HiRez Poll Clapton, Eric - GIVE ME STRENGTH [BluRay Audio]

QuadraphonicQuad

Help Support QuadraphonicQuad:

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

Rate the BDA of Eric Clapton - GIVE ME STRENGTH [BDA]

  • 10: Great Surround, Great Fidelity, Great Content

    Votes: 19 42.2%
  • 9:

    Votes: 15 33.3%
  • 8:

    Votes: 8 17.8%
  • 7:

    Votes: 3 6.7%
  • 6:

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 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
    45

JonUrban

Forum Curmudgeon
Staff member
Admin
Moderator
Since 2002/2003
Joined
Mar 2, 2002
Messages
17,681
Location
Connecticut
Please post your thoughts and comments on this BluRay Audio disc included in the GIVE ME STRENGTH box set from 2013, which includes:

461 Ocean Boulevard (Unissued Elliot Scheiner 5.1 Mix)
461 Ocean Boulevard (Original Quadraphonic Mix from the 1970's CD-4 and Q8)
There's One in Every Crowd (Original Quadraphonic Mix from the 1970's CD-4 and Q8)

Pre-poll discussion of this title can be found in THIS thread

Clapton Box Disc Only.jpg
 
This box set is put together well. Unlike other sets that we have seen, there is nothing shoddy about it. The 60 page book is a fairly quick read, full of interesting background and great photo's.

The blue-ray main menu allows you to choose between the previously unreleased Elliot Scheiner 5.1 mix of "461 Ocean Boulevard", the 4.0 mix of the same, and the 4.0 mix of "There's One In Every Crowd" all in 24/96 PCM, or DTS-HD. As others have pointed out, the Pop-up menu is not an option on this disc however navigation is possible after one of the 3 choices is made. You can then toggle between PCM or DTS-HD, or choose one of the other songs on that album/mix, or choose another of the 3 original choices, but at that point the disc switches to the first song on that album/mix. (I hope that makes sense).

I listened to all three this morning. I have to say that the 5.1 mix of 461OB blows the Quad version away. IMHO it's just better, it fills the listening space more evenly while still being quite discrete. I have as yet to do an A-B of the 5.1 E.S. mix VS the 5.1 mix on the SACD. It is on my to do list since I have the next week off. Should be interesting though. The Quad version of TOIEC sounds very good in 24/96.

I'll probably listen to the CD's in the car. It looks like there is a lot of good stuff on there. I think I paid about $65 for the set, which is more than I'd like to spend on this kind of thing, but it is a nice quality set and probably a better value than some other sets I've purchased in the past.

I will live with it a while before voting.

Dennis
 
.....You can then toggle between PCM or DTS-HD, or choose one of the other songs on that album/mix, or choose another of the 3 original choices, but at that point the disc switches to the first song on that album/mix. (I hope that makes sense)...
Dennis
How did you get to choose one of the 3 (album) choices (after selecting/playing one of the albums) .... I couldn't figure it out...:confused:

STOP Press: - I just figured it out - hit left arrow....:mad:@:
 
Last edited:
For one thing, you will NEVER have heard the Quad mix of 461 OB sound so good! This Blu-ray absolutely wipes the floor with any other version of the 461 Quad, including the DTS CD. So, for me, it was worth getting for that alone.


Now I bought the set primarily for the Scheiner mix, so it's all icing on the cake from now on.. ES' 461 mix is everything I expected. it's wonderfully discrete, very sympathetic to the material, there's what I can only describe (as non-poncily as possible) as a real musical awareness of where and how everything should pan out here that was lacking in the old SACD (which I still really enjoyed despite the general apathy towards it).


however I dock ES' mix a couple of points for a lack of immediacy (Motherless Children sounds slightly off, a bit sluggish almost) I'm wondering if this is what Climie/Guzauski were getting at by re-doing the 5.1 back in the day to make it (in their words) "sound more modern", if anything ES' mix is a touch too laid back at times, as if the material needs an injection of energy.


still when ES' mix is good it is very very good indeed.. its fantastic to hear isolated organ/piano's galore rear right and loads of percussion over in rear left, for example.


the only other niggle with ES 461 is EC's voice feels a tad dialled-down in the mix compared to the SACD 5.1 where the centre channel was used very aggressively before for lead vocals, here its ES' usual trademark mix of using centre to fill in for instruments across front L&R rather than vocals and I miss that last little bit of detail and character by not having them hard in the centre but that's a personal thing I'm sure most Quaddies would prefer ES' approach/use of the centre.


the disc is well authored, everything is simply/logically laid out (text is still teeny-tiny as seems to be Universal's wont on these BDA's.. they must think we all have 100"+ screens! certain things are illegible even on a 40-inch TV).


the Quad of TOIEC is superb here on the Blu-ray, though the old DTS CD was fantastic too, so if you have the DTS already you won't be getting much improvement (if any!?) for that album's mix, though its lossless/Hi-Rez now etc. of course, so I guess from that p.o.v. its worthwhile, YMMV and all that.


so far, an out and out excellent set -- and I haven't even played a single CD of the other 5 included in the lovely book (where I'm going to put it, how and which way up.. I've no idea!? it is such an odd size!?) the only thing that would have made this release perfect was Hi-Rez Stereo of both studio and live albums on the Blu-ray plus of course that Quad of EC was here (which probably doesn't even exist and was just a humongous typo!) for what it represents = a stunning upgrade to the fidelity of the 461 OB Quad mix, equally as good if not better sounding Quad of TOIEC and the ES 5.1 of 461 which has its fair share of high spots, one I'll be listening to over and over. I feel a "9", maybe even a "10", coming on! :D
 
oh and its worth adding every one of the mixes on the Blu-ray is eminently crankable ...if there's any compression going on its a mere whiff, all 3 masterings sound better the louder you go! LOVE THAT!


credit to the team involved, great work by Seth Foster on the mastering, snaps to Elliot Scheiner on another fab 5.1, the late great Tom Dowd, Bill Levenson oh and Eric you're a bit of a legend too!
 
I usually adore Scheiner's work - but so far on a couple of comparative listens, I prefer the SACD. I need to listen more - but the SACD just feels like it has more presence and energy. And more clarity around the drums/bass... So a few more listens before voting.
 
Thanks to my wife for the Christmas pressie.
First listen and no compliants here, Brilliant Scheiner mix, Though I don't have the SACD, this has plenty of presence, and plenty of clarity alround while It make my DTS CDs redundant ill be keeping them for old times sake.

More listens and then to vote
 
Give Me Surround!

I put on the 5.1 mix of 461OB yesterday and it tingled my spine! This is the sort of mix that this hobby/obsession is about. I have not compared this to the SACD, but I do not remember having such a visceral response. I really enjoyed both this and the TOIEC mix. Have not yet played the 461OB quad, but as they say "You May Already Be A Wiener."

My two minor quibbles:

1. Small text font on the menu screen (as mentioned elsewhere). This is the same in the Pink Floyd Immersion boxes. The production teams seem to assume that since this disc is BluRay it will be reproduced in high def, but I actually use an old CRT for my menu navigation. Perhaps there should be a startup screen allowing selection of "large print" and "small print" to start the disc.

2. On the main menu I once accidentally selected a mix I was not intending to listen to, and could not figure out how to get back to the main menu. I ended up ejecting the disc and reloading to get to the main menu. It did work to do that, but was a hassle compared to a remote function.

Here is my main perspective for this box set: GREAT VALUE for the surround community. As a comparison:

Quadrophenia Box = $105 for half a mix = $210 per mix

Aqualung Box = $142 for 2 mixes = $71 per mix

Give Me Strength Box = $60 for 3 mixes = $20 per mix

So this is what I call progress!

I give it a 9 (taking one off for menu issues), but the music is a 10!

Ken
 
I usually adore Scheiner's work - but so far on a couple of comparative listens, I prefer the SACD. I need to listen more - but the SACD just feels like it has more presence and energy. And more clarity around the drums/bass... So a few more listens before voting.

did you give the Scheiner mix a good crank of volume? I felt the same at first (that it lacked energy etc., compared to the old SACD) but then whacked it up nice and loud and everything fell into place!

ES said in an interview he mixes everything at pretty low volume in an effort to protect his hearing.. and most of the time his surround remixes strike me as presented on SACD/DVDA with little or no additional mastering EQ/compression/etc., they all have a similar (low-ish) startup volume level.. so just about everything he does can stand a fair whack up of welly and imho benefits from it!
 
Give Me Surround!

I put on the 5.1 mix of 461OB yesterday and it tingled my spine! This is the sort of mix that this hobby/obsession is about. I have not compared this to the SACD, but I do not remember having such a visceral response. I really enjoyed both this and the TOIEC mix. Have not yet played the 461OB quad, but as they say "You May Already Be A Wiener."

My two minor quibbles:

1. Small text font on the menu screen (as mentioned elsewhere). This is the same in the Pink Floyd Immersion boxes. The production teams seem to assume that since this disc is BluRay it will be reproduced in high def, but I actually use an old CRT for my menu navigation. Perhaps there should be a startup screen allowing selection of "large print" and "small print" to start the disc.

2. On the main menu I once accidentally selected a mix I was not intending to listen to, and could not figure out how to get back to the main menu. I ended up ejecting the disc and reloading to get to the main menu. It did work to do that, but was a hassle compared to a remote function.

Here is my main perspective for this box set: GREAT VALUE for the surround community. As a comparison:

Quadrophenia Box = $105 for half a mix = $210 per mix

Aqualung Box = $142 for 2 mixes = $71 per mix

Give Me Strength Box = $60 for 3 mixes = $20 per mix

So this is what I call progress!

I give it a 9 (taking one off for menu issues), but the music is a 10!

Ken

the 461 OB Quad sounds sensational! I've never heard it sound better!

totally agree on the value for money front, just from a surround p.o.v. its a bargain.. and then factor in the other CDs and the lovely book and this set is a steal imho :) the only way it could have been improved for me would have been Hi-Rez stereo of the 2 studio albums & the Live album on the Blu-ray in some shape or form, preferably surround but I'd have swallowed it in Hi-Rez stereo too.. apart from that nigh-on perfect!
 
.....

2. On the main menu I once accidentally selected a mix I was not intending to listen to, and could not figure out how to get back to the main menu. I ended up ejecting the disc and reloading to get to the main menu. It did work to do that, but was a hassle compared to a remote function.....

Initially I couldn't work this one out also. Hit Left arrow on your remote and it will highlight the album/mix thats playing - you can then change....
 
Ok!
Bought!
Delivery on silvester! :banana:



MY ERIC SET IS DEFECTIVE. it arrived yesterday. the blu ray is fine. BUT they sent two disc number 3 and no disc number. Now i Have to send it back to amazon for a replacement. Amazon says they will credit me, the return shipping charge.

but pissed anyway. has anybody had any problems with the box set?
 
  • Wow
Reactions: GOS
Back
Top