HiRez Poll Keb' Mo' - JUST LIKE YOU [SACD]

[sjcorne]

Please post your thoughts and comments on this 2002 SACD release from Keb' Mo' entitled "Just Like You".
The 5.1 surround mix is currently available to stream in "Dolby Audio" on Apple Music.
https://music.apple.com/us/album/just-like-you/303740798





Pre-release thread for all shipping/ordering queries and non-poll related posts:
https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/forums/threads/keb-mo-just-like-you.3055/

 

[perzon57]

Have had this for years, one of his best. Gave it 9.

 

[fredblue]

its surprising to find the same chap who engineered the 5.1 on this SACD (John Porter) also did the Los Lonely Boys DualDisc because this isn't bad at all whereas the Los Lonely Boys 5.1 is an ambient Rears at best type mix and not worth picking up unless you don't have the album already.

taken as a whole, the mix here is quite pleasing, it comes across as sufficiently Surround-y and musically its all very pleasant too.

its a bit of a Pandora's Box delving into what's going on in the individual channels, since you then discover its far from a perfectly balanced mix, there's too much Full Range content in the LFE, not just low bass but the entire Bass Guitar is in there, i imagine on some setups this might cause some issues?

also, you find nothing is truly discrete since there's always some front-back and back-front blending going on, so things like BVs for example are more prominent in the Rears but they're also at a lower level in the Fronts.

speaking of the Fronts they sometimes clip because not only do they have the lion's share of the musical elements going on in them (lead vocal, lead instrument) than in any other channel but they are often significantly louder than the other channels.

do any of these drawbacks have a significant impact on the Surround enjoyment? for me, no, its all ok when you're in the sweet spot.

tbh in a way i wish i'd never started waveform-whispering this one because it sounds just fine as it is and given there's only so much could be done with sparse arrangements its more effectively Surround-y than any number of 5.1 discs from that timeframe.

"8".

 

[fredblue]

quite interesting flicking the Sub on and off during some of these tracks.. with the Sub Off and the Fronts set to Large i'm finding i'm getting more Bass, not just Low Bass but actual Bass guitar. it may be my setup, i don't know.. hmm.. curious

 

[fredblue]

5.1 waveforms for everything on the album except the first and last tracks (wasn't expecting to record it in or scrutinize the mix.. now i am, i wish i hadn't!



see what i mean about frequently overloud Fronts and the LFE being basically Full-range most of the time?

the mix works, to a point but i think its flawed.

 

[J. PUPSTER]

I had to think about this a long while; so being the nut I am, I'm resolved to "Not" micro-analyze this one. This was one of the first MC SACDs I got and it remains one of my favorites due to the great Blues music of Kevin Roosevelt Moore (aka Keb' Mo'.) And even buying it years ago, I had to pay up for it. It was my introduction into his music overall.

This is a strong 10 for me because I absolutely love the music, and I've since bought many more of Mo's music in CD form (as unfortunately this one is his only surround title AFAIK!)

I'm learning that sometimes we can over inspect, on a technical level and distance ourselves from the music and its message. Because if we find some little flaws here or there, like a bit of clipping or something sounding slightly out of place, every time we go back to enjoy that album, those little annoyances will rear their ugly heads, and suddenly we're no longer enjoying the music, but wishing for something "more perfect" to our ideals.
*I have an entire thread in mind about this subject concerning a Donald Fagen missing chord on a beloved song; in what to me is a mix/mastering faux pas.

All I can say about this one, is that it brings a smile to my face and sometimes even a slight tear of joy in the moment. My only regret is it has become so hard to find at a reasonable price for others to enjoy.

 

[sjcorne]

speaking of the Fronts they sometimes clip because not only do they have the lion's share of the musical elements going on in them (lead vocal, lead instrument) than in any other channel but they are often significantly louder than the other channels.

Could the clipping be from doing a real-time laserdrop instead of the usual Oppo/Sony software method? I've only listened to the 5.1 mix on Apple Music and while I did have to lower the volume quite a bit (as is typical of these surround discs from the early-2000s), the front-to-back balance seems correct and the tonality is pleasing. There's one track with the harmonica mixed to the 'phantom' rear center, directly behind the sweet spot. Glad I was able to hear it without throwing down big bucks for the OOP SACD!

 

[fredblue]

Could the clipping be from doing a real-time laserdrop instead of the usual Oppo/Sony software method? I've only listened to the 5.1 mix on Apple Music and while I did have to lower the volume quite a bit (as is typical of these surround discs from the early-2000s), the front-to-back balance seems correct and the tonality is pleasing. There's one track with the harmonica mixed to the 'phantom' rear center, directly behind the sweet spot. Glad I was able to hear it without throwing down big bucks for the OOP SACD!

could be but feels unlikely as i record everything with decent headroom and the vast majority of Sony SACDs don't clip at all (and fwiw none of the DV SACDs i've laserdropped so far, which is basically all the non-Classical titles, have clipped, all recorded in at the same levels).

the biggest problems (and they are not insurmountable by any stretch) i have with this one are 1.) the mix is a bit Front-heavy for my tastes and 2.) it all sounds a bit Bass-shy.

in fact, recording in the Chris Botti SACD straight after this one (capturing and monitoring it all at the exact same levels, no settings changed at all) the Bass was astonishing on Botti compared to this one, definitely some mo' Bass issues with Keb i reckon!