Blur "The Ballad Of Darren" (Blu-Ray with Dolby Atmos mix shipping 7/21)

QuadraphonicQuad

Help Support QuadraphonicQuad:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Excellent news!

One worry for me - the mixes on this include Atmos, but not 5.1. On the SDE site it says "If you currently have a 5.1 set-up, the Atmos Mix will ‘fold down’ to 5.1." I don't have an Atmos set up, but Atmos mixes normally fold down ok for me to Dolby True HD. However, on the SDE Tears For Fears The Hurting bluray, the 5.1 mix is excellent, but when I switch to the Atmos mix it folds down to a 5.1 that doesn't sound right at all, with the fronts nowhere near loud enough. Hopefully the Blur disc won't be the same.

Also, slightly annoying that the 2 extra tracks on the deluxe version of the Blur cd don't seem to be included on this bluray edition.
I had the exact same fears when I read the thing about the fold down. The TFF Atmos fold down is not that great.

But I preordered anyway. 👍
 
  • Like
Reactions: SHB
I had the exact same fears when I read the thing about the fold down. The TFF Atmos fold down is not that great.
With all the effort that goes into making an Atmos mix work on a 7.1.4 system and two binaural algorithms (Apple’s and Dolby’s), I think ensuring a good 5.1 fold-down kinda falls by the wayside.

In the case of SW’s stuff, he always does a dedicated 5.1 version so there’s no incentive to ensure the Atmos mix sounds good on a 5.1 system.
 
With all the effort that goes into making an Atmos mix work on a 7.1.4 system and two binaural algorithms (Apple’s and Dolby’s), I think ensuring a good 5.1 fold-down kinda falls by the wayside.
Yep. That’s my fear. Although some sound very good. On some releases I prefer the Atmos fold down to the 5.1.
 
It’s understandable that most people in America wouldn’t have heard of Blur when they first came out. You would have had to listen to the commercial radio station that played a specific type of music known as “Mondern Rock” or “Alternative.” This was very different than the “Classic Rock” stations or stations playing 1980s-90s Pop. And College Radio, which was free form. The situation was complicated here in the 1990s with so much music out there.

We were able to get the latest British music magazines here on a regular basis, like NME and Q to mention a few. But, there was so much music out there trending in different genres, and bands that seemed to come and go. You had to be constantly on the lookout for everything. And understandably, not everyone had the time or interest for this. There were no Internet streaming services. CDs were expensive in the 90s compared to what we paid for records and tapes not that long before.

Anyway, this is my favorite Blur song. It was a “Hit” song on San Francisco’s Modern Rock station Live 105 when it first came out:

 
It’s understandable that most people in America wouldn’t have heard of Blur when they first came out. You would have had to listen to the commercial radio station that played a specific type of music known as “Mondern Rock” or “Alternative.” This was very different than the “Classic Rock” stations or stations playing 1980s-90s Pop. And College Radio, which was free from. The situation was complicated here in the 1990s with so much music out there.

We were able to get the latest British music magazines here on a regular basis, like NME and Q to mention a few. But, there was so much music out there trending in different genres, and bands that seemed to come and go. You had to be constantly on the lookout for everything. And understandably, not everyone had the time or interest for this. There were no Internet streaming services. CDs were expensive in the 90s compared to what we paid for records and tapes not that long before.

Anyway, this is my favorite Blur song. It was a “Hit” song on San Francisco’s Modern Rock station Live 105 when it first came out:



When I first ended up on these shores, the thing that baffled me most (after fahrenheit) was radio. Having to first choose a type of music you want to hear, and then listen to the same 7 songs over and over again. Sometimes they'd change the order!

One thing that is certain with Blur (similar to, say, Paul Simon) is the consistent quality of their material. Beautiful musicianship, great songwriting, very witty lyrics. I was deep in the Blur camp when the whole Blur vs Oasis thing was happening, and still am in retrospect. They were always so much more original and experimental and interesting. With maybe one exception, all of their albums are really, really fucking good. Super excited for this new release, and love the lead single. Can't wait to spin this one.
 
Parlophone is also home to Supergrass. I would love to have their albums in 5.1, especially their third eponymous one.
Not gonna happen for a bit, I imagine. The first three albums just underwent a reissue campaign. (Btw, the self-titled reissue is billed as a "remaster", but its EQ, compression, and loudness is identical to the original release. That's not the case with the other two reissues, though.)
 
Not gonna happen for a bit, I imagine. The first three albums just underwent a reissue campaign. (Btw, the self-titled reissue is billed as a "remaster", but its EQ, compression, and loudness is identical to the original release. That's not the case with the other two reissues, though.)
@Simon A
A few songs from that third album are actually in Atmos! Theres an EP I found on Amazon, should be on other streaming services, with 2022 remixes of Moving, Beautiful People, Pumping on Your Stereo, and Born Again in Atmos! Not the whole album but better than nothing!

 
Back
Top