HiRez Poll Squire, Chris - FISH OUT OF WATER [Blu-Ray Audio]

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Rate the BDA of Chris Squire - FISH OUT OF WATER

  • 6

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 5

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 4

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 3

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 2

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 1: Terrible Content, Surround Mix, and Fidelity

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    22

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Please post your thoughts and comments on this 2020 Blu-Ray Audio release from Esoteric Recordings of the classic album "Fish Out Of Water" by Chris Squire.
The album was originally remixed and released in 5.1 surround in 2018 as part of a super deluxe edition of the album, but this is the first time that this 5.1 surround mix has ever been released on Blu-Ray!

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I'm jumping the gun on this (I need more listens) because I had looked forward to it for so long! I like the musical content, which is a given for these polls, of course, and having the old and new stereo mixes is a big plus. That said, I'm taking a point for how bright the original mix is and for the noticeable wear on the master tape. Another point off on principle for the infamous missing bass solo although I found so much to listen to I didn't miss it musically and it's on the original when I want to hear it.

It's fun to be in the center of the "orchestra" even if the instruments are clearly close-miked. 8/10!
 
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Only one vote! Come on peeps!
Life in Surround review and giveaway:


I'm not a habitual poll voter, myself--but I wonder if there hasn't already been so much discussion about the merits of the mix over on the pre-release thread (starting around the bottom of Page 11) that people have just forgotten to vote?
 
I'm not a habitual poll voter, myself--but I wonder if there hasn't already been so much discussion about the merits of the mix over on the pre-release thread (starting around the bottom of Page 11) that people have just forgotten to vote?
I'm wondering if there hasn't already been much discussion about the merits of the mix over on the DTS / DVD-V thread on this album's 5.1 mix:
https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/forums/threads/chris-squire-fish-out-of-water-dts-dvd.24800/
 
This is posted below this release of Amazon:

Playback Region B/2 :This will not play on most Blu-ray players sold in North America, Central America, South America, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Learn more about Blu-ray region specifications

I thought these type of discs were region free? Regardless my Oppo 103 should play it.
 
This is posted below this release of Amazon:

Playback Region B/2 :This will not play on most Blu-ray players sold in North America, Central America, South America, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Learn more about Blu-ray region specifications

I thought these type of discs were region free? Regardless my Oppo 103 should play it.
Amazon puts that on every BD-A release I've noticed. Never been true, as far as I'm aware.
 
This is posted below this release of Amazon:

Playback Region B/2 :This will not play on most Blu-ray players sold in North America, Central America, South America, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia. Learn more about Blu-ray region specifications

I thought these type of discs were region free? Regardless my Oppo 103 should play it.

This worry surfaces from time to time on QQ. Amazon is notorious for posting these spurious region warnings re BDAs.
 
I was worried when Amazon put the same notice on the latest Pineapple Thief disc. When I zoomed in on the photo of the back cover and saw regions ABC, I ordered it anyway. Sure enough, it plays perfectly.
 
I voted a “7” as well. This is challenging music for me, particularly the two longer pieces. There’s one track I really love on here and that’s “Lucky Seven”. Perhaps that ‘a-ha’ moment where the rest of the album clicks will eventually come, but it hasn’t yet.

The 5.1 is a mixed bag. I like how the different elements have been panned in the surround field--the rears generally feature strings and backing vocals, and there's even a few playful moments where instruments move around the room--but there are points where both the instrumental and tonal balances seem off to me.

As has been discussed elsewhere, there are a number of instances in the remix where Jakko opted to bring out instrumentation that was either really buried or completely absent from the original stereo mix. The album is relatively new to me, so I couldn’t spot every minute difference between the two mixes--but I felt that some of these alterations worked better than others.

For example--I like the extra strings in “Lucky Seven”, but the newly-revealed sax part in the rears during the instrumental rave-up in “Silently Falling” seems to drown out the bass and keyboard in the fronts.

My biggest gripe with the remix is the loud and harsh cymbal sound. When Bruford really gets going during the busier parts of “Silently Falling” and “Safe”, it gets irritating to the point where I feel like skipping forward or ejecting the disc. The original stereo mix sounds fine during these sections, so I’m not sure why the cymbals were EQ’d like that in the remix.

Overall, I’m glad Esoteric opted to reissue this in a standalone package. The Blu-Ray is well-authored and the price is certainly right. Glad to have it in the collection, even though I'm not crazy about the music.
 
Even though I was a huge Yes fan back in the day, for whatever reason I avoided their solo albums - all of them. Weird, right? Anderson, Howe, Wakeman, and Squire too. Maybe I expected them to stay as 'Yes', and not betray the common cause? Oh I don't know...

So the Blu-Ray is my first time hearing this music. And I really am falling in love with it all. Sounds like a set of very personal, close to the heart, statements by Chris - lyrically very different from Jon A's approach. Unlike e.g. all the Yes surrounds, with this one, I am not listening to the music or the mixes with the original in mind at all. And it is just wonderful. So many different elements - with saxophones adding some really nice touches along the way, that really distinguish the sound field from Yes. And good to hear Bruford and Squire in action together again too. The surround mix didn't blow me way. The music does feel very well integrated to my ears- but the overall impact felt more like multi-channel stereo to me. And terrifically engaging as such. So overall an 8 from me...

Always a pleasure to pick up on something that you missed first time around - way over 45 years ago. (Dear Goodness!!)
 
Just received my copy today and had a quick listen to the first track and I like it so far. Good booklet (need to sit and read it all) and packaging. Wish more big box sets had the option of just buying the hi-rez 5.1 and stereo disc like this and TFF.
 
Just got this Blu-ray yesteraday
So far I really like it. Noticed that all 4 discs in the deluxe set are included here on the Blu-ray
Price was right, wish more 5.1 mixes were released like this affordable disc rather than exclusive to expensive box sets.
I do not want any vinyl
 
Just got it from Amazon, the last time I played the album was when it was originally released. I forgot how much I like it, guess I shouldn’t wait 45 years between playings.
The surround is acceptable but not breathtaking, for the stereo crowd they wouldn’t find it offensive. I would have liked a bit more happening in the rears, still not bad.
 
I am fortunate to have both the bluray & and original box set. To my non-technical ears, they both sound similar. I really like the album but would have hoped for something a little more discrete to give it a 10. I dropped one point on the bluray vote in regards to the mix since @ssully pointed out the missing or buried bass solo in "Safe". Never having heard the album before the box set, I didn't know what I was missing.
 
I have the box set, and am thinking about getting the blu-ray. How much of a difference would I expect in fidelity?
Ditto, Someone please comment as I just ordered the BD., have time to cancel.;)
 
It's worth noting that if you have this but have not watched the 'commentary' it is worth watching. I found it helped me 'get into' the music - it has the right mixture of technical details and anecdotes which make it an interesting and pleasant way to spend an hour.

And if you thought Lucky 7 was called that because it is 7 mins long, well, you should know it couldn't be that simple for a Yes spin-off!
 
I cast an 8.
I love the album and was pretty excited.
Good suprise, first, Jakko is doing there a fine mix (after my disapointment with One Of A Kind).
But : really the surround mixing is often uninventive and too much on the safe side. We would have gained clarity with a better dispatching and use of space.
It gets better with lucky Seven and Canon Song, but on the whole, there was certainly better things to do than a forefront plan and rear plan.
Fortunately, it gets better with the aforementionned.

I really like the new takes on the pieces, Lucky Seven certainly changes and that new proposition is fresh.
 
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