12 Months of RUSH (But Only 3 Months of 5.1 Surround)

[rtbluray]

This is not the news anyone on here wants to hear, but it must be reported…

http://www.rush.com/12-months-of-rush-14-albums-from-mercury-era-for-release-in-2015/

12 MONTHS OF RUSH: 14 Albums from Mercury era for release in 2015
All titles will be reissued on high-quality VINYL with a download card for Digital Audio version, high resolution Digital Audio releases, while three titles will also be released on Blu-ray Pure Audio.

Earlier this year, Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) kicked off its own celebration of the band’s 40th anniversary with the reissue of Rush’s self-titled 1974 debut.

In 2015, vocalist/bassist/keyboardist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson and drummer Neil Peart, who joined the band in July, 1974, shortly after the release of that first album and two weeks before the group’s inaugural U.S. tour, will see the reissue of the remaining 14 albums in their Mercury catalog in chronological order. Starting on January 27 with Fly By Night, which will be available in high-quality vinyl with a download code for a 320kbps MP4 vinyl ripped Digital Audio album download; high resolution Digital Audio editions in DSD (2.8mHz), 192khz / 24-bit, 96kHz / 24-bit; and an additional Blu-Ray Pure Audio version with 96kHz / 24-bit 5.1 surround sound and stereo. A Farewell to Kings and Signals are the other two albums which will be reissued in Blu-Ray Pure Audio. The remaining 13 titles will be released one or two a month through the end of the year.

January 27: Fly by Night (Vinyl+Download Code / High Res Digital Audio / Blu-Ray Audio)

February: Caress of Steel (Vinyl+Download Code / High Res Digital Audio)

March: 2112 (Vinyl+Download Code / High Res Digital Audio)

All the World’s a Stage (Vinyl+Download Code / High Res Digital Audio)

April: A Farewell to Kings (Vinyl+Download Code / High Res Digital Audio / Blu-Ray Audio)

May: Hemispheres (Vinyl+Download Code / High Res Digital Audio)

June: Permanent Waves (Vinyl+Download Code / High Res Digital Audio)

July: Moving Pictures (Vinyl+Download Code / High Res Digital Audio)

Exit… Stage Left (Vinyl+Download Code / High Res Digital Audio)

August: Signals (Vinyl+Download Code / High Res Digital Audio / Blu-ray Audio)

September: Grace Under Pressure (Vinyl+Download Code / High Res Digital Audio)

October: Power Windows (Vinyl+Download Code / High Res Digital Audio)

November: Hold Your Fire (Vinyl+Download Code / High Res Digital Audio)

December: A Show of Hands (Vinyl+Download Code / High Res Digital Audio)

So how disappointing is this? REALLY disappointing! Looks like this is the final death nail in the coffin of ever getting any more classic RUSH albums in surround.
Plus the mixes that are getting released on Blu-Ray are not that phenomenal, with "A Farewell to Kings" being the best and "Signals" being the worst.

Oh well…guess we just need to hope for better catalogue treatments of other artists in the future...

 

[timothyemerson]

Thanks for the heads-up. Looks like they might just be higher bit rates of what's currently in existence rather than giving them the SW treatment, right? Doesn't necessarily mean they'll sound too much better than what's currently available.

Hopefully, the money they make from these might go towards surround mixes for the rest of the catalogue.

 

[rtbluray]

Thanks for the heads-up. Looks like they might just be higher bit rates of what's currently in existence rather than giving them the SW treatment, right? Doesn't necessarily mean they'll sound too much better than what's currently available.

Hopefully, the money they make from these might go towards surround mixes for the rest of the catalogue.

Doubt it. Like I said, if they're not doing it now, I don't think it will ever get done.
Plus Steven Wilson's hands will never touch a RUSH multitrack. Rich Chycki is their go to engineer, and I don't think that's going to change anytime soon...

 

[GOS]

Doubt it. Like I said, if they're not doing it now, I don't think it will ever get done.
Plus Steven Wilson's hands will never touch a RUSH multitrack. Rich Chycki is their go to engineer, and I don't think that's going to change anytime soon...

*sigh*

 

[wavelength]

*sigh*

I've said it before but it seems appropriate as a reminder. Rich Chycki is more than capable of mixing a well-made, discrete 5.1 mix. Get your hands on TRAPEZE: THE COLLECTION [DVD-A] (Tom Cochrane and Red Rider) and you'll see what I mean. I can only guess that the members of Rush are dictating to Rich how the 5.1 should sound.

 

[Neb-Maat-Re]

I guess the one positive is that the 5.1s that were previously only available in a box set will now be stand alones.

 

[rtbluray]

I guess the one positive is that the 5.1s that were previously only available in a box set will now be stand alones.

And already available for preorder too.

"A Farewell to Kings" HFPA Blu-Ray: http://www.amazon.com/Farewell-Kings-Rush/dp/B00QR7ZLYA/
"Signals" HFPA Blu-Ray: http://www.amazon.com/Signals-Rush/dp/B00QR7ZLV8/

(The "Fly By Night" link is posted in the "Fly By Night" thread already)

 

[The Bright Side]

I must say, I do like the fact that these mixes are coming out of the box. I would have never sprung for the Sector sets, but as standalones - why not? I heard the mixes, and while they're not really great, they're decent and the discs sound good, too.

100% agree about the Tom Cochrane disc. If you can't get your hands on the DVD-A, get the DVD-V instead. Same content, just with added videos and "only" DTS. Sounds very good too.