HiRez Poll Gentle Giant - THE POWER AND THE GLORY [BluRay Audio]

[Clement]

A 10. C'mon, those who are downgrading this... what are you comparing it to? It's superb! I enjoy the videos too with the lyrics. More 5.1 blus should do this. Anything which helps you understand the songs better is fine with me. Wilson also did a good job with the 5.1 mix of Giant's first album available on the box set. Is there no thread dedicated to that?

again, another poll with fewer than 10 votes; you need to check the final tab: Poll Index
https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/forums/threads/gentle-giant-gentle-giant-blu-ray-audio.27410/

 

[Matt Wilson]

Okay, I see what you mean by 'poll index.' I'll start looking there.

 

[aardvark2300]

Ok, got a newbie question for you guys. I have decided (evidently much too late) I want to buy this. The only copies I have been able to find are cd/dvd versions from UK sellers. As I live in the US do I have to worry about region encoding on this release? What do I lose by not getting the Blu-ray version - I assume region problems would exist for me there too.

Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[humprof]

Ok, got a newbie question for you guys. I have decided (evidently much too late) I want to buy this. The only copies I have been able to find are cd/dvd versions from UK sellers. As I live in the US do I have to worry about region encoding on this release?
Thanks in advance for your help!

The quick answer: no. (And it's a great album. You won't regret it.)

 

[JediJoker]

What do I lose by not getting the Blu-ray version?

Some visuals to accompany the music. I believe that's all.

 

[humprof]

Some visuals to accompany the music. I believe that's all.

The Blu-Ray does have great song animations. (I haven't seen the DVD-A version.) No region restrictions on the Blu-Ray, either.

 

[ctoelle]

I have both versions and the DVD does have the animations too

 

[JediJoker]

I have both versions and the DVD does have the animations too

I believe you can only watch those animations with lossy surround, though, whereas you can watch with lossless on the Blu-ray.

 

[riskylogic]

Some visuals to accompany the music. I believe that's all.

I have the DVD-V, and it also has the video, but it's DTS - so not lossless. Sounds great though.

 

[northernsoul]

Too much bottom on the Kick, apart from that this is great.

 

[Mcallister]

Wow! I’ve mentioned in some of the other GG poll threads I had never listened to them but bought Octopus and GG because of the 5.1 SW mixes.

I really enjoy the music and the mixes on those but was told the mix on this album was the one to hear. After some searching I found a copy and wow what a superb sounding album! Great mix, great resolution, and the accompanying videos are also maybe the best I’ve seen on a disc. Makes it super fun.

Easy 10 for me and I don’t give those often. I can’t wait to hear what SW does with these guys in Atmos!

 

[JNL]

Wow! That drum sound, and the bass! Mind you, everything else sounds great too This is some seriously great mixing.

I had never even heard if this band and this was recorded before I was born. I really like the weirdness of the songs, it is a musical adventure all the way.

What a way to re-release an album! I voted 10.

 

[Veganfloyd]

I'm a huge Gentle Giant fan and Steven Wilson's mixes, and I usually agree with the average QQ ratings of surround releases. I had been very familiar with GG's original mixes prior to the remixes. In my opinion Steven dropped the ball in his approach to this band, and The Power and the Glory is the biggest victim. This is not so much a remix, but rather re-make which mostly misses the original spirit of the recording.

Gentle Giant is a very fitting name for the band. Light on the bottom end and a very open, airy, large-soundstage type of music. Steven made the bottom end much more pronounced, thus overpowering the mids and highs. I appreciate that the original mix of The Power and the Glory was way too bright, but the volume of the rhythm section in the remix is just insane, flipping the problem on its head. The end result is a very aggressive sounding album without the spaciousness of the original. The name of the band could have as well been 'remixed' to Angry Midget on this release.

Listening to the 5.1 is a rollercoaster of changing the volume to keep up with having some enjoyment of the songs while avoiding the obtrusive outbursts of the drums. Overall, I find the experience more unenjoyable than enjoyable, therefore a 5 from me. All the typical characteristics of a Steven Wilson 5.1 mix are there, so if you're not bothered by how pronounced the rhythm section is on this one, I can see it being a 9 or 10 for you.

For reference, this is how I rate the rest of the 5.1 GG releases:
1. Gentle Giant/Unburied Treasure - 10 (the only album unscathed by the above issues)
2. Three Piece Suite - 9
3. Free Hand - 7 (I'd give the channel layout-corrected quad mix a 9)
4. Octopus - 7

 

[FusionHead]

Another excellent GG surround remix by Steven Wilson.

 

[gloco]

I scored it a 10 to offset the single 5. I just listened to this disc yesterday and my opinion of it hasn't changed: it's fabulous. Great mix, definitely a demo disc.

 

[FusionHead]

Vocals = mostly atrocious.

I hope your opinion didn't affect your rating for this release. GG is a challenging listen and not for everyone, but Derek had one of the most powerful and polished voices in rock and was a huge part of what made GG great.

 

[jefe1]

This is a good album and mix.
I never listened to GG back in the day and it took me some time to get used to their singing style....I complained about it here...
But I now enjoy their music and own all these Steven Wilson remixes.

 

[FusionHead]

...Steven made the bottom end much more pronounced, thus overpowering the mids and highs. ...The end result is a very aggressive sounding album without the spaciousness of the original. ...

Interesting how different people hear things differently. I am very familiar with the original GG albums, and have done back-to-back comparisons with Wilson's new mixes. To me, Wilson's remixes have made Power & The Glory and Free Hand much clearer, defined, and punchy (for Free Hand that includes improvements over the original quad mix). If you listen to the original PATG release, the kick drum is thin-sounding with hardly any bottom - not good. Whether it was limitations of the studio, engineer, or vinyl, the original recordings were not optimal. IMHO, in both stereo and surround, Wilson has improved the bits that needed it, while not diminishing the original intent of the music. And the band approved these new mixes, so I'm assuming they like them just as much as I do. Is it aggressive sounding? Yes, and that's the way I think GG should sound.