HiRez Poll Moody Blues, The - TO OUR CHILDREN'S CHILDREN'S CHILDREN [Blu-Ray Audio]

[rtbluray]

Please post your thoughts and comments on this brand new 5-disc deluxe edition of the classic Moody Blues album "To Our Children's Children's Children".
The deluxe edition includes a Blu-Ray Audio disc that not only features a brand new 5.1 surround mix of the album from one of QQ's favorite mixing engineers, @Stephen W Tayler, but Stephen has also remixed the Moodies' 1969 show at the Royal Albert Hall in 5.1 surround too!

Please note, this deluxe edition does NOT contain the original 1970s Quadraphonic mix of the album that formed the basis of the Multichannel SACD edition, released in 2006

 

[ar surround]

This 5.1 has more of an "in your face" presentation that the original quad SACD. However, I wouldn't call it brighter sounding than the quad SACD. The quad is one of the two best sounding MB quads (The other being On The Threshold Of A Dream), and is a tough act to follow. Both the quad and this new 5.1 are excellent, so take your pick. I'm keeping both versions on the hard drive.

A lot of this new 5.1 mix very much seems derived from the quad master...as it should be. For example, the movement of instrumentation on the track Eyes Of A Child are identical to the quad, and I can't see any reason to do it differently. However, there are elements in this new mix that are definitely different than the quad, including some things on Eyes Of A Child. I would also say that this new mix has more 'psychedelic feel' than the quad mix.

A major improvement, and one that was my greatest hope, is the 5.1 of Gypsy. The recording of this song on both the stereo and the quad always sounded reticent compared to the other songs on the album. This new mix pretty much fixes that problem; and the song has an (the?) alternate vocal ending which helps with the more psychedelic feel of the new 5.1.

Yeah, there will people with some complaints about this new 5.1 mix, and a lot of it has to do with listening the stereo and the quad of this record like 10,000 times and not hearing what they are used to.

The old quad SACD is a 10.
This new 5.1 is a 10.
And being a rabid MB fan, my granddaughter playing these songs on a kazoo would be a 10.

 

[ar surround]

Out And In: This is another winner on the new 5.1 in comparison to the quad. While Pinder's vocals on the quad are impressive...coming from all around... the instrumentation is somewhat muted in comparison. The 5.1 mix of this song is more balanced. Also, Stephen worked a little bit of magic with the vocals to give the song a more psychedelic feel. Wanna know what he did? Pony up.

 

[ar surround]

I am pleased to report that I have relapsed to the days where I play the MBs religiously. Today I messed around with upmixing this new release using Auromatic. I usually upmix with Auro 3D (5.1.5) and rarely use Auro 2D (7.1). Well, with Auro 2D upmixing to 7.1 applied, the depth of the rear sound stage was remarkable...truly a psychedelic experience.

 

[efb18]

Very nice mix.

But, for the love of god, companies: please stop it with the menu music. Words cannot express how much I despise menu music.

 

[privateuniverse]

A job well done by @Stephen W Tayler ! This new 5.1 mix sounds beautiful. (I refer to the studio album, haven't listened to the live portion yet). Very discrete and it fills up the space very nicely. Fidelity is quite good for a fifty-four year old recording. I can understand why some folks might be reluctant to pull the trigger on this one given the high price, especially for those of us in the USA who have to import a copy but I would say you can buy with confidence. (You can currently get it from Amazon for $74 and Burning Shed still has it in stock for £59.99). Need to give it a couple more listens but it certainly isn't anything less than a 9, possibly a 10.

 

[H.A.L.]

A 9 for sure! I'd make it a ten but I haven't listened to the live version yet -- that may have me change to a 10!

 

[rusinurbe]

The studio portion of this disc is very good, nice mix and IMHO much better than the Quad mix.

The live portion though nice to have is a pretty straight live presentation not much action surround mix. The Moodies could play the arsenal off the songs live. There is probably a little too much reverb on the vocals on the live album for a top mark.

Studio album 9 live album performance 9 mix 6.
Treating that as a bonus so 9 for the whole lot.

 

[edisonbaggins]

A 10.
Bass guitar sounds centered up front. Powerful and punchy. Creating the bottom end of the rhythm section, along with the kick drum.
Drums spread nicely along the stereo field, with certain elements emanating into the surround field.
Main vocal and acoustic guitar reside up front, though overdubs of each can appear rearward.
The surrounds host the Mellotron, which often sounds like distinct, harmonized tracks, panned left and right.
Electric guitar, tambourine, other sorts of percussion, and other strange and wonderful oddities can appear all around you.
I feel like I’m in a cave (a nicely furnished cave) on another world, listening to my great grandparents sing about their lives and my future.
What a fantastic experience!
Time to send this set back to @Marplot
Thank you for the loan, my friend.
Perhaps @Stephen W Tayler can clarify any points regarding his 5.1 mix that I might have misconstrued.
Excellent work! The Royal Albert Hall mix sounds great, as well.
Enjoy, all you who can get your hands on this.

View attachment IMG_3568.jpeg

 

[SomethingAnything]

A 10.
Bass guitar sounds centered up front. Powerful and punchy. Creating the bottom end of the rhythm section, along with the kick drum.
Drums spread nicely along the stereo field, with certain elements emanating into the surround field.
Main vocal and acoustic guitar reside up front, though overdubs of each can appear rearward.
The surrounds host the Mellotron, which often sounds like distinct, harmonized tracks, panned left and right.
Electric guitar, tambourine, other sorts of percussion, and other strange and wonderful oddities can appear all around you.
I feel like I’m in a cave (a nicely furnished cave) on another world, listening to my great grandparents sing about their lives and my future.
What a fantastic experience!
Time to send this set back to @Marplot
Thank you for the loan, my friend.
Perhaps @Stephen W Tayler can clarify any points regarding his 5.1 mix that I might have misconstrued.
Excellent work! The Royal Albert Hall mix sounds great, as well.
Enjoy, all you who can get your hands on this.

View attachment 105543

I can't believe I have not voted on this. Thank you for the reminder. Yes, totally a 10.

My brother brought the album home from our annual Xmas trip to London way back in 1969 (we were always allowed to choose one present each, he chose this ... heaven knows what I chose, a toy Dalek for the umpteenth time, probably, or a Thunderbirds cap). And I have never stopped loving the album. And how wonderful it is that the world now also has this SWT 5.1 mix of it.

 

[Stephen W Tayler]

A 10.
Bass guitar sounds centered up front. Powerful and punchy. Creating the bottom end of the rhythm section, along with the kick drum.
Drums spread nicely along the stereo field, with certain elements emanating into the surround field.
Main vocal and acoustic guitar reside up front, though overdubs of each can appear rearward.
The surrounds host the Mellotron, which often sounds like distinct, harmonized tracks, panned left and right.
Electric guitar, tambourine, other sorts of percussion, and other strange and wonderful oddities can appear all around you.
I feel like I’m in a cave (a nicely furnished cave) on another world, listening to my great grandparents sing about their lives and my future.
What a fantastic experience!
Time to send this set back to @Marplot
Thank you for the loan, my friend.
Perhaps @Stephen W Tayler can clarify any points regarding his 5.1 mix that I might have misconstrued.
Excellent work! The Royal Albert Hall mix sounds great, as well.
Enjoy, all you who can get your hands on this.

View attachment 105543

Thank you for the kind words and appreciation!!

This was a challenging task to create a new mix, as are many of the projects from that era were recorded onto quite restricted formats. It depended always on the production approach and the available technology.

Most of this material was recorded onto 8 track tape and many projects had been only on 4 track at that time! These occasionally complex arrangements were frequently recorded in a manner such as this - the band would perform the backing and even some overdubs, which would be balanced and mixed down to a stereo pair of tracks, frequently drums, bass, guitar and some keyboards. Then a set of overdubs might be made that could be mellotron, some backing vocals, more guitar and even some orchestration, and these would be mixed down to a second stereo pair of tracks. Then the remaining 4 tracks could be used for lead vocals, solos or other addition parts. So there was a lot of decisions made and commitment at the time. Occasionally the recordings prior to the 'bounce down' existed on separate reels, so these could be incorporated, but they were not always kept.

Now modern technology and techniques allow for a certain amount of deconstruction and restoration from previously mixed content on those stereo pairs, so it means quite a lot of control for a new mix approach - it depends on one's intentions and attitude!!

All the best, SWTx

 

[Stephen W Tayler]

On another subject - The Royal Albert Hall concert.... this was recorded on 8 tracks too - drums, bass, guitar, mellotron each on a mono track, all the vocals were recorded direct to a stereo pair, all five vocal microphones always open and there was a lot of bleed from the instruments and PA, and then then a couple of mics for the 'room' sound for the audience.

It was not very easy to create a particular surround picture, but what I tried to do was create the feeling of being in the very ambient and echoey Albert Hall, as it was especially back in those days!! I have been to many concerts there even back then - so I know ( I joined the Royal College of Music as a student in 1971, which is directly behind the RAH)!

To me personally it feels more appropriate than the original mix - which of course still exists anyway. SWT

 

[Ranasakawa]

When the tears are flowing during the beautiful song Candle Of Life sounding incredible in surround I can't speak more higher than that. This is a superb mix of a great album. The live disc is not really a surround sound mix but is still essential listening. Watching and waiting is also brilliant in surround on this new mix.

 

[Ranasakawa]

Very nice mix.

But, for the love of god, companies: please stop it with the menu music. Words cannot express how much I despise menu music.

You won't like the Robin Trower recent Bluray then. The menu volume is deafening

 

[SomethingAnything]

Very nice mix.

But, for the love of god, companies: please stop it with the menu music. Words cannot express how much I despise menu music.

The new atmos of PF's Animals is a rare case of where the menu music is terrific. Otherwise I agree with you wholeheartedly.