The penguin from Bloom County???
I wonder if anybody here knows if or had pre-release info that this was ever considered for Multichannel SACD release, along the lines of the Isley 3+3 and The O'Jays' Ship Ahoy Quad mixes..?
it seems an obvious contender, imho!
Actually, it's not.
Though it boasts three popular tracks, unlike other repurposed CBS quads (O'Jays, Isley Bros) neither the mixes nor the poor sound quality hold up as 21st Century material. Many also seem unaware that this is a soumdtrack album to a small film nobody saw. As such, it doesn't even contain the hit versions we're familiar with -- those came later, as they usually do. Title track is ok, but check out the 1998 Greatest Hits remaster for "Shining Star" and "Reasons" for comparison and see for yourself how lifeless and lame those tracks sound on this release.
As we've seen many a time, in the quad world just cuz it's chock full of hits doesn't mean it's any good.
That the mixes differ substantially from the stereo hit versions is a fact.
My statement regarding sound quality may be opinion, but it's an informed one.
Before shooting the messenger, do yourself a favor and take a listen to the stereo mixes alongside the quad; then tell me you still like them.
Another overlooked gem is their first Columbia album, Last Days & Time. It was the first EWF album I bought and I became an instant fan. Only available in glorious 2 ch.
Yes, the title track was edited for 45 but not remixed.They didn't really form a band personality until this album, an underrated gem. As for TTWOTW, my guess is whoever did the remix was well familiar with the stereo version and decided to expand the sound to include parts either mixed down or left out of the original stereo mix. There are a lot of differences to be heard, but it's not a total reworking or misguided work the way one could argue about the quad AQUALUNG, or Streisand's STONEY END (to name two).
I do believe "Shining Star" was the same on 45 as on Lp, but the title track was radically edited for 45 release, and hard to take because the full album version works quite well and, I believe, would have been a hit at that length. Not a good edit there, IMO.
ED