Grateful Dead in Surround (Dolby Atmos mixes of "American Beauty", "Europe '72" & "Workingman's Dead" now streaming!)

[JediJoker]

Can't argue too much with that; Wake of the Flood has been an up an comer for me too. But, "Unbroken Chain" and "China Doll" and "Ship of Fools" are all pretty awesome.

It's a great album, and those are great songs, but "prog?" I just don't hear it.

 

[mrcond]

I think of both From the Mars Hotel and Blues for Allah as the Dead's prog albums. FtMH was the first Dead album I really liked and I always thought BfA was a nice follow up. But over the years BfA gradually became the clear favorite.

For me, the Dead never got more prog than Terrapin Station. Which would be awesome in Atmos, by the way.

 

[riskylogic]

Dang... I gotta buy this album AGAIN? MoFi vinyl back in college, CD, HD Audio download, outtakes album, Mickey Hart's 5.1 surround version, and now Steven Wilson busts out what sure sounds like a definitive version to these ears.

*sigh* Take my money, Steven.

I would be really glad to be able to buy it again this time.

It's a great album, and those are great songs, but "prog?" I just don't hear it.

Ah well, prog is in the ear of the beholder.

 

[LuvMyQuad]

Yep! Had to raise some awareness of this title, it's that good.

I got a chance to hear the first half of AB a few days ago. This is demo material folks. It would be a 10 in a vote. Even the fidelity is excellent.

 

[RustyStatic]

Finally sat down to give American Beauty a focused listen this morning with a cup of coffee (my weekend thing; the kids know to give me some space while "dad is having an album").

Just had to share that once in a while, as I'm sure many of you can relate to, listening to things you know like the back of your hand... albums/songs that have deep personal/family history... it can hit you on a whole different level when opened up like this. I love when it happens and I'm rarely prepared.

My "cool aunt" recently passed away, the one who took me to all of my first concerts in my early teens, passing me a joint, making me feel accepted and welcome when I didn't fit in too many other places; I went deep down the rabbit hole of music in general with her (never to return!), and she was a huge Dead Head. Her kids, myself, and a couple of other cousins played "Ripple" at her funeral just a couple weeks ago (and barely got through it). Like many I'm sure, this whole album has been just part of my DNA since as long as I can remember.

All of that said, and I could say much, much more, about pretty much every track on here... but, Attics of My Life? In full Atmos? You nailed it, @sjcorne - "cathedral-like". I went downstairs all red-faced and watering eyes, found my wife, and said "you've got to hear this. It won't hit you the same way as me but it doesn't matter." My God. I live for moments like this.

Remind us, Frank:

Information is not knowledge.
Knowledge is not wisdom.
Wisdom is not truth.
Truth is not beauty.
Beauty is not love.
Love is not music.
Music is THE BEST.

 

[dabl]

I noticed that too.

Bummer, hope that changes.

Think I figured this out. More Tidal errors.

There are two listings, one with only 5 tracks and the other with 10

https://tidal.com/browse/album/244393191https://tidal.com/browse/album/240207396
I'm seeing this with other titles too, ex Ratt "Invasion of Privacy" (which is also the incorrect/incomplete title for that one).

In that case they've got two listings for the album, one missing two songs and the other with only those two songs.

 

[SeanSKA01]

Do you think Rhino will do a Surround Blu-ray box similar to one that they did for the Doobie Brothers?

 

[Bob Romano]

Do you think Rhino will do a Surround Blu-ray box similar to one that they did for the Doobie Brothers?

No.

 

[JediJoker]

No.

I agree. The last time Rhino did career-spanning box sets for the 'Dead was with the Golden Road and Beyond Description boxes in 2001 and 2004, respectively. Every physical digital "core" album release since then has been for a single album. Plus, the Quadio series boxes use existing mixes that cost Rhino nothing (as they're under the Warner umbrella), whereas these will be new mixes that cost money to produce—multitrack research and procurement, tape baking, tape transfer, mixing, mastering...

 

[SeanSKA01]

Well, do you think there will be a physical release of the surround albums separately?

 

[JediJoker]

Well, do you think there will be a physical release of the surround albums separately?

I'm expecting something like a 3-disc set for each album: the remastered stereo album on CD, a CD of previously unreleased material, and a Blu-ray containing the Atmos mix. The Blu-ray may also contain hi-res stereo, possibly of the bonus material, too.

 

[sjcorne]

I'd love to see it happen, but American Beauty got a 3-disc reissue as recently as 2020.

 

[JediJoker]

I'd love to see it happen, but American Beauty got a 3-disc reissue as recently as 2020.

True, they've been going through the catalogue for 50th anniversary reissues. Perhaps from here on out, the 50ths will eschew a third CD for a Blu-ray instead, and the previously released albums will get new 55th anniversary reissues with Blu-rays. One can hope.

 

[riskylogic]

I'd love to see it happen, but American Beauty got a 3-disc reissue as recently as 2020.

Well, I guess the bluray will just have to be a stand-alone then.

 

[Bob Romano]

Well, I guess the bluray will just have to be a stand-alone then.

Doubtful as well unfortunately

 

[PurpleMoustache]

As a fairly new Grateful Dead fan, I thought this was a terrific Atmos release. I hope, based on Steven Wilson’s comments, that we see other Dead releases soon.

Not that long of a wait!:

And yes, this is a mix worthy of this thread.

 

[Blackwood]

Not that long of a wait!:

And yes, this is a mix worthy of this thread.

What great news! Looking forward to sitting down with this over the weekend. Being a new fan, I’m familiar with the legacy of that album, but I’ve never heard it in full. So my first experience with it will be in Atmos.

 

[sjcorne]

And yes, this is a mix worthy of this thread.

Wow! It's a discrete mix with the vocals in the center and some guitar in the heights. I'm guessing Steven Wilson mixed this? Can anyone confirm via Tidal?

 

[sjcorne]

Very cool to see that the American Beauty Atmos mix (and the review of it I wrote for IAA!) were mentioned on Dead.net's online "almanac" published today:
https://www.dead.net/almanac#american-beauty-atmos-mix

 

[hi-res_edition]

Who has checked out the Atmos mix of Europe '72 recently added to Apple Music? Do hope for physical editions of these Dead remixes.