soundstage or temporarily but for a whole verse, hell to the nah. Still love the surround mix though. Fantastic music.
 
GG records have really annoying vocals but i like the music.

The vocals on RTF are divine. I do not like the mix though, lead vocals in rears are fine if the vocal is moving around soundstage or temporarily but for a whole verse, hell to the nah. Still love the surround mix though. Fantastic music.

RTF's from the Quad don't forget, so it's a bit of a quirky mix (I love it but the sounds a bit shitty unfortunately..).
 
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