Stones Sympathy for the Devil on a 5.1 Surround Sound SACD

[dprokopy]

Finally got a chance to take this disc for a spin last night, and all I can say is WOW. This sounded pretty much exactly the way I had imagined a surround mix of this sound would sound. (Even if you just listen to the stereo mix, you could always sort of imagine it in surround - if that makes any sense). Can't really add much to what others here have said, so I won't bother.

FYI, I seriously doubt there are plans in the works to remix the rest of this album, or any of the Stones albums, seeing has how they were JUST re-released last year. I'm guessing this surround mix was done, as the packaging would imply, to coincide with the release of the "Sympathy For the Devil" movie on DVD. My guess is that it was created for that, then someone decided it'd make a good single release as well.

The one thing that struck me sorta funny was that, among all the remix and remastering credits, not once is the late Jimmy Miller, who friggin' PRODUCED the original recording, mentioned. Kind of a slap in the face, if you ask me... :slap:

 

[mrindenver]

I went to Best Buy to pick up the Sympathy re-mix plus Blood On The Tracks and Bringing It All Back Home.

To my surprise, none of these was available in the SACD/DVD-A section at my local Best Buy. As I was leaving, I figured it out by thinking like a stock-boy.

They were stocked on the regular CD shelves. Nobody responsible for stocking was reading beyond "Rolling Stones" and "Bob Dylan".

Sad.

 

[dprokopy]

They were stocked on the regular CD shelves. Nobody responsible for stocking was reading beyond "Rolling Stones" and "Bob Dylan".

Well, they ARE all hybrid discs, so that kinda makes sense. That's the first place I looked for them, actually. Granted, if they knew better, they'd split their stock between the two sections...

 

[bayards]

To my surprise, none of these was available in the SACD/DVD-A section at my local Best Buy. As I was leaving, I figured it out by thinking like a stock-boy.

They were stocked on the regular CD shelves. Nobody responsible for stocking was reading beyond "Rolling Stones" and "Bob Dylan".

Sad.

Twice the music - half the brain for most music stockists. I saw a SACD in Muscat, Oman last week - that must be a first! It was Deep Purple - only about £9 but I already have the DVD-a version so left it alone. Poor thing. Some unknowing local is going to buy it....

H

 

[Guy Robinson]

Well, they ARE all hybrid discs, so that kinda makes sense. That's the first place I looked for them, actually. Granted, if they knew better, they'd split their stock between the two sections...

My local Best Buy has the Rolling Stones in the CD section and the Dylan discs in the SACD section. Probably because the Stones discs don't mention SACD on the outside.

 

[danzigdan]

Is it still $4.99 at Best Buy? My local Circuit City has them for $6.99 now.

 

[timbre4]

Very nice indeed! Heard the original in 5.1 and had to scoot out the door. Perhaps we can get more of this!

 

[bayards]

Very nice indeed! Heard the original in 5.1 and had to scoot out the door. Perhaps we can get more of this!

Compared to the Bowie "Ziggy" release I reviewed on this site, the Stones predates Ziggy by about 4 years - but what a difference. Bass, tight notes and a real SACD sound on the Stones compared to the thin sound on Ziggy.

The production on all the Sympathy tracks is magic - I really like the Full Phat version. Can't wait to hear more Stones in 5.1...then Beatles....

 

[Cai Campbell]

WOW! I had the opportunity to listen to this last night and it's just as amazing as everyone has been saying. The original song remixed for 5.1 is a benchmark surround mix.

The remixes by Fatboy Slim, et al, are interesting but don't do much for me (and I'm a big fan of Fatboy Slim and dance remixes in general). I think the problem is the remixers were too conservative with the material. The remixes sound too much like the original. For these type of remixes to succeed, they really need to tear the song down and come up with something that uses a totally new structure instead of relying upon the original to provide the structure. The only cut that comes close to doing this is the Full Phat remix, but even it doesn't quite go far enough to succeed, in my opinion.

Anyway, anyone else notice something funny with the catalog number for this disc? It is 18771 9666-2. Coincidence? I think not. Nice touch, methinks.

 

[dougi]

not to hijaak a post, but anybody see this disc in Canada/Toronto?

Hi Shark 42... I found this disc at Best Buy in Mississuaga today for 5.99
it was the last copy from what i could see
But phone the Heartland store location up and see if they have any more coming in.

 

[shark42]

Hi Shark 42... I found this disc at Best Buy in Mississuaga today for 5.99
it was the last copy from what i could see
But phone the Heartland store location up and see if they have any more coming in.

thanks for the head's up - found it myself (accidentally) at the Eg/Laird.

Also picked up Tommy for $40ish CDN at Edwards. Just got home to listen to them!

 

[solaris]

Yea find it with the reg CD's not in the SACD section. All mixes are good and the original sounds great and yes this is the kind of mixing I love this is what MC is all about. And yes this disc sounds better than any other, with material from the 60's.

 

[daved64]

not to hijaak a post, but anybody see this disc in Canada/Toronto?

Just got mine, $5.99CND at Bestbuy!

 

[webvan]

A little...bump down the road! Hope that's ok for an excellent surround mix indeed, I recently picked it up on Amazon.

It seems this is the only 5.1 mix of a Stones studio song available at this point? There have been 5.1 mixes of concerts on DVDs of course, not that great IMHO with what sounds more like "track isolation" slapped together than real discrete mixing, but no studio tracks? Maybe that will happen if they release a video best of like they did for McCartney with the McCartney years in 2007.

The Stones seem to be one of the rare mega acts around at the time of Quad mixes not to have had one made, any reason for that? Mick wanting to save a buck here and there? Sorry if this sounds silly but their 8-Track (as in 8 separate tracks?) cartridges were always downmixed to stereo ?

 

[mrindenver]

A little...bump down the road! Hope that's ok for an excellent surround mix indeed, I recently picked it up on Amazon.

It seems this is the only 5.1 mix of a Stones studio song available at this point? There have been 5.1 mixes of concerts on DVDs of course, not that great IMHO with what sounds more like "track isolation" slapped together than real discrete mixing, but no studio tracks? Maybe that will happen if they release a video best of like they did for McCartney with the McCartney years in 2007.

The Stones seem to be one of the rare mega acts around at the time of Quad mixes not to have had one made, any reason for that? Mick wanting to save a buck here and there? Sorry if this sounds silly but their 8-Track (as in 8 separate tracks?) cartridges were always downmixed to stereo ?

What took you guys so long? This is an outstanding discrete mix of one of the greatest songs/performances in rock history. And less than ten bucks!

 

[webvan]

hehe...well I explained that a bit in my "presentation" in the "new member" topic ;-)

Any insight on the lack of Quad for the Stones and possible other 5.1 mixes ?

One 5.1 mix I'd like to hear is "Gimme Shelter" maybe "THE" best rock song ever...there are some "upmixes" floating around but I'm not sure what they add compared to a surround effect on a receiver.

 

[mrindenver]

hehe...well I explained that a bit in my "presentation" in the "new member" topic ;-)

Any insight on the lack of Quad for the Stones and possible other 5.1 mixes ?

One 5.1 mix I'd like to hear is "Gimme Shelter" maybe "THE" best rock song ever...there are some "upmixes" floating around but I'm not sure what they add compared to a surround effect on a receiver.

No "maybe" when you are talking about GS!

Honestly, I think the closest we are going to get is to run the SACDs through Dolby PLII, Neo 6 or other matrix processing. Sorry.

 

[webvan]

That's too bad, but at leat SFTD stands out!

On the subject of GS, not sure you've heard this "extended mix" done with Rockband isolated tracks apparently but it's 8'48" of goodness! Isolated tracks were posted this week here http://www.dangerousminds.net/comments/deconstructing_gimme_shelter_listen/ but ABCKO had most of them pulled...

 

[mrindenver]

Nope, I had not heard it, and I guess now I still won't! Too bad....

 

[webvan]

Sorry had forgotten the link, the extended version is still available http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvCG7kgxeCc and the isolated tracks seem to be back too!