Steve Hackett back catalog in surround

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Now I know Steve Hackett's not got a great record with the quality of his surround releases, but in this interview he mentions that his new album out in March will include a surround version on blu ray:

https://progressivemusicreview.wordpress.com/2016/12/13/new-steve-hackett-interview-december-2016/

Yeah, if it's mixed by Roger King, not even the high-res nature of Blu-Ray can make it sound good...

However, I'm super excited that I have front row tickets to both of Steve's Nashville shows in February! (With Tim)

:)


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A new back catalogue box set release from Steve Hackett is due out in October, and the box will feature some tracks in 5.1 surround!
http://www.hackettsongs.com/news/newsAlbum25.html

Broken%20Skies%20Outspread%20Wings%20(1984%20-%202006).jpg


Release date 5th October 2018
Legendary guitarist Steve Hackett has announced the release of a special 6CD & 2DVD collection titled 'Broken Skies - Outspread Wings (1984-2006)' on the 5th October 2018 via InsideOutMusic.
Following on from 2015's 'Premonitions', this special art-book compiles the albums 'Till We Have Faces', 'Guitar Noir', 'Darktown', 'Feedback 86', 'To Watch The Storms' & 'Wild Orchids' - all newly remastered, alongside a host of bonus tracks. In addition to this, 2 DVD's are included which feature several recent live rarities and 5.1 mixes of selected songs, as well as the glorious 'Somewhere in South America' live DVD capturing a set in Buenos Aires. This is rounded off by brand new artwork from Roger Dean (Yes, Uriah Heep), beautifully presented as a 60-page book with liner notes, rare photos, lyrics and more.
Steve commented on the release: "I'm excited to announce the release of a special bumper retrospective 1984 - 2006 box set. This will include six re-mastered albums, several 5.1 surround sound tracks including a new version of the GTR track "When the Heart Rules the Mind", three previously unreleased live videos and the whole of the DVD Somewhere in South America, as well as a 60 page booklet including rare photos and new liner notes.
I'm incredibly proud of this collection which highlights a huge variety of styles and musical dreams in development over the course of more than twenty years..." Steve Hackett

:)
 
The box can now be ordered from Steve Hackett's online store: https://store.hackettsongs.com/products/broken-skies-outspread-wings-6-cd-2-dvd-boxed-set-pre-order

The 5.1 mixes on the DVD are as follows:

SURROUND SOUND 5:1 MIXES:
  1. WOLFWORK [From 'Wild Orchids']
  2. SET YOUR COMPASS [From 'Wild Orchids']
  3. CEDARS OF LEBANON [From 'Wild Orchids']
  4. BRAND NEW [From 'To Watch The Storms']
  5. SERPENTINE SONG [From 'To Watch The Storms']
  6. CIRCUS OF BECOMING [From 'To Watch The Storms']
  7. WHEN THE HEART RULES THE MIND [2018 re-record of GTR track]
I LOVE Serpentine Song, so I'm excited that one will be mixed in 5.1 but I don't know the other songs (except for "When the Heart Rules the Mind") and we don't know who is mixing them, so I think I will sit this release out until others can say how this actually is.

BROKEN_SKIES_BACK_COVER_2048x2048.jpg
 
I would have loved a 5.1 mix of the track Steve wrote and recorded with Queen's Brian May. It's funny as when I met May in 1994, he had no recollection of the song. I thinks these fellas write so many songs that they forget a few. I know that's happened to me a few times.


 
Steve's Facebook page says that the 5.1 mixes were done by Roger King.

Ok, I see that now. I definitely will be skipping this set until I get some reviews as Roger King's 5.1 mixes have been very hit-or-miss.
("The Night Siren" Blu-Ray is pretty good but most of his others are not.)
 
Ok, I see that now. I definitely will be skipping this set until I get some reviews as Roger King's 5.1 mixes have been very hit-or-miss.
("The Night Siren" Blu-Ray is pretty good but most of his others are not.)

Could the difference in mix quality be due to the material he was supplied to produce these mixes? Just asking. :)
 
Could the difference in mix quality be due to the material he was supplied to produce these mixes? Just asking. :)

Mostly, no.
He helped to produce albums like "Wolflight", "The Night Siren", and the Squackett album.
The Squackett album has one of the worst surround mixes I have ever heard, while "Wolflight" is mostly an ambient affair.
RK produced a better 5.1 mix it seems for "The Night Siren", but given the number of surround mixes on this release versus the cost, right now, I can't justify it.
 
Intersting comment from Steve Hackett about the new boxset and based on what he said he is most proud of, to bad he didn't include more songs for this set then in 5.1.

Has anyone seen anything if these songs are in DTS or not?

Here is the quote from Steve and where info taken from:

And which of your solo records are you most proud of?
The one I’m most proud of is a collection of surround mixes of the best stuff on those albums. I’m most proud of it because some of those songs have upwards of 200 tracks on, with loads of vocal things etc. I have a tendency to use up far too many tracks and you can’t possibly hear all that detail in stereo, but when you’ve got it in surround it all comes out and you can spread it all around. I’ve noticed this is similar to other people’s stuff. I remember hearing King Crimson’s ‘Lizard’ a couple of weeks ago in surround and how that’s been improved massively by having it in surround rather than as a collision between two speakers. You realise that being fully immersed suits certain kinds of music.


https://www.gigsoupmusic.com/interviews/steve-hackett-ex-genesis-exclusive-gigsoup-interview/
 
Mostly, no.
The Squackett album has one of the worst surround mixes I have ever heard..../QUOTE]

Agreed. I like the album, but was so disappointed by the surround mix I didn't bother to buy the 'Night Siren'. Roger is a great keyboard player, but his mixing and production leaves a lot to be desired.
 
I might just to get the albums on CD as I don't have any of his from that period, just the earlier and later ones. So the surround mixes would be a bonus.

Duncan, I'm in same boat did not pickup any of these albums but have earlier and later as well so I ordered this box about a month ago but as its ordered from amazon.ca I doubt I will see it till november.
Hopefully the surround's are a proper bonus but am nervous so will keep eyes peeled to what some other brave soul says on this first.
 
Still trying to find some information.
Found this today from Darren Lock:



Not sure how much of a 5.1 expert he is but he says the 5.1's are good just that there should have been more songs included, his guess is multitracks might have been missing.
Otherwise he says the booklet, information is kinda sparse and the cd's remastering he says could not tell the difference.
Bottom line for him is if people don't have these albums, its a good buy but for those SH fans that have these albums already he would pass.
 
Did ask a person at SHF-(SJP) to comment and see he did and here is where its from and comments on songs:

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/steve-hackett-new-box-set-1984-2006.765005/

SJP says: "Listening to the 5.1 right now for the first time.

First of all, while I understand not making the commitment to rendering all of the albums in the box to 5.1 but only 7 songs? Seems a bit lazy and exemplifies the idiocy of yours truly as a collector. I cannot have the premonitions box and not have this one. Yet all I'm getting for my $50 is one album which I had not previously purchased, 7 tracks in 5.1 and a nice looking package.

That said, the 5.1 opener Wolfwork (from Wild Orchids) is a dense mess. A fine enough song but not best suited for the subtleties of a well done 5.1 mix.

Set Your Compass (also from Wild Orchids) is a great improvement. The acoustic guitar shines with clarity and as the song moves along, the musical interplay (reminiscent of the best Hackett's Genesis had to offer) lends itself to this treatment.

The next track is Cedars of Lebanon (from the deluxe edition of Wild Orchids...I'm thinking why not just do this entire freaking album in 5.1 at this point?). Again, clarity and separation given the musical layers along with substantial grandeur...this one works really well.

Brand New is a straightforward rocker from To Watch The Storms. Less dense than Wolfwork, The drums echo out of the front array while the lead guitar assaults your senses out of the center channel. Percussion effects shimmer as well. The guitars spread out as the track progresses giving the listener a different listening experience than the album version has to offer. Isn't that part of what 5.1 is all about?

Next comes Serpentine Song (also from To Watch The Storms), one of my favorite Hackett songs so this one may be a bit biased. Nothing Earth-shattering here, just a tasteful surround mix.

And for another track from To Watch The Storms, Circus of Becoming has a lot going on which lends itself to the 5.1 format. The vocals are front and center with the lead guitar piercing over a distinct background of cacophony across your frontal array. Another great song choice but now the score is Wild Orchids 3, To Watch The Storms 3. Will this tie be broken?

Nope.

Let's break out GTR's When The Heart Rules The Mind (2018). No comment.

There are a few live videos but these don't make me feel one way or the other when it comes to value of this set.

When all is said and done, I really have to question the wisdom of this box for anyone who already has the albums. This little write-up though forced me to compare the albums as to whether the deluxe versions are represented in the box.

To Watch The Storms, already discussed. Redundant bonus tracks not included but these show up elsewhere.

Feedback '86, unsure but this includes the GTR track listed above.

Guitar Noir includes the demos and mixes that are on my Snapper/UK CD.

Darktown includes three tracks which showed up on later editions of the album. New to me, yea!

To Watch The Storms adds one song (Reconditioned Nightmare) over and above the special edition version which I have.

Wild Orchids, same tracks but the running order appears to be all jacked up, at least when comparing my special edition to the Discogs track listing for the box set.

This could have really been done right for the fans who have kept up with Steve Hackett over the years which is really the market for such a box set. If Wild Orchids and TWTS were worthy of three songs each for 5.1 treatment, then why not simply do both albums and be done with it?

All in all, this will end up being largely anchored to the shelf it is eventually placed upon. For completists or not-previously-fans only.

I guess another question is whether to practically give away the original CD's of Guitar Noir, TWTS, Darktown and Wild Orchids or just keep them on the shelf. I'm leaning towards the latter."
 
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