Pink Floyd is one of my top three band/artists of all time. However, "The Division Bell" rates pretty low on the PF scale for me. Even though I think Roger Waters had a case of sour grapes when the band split. His artistic contributions gave them that edge / bit of rebellion / political commentary that I had deemed essential to the spirit of the band. When "Momentary Lapse Of Reason" emerged, I was all for it and even though it was a bit tame for a PF album, I loved it. I think Gilmour, Wright, and Mason did a great job of trying to retain the feeling of a traditional PF album. Including David's screaming guitar solos and psychedelic noodling. So when TDB came out, you could say I had "High Hopes" for it...
I think TDB is good, but to put it bluntly, a bit boring to sit through from beginning to end. Now this is all subjective, and everyone has their own opinions, but to put it in perspective, I personally prefer "The Final Cut" and the Gilmour solo albums to this one. I must say that the tour that followed the release of TDB was excellent, second to none and a must see for any PF fan. Now, once again I have high hopes for "The Endless River". It would be great if it was released in 5.1 from the start.
OK, all that being said, I love what Andy Jackson's mix did for this album, a stellar job! His surround mix brings new life to it. I believe his mixing style is the perfect balance between the discreteness of an Alan Parsons mix and the fullness of a James Guthrie mix. So if I were King, I would have Andy mix the remaining Floyd albums in 5.1. (I'm sure I'll be grateful for whatever we get!) The inclusion of the video, "Marooned" in 5.1 is a nice bonus feature.
I too am glad that there was a lower cost option to experience the 5.1 mix. I would have preferred a stand alone Blu-ray, but the DTS option is good and feel no need to get the box set. The packaging is another matter altogether. How pathetic! If you compare this package to say the value of the 5.1 set of Jethro Tull - A Passion Play....well, there is no comparison. I will just print a jewel case liner and put it in a CD case for storage.
To sum up, the 5.1 DVD DTS/DD disc sounds great, the mix is stellar, the content is fair to good, and the packaging sucks. I will give it an 8.
Dennis