After digesting this title for almost a year now, I think I am finally able to review it....
Let me start by saying this recording (audio and video) are my favorite recordings of any music of all time. Growing up, I wore out three copies of this video on VHS. I own the audio and video recording of this title on more formats than any other title in my collection. The impact the original video had on my life cannot be overstated. This film inspired me to play guitar, learn audio engineering and has been a common bond between me and my family for my entire life.
That being said, when I heard that this show would be reissued on bluray after extensive restoration, remixing and remastering in a 'Later Years' box, I was ecstatic. FINALLY. After 20+ years of waiting, holding out little to no hope we would ever see a proper digital release of this film..... I spent weeks researching every rentable movie screening facility in the Portland, Oregon area to rent a venue to screen this film with family and friends for the occasion on the day of release (looking back now, I am so thankful I got to do this event before COVID).
Overall, I am pretty happy with the release - but it is far from perfect (considering the Floyd's track record for botching releases as of late, I didn't hold my hopes too high). I voted an 8 for the following reasons:
- The mastering on this title is a bit too hot for my taste. There are certain moments of absolute distortion.
- Reverb sounds a bit weird on certain drum fills and clashes with the rest of the relatively dry mix. It's painfully obvious in certain songs, ie. Run Like Hell.
- Money was edited strangely. I wish they would have kept it more like the original cut and edit.
- The background vocals during the verses of Comfortably Numb sound awful. It blows my mind how this passed QC. Absolute grinding distortion on vocals that shouldn't be there to being with. They cut one of my favorite bits of the second guitar solo out of the new mix. My biggest issue with this release so far.
- Yet Another Movie, Round and Round, Terminal Frost should have been included in the new cut - not included as bonus tracks.
- No 4K release with ATMOS