Ultravox "Vienna" (Steven Wilson 5.1 remix in October!)

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Finally got my copy from Amazon UK earlier today (ordered almost a month ago). I can't get over how amazing this mix is! One of Steven Wilson's very best efforts, in my opinion. It almost feels like a fun '70s quad mix at times with instruments frequently swirling around the room or hard-panned into one of the rear speakers. There's some inspired use of the phantom rear center position throughout the album with synth and vocal lines sneaking up right behind your head. Even the songs I wasn't really crazy about ("Mr. X", "Western Promise", "Vienna") are much more enjoyable in this surround mix. My only minor critique so far is that the center channel comes off a bit too loud at times, but it's really not that big a deal. Crank this!
 
Man I just love this album and mix. I voted a 10 in the poll. It really is cool!

I'm sure this has been mentioned before but I'd absolutely love a SW multichannel mix of Gary Numan - The Pleasure Principle... Been watching the TV show Mindhunter on Netflix and they featured M.E. as a closing track - it sounded epic!

I know SW has been doing some stuff in lockdown so some more synth pop like this would be brill. I don't know where my head would be if I heard a great mix of that?! :phones
 
My final post here, I ordered this box set 2 months ago from Amazon US just to get an email a few days ago saying unavailable, thanks to svengaleekie, for pointing me to Burning Shed, ordered on Monday and shipped yesterday, that's good.
England to California I am guessing I'll get end of next week. I couldn't pass this up as some reviewers call this the best of 2020.
 
Steven was asked about the Vienna remix in this recent in-depth interview:
You helmed the surround remix of Ultravox’s Vienna for its recent deluxe edition. Describe your approach for the project.

Ultravox don't get anywhere nearly enough credit for their fusion of rock and new wave synthesizer use. I think Gary Numan gets all the credit and Ultravox gets very little of it. But of course, there were other contemporary people like John Foxx who came from a rock or punk background, who wound up exploring synthesizers like the Prophet-5 and creating music that still, to this day, sounds incredibly fresh.

Ultravox’s Vienna also has the progressive rock aspect on tracks like “Western Promise” and the Kraftwerk influence on “Mr. X.” So, I was hearing influences I wasn’t necessarily aware of as a teenager when I first heard and loved the record.

I think Vienna stands up as a very unique, innovative and influential record with great songs. There’s a parallel with The Future Bites and Vienna. In both cases, the songs are paramount. Yes, you can experiment with all this technology and sound design, but at the end of the day, you have to have good pop melodies, and catchy, memorable hooks. Vienna has those in abundance.

I remixed the album into 5.1. It already sounded fantastic in stereo. I usually always do a stereo mix along with 5.1 mixes, but I wasn’t going to go up against Conny Plank’s original stereo mix.

Vienna is one of my favorite albums growing up. I think I was the right person for the job in terms of deconstructing and reconstructing it, because I knew the recording very, very well. These days, I turn down jobs on the basis I’m not the right person to do it because I’m not a big enough fan. But in this case, I certainly was the right choice.

The underlined part almost reads as if he didn't intend for the stereo remix to be released?
 
Steven was asked about the Vienna remix in this recent in-depth interview:

The underlined part almost reads as if he didn't intend for the stereo remix to be released?

I think a lot of QQers know this, but to summarise all that I have gleaned over the years:

Wilson has discussed his stereo mixes in a number of interviews. He mixes in stereo to make sure that he has all the right elements (which might have been flown in from a different take), sound levels and that he understands the EQ, effects used, etc. He basically tries to create a stereo mix that is the exactly the same as the original stereo mix - he's just ensuring that he is doing it right before he does the 5.1 mix. In this way the 5.1 mix is, as close as possible, the same as the stereo mix levels, EQ and effects - but spread out over 6 speakers. This becomes even more important when original elements can't be found and he knows it will not be exactly the same but he has to emulate it in some way.

Sometimes, his mix is an improvement on the original because doing it digitally has enabled there to be fewer bounces or more accuracy in an effect, or whatever. So in those cases it does make sense to release the stereo mix. However, often there is very little difference. Wilson sends the stereo mix to the label for reference but has mentioned that he does not always expect it to be released and has considered not sending them the stereo mix at times. But of course, the label are often tempted to release a 'new' mix for commercial reasons.

I have seen comments from people on other sites who are not interested in surround but are investigating the stereo remix - especially if the mix is a new vinyl release where the original mix is not included. Some people say, "What's the point of a remix? I want the original mix." Others say, "I've listened to his remix and it sounds the same to me." These people are understandably confused by the release of a stereo remix because they do not know the explanation given above.
 
Sadly, price is now back up to $59.99. Still better than before this apparent reprint/restock, but $42 was a steal.
 
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