HiRez Poll John, Elton - MADMAN ACROSS THE WATER [SACD/BDA]

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Rate the SACD/BDA of Elton John - MADMAN ACROSS THE WATER


  • Total voters
    159
My absolute favorite of the EJ releases. It's not just the songs, but somehow the warmth of the tracks and the consistency throughout.

This is stellar in surround. It's not like there are a lot of options here. Some material just doesn't provide those, and this music is pretty straightforward, but those strings in the rear were a revelation. You can focus on them that way, appreciate the arrangements, and you can hear and feel them swell and subside, ebb and flow. It's glorious to hear.

It remains a favorite in my collection. There are better surround experiences, but for me this is what this record should be in surround and I doubt it can be improved. A 10.
 
ok, so i've been
giving this some thought.

on the contents of the Box set itself, for this lifelong EJ fan it is largely an excellent release and a nice object to behold.

the configuration is tidy, well laid-out, not an unnecessarily oversized thing, presentation is mostly excellent, reminiscent of the original LP release but thoughtfully and carefully updated for the new box set.

there's no "superfluous" (to me) vinyl or other needless trinkets.

the book is superb with great interviews plus cool photos, commentary and obviously thorough research was done.

there's genuinely worthwhile bonus content, including truly previously unreleased tracks and the video content looks the best i've ever seen it.

also the CD of the album includes good Stereo remastering (at last!) plus there's a decent Stereo Lossless Option on the Blu-ray and the 5.1 mix is also included on the Blu-ray.

so the Set as a whole, to me, is a "10".

however, focussing on the Blu-ray and included in that is primarily the Surround aspect of the set;

the only 5.1 Audio Option on the Blu-ray is DTS, its mercifully at 96/24 resolution so it does sound good in its own right but is regrettably Lossy and not Lossless quality (going from a starting rating of "10" for BD disc, Deduct -1 Point)

"Razor Face" is not the extended version found on the Surround SACD but the razors shaved off 2 minutes so the BD version's closer to the original Stereo length (Deduct -1 Point)

when Bitstreaming the DTS to an AVR via HDMI, there's at least one instance where a gap is introduced between tracks as the DTS Decoder in the AVR kicks in & out (Deduct -1 Point)

disappointed to find the BD doesn't have the new Atmos mixes of the album which Greg Penny mentioned he had completed for this album in an interview earlier in the year as being done. however the Atmos tracks may be destined for the streaming services down the line so i won't deduct a Point for that.

onscreen lyrics would have been a great addition (this is Bernie Taupin of Honky Cat fame we are talking about after all, not Remi Wolf and her wet pussy!!) but i won't deduct a Point for it, since i didn't do so for the lack of onscreen lyrics on the BD of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and i want to be fair and consistent in approach.

rather than including the Mick Ronson extra track in 5.1 as billed, the BD erroneously has the album version replicated. Universal have said this will be resolved by replacement BD disc, so no point deducted for that either, unless replacement has issues or isn't ultimately forthcoming!

so, with the deductions, the Blu-ray in the Box Set, not least because it includes the 5.1 (anomalies and all!) and has good video and Stereo, gets a "7" from me.

by comparison, i gave the SACD a "10" rating in this Poll (however many moons ago!)

the SACD doesn't have any extra content or fancy books or video content but from a 5.1 perspective its for me the superior choice and so the "10" remains here on the QQ Poll for the SACD only and to me the BD merits a respectable "7".
 
ok, so i've been
giving this some thought.

on the contents of the Box set itself, for this lifelong EJ fan it is largely an excellent release and a nice object to behold.

the configuration is tidy, well laid-out, not an unnecessarily oversized thing, presentation is mostly excellent, reminiscent of the original LP release but thoughtfully and carefully updated for the new box set.

there's no "superfluous" (to me) vinyl or other needless trinkets.

the book is superb with great interviews plus cool photos, commentary and obviously thorough research was done.

there's genuinely worthwhile bonus content, including truly previously unreleased tracks and the video content looks the best i've ever seen it.

also the CD of the album includes good Stereo remastering (at last!) plus there's a decent Stereo Lossless Option on the Blu-ray and the 5.1 mix is also included on the Blu-ray.

so the Set as a whole, to me, is a "10".

however, focussing on the Blu-ray and included in that is primarily the Surround aspect of the set;

the only 5.1 Audio Option on the Blu-ray is DTS, its mercifully at 96/24 resolution so it does sound good in its own right but is regrettably Lossy and not Lossless quality (going from a starting rating of "10" for BD disc, Deduct -1 Point)

"Razor Face" is not the extended version found on the Surround SACD but the razors shaved off 2 minutes so the BD version's closer to the original Stereo length (Deduct -1 Point)

when Bitstreaming the DTS to an AVR via HDMI, there's at least one instance where a gap is introduced between tracks as the DTS Decoder in the AVR kicks in & out (Deduct -1 Point)

disappointed to find the BD doesn't have the new Atmos mixes of the album which Greg Penny mentioned he had completed for this album in an interview earlier in the year as being done. however the Atmos tracks may be destined for the streaming services down the line so i won't deduct a Point for that.

onscreen lyrics would have been a great addition (this is Bernie Taupin of Honky Cat fame we are talking about after all, not Remi Wolf and her wet pussy!!) but i won't deduct a Point for it, since i didn't do so for the lack of onscreen lyrics on the BD of Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and i want to be fair and consistent in approach.

rather than including the Mick Ronson extra track in 5.1 as billed, the BD erroneously has the album version replicated. Universal have said this will be resolved by replacement BD disc, so no point deducted for that either, unless replacement has issues or isn't ultimately forthcoming!

so, with the deductions, the Blu-ray in the Box Set, not least because it includes the 5.1 (anomalies and all!) and has good video and Stereo, gets a "7" from me.

by comparison, i gave the SACD a "10" rating in this Poll (however many moons ago!)

the SACD doesn't have any extra content or fancy books or video content but from a 5.1 perspective its for me the superior choice and so the "10" remains here on the QQ Poll for the SACD only and to me the BD merits a respectable "7".
Thanks for the thoughtful review.
Haven’t gotten mine from Amazon US yet…not sure how much I want it now, since I have the SACD…and all I care about in my old age is SURROUND 🤪
 
Please note this poll thread has now been updated to reflect the reissue of the 5.1 mix on the 3CD/Blu-Ray 50th Anniversary edition.

:)

Pardon me but doesn't that muddy up and confuse things a bit? My rating for the SACD is not going to be the same for the Blu-ray given the differences mentioned in this and other threads.
 
Pardon me but doesn't that muddy up and confuse things a bit? My rating for the SACD is not going to be the same for the Blu-ray given the differences mentioned in this and other threads.

As mentioned in the other thread:
we normally only do separate poll threads for a particular album if the mixes are different.
Same mix (even with a different mastering) goes in the same poll thread.
 
we normally only do separate poll threads for a particular album if the mixes are different.
Same mix (even with a different mastering) goes in the same poll thread.
Sorry that makes little sense to me. It isn't the same listening experience.

@fredblue is reporting this morning on the other thread that the mastering on the replacement blu-ray is superior to the original blu-ray with the lossy DTS snafu. So now we have three listening experiences: the original SACD, the lossy DTS, and the lossless replacement DTS-MA with better mastering.

Why take a chance? You might want to go for the original SACD if you have the playing capability and if it's at a reasonable price:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/265748721611?epid=22046064158&hash=item3ddfdbafcb:g:Zf4AAOSw8Rpis3Qm
 
@fredblue is reporting this morning on the other thread that the mastering on the replacement blu-ray is superior to the original blu-ray with the lossy DTS snafu. So now we have three listening experiences: the original SACD, the lossy DTS, and the lossless replacement DTS-MA with better mastering.

Why take a chance? You might want to go for the original SACD if you have the playing capability and if it's at a reasonable price:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/265748721611?epid=22046064158&hash=item3ddfdbafcb:g:Zf4AAOSw8Rpis3Qm
i reckon the DTS HD-MA on the replacement Blu-ray has better mastering than the old SACD, so tbh the only reason i'll spin the SACD in future is when i fancy hearing the extended version of "Razor Face" in 5.1 🙂
 
I just bought the box set with the Blu-ray, superb mix, not my favpurite Elton album but overall it's a 9 for me
 
Very very very good mix. I found the non-hit songs to be a mixed bag so that reduces some of the enjoyment but overall a strong album of material. The mix was good, maybe not much attempt at creativity but plenty of discrete use of the rears. The center channel didn't seem to have a lot of discrete data, more used to fill out the front soundstage. It's a strong 9. There's something about the mix I can't quite move the needle to give it a 10, I expect to revisit this and might be back to upgrade the vote. Paged through the boxed set book and it's top notch. Will dedicate some time to reading it next listen. Might never listen to the CDs or other bonus material.

Waiting on my corrected disc. This review is based on the 5.1 DTS mix.
 
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Very very very good mix. I found the non-hit songs to be a mixed bag so that reduces some of the enjoyment but overall a strong album of material. The mix was good, maybe not much attempt at creativity but plenty of discrete use of the rears. The center channel didn't seem to have a lot of discrete data, more used to fill out the front soundstage. It's a strong 9. There's something about the mix I can't quite move the needle to give it a 10, I expect to revisit this and might be back to upgrade the vote. Paged through the boxed set book and it's top notch. Will dedicate some time to reading it next listen. Might never listen to the CDs or other bonus material.

Waiting on my corrected disc. This review is based on the 5.1 DTS mix.
on any given track on this 5.1 mix, if you turn down all the channels except the Centre Speaker, you'll get a real treat 😋 something akin to what EJ himself said back when these 5.1 mixes were first created when he described it as; "like looking in a mirror" 🤩
 
My favorite song on this is not a big hit but it is "Holiday Inn" so cool, insightful and meaningful for all who have travelled this great country.
Agree, there's a couple non hits that are good. But some head scratchers or filler tracks as well. I've never owned this album, so naturally I only knew the first two tracks. I bought this entirely on the strength of those songs. I find YBR similar in experience, a couple outstanding songs, some good songs, and some significantly forgettable ones. Finding an elite level of consistency is tough when your peaks are as high as EJ's are, IMO.
 
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