DVD/DTS Poll Stewart, Al - TIME PASSAGES [DTS DVD]

[rtbluray]

Please post your thoughts and comments on this 2021 reissue of the classic Al Stewart album "Time Passages".
The album has been newly remixed in 5.1 surround by the original producer, ALAN PARSONS.

 

[oxenholme]

I haven't previously heard this album. An excellent mix, nice sound, decent material, well presented - it has a lot going for it. My favourite track is the wonderful Almost Lucy.

Ox = well pleased.

 

[LuvMyQuad]

Wow. Im early to this one. I give it a 9

The overall fidelity of the mix is excellent on all tracks. Like YOTC, this album was always bright. But this one is much more crankable to my ears. Packaging is similar to YOTC. Content is just as awsome , and in some cases better. Live stuff is nice.

Im gonna try something new. I prepared for this by taking notes. I'm just going to reproduce the notes.

Tracks sampled and comments:
1. Life in Dark Water:
Excellent Fidelity. Nice surround. Nice vocal pans F to R at breaks. Pianos at mid side. Synths toward rear.
2. Time Passages:
As above. More side soundstage than the DTS CD. Rear guitar breaks, Song is in your face.... it always was
3. Time Passages (Parsons unreleased DTS-CD):
Less shimmer than above More front centric than above. less rear ambiance. than above. guitar breaks up front more. rear is mainly strings.
4. Valentina Way:
What is in the LR?? is it doubled vocal? overdone ambiance that is louder in left? occasional rear drum hits on right side. rear-side keys
5. Almost Lucy:
vocals on right side. diagonal bongos FL to RR. LR sounds empty except for ambiance. shakers on right side mid. sounds good except for strange vocal placement
6. Song on the Radio:
Like the title track. Nice

Then I shifted gears a bit to determine how bright this album was in relation to YOTC. So 2 tracks from YOTC as ripped from the disk

7. On the Border:
Is the percussion buried? It still sounds bright. lots of sibilance on vocals. There always was.
8. Lord Grenville:
Even worse than above Ouch. The EQ'd version I have of this is more listenable.

 

[skherbeck]

I wanted to add the title track of this new mix to my playlist, but after listening I had to start messing with bass and treble levels (the mix seems to have very little low end for my taste and seems a little harsh at the high end). The vocal also seems slightly forward in the mix and the acoustic guitar solo is too loud (these are all just my opinions, of course). Anyway, after wasting a bunch of time making adjustments, I went back and listened to the old DTS 5.1 mix and found none of these issues with the mix! The new mix does have more going on in the rear channels, but I ended up choosing the old mix for my playlist as it just sounds better. Glad to have the rest of the album in surround, though

 

[par4ken]

Back when this album was released my interest in music was largely for less mainstream type music than this. "Time Passages" was very mainstream and boring to me so I never bothered with it nor did I ever hear the full album. The track/single "Time Passages" was vastly overplayed at the time which turned me off immensely. However I did have a copy of 'Year Of The Cat' which I did rather enjoy.

Because I really like "Year Of The Cat", I snapped up the box set just for the surround disc. When "Time Passages" was also released in surround I thought why not. Cherry Red's prices have always been very reasonable anyway.

I really like this album, much more than I expected. It's an apt follow up to "Cat". I had forgotten about the other hit single "On The Radio". That track reminds me of Gerry Rafferty "Baker Street" style wise. The other standout track for me is "Life In Dark Water".

The mix is good but I would of liked a bit more rear channel activity. It sounds to me like the music was added simply to back up Al's vocals. The Vocal is the main thrust of this release. From reading the liner notes I guess that the music was actually done first with vocals written afterward.

I'm giving it a solid eight.

 

[LuvMyQuad]

I really like this album, much more than I expected. It's an apt follow up to "Cat". I had forgotten about the other hit single "On The Radio". That track reminds me of Gerry Rafferty "Baker Street" style wise. The other standout track for me is "Life In Dark Water".

I'm glad you found your way to liking it. It would be hard to imagine Liking YOTC but not liking this. They are like twins to me.
I think Parsons mixes tend to be sparser in the rears compared to more aggressive mixers, except of course for his DSOTM.

What do you think about the strange positioning for Almost Lucy?

 

[par4ken]

I'm glad you found your way to liking it. It would be hard to imagine Liking YOTC but not liking this. They are like twins to me.
I think Parsons mixes tend to be sparser in the rears compared to more aggressive mixers, except of course for his DSOTM.

What do you think about the strange positioning for Almost Lucy?

Yes Almost Lucy is rather odd, was it a mistake? The only track with vocals in the right rear. Surround wise it sounds OK.

 

[LuvMyQuad]

Yes Almost Lucy is rather odd, was it a mistake?

No one really knows except Parsons at this point I guess. It also doesn't appear to be a simple channel swap.

 

[sjcorne]

No one really knows except Parsons at this point I guess. It also doesn't appear to be a simple channel swap.

I'm inclined to think it's an actual mixing error, possibly involving a send/return channel in the mixing session. The lead vocal was probably being sent through a bus with a reverb on one of the channel inserts (either outboard gear or a DAW plugin), as is typical practice for applying reverb to multiple elements in a mix. If said reverb were to be accidentally removed or muted, that would result in the entire dry vocal signal being sent through the bus instead of just the ambience.

 

[Matt Wilson]

Well, another 8 for me. About the same as Year of the Cat I'd say. I actually like this album better, but the surround mix isn't necessarily superior. Funny to read the liner notes and see how he had such disdain for "pop" music and saxophones and didn't miss these hit years when they went away, preferring audiences who were more into his lyrics about historical figures and whatnot. Whatever...