Lou Reed - Metal Machine Music dvd-a / bluray

[ArmyOfQuad]

I've recently asked and gotten the go ahead to talk about this publicly, and so now that it looks like this will most likely definitely be happening and that there is some release date info, I think it's time to post about this.

About 2 years ago I started exchanging emails with Lou Reed's manager Tom Sarig. As many of you may have noticed, Lou Reed made a comment in the Zeitkratzer Metal Machine Music cd/dvd that came out about 2 years ago that "I only wish you could hear the version that was mixed in quad". And so I emailed Lou through his website suggesting he make his wish come true, by releasing a dvd-a or sacd of the quad mix of Metal Machine Music.

Well, after many email exchanges and 2 years of waiting, it looks like this is finally going to happen. According to Tom, it will be released as dvd-a and as bluray, and there will also be a vinyl reissue released as well, which I'm assuming will just be stereo. They are expecting a late November release for this. Remastered from the original 4 channel quad master by Bod Ludwig. That's all the details I have at this time, but I'll post more as I find out more.

I think the coolest moment of all of this was being able to share a bit of what we do here with our converting with Lou Reed himself. Many of you may have the dts disc that Cai made from the quad vinyl of Metal Machine Music some time ago, which he had made at my request. To sort of demonstrate how we could use newer technologies to reissue these quad mixes, I sent them a copy of this dts conversion. It took a little while for Lou to figure out how to play it back, plus he had to deal with a tour at the time he got the disc, but once he figured it out and played it back, the word I got back from Tom was that he loved it, and now this reissue must happen. I was thrilled that Cai's excellent conversion was a part of the inspiration that kept moving this project forward.

Keep an eye out for it, you won't want to miss this. I'll keep you all posted as I find out more.

 

[elroy]

There's that "dead" DVD-A format again!

Great news! I also love the idea that Cai had some impact on this.

 

[neil wilkes]

SONY releasing a DVD-A?
Unlikely in the extreme. Still, stranger things have happened.....

 

[simonwagstaff]

Um, not my favorite Lou Reed for sure.



How about "Rock and Roll Animal"? I bet that would SOAR in 5.1

 

[John Svensson]

Interesting, what with Lou's upcoming decoder...no CD4 vinyl??? John S.

 

[Chris Gerhard]

Blu-ray/DVD-V sets are fairly common. I have never heard of a Blu-ray/DVD-A release and would be surprised if this will be the first.

Chris

 

[Old Quad Guy]

I hope this happens in some sort of Hi-Rez Quadraphonic format. Way to go! Hope this works out and we're glad the hard work is paying off with a release. This is a classic work of music and much played throughout the years - to this very day on college radio stations, underground FM stations and Rock clubs etc. It's great that Lou Reed is hip to these Hi-Rez multi-channel formats and that Cai had an important hand in making this happen as well!

 

[ArmyOfQuad]

Yeah, the dvd-a does surprise me. Tom doesn't always completely get the technical end of things, so I'm not sure if he means dvd-v with audio, or actual dvd-a. But, to me it sounds like there will be 2 versions, dvd-a, or bluray, not a dvd-a/bluray set. But I guess we'll see when it actually comes out.

 

[Chris Gerhard]

Yeah, the dvd-a does surprise me. Tom doesn't always completely get the technical end of things, so I'm not sure if he means dvd-v with audio, or actual dvd-a. But, to me it sounds like there will be 2 versions, dvd-a, or bluray, not a dvd-a/bluray set. But I guess we'll see when it actually comes out.

OK, separate releases makes more sense and my guess is two versions, Blu-ray and DVD-V, and that is still good news in my opinion.

Chris

 

[callmez]

How about a 'stealth' quad vinyl release, encoded in QS and thus rather well decoded through Pro-Logic II?

Mark Z

 

[proufo]

How about a 'stealth' quad vinyl release, encoded in QS and thus rather well decoded through Pro-Logic II?

Mark Z

I'm sure that once they develop the definitive and ultimate decoding scripts, our beloved and talented techies will create a pair of ENCODING scripts.

 

[callmez]

Who said anything about scripts? There are a few QS encoders out there... or heck, just encode it in PLII...

Mark Z

 

[EMB]

Well, let's go back to 1975 and the original MMM...what was even more amazing than the original stereo album--guaranteed to clear a room of anyone (including cats. dogs, girlfriends, various unwanted friends and enemies, heh) was finding out there was to be a quad release, too! Needless to say, I snagged a copy and never got over it (had to buy a second copy later, though, after some 'friend' ripped off my first one, which is another story)...and shit, who else cared but me where I was at the time? No one! Which made listening to it all the cooler, I suppose. And when the import stereo CD came out, had to have a copy just for the hell of it. Gotta admit, not one I've ever listened to very often, but what a bitch of an album! My wife will never understand it, which is probably why I've always dug it in all its weirdness: I could sit in a restaurant or browse any record store in the world and love it while everyone else would walk away, heads spinning in numb depression....which is good for them in an all too predictable world.

If this great mother of an album is reissued in quad of 5.0/5.1, I'm in! The only thing better would be a diabolical remix of WHITE LIGHT/WHITE HEAT, if only for the wonderful noise and drone of Side 2's "I Heard Her Call My Name" and "Sister Ray." If that pair of colossuses doesn't change your life for the better--and split your mind wide open--nothing will. For me, the Velvet Underground remains the only true 'garage band' that had the balls and imagination to go anywhere beyond the 'i'm pissed off and wanna make a little noise' vision of the world and into something original and unforgettable. I'll let it go at that, I'm babbling.....




ED

 

[wanners]

i'd bet Tom wasn't paying attention to (or doesn't realize) the difference between audio dvd and dvd audio. this confusion, that was always there and still exists, is the single reason I believe that dvd audio could be revived (although the odds are against it)--if we could educate people like the industry should have done, and have a little luck (such as king crimson or anyone else willing to release in that format).

I'm a little bit torn because I really love dvd-a, but I believe that blu ray is more than capable of becoming the single standard for all music and video, and maybe it should be that way eventually, once cost and other issues are worked out (through the free market or otherwise)

 

[ChristopherLees]

I've recently asked and gotten the go ahead to talk about this publicly, and so now that it looks like this will most likely definitely be happening and that there is some release date info, I think it's time to post about this.

About 2 years ago I started exchanging emails with Lou Reed's manager Tom Sarig. As many of you may have noticed, Lou Reed made a comment in the Zeitkratzer Metal Machine Music cd/dvd that came out about 2 years ago that "I only wish you could hear the version that was mixed in quad". And so I emailed Lou through his website suggesting he make his wish come true, by releasing a dvd-a or sacd of the quad mix of Metal Machine Music.

Well, after many email exchanges and 2 years of waiting, it looks like this is finally going to happen. According to Tom, it will be released as dvd-a and as bluray, and there will also be a vinyl reissue released as well, which I'm assuming will just be stereo. They are expecting a late November release for this. Remastered from the original 4 channel quad master by Bod Ludwig. That's all the details I have at this time, but I'll post more as I find out more.

I think the coolest moment of all of this was being able to share a bit of what we do here with our converting with Lou Reed himself. Many of you may have the dts disc that Cai made from the quad vinyl of Metal Machine Music some time ago, which he had made at my request. To sort of demonstrate how we could use newer technologies to reissue these quad mixes, I sent them a copy of this dts conversion. It took a little while for Lou to figure out how to play it back, plus he had to deal with a tour at the time he got the disc, but once he figured it out and played it back, the word I got back from Tom was that he loved it, and now this reissue must happen. I was thrilled that Cai's excellent conversion was a part of the inspiration that kept moving this project forward.

Keep an eye out for it, you won't want to miss this. I'll keep you all posted as I find out more.

You've gotta tell Cai's mum about this...if she hasn't read this thread we must tell her that Lou Reed is re-releasing his quad mix on dvd or blu ray because of Cai's work...that's awesome !!

 

[vexsmom]

Lou shared the story that started this thread with me a while ago, after I had posted the request for titles Connor should have in his collection. He had asked to buy the Lou Reed quad album, but felt it should belong to Connor, along with the story of his dad's involvement.

Sadly The Metal Machine Music album is missing. I know you guys send albums back and forth when you convert them. Is this album one of those? Any chance of you putting it aside to add to Connors collection when you finish? I suppose he might have sold it, but since it was his only copy, I doubt it. Any other ideas?

Thanks!...Judie

 

[ArmyOfQuad]

Hmmm....he converted that one himself, he didn't send it out. Did he have some records stashed somewhere perhaps that he had recently been using? Where did he record records into the computer? I'd look around there.

 

[vexsmom]

Everything was in the music room, including a dedicated computer for recording. He used the huge flat-screen TV as a monitor and sat on his leather couch with a wireless mouse and keyboard. What a setup! I've sent a note to Eric at Crossroads. Quite a few boxes have already gone, including some that had unorganized albums. I wondered at the time if they were ones Cai was working on converting. I'll keep looking. Thanks for the feedback. BTW, it was Jonathan who sent the story to me, not Lou. Now that would have been an honor, eh?

 

[neil wilkes]

Lou shared the story that started this thread with me a while ago, after I had posted the request for titles Connor should have in his collection. He had asked to buy the Lou Reed quad album, but felt it should belong to Connor, along with the story of his dad's involvement.

Sadly The Metal Machine Music album is missing. I know you guys send albums back and forth when you convert them. Is this album one of those? Any chance of you putting it aside to add to Connors collection when you finish? I suppose he might have sold it, but since it was his only copy, I doubt it. Any other ideas?

Thanks!...Judie

Hi Judie.

I have a 24/96 quad transfer from Cai of this album, although not the actual vinyl. There is a plan to make this into a really nice private edition that got shelved when it looked like there may be an official release.
I still have the transfers...

 

[vexsmom]

Hi Judie.

I have a 24/96 quad transfer from Cai of this album, although not the actual vinyl. There is a plan to make this into a really nice private edition that got shelved when it looked like there may be an official release.
I still have the transfers...

Thanks Neil! Actually, the record turned up. It had gone to Portland in one of the few boxes that had been taken up early on. Eric very graciously passed it back to Connor.