Comments Inspired by Band, The - CAHOOTS [Blu-Ray Audio (Dolby Atmos)]

[perzon57]

I voted 8. The 4th Band album to be released as a box set, and the weakest of the 4 from an audio perspective. From the first which was pretty good and the next two just kept getting better. Cahoots takes a back step below Music From Big Pink.
Cahoots offers first Dolby Atmos of the four. Don't bother, two rear heights are barely active. Listen to the 5.1 DTS-HD Mstr for a good experience.
The Blu Ray has the orginal album in surround with alternate recordings minus one, that you only get on disc 1 CD, Bessie Smith (outtake), why they did that, does not make sense.
CD 2 is a bootleg live recording in MONO. Rough, grainy, poor recording. There is nothing on the packaging that says MONO, but when ripped the track tags are in Japanese writing with (MONO) at end of every track, this was confirmed with the jRiver analyzer. The 3 extra tracks 12, 13, 14 on the live recording are stereo.
If I was to vote solely on the 5.1 DTS HD-Mstr, I would give it a 9.
But the remaining poor content, poor Atmos, and the backslide in content compared to the first three box sets, lowers to an 8.
The stereo Blu Ray DR's are primarily 8's & 9's, the 5.1 are primarily 11's & 12's, CD 2 the bootleg Live are primarily 7's & 8's.

If you are a so/so The Band fan, I would say "there are better box sets out there".

I think the Atmos of Cahoots on Apple Music is really good, but I have not heard the 5.1, and I never will.

 

[beerking]

I think the Atmos of Cahoots on Apple Music is really good, but I have not heard the 5.1, and I never will.

I agree, Perzy..

I've thoroughly enjoyed listening to the Atmos streaming and no way am I spending £124 on this release.

 

[olgitnorm]

I agree, Perzy..

I've thoroughly enjoyed listening to the Atmos streaming and no way am I spending £124 on this release.

You don’t have to it’s only £122.34

 

[beerking]

You don’t have to it’s only £122.34

A Billy bargain then, Norm...

 

[fizzywiggs41]

On Saturday it was on a local vendor's shelf ........and well ...I was tempted , but at $190 .00 CDN (before tax) !!!
- I turned away somewhat disgusted .

 

[par4ken]

On Saturday it was on a local vendor's shelf ........and well ...I was tempted , but at $190 .00 CDN (before tax) !!!
- I turned away somewhat disgusted .

While I love the album (my favourite from The Band), I just whish that they would sell the Blu-ray separately. I have no desire for the rest of the package. What's going on, releasing a mono bootleg as well? I guess for now I'll just listen to my MoFi SACD or my vinyl through my decoder!

 

[fizzywiggs41]

While I love the album (my favourite from The Band), I just whish that they would sell the Blu-ray separately. I have no desire for the rest of the package. What's going on, releasing a mono bootleg as well? I guess for now I'll just listen to my MoFi SACD or my vinyl through my decoder!

No kidding , Ken, what a waste for recycling.

They could easily have created an LP with BD as with The Ten Years After -Space In Time , or David Bowie- Spiders From Mars re-issues . I think I paid under $50 for each of those 2 .

 

[~dave~~wave~]

While I love the album (my favourite from The Band), I just whish that they would sell the Blu-ray separately. I have no desire for the rest of the package. What's going on, releasing a mono bootleg as well? I guess for now I'll just listen to my MoFi SACD or my vinyl through my decoder!

A somewhat surprising lack of turnout in the voting, which amounts to damning with faint praise around here.
I have to assume it's due to the price tag along with general disgust with super deluxe editions that include vinyl, crappy bootleg concert CDs, and art prints.

Let me just point out that the small but highly excitable and vocal minority who champion Atmos streaming on Apple have access to the surround only mix without the extras. Albeit in a "lossy" format.

I notice that @edisonbaggins has a recent Life In Surround review of a Megadeath album streaming in compressed atmos that's unavailable as hi-res physical media.

Should folks vote in these polls based on listening to an Atmos stream?
Should there be a separate poll for streaming surround?

 

[par4ken]

A somewhat surprising lack of turnout in the voting, which amounts to damning with faint praise around here.
I have to assume it's due to the price tag along with general disgust with super deluxe editions that include vinyl, crappy bootleg concert CDs, and art prints.

Let me just point out that the small but highly excitable and vocal minority who champion Atmos streaming on Apple have access to the surround only mix without the extras. Albeit in a "lossy" format.

I notice that @edisonbaggins has a recent Life In Surround review of a Megadeath album streaming in compressed atmos that's unavailable as hi-res physical media.

Should folks vote in these polls based on listening to an Atmos stream?
Should there be a separate poll for streaming surround?

Yes in cases like this I would think that the voting should also include the streamed version. Some/many here don't seem to notice a difference with the lossy formats anyway and the voting is mainly for the music and the surround. Also some would be voting on the basis of the 5.1 and others Atmos. I don't put much stock in the poll results anyway, the comments are what really count! I don't think a separate pole for the streamed version would be warranted!
As for voter turnout I just voted in an SQ/Q8 pole that had been up for years and only had 2 votes (now 3 and I voted 8), not a big deal IMHO.

 

[edisonbaggins]

I've enjoyed the streaming Atmos version once, so far. For me, this album doesn't musically grab me as well as their 1st two efforts.
I appreciate having a lossy mc option to enjoy, when the cost of a SDE doesn't make sense. After all, many physical releases are lossy too. Caravan's In the Land, Jethro Tull's book sets and so forth.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

I have to give a shout-out to @Kal Rubinson for taking the trouble to listen and vote his conscience.
No cheerleading fan-boy fawning, just one man's honest opinion.

I prefer the MFSL DSD.

 

[~dave~~wave~]

I prefer the MFSL DSD.

In stereo, without a radical multichannel re-mix.
Fair enough.
After seeing comments like this but never experiencing it myself, this year it happened.

The quad Santana III was so shocking that I bought the 2016 MFSL stereo SACD, but my "go-to" version is the 2006 Columbia Legacy RBCD produced by Bob Irwin & mastered by Vic Anesini.

We're fortunate to have options.

 

[Beefalo]

In stereo, without a radical multichannel re-mix.
Fair enough.
After seeing comments like this but never experiencing it myself, this year it happened.

The quad Santana III was so shocking that I bought the 2016 MFSL stereo SACD, but my "go-to" version is the 2006 Columbia Legacy RBCD produced by Bob Irwin & mastered by Vic Anesini.

We're fortunate to have options.

 

[par4ken]

I always play stereo versions via the S&IC or Sansui

In stereo, without a radical multichannel re-mix.
Fair enough.
After seeing comments like this but never experiencing it myself, this year it happened.

The quad Santana III was so shocking that I bought the 2016 MFSL stereo SACD, but my "go-to" version is the 2006 Columbia Legacy RBCD produced by Bob Irwin & mastered by Vic Anesini.

We're fortunate to have options.

I love Santana III, both the SQ version and the Sony SACD. I think that it is one of the best surround releases ever! But I do get your point, I totally hated the Roxy Music surround disc, so much that I ended up selling it. I much prefer the regular stereo CD played via a surround decoder. We do have that option!

 

[fizzywiggs41]

I've enjoyed the streaming Atmos version once, so far. For me, this album doesn't musically grab me as well as their 1st two efforts.
I appreciate having a lossy mc option to enjoy, when the cost of a SDE doesn't make sense. After all, many physical releases are lossy too. Caravan's In the Land, Jethro Tull's book sets and so forth.

Yes indeed ,they should really have considered the Book sets like Jethro Tull ,and Marillion have done via Parlophone/Warner Brothers.
It would no doubt expand their sales and audience.

 

[~dave~~wave~]

Amazon USA has dropped their price on this by more than $50 from just a month ago, now $88.20.
The Band - Cahoots (50th Anniversary) [Super Deluxe Edition] - Amazon.com Music
(Thanks to a tip on shf.tv)

For anyone who might appreciate a full-size 12-inch format box set with blu ray in 5.1 DTS-MA 96/24, Atmos 48/24 & Stereo 96/24.

How low can it go?
What a crazy year.

The Band / Cahoots 50th anniversary – SuperDeluxeEdition

 

[par4ken]

Amazon USA has dropped their price on this by more than $50 from just a month ago, now $88.20.
The Band - Cahoots (50th Anniversary) [Super Deluxe Edition] - Amazon.com Music
(Thanks to a tip on shf.tv)

For anyone who might appreciate a full-size 12-inch format box set with blu ray in 5.1 DTS-MA 96/24, Atmos 48/24 & Stereo 96/24.

How low can it go?
What a crazy year.

The Band / Cahoots 50th anniversary – SuperDeluxeEdition

Still very pricy but I decided to go for it! I doubt that it'll get much cheaper. Still wish that they would of released the Blu-ray separately though! It's still 189.99 CAD on Amazon.ca!

 

[marpow]

Still wish that they would of released the Blu-ray separately though!

If I had to bet money, how much would it surprise any of us, for these labels AFTER releasing all these box sets, to RE-RELEASE these in newly formatted Blu Ray Audio ONLY box sets a few years from now, Pink Floyd already does it.

 

[par4ken]

If I had to bet money, how much would it surprise any of us, for these labels AFTER releasing all these box sets, to RE-RELEASE these in newly formatted Blu Ray Audio ONLY box sets a few years from now, Pink Floyd already does it.

I would be up for a box set containing all the previously released Bu-rays!

 

[marcb]

I just ripped the Blu-ray. Checking the stereo version, I'm very disappointed to see that it is brick wall limited. I thought that I'd check the 5.1 version as well and can see that it is also limited although not nearly to the same extent as the stereo. I haven't checked the CD's but I would expect the same result. What a horrible shame, to sell "defective" disc's like that in such an expensive set. I wonder what the vinyl is like, the benefits of half speed mastering will be undone or become irrelevant if the audio on that is compressed as well!

Benefits of half-speed mastering? Gotta love the marketing hype folks will buy into.