HiRez Poll Adams, Bryan - RECKLESS [BluRay]

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Rate the BDA of Bryan Adams - RECKLESS [BluRay Audio]

  • 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 Contact

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    65

JonUrban

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Please post your thoughts and comments on this November 2014 BluRay Audio Surround release from UMe of Bryan Adam's classic 1984 album "RECKLESS"
(n):phones(y)

Pre-release discussion thread: https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/forums/showthread.php?19356

Blu-Ray Audio Scans:
Reckless BDA Front.jpg
Reckless BDA rear.jpg

Box Set Scans:
R-7499685-1442753934-3915.jpeg.jpg

R-7499685-1442753966-6521.jpeg.jpg
 
Hey QQ -

I'm going to go ahead and vote and offer some quick comments. Yeah, I do tend to be a spontaneous guy and so usually, my first listen is what hits me, though I did listen to whole disc twice. I know what I like, and I know what I expect. Regarding these POLL's, I truly try to vote based on what I hear....not how it sounds compared to previous versions or even the cliche "it sounds excellent for a XXX year recording".

If you are looking for a reference surround experience...this isn't it. Do I find myself smiling during some of the obvious hit songs? Yeah, I do. That means, I approve of what I hear. Still, this is not reference or even close to that IMO. I have both the CD and now this version....which one would I play? Pfft. This one, of course. It sounds good.

In general, the hits sound good, some better than others. The songs that I don't immediately remember...they sound a little brash to me...slightly harsh. That's OK - I don't plan on playing those anyway. The song "Kids Wanna Rock", I remember that song, but far from my favorite. I found myself wanting to turn it down due to my perception of harshness.

That being all said, the songs that you want to hear...I think most will be modestly pleased. I don't think I can give an overall score any higher than a 7. I debated an 8....but...couldn't pull the trigger.

My final comment will be - this is not an open, airy mix. A little congested IMO. Still very decent and it has very good punch, with a jamming rock & roll sound.

Again - I'm rating it a 7.

(just to be sure, I also listened to Bob Marley...which I easily rated a 10....I needed to calibrate my scale)
 
Sounds disappointing. $30 for advance resolution 5.1 reverb.

I had my doubts but was giving Bob Clearmountain the benefit after Legend.
Perhaps I should hold on for a couple more reviews before opening my Amazon package?

I held off on Andy Jackson's disc since I pre-ordered this. Me thinks, I made the wrong choice.
 
Sounds disappointing. $30 for advance resolution 5.1 reverb.

I had my doubts but was giving Bob Clearmountain the benefit after Legend.
Perhaps I should hold on for a couple more reviews before opening my Amazon package?

I held off on Andy Jackson's disc since I pre-ordered this. Me thinks, I made the wrong choice.

LOL! Now, now. Don't base anything off my single review. I'm sure there will be a few more coming through.
 
Sounds disappointing. $30 for advance resolution 5.1 reverb.

I had my doubts but was giving Bob Clearmountain the benefit after Legend.
Perhaps I should hold on for a couple more reviews before opening my Amazon package?

I held off on Andy Jackson's disc since I pre-ordered this. Me thinks, I made the wrong choice.

I wouldn't rush to judgement after 1 review...a lot of people on here love Yes Relayer and I gave it a 7...I think there are a lot of 10's on these polls that really aren't reference but they are outstanding discs...but I think that is the human element at work...we get excited(and we should)when our favorite albums come out in hi rez and have a natural bias in the voting...

That's all I can say because this is a POLL thread and should only be used to rate the disc...so in that regard I will come back when I vote on this title and use this post to make my observations...if anybody would like to discuss voting practices on the polls on the forum or any related music activities there is always a thread to discuss these matters HERE
 
I believe that there are two people on the forum agreeing that the rears are mostly reverb. While I understand that enjoyment of a surround mix is subjective, there is not much to dispute if the mix isn't at all discrete.

I wasn't concerned with the 7 vote but by the comment that the mix isn't discrete. But like you said, maybe I need to wait for some more votes to come in.
 
Give it a solid 8. Mix is excellent. Yes, the reverbs and delays are extended to the rears - where they should be. The BA sound was all about fantastic-sounding guitars and delay delay delay.

(There is actually less reverb than you think. It is certainly there, but much of what is there is delays. We guitarists often set our delays up so that they sound more reverb-like, rather than having discrete "echo" that one normally associated with delays)

There definitely ARE discrete parts mixed in the surrounds, however. Vocals and the most prominent/iconic guitar parts are up front, with vocals center-channel focused and guitar on the sides. Secondary parts are moved to the rears. This works really well, since you get an immersive mix without anything really distracting happening behind you.

In all, a very good mix with a HUUUUGE sound. That huge sound is probably part of the problem. A lot of us have been enjoying the added articulation and clarity that we get from a surround remix (myself included). The problem is that the heavy delay and reverb were an EXTREMELY important part of the overall vibe of this album....

...and guess what. Heavy use of reverbs and delays interferes with articulation - especially that delay applied to the entire mix at the end. (Yes, there is one - used in a manner similar to color compositing in film)

So I can say that this mix is about as well done as it could possibly be, given the source material. 8/10

As regards the important part (the music itself) ... an outstanding, classic release with only a few weak cuts and several monster hits. 8/10 there too.
 
Give it a solid 8. Mix is excellent. Yes, the reverbs and delays are extended to the rears - where they should be. The BA sound was all about fantastic-sounding guitars and delay delay delay.

(There is actually less reverb than you think. It is certainly there, but much of what is there is delays. We guitarists often set our delays up so that they sound more reverb-like, rather than having discrete "echo" that one normally associated with delays)

There definitely ARE discrete parts mixed in the surrounds, however. Vocals and the most prominent/iconic guitar parts are up front, with vocals center-channel focused and guitar on the sides. Secondary parts are moved to the rears. This works really well, since you get an immersive mix without anything really distracting happening behind you.

In all, a very good mix with a HUUUUGE sound. That huge sound is probably part of the problem. A lot of us have been enjoying the added articulation and clarity that we get from a surround remix (myself included). The problem is that the heavy delay and reverb were an EXTREMELY important part of the overall vibe of this album....

...and guess what. Heavy use of reverbs and delays interferes with articulation - especially that delay applied to the entire mix at the end. (Yes, there is one - used in a manner similar to color compositing in film)

So I can say that this mix is about as well done as it could possibly be, given the source material. 8/10

As regards the important part (the music itself) ... an outstanding, classic release with only a few weak cuts and several monster hits. 8/10 there too.

This sums up my view of this disc perfectly including the score of 8. Now, I want to say this. I think Bob Marley's Legend is a 9-10 and reference. But I'll be playing this particular 8 a lot more than the Marley disc. It is just a fun album.
 
Give it a solid 8. Mix is excellent. Yes, the reverbs and delays are extended to the rears - where they should be. The BA sound was all about fantastic-sounding guitars and delay delay delay.

This pretty much sums it up. The mix is not the best I've ever heard but it is well done. The guitars have that special bite that is necessary for the rock attitude of the tracks and the bass is focused and tight without sounding thin.

I was never a big fan of Bryan Adams, but this album really has some tracks that are a lot of fun to listen to, with only a few tracks I can't stand. And the classics on here always put a big smile on my face :)

Music: 8
Mix: 8
Total: 8
 
Today feels like an original Hi-Res Tuesday.
Having this release on its first day out is terrific .

This is a killer surround disc.
24/88 kHz - in PCM , DolbyTrue and Master DTS
- very clean sound, realistic instruments , especially the drums .

The mix is a period piece - the mid 80's -
reminiscent of Phil Collins , Miami Vice , Tommy Two Tone - fuzzy feedback,
purposely distorted guitars - this was Bar Music for Friday nights .

This is good rock and roll - earns my 10

What sucks is the 7 bonus cuts are
only in Stereo 2.0.
I don't play 2.0 in the house ,
I only play it in the Garage and in my Car
and of course neither have blu-ray .
 
Ok - so what the heck is going on with the HFPA download vouchers? I really don't need them (rip with DVDAE anyway) but decided to try it out for both Songs from the Big Chair and Reckless. Both vouchers were accepted and gave me access to...

...something entirely different. (In fact, both point me to the SAME entirely different album). Neither album actually shows up on the "list" of download-eligible albums on the site either.

Does anyone know more? It looks to me like it is amateur hour over there as regards this stuff.
 
Ok - so what the heck is going on with the HFPA download vouchers? I really don't need them (rip with DVDAE anyway) but decided to try it out for both Songs from the Big Chair and Reckless. Both vouchers were accepted and gave me access to...

...something entirely different. (In fact, both point me to the SAME entirely different album). Neither album actually shows up on the "list" of download-eligible albums on the site either.

Does anyone know more? It looks to me like it is amateur hour over there as regards this stuff.

The "Songs from the Big Chair" download voucher gave me access to the right thing. The .zip file contained both the original and the new SW stereo mix in 24/96k flac. I was impressed!

But, the Reckless voucher did not seem to work. Or, perhaps it also pointed to the "Songs from the Big Chair" download, because it did not seem to add anything new to my account. And, the second time I entered the code it responded by saying "The code has already been used by someone else."

The whole website strikes me as amateur, that is for sure. There is no consistency either. My previous HFPA vouchers worked, but they gave me a standard resolution MP3 files. Not what I was hoping for considering I bought a hi-res disc. I was happy to get hi-res flac as a download for "Songs from the Big Chair", but I can imagine this upsetting many people who want to import the download into itunes for use on their iphone. Flac is no good for that. You'd think they'd offer both.
 
Hey SMS,

nah, the Reckless voucher is broken. I got both discs on the same day and tried the Reckless voucher first, and then I was greeted with an empty purchase list. After trying the voucher for Songs From the Big Chair, I got access to the same ZIP you guys have been mentioning.

I guess it's cool to get stereo FLACs, but I agree: they say the voucher lets you download the content of the BluRay. So where's the 5.1? :-/ As for MP3s... I guess you could just create them from the FLACs.

The "Songs from the Big Chair" download voucher gave me access to the right thing. The .zip file contained both the original and the new SW stereo mix in 24/96k flac. I was impressed!

But, the Reckless voucher did not seem to work. Or, perhaps it also pointed to the "Songs from the Big Chair" download, because it did not seem to add anything new to my account. And, the second time I entered the code it responded by saying "The code has already been used by someone else."

The whole website strikes me as amateur, that is for sure. There is no consistency either. My previous HFPA vouchers worked, but they gave me a standard resolution MP3 files. Not what I was hoping for considering I bought a hi-res disc. I was happy to get hi-res flac as a download for "Songs from the Big Chair", but I can imagine this upsetting many people who want to import the download into itunes for use on their iphone. Flac is no good for that. You'd think they'd offer both.
 
I ended up giving this a 9 although I was debating an 8. It's a worthwhile one to get for me as I grew up with listening to 80's music. The mix really isn't too bad and I'm sure the hits will get plenty of play from me.
 
This is an excellent recording. Firstly the fidelity is fantastic. The rhythm guitars are thick, the drums and bass are solid. The lead guitar licks are biting. The highlight is Bryan's vocals. That slightly growly voice just seems perfect to me. The volume levels of all the parts mixed together seems just right.

The 5.1 mix is not discrete like a Steven Wilson. The instruments and voice are mainly in the front 3 but in spite of that Clearmountain still manages to create a true surround experience. It's not the ambiance that you get in those big stereo mixes. The surround here really does work. Heaven, and also Somebody, has a huge big sound. The others work as well. I'm even liking the "non-hit" tunes.

Bryan's voice with those guitars just is amazing; infectious. I think that is what really carries these tunes. And even though the mix is not discrete by Steven Wilson standards I still get a surround feeling from start to finish. Wonderful to have a straight-up rock surround disc of this quality.
 
I had no trouble downloading from the HFPA website. Although the downloads are MP3s, I was presently surprised that the file included the bonus tracks & the '85 live set list. Not bad for just purchasing the standalone BluRay.

I listened to the 5.1 a few times last night but I am going to wait to vote. It is not as bad as I feared and not as good as I had hoped. In hindsight, I don't know what I could have really expected based on the source material of straight forward 80's rock.
Must say though, I forget how solid of an album this is and a couple of the B Sides aren't too shabby either.
 
WARNING: RANDOM THOUGHTS

Well this is an interesting listen, that's for sure. It's not all-reverb, as you might conclude after a quick listen. There is a lot of reverb, and echo, but that's fitting for an '80s mix.

I really wanted to get this mix onto my PC so I could really check it out, and I finally did. You can see a screen grab of the wav files to "Run to You" below. Listening to it channel by channel reveals it to be a isolated vocal in the center most of the time, but with main vocals also in the fronts. The rears have a clearly defined echo vocal that's delayed as well. If you listen to the rears solo you hear the vocals, reverbed, but also delayed as well. When listening to all channels at once, it really gives a "big hall" effect. Bombastic, as was the music of the time.

Synths and other instruments are in the rears, not "SW Clear", but they are clearly there in the rears only. It's hard to describe. Of course, it's not always a good idea to listen to isolated channels in a 5.1 mix, and I'm sure the mixing engineers cringe at that thought. It's a presentation that's not meant to be picked apart.

However, if you are on the fence with this title because you thinks it's a "Chi-Lites" type reverb, forget it. It's a real 5.1 mix and a discrete at that. It's just a BIG BIG sound mix, and taken in that spirit, it really works.

As for voting, I am leaning towards an '8', and that's not to be taken as a diss. A freaking '8' is supposed to be a good rating. These days, it seems everyone wants to give everything a '10', and if something does not get a '10', it's looked at poorly. But comon, they can't all be '10's!

To sum up these random thoughts, this release is great. So amazed that UMe is doing new surround titles. This has to be through the efforts of "Jimby". I wish he would return to the forum. I know these classic '80s albums were played to death on radio at the time, but it's nice to hear them again in surround giving them a new angle on listening. I probably would not have bought this album again on CD or iTunes, but I am surely glad I bought it on BluRay and in 5.1. It is worthy of the price, and when you get right down to it, that's what it's all about, right?

:banana:

RUN TO YOU (5.1 WAV) [FL-FR-C-LFE-SL-SR]
Run To You Wav.jpg
 
I'm really surprised how good this disc turned out. I have played it several times and I'm loving every time tune on here, even the 'stereo only' bonus tracks. Out of all the discs I've received lately, this one has the best dynamics of them all. My least favorite remixed in surround tune has to be "She's Only Happy When She's Dancing" due to the guitars mixed to the rear too loud but after a couple of listens, I'm sort of used to it now. Overall, for the dated sound, I'm still giving this a 9 based on the how well the main record was done and not futzed with in 5.1. Though, I would be interested in hearing this one remixed and remastered with a majority of that reverb (Wall Of Sound) turned down. You think this recording is bad, you should listen to "You Want It, You Got It".

I was hoping to see the "Reckless" video on the Blu-ray. I remember falling in love with the girl when I used to view it countless times on Betamax tape.smiley_biggrin.gif
 
Thanks for the heads up, I hadn't used my voucher, and the live tracks are a nice surprise.

I had no trouble downloading from the HFPA website. Although the downloads are MP3s, I was presently surprised that the file included the bonus tracks & the '85 live set list. Not bad for just purchasing the standalone BluRay.

I listened to the 5.1 a few times last night but I am going to wait to vote. It is not as bad as I feared and not as good as I had hoped. In hindsight, I don't know what I could have really expected based on the source material of straight forward 80's rock.
Must say though, I forget how solid of an album this is and a couple of the B Sides aren't too shabby either.
 
I'm really surprised how good this disc turned out. I have played it several times and I'm loving every time tune on here, even the 'stereo only' bonus tracks. Out of all the discs I've received lately, this one has the best dynamics of them all.

That is really sad given how terrible the dynamics are. My old CD is DR13, the stereo on the new Blu-ray is DR8. Blech.
 
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