I voted an 8, and enjoyed this for the most part, but with some mixed feelings. First of all, being from Canada, the Hip have been a very large part of my musical journey. This album, in particular, is easily my favourite from them, and I have listened to it countless times from when it was first released. So the content is a 10.
The surround mixes (I focused on the Atmos mix, mine is 5.1.2), however, were a mixed bag. At some points it all sounded well put together, but at others, it was just messy. Chagrin Falls was particularly disappointing because the background vocals were almost completely absent, like they forgot to add them into the mix and they were only echos from the other channels. I checked the other surround options and it was the same...played the stereo version and there they were. Very peculiar.
Some of the tunes sounded fantastic, and came to life when the volume was turned up (reminded me of the classic New Orleans is Sinking, which sounds so much better when turned to 11). Gord's voice was planted firmly in the center channel for the entire album, which was generally OK, but odd for some of the tunes when he should have been better integrated into the rest of the music.
I have not explored any of the other discs and have no interest in them, I bought this for the Atmos mix.
For those unfamiliar with the Hip, their music is interesting and catchy, give them a try. Gord's lyrics are about experiences and story telling, and can give you a glimpse into Canada's history and culture.
