HiRez Poll Wilson, Steven - THE FUTURE BITES [Blu-Ray Audio (Dolby Atmos)]

[groo]

I'm with you on that. These three songs are my favorite.

Always interesting to me how all of us are unique individuals and have varying opinions and tastes. I’ve always felt that Grace For Drowning is an absolute masterpiece and one of SW’s best solo releases but I seem to be in the minority in that opinion. Oh well.

I certainly think Grace for Drowning is a complex, dense album but I just can't listen to it unless it's a few tracks at time. However in terms of playability, this 50 year old can't sit beyond a couple of tracks namely Deform To Form A Star", "Index", "Like Dust I Have Cleared..." . BTW musically the "Index" fingerprint is interspersed throughout multiple Solo albums.

 

[Elad]

I can't believe it's been 4 years since Steven's last solo album, "To The Bone"! I discovered Mr. Wilson around the time of "Raven" and "Hand", and wow, what magic those albums were. The music and musicianship instantly grabbed me and each album carried me through from start to finish effortlessly, begging for another listen (and another and another...). I then went back and purchased his earlier solo albums "Insurgentes" and "Grace", and realized this is a man of many musical tastes, and they don't always align with mine. Honestly, I really don't care for those two albums at all. When "Bone" came out, I think my expectations were so high that I was destined to be disappointed (and initially I was). Ultimately, however, I ended up really enjoying about half the songs... but I was worried that maybe Steven's muses were calling him away from the kind of music that made me such a fan. Well, after 4 long years "The Future Bites" is here... 8 new songs (and a little album intro that isn't really a song). It's a pleasant listen, I suppose, but I find my attention wandering away midway through "Personal Shopper" not to return (and for such a short album, I don't think that's a good thing). There are no killer drum fills or extended keyboard solos or mind-blowing guitar solos to be found here. There aren't any songs that I would consider classic. Aside from a few songs that are pretty OK ("King Ghost", "12 Things I Forgot", and "Man of the People"), the rest is kind of forgettable for me. I guess our tastes continue to drift apart.
In terms of the mix and fidelity, this album is perfect. The 5.1 surround mix is discrete and aggressive and the fidelity hits all the right frequencies to keep your ears happy, so if you like the music, you need to get this. This is a disappointing 8 for me .

You expressed exactly how I fell about Future Bites it's not bad I love the fidelity, mix and how it sounds just wish the material was better.

 

[edisonbaggins]

You expressed exactly how I fell about Future Bites it's not bad I love the fidelity, mix and how it sounds just wish the material was better.

Check out the bonus songs on YouTube. WAY better. OMG. This album could have been so much more appealing to long-time fans.
Oh wait, as a concept, this album is supposed to feel like a bit of a fuck you, a challenge, sort of a rip-off. I forgot...

 

[madship]

Release day came and my copy was crossing the Atlantic. I was going to wait until Tuesday to listen so my first experience would be in 5.1. I made it to the end of the work day. I downloaded it to listen while I walked. Self actually grabbed me right from opening notes, and the bass bomb in the middle caught me completely off guard. Unself was good and enjoyable, then came King Ghost and I really liked it, through out my walk I found I liked the songs I had already heard better in the context of the album and found the new ones good to. Got back to the house during Follower, It kind of broke the mood, but developed its own groove. For some reason it took me until the set arrived to finally really hear Count of Unease, which to me is probably the weakest track and doesn’t seem to fit with the rest.

Overall I love the new album. I find myself listening to it several times a day. The sound quality is great and the mix in 5.1, no Atmos, yet, is amazing. Every time I listen to the album I hear something new. I think Wilson’s musical mind is wired in surround and that he’s conceiving his music in that language. It’ll be interesting to hear a new album of his in 5 years once the rewiring of his mind into Atmos is complete.

I like the visual presentation of the disc with the cycling TFP products and the motivational statements. Its also kind of cool that there is a realtime progress bar on the right side next to the track names. The box set package while consistent with the message of the disc is the weak part for me. It’s not going to fit with the previous books in more ways than one. The non-musical materials inside will not have lasting interest for me.

I’m rating it a 9.

 

[Mesozoic Mike]

No problems playing this bluray on my Oppo BDP - 93.
I rated this a 9. That's really a compliment since I give very few 10s. A 10 is for perfection and this release is not perfect, just very very good.
Of course the mix and fidelity are outstanding in 5.1. I'm really pleasantly surprised with how much I like the music. A bit more poppy, which I know some folks don't like, and a little less progressive.
A good surround start to 2021.

 

[madscot]

I gave it a 7, 10 for the surround sound, 8 for the content and 3 for the music, 1 for each song I like

 

[atomicdog]

Some of my favorite tracks from SW's solo career are on it ("Deform To Form A Star", "Index", "Like Dust I Have Cleared..."), but as a whole it's definitely one of those albums that demands additional patience and effort from the listener to fully 'unlock' it. TFB is kind of its polar opposite in many respects, intended to hook you right from the first listen with lots of catchy melodies, shorter songs, little-to-no improvisation, etc. That's not to say that there's nothing deeper below the surface on TFB though...

I'm one who gets antsy during the extended instrumentals in songs like "Luminol" and "Ancestral" (sacrilege!), but I almost feel that he went too far in cutting things down here to hit that 40 minute mark--there's some cool soundscape-y bits in the extended versions of "King Ghost" and "Eminent Sleaze" that I wish made the final album (and would've sounded great in surround).

I concur on Grace for Drowning--listening right now.

 

[srbjab]

I’ve listened to the blu-ray version of TFB many times in all of the formats (stereo, 5.1, Atmos, and even watched the videos) and wanted to share some thoughts. First, the good news. Thankfully, Steven Wilsons producing and mixing skills remain excellent. TFB sounds great, with crystal clear highs, deep bass and a rich mid-range. As expected, the 5.1 and Atmos mixes are up to his usual standards, exhibiting a fully 3 dimensional sound field with active participation of surround and height speakers. In general, I find the Atmos mix preferable to the 5.1, except for the first 2 tracks. To me, the Atmos mix on these tracks sounds a bit unnatural or gimmicky and I prefer the 5.1 mix for them. I think King Ghost in particular benefits greatly from the Atmos mix with superb use of the height speakers - this track is my favorite on TFB in part because the Atmos mix is just exquisite. For the mix and production alone I’m voting a solid 9.

Now for the not so good news. Sad to say, this is the first Steven Wilson album that really disappoints me - and I say that as a very long time fan from the early days of no-man and Porcupine Tree. I find it disjointed, snarky without being particularly insightful, and musically boring. Of the 9 tracks on TFB, I think three are pretty good: King Ghost (probably the most complex and interesting track musically), 12 Things I Forgot (a relatively simple, wistful but appealing pop song) and Personal Shopper (mainly due to it’s superb technical construction and hooky chorus which makes the nearly 10 minute length fly by). But even these are not as memorable as what he’s delivered in the past. I find the remaining tracks utterly forgettable and/or annoying. Suffice it to say this is not a record I’ll be returning to very often. Alternatively, I would recommend tracking down the associated B-Sides Collected EP - the 4 tracks included there are stronger than most of what was chosen for the main album. It's disappointing they weren't included on the blu-ray. Steven Wilson is an immensely talented musician and producer but TFB continues an unfortunate trend in his solo career - each release is becoming less interesting than the one before. He’s certainly free to pursue whatever musical path he chooses, but likewise listeners and fans are free to part ways if they don’t care for where he’s headed.

 

[mandrix]

I kept wondering what it is I feel when I listen to this album. It's like I keep waiting, for something, anything to jump up and go, but for me, alas, it never happens
I'm pretty much in agreement with srbjab above.

 

[JohnG]

Played the Blu-ray finally last night and wow! Steven has done it again. Sounds incredible on my system (2 subs). I don't have Atmos yet so it was the DTS mix and it rocked the house. Even my wife came down from upstairs and gave a thumbs up to the album. Love the three videos.
Now I am an old time fan from back in 2001 and I know this is a change of pace but it is a fun listen and will sound great in concert (whenever they resume in the NY region).
2 thumbs way up!

 

[GOS]

I've listened to this title several times. Mostly, at loud levels...and in Atmos. I totally dig it. I really do. I applaud Wilson for doing what he wants, when he wants to. Obviously, him straying so far away from Porcupine Tree and or earlier solo stuff will freak hardcore fans out. Doesn't freak me out whatsoever. Probably because, in reality, I get fed up with prog rock. I just get so damn bored with it after time. (but, obviously still love it)

I'm going to vote a 9. I think it's worthy. Believe it or not, I think my favorite song is 12 Things I Forgot. This could easily be a Keane song. Just wonderful. Songs like this make me feel good....and there is nothing wrong with that.

 

[Toto4Ever]

I've listened to this title several times. Mostly, at loud levels...and in Atmos. I totally dig it. I really do. I applaud Wilson for doing what he wants, when he wants to. Obviously, him straying so far away from Porcupine Tree and or earlier solo stuff will freak hardcore fans out. Doesn't freak me out whatsoever. Probably because, in reality, I get fed up with prog rock. I just get so damn bored with it after time. (but, obviously still love it)

I'm going to vote a 9. I think it's worthy. Believe it or not, I think my favorite song is 12 Things I Forgot. This could easily be a Keane song. Just wonderful. Songs like this make me feel good....and there is nothing wrong with that.

I'm not overly keen on Prog Rock, only when it's done well & TFB is a breath of fresh air. The negative comments are harsh & unfair. I respect opinions, but when it comes across as "throwing toys out of the pram", because it's not what we expected, is churlish. Also, it's very contradicting to give a 9 for the mix & then say you don't like it musically. Isn't the mix, music !! ??
Yes, i immediately think of Keane, when i hear "12 Things I Forgot", especially the piano & this whole album makes me feel good, as i'd posted previously. Someone described it as "disjointed". It's completely the opposite. It's cohesive. If anything, previous albums have been disjointed, i.e. Prog Rock.
As i said previously, sometimes "less is more". A wonderful song like "Drive Home" doesn't need that extended guitar solo, there's a point where it then goes on too far & the essence of the song gets lost. The guitar solo needed to be much shorter, imo.

 

[sjcorne]

A wonderful song like "Drive Home" doesn't need that extended guitar solo, there's a point where it then goes on too far & the essence of the song gets lost. The guitar solo needed to be much shorter, imo.

I've got to disagree with you there--for me, that solo is the essence of the track. Have you seen the video? It's more than 'just' an extended guitar solo in terms of the song's narrative: it's like a wailing scream from the main character, once he's come to the horrifying realization that he's the one responsible for his lover's death. Had it been any shorter, the emotional impact would've been lessened.

 

[Toto4Ever]

Have you seen the video? it's like a wailing scream

I have, but not for awhile......& that's my point, it wails far too long.......anyway, don't want to derail the thread, too much !

 

[Elad]

Check out the bonus songs on YouTube. WAY better. OMG. This album could have been so much more appealing to long-time fans.
Oh wait, as a concept, this album is supposed to feel like a bit of a fuck you, a challenge, sort of a rip-off. I forgot...

I have not heard the bonus songs yet but I did like his session work of older songs he did on the Future Bites sessions on YouTube. I am not in any camp when it comes to this CD it is what it is. I like some of the songs, like the mix and surround environment. I think the Atmos mix was interesting and gives a different prospective to this but like the 5.1 better it gives the music more punch. All in all for me it is a fair to good cd. In the end Future Bites will make me go back to his earlier material and enjoy what a true craftsman Steve Wilson is

 

[JonUrban]

Just got mine (Stand alone BD) this week and am finally able to mess with it. Ripping as we speak. My bluray case is a bit different than Ryan's. I do have the slip cover with Steven on there, but the inner case looks like this (I love the text title):



MakeMKV shows the following on the BluRay:



Can't wait to listen to it, but sadly, I am not ATMOS ready at this time

 

[JonUrban]

Very interesting. It seems the DD51 was pressed at a substatially lower volume level than the DTS51 is! I spot listened to the loudest parts of the DTS51 and the levels in Sound Forge never got close to peak, so the sound is not maxed or distorted. In listening to the two versions, my old ears prefer the higher volume levels of the DTS51, which is what I will put in my car, but there has to be a reason for this. Who knows why? As long as it's not hammered with loudness, it really is just a matter of raising the volume. Have a look:

 

[The56Kid]

Very interesting. It seems the DD51 was pressed at a substatially lower volume level than the DTS51 is! I spot listened to the loudest parts of the DTS51 and the levels in Sound Forge never got close to peak, so the sound is not maxed or distorted. In listening to the two versions, my old ears prefer the higher volume levels of the DTS51, which is what I will put in my car, but there has to be a reason for this. Who knows why? As long as it's not hammered with loudness, it really is just a matter of raising the volume. Have a look:

View attachment 62808

Very interesting, Jon. I usually check both 5.1 options available on my multi channel discs and opt for the one with the highest MBPS rate displayed on my Oppo. It typically ends up being the LPCM track. Is this the proper logic?

 

[sjcorne]

Very interesting. It seems the DD51 was pressed at a substatially lower volume level than the DTS51 is! I spot listened to the loudest parts of the DTS51 and the levels in Sound Forge never got close to peak, so the sound is not maxed or distorted. In listening to the two versions, my old ears prefer the higher volume levels of the DTS51, which is what I will put in my car, but there has to be a reason for this. Who knows why? As long as it's not hammered with loudness, it really is just a matter of raising the volume.

This isn't intended to be a criticism of Atmos, but I found there to be a world of difference between the dedicated LPCM & DTS-HD 5.1 streams and the Atmos played back in either AC-3 5.1 or Dolby True-HD 7.1--not just in terms of overall volume, but the mix itself. The 5.1 is much more of a 'pinpoint' surround experience where you can clearly pick out different instruments/vocals in different speakers or areas of the room. The Atmos downmixes seem a lot less overtly 'discrete' by comparison, probably because I can't hear what's supposed to be panned overhead. Or perhaps the intention of that mix was to create a more 'immersive' feel with less hard-panning/isolation...

It's demo material in the car, BTW. Those bass synth swells in "Man Of The People" will blow you out of your seat

 

[antoine555]

I have ripped the whole lotta tracks from the Blu-Ray, different 5.1s, 7.1 and stereo, but as it may not be my favorite SW (like The Incident, Insurgentes & Grace For Drowning were in their days) I don't really feel the need to compare. Personal Shopper is really great, the rest is, well, forgettable.

But I will persevere, and give it more listening sessions.

And maybe I will rediscover some tracks in a future SW concert...