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Thanks to Sony, I had an opportunity to hear this 5.1 mix before most people, and I was given permission to tell you a little bit about what you'll all be hearing in a few days. So to start, I'm going to stick with the song most people know, "Lucky Man", and just comment on the 5.1 mix. BTW, you will all soil your undies when you hear this entire DVD-A!
You can see a visual representation of the two mixes in the jpeg above. The upper wav files are from the Rhino version which was a bonus track on the "Brain Salad Surgery" DVD-A, one of the very first DVD-A's released back in 2000. The lower wav files are from the Steven Wilson 5.1 mix from the new Sony release. I know you cannot tell much by looking at these pictures, but you can see right away that there is no brick walling, loudness war crap, or over processing.
Here's a brief run down on the 5.1 mix comparison.
First off, center channel on the Rhino version is strictly the bass guitar! Very strange, as if you do not have a big center speaker, you are in trouble with the lows! The lead vocal is spread around the two fronts as are the background vocals, which also can be heard in the rears. This is a most bizarre surround approach.
However, in Steven Wilson's FAR SUPERIOR mix
![Smile :) :)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
)), the lead vocal is solo in the center as is the lead guitar solo, allowing you to hear them uncluttered and clear. The background vocals, although appearing in the fronts and backs for the first verse, move to the rears for the rest of the song. It creates a very large listening effect that might give you a chill as you listen. It's such a revelation compared to the Rhino version. Drums are in the fronts on both versions.
The new mix is a work of art, and you can tell that it was crafted by someone who actually knew and cared for both the material and the presentation. This is another example of how great Steven has become with regard to mixing other people's music into a surround sound presentation.
I will say more when I get more time, but I just want you guys to know, if you are on the fence about this release, ORDER IT. The support these two ELP releases gets from the marketplace will go a long way towards getting more of these, as well as releases from other artists. Unlike the Lynyrd Skynyrd DVD-A, this one is available to the entire world, so please, GO GET IT!
You are going to be VERY happy you did. Back with more in a few days.