Since Pink Floyd is so popular here!

[jaxvon]

I've done the Wizard of Oz thing...and it really does work. Not really scary, but pretty cool.

 

[RGCriss]

I have always liked "Animals". Maybe I'm crazy but I see alot of society in this album especially in the lyrics to the tune "Dogs" Just my two-cents worth

 

[Hawkeye]

I have always liked "Animals". Maybe I'm crazy but I see alot of society in this album especially in the lyrics to the tune "Dogs" Just my two-cents worth

I'm sure that was Waters intent. Kind of Orwellian in that regard.

 

[fluffdrk]

Voted for Dark Side, but my heart will always be with Wish You Were Here. I can't wait til that SACD comes out!

 

[nibhaz]

This is like at asking a parent: Which child do you love the most?

Impossible to choose....

 

[Shadow_Ferret]

I voted for Dark Side of the Moon. Great songs made even greater by perfection in engineering by Alan Parsons. There is a reason that thing set the record for being on the charts for eternity.

Although songwise I think I like Meddle just a little bit more.

 

[Nicholas Mosher]

DSOTM on SACD is really good.

The opening to "Time" has got to be in the top five of 5.1 mixes of all time (IMHO).

 

[nibhaz]

I voted for Dark Side of the Moon. Great songs made even greater by perfection in engineering by Alan Parsons. There is a reason that thing set the record for being on the charts for eternity.

Although songwise I think I like Meddle just a little bit more.

The engineering by Parsons is what all other engineering should be judged by IMO.

I have to second the nod to Meddle. In one disc you get to experience the band mature from acid rock to one full of empathy and in tune with the human condition.

Fans should also check out the Live at Pompeii DVD, good times I promise!

 

[hillbill]

Any of you Floyd fans know if Pulse is ever going to be released on DVD?

 

[shokhead]

I was around when PF started but never could get into them. I must have turned down at least 5 times to get concert tickets in the 60's and 70's here in SoCal.

 

[Johnny Canuck]

The Wall is my favorite album ever made. Enough said.

 

[Hawkeye]

The engineering by Parsons is what all other engineering should be judged by IMO.

Couldn't agree more nibhaz, though Elliot Scheiner is certainly making his mark on the hi-res surround disc scene.

Sad that Parsons was not asked to mix the SACD release of DSOTM. Though Guthrie's mix holds its own, I still think I would have preferred Parsons version. David Gilmour, perhaps in an attempt to offer an olive branch, appears on Parsons' latest cd, "A Valid Path." In case you missed it here's a very interesting link with Parsons song-by-song comments on Guthrie's mix.

http://www.soundandvisionmag.com/article.asp?section_id=2&article_id=444&pag

 

[Hawkeye]

Any of you Floyd fans know if Pulse is ever going to be released on DVD?

Hillbill, I found this:

"The last we reported was that a rough date of February/March this year was set, for the 2-disc DVD to hit the stores.

We spoke with PFM today to find out the latest on the release. In an effort to ensure that this is as good a release as possible, every aspect is being checked closely. As part of this, additional work is being done to upgrade the picture quality. The good news is that the work on this was completed last Friday.

They are now reviewing all the content (the extras which are to be packed onto this set) to select the best possible. Having talked about some of the proposed extras with PFM, there's some interesting and unusual stuff that looks likely to end up on the finished product.

With this additional work, a revised date is now being worked out. Whilst they couldn't commit to a firm date, the middle of this year is now looking realistic. They do realise that this may disappoint you, but assure us that it is only being done to make sure the final release of this is the best that they can provide.

It is worth reiterating that any versions of Pulse currently being offered on DVD in various places worldwide, are all fakes. This includes copies that proport to be official limited edition pressings from a few years back."

 

[Shadow_Ferret]

Sad that Parsons was not asked to mix the SACD release of DSOTM. [/url]

I don't understand these things at all. How can they reengineer something that was already engineered? Aren't these things already on tape or something and all they do is press it into the new format?

I've been looking forward to getting DSOM on SACD, but if it isn't the same as the vinyl album I have, what's the use?

 

[Hawkeye]

I don't understand these things at all. How can they reengineer something that was already engineered? Aren't these things already on tape or something and all they do is press it into the new format?

I've been looking forward to getting DSOM on SACD, but if it isn't the same as the vinyl album I have, what's the use?

Not to worry, there is only one master tape. I believe DSOTM was originally recorded on a 16 track tape machine back in 1973 with Alan Parsons at the controls. He then down-mixed the master to two tracks (stereo), and that is what we all listened to for years. A couple years ago James Guthrie took the 16 track master tape and down-mixed it to 6 tracks (5.1 SACD). He had the flexibility to put the guitars where he wanted, same with the vocals, the drums, etc. He was able to fade/pan, echo, isolate, change the volume of a particular track (and hence instruments, vocals, etc.), according to how he thought it should be. Unfortunately, at least IMO, some of it was not true to the original recording ie: placement of the heartbeat, the vocal/echo "...that's what the fighting's all about..about...about.." instead of "...that's what the fighting's all about...bout..bout..." as mentioned in the link above. Whether intentional or not, several of the subtle nuances from Parsons' vision have been overlooked on the Guthrie mix. Part of what makes DSOTM so special are the recording techniques of a meticulous engineer (Parsons). For instance, it was Parsons' who brought a tape recorder to a London clock shop and recorded the clocks leading into the song "Time"

With that all said, I do own the SACD of DSOTM and think it is very good. Do not hesitate to buy it if you like the original stereo version. Its doubtful you can notice the differences pointed out above. Keep in mind that despite more than a dozen albums of his own, Parsons' crowning achievement continues to be his contribution to DSOTM. Its understandable any tinkering with his ideas might rub him the wrong way.

If you haven't explored Parsons' work, as a jumping off point I would suggest looking at picking up either "I Robot" or "Turn of a Friendly Card" both available on 2 channel HDAD http://www.amusicdirect.com/products/detail.asp?sku=CCLADVA2003

 

[zipper]

DSOTM, although I too would choose WYWH.

Wasn't DSOTM an attempt at quadrophonic sound recording? I thought I remember that being mentioned years ago. If so, converting it from a 16-track recording to SACD or DVD-A would seem to give it an edge up on most old albums.


AP's "Tales of mystery & imagination" is an interesting mix of classical & rock music that some may find to their liking.

 

[Hawkeye]

DSOTM, although I too would choose WYWH.

Wasn't DSOTM an attempt at quadrophonic sound recording? I thought I remember that being mentioned years ago. If so, converting it from a 16-track recording to SACD or DVD-A would seem to give it an edge up on most old albums.


AP's "Tales of mystery & imagination" is an interesting mix of classical & rock music that some may find to their liking.

Zipper, DSOTM was originally released in stereo. Then a few years later the record company asked Parsons to re-visit it and produce a quad recording from the 16 track master, which was then released on 4 channel vinyl. The technology, perhaps a bit ahead of its time, never really made a huge splash.

Tales of Mystery and Imagination is indeed a very good album, one of my favorites in fact, and my first introduction to Parsons/Woolfson music. I didn't mention it above mostly because the "classical" sounds of "Fall of the House of Usher" may put some folks off. It took me quite a few listens before it grew on me. Love it now though.

 

[Shadow_Ferret]

Hmm. I really need to learn how music is made. I cannot fathom how they can separate out the instruments once they've all been laid down on the tape. At that point don't they all overlap each other and it's just one musical component?

And Tales of Mystery and Imagination is an excellent album. I'd love to get that in SACD. The beginning guitar in "The Raven" swoops between speakers in the stereo mode, I'd love to hear that swirl around in surround.

 

[nibhaz]

I revisited my making of the DSOTM DVD last night. It was definitely cutting edge for it's time and watching/listening to Parson as he explains some of his engineering tricks is pretty awesome. Engineers are not given enough credit for the final product we often enjoy, IMO their creativity is almost if not equal to the artist's creativity, at least in the case of soundscapes such as DSOTM. Perhaps the lack of credit is why so many of today’s releases show signs of excessive recording levels and poor soundstages… or perhaps I’m to nostalgic?

 

[Hawkeye]

Hmm. I really need to learn how music is made. I cannot fathom how they can separate out the instruments once they've all been laid down on the tape. At that point don't they all overlap each other and it's just one musical component?

And Tales of Mystery and Imagination is an excellent album. I'd love to get that in SACD. The beginning guitar in "The Raven" swoops between speakers in the stereo mode, I'd love to hear that swirl around in surround.

SF, if the tape were mono, or one track, you could not separate anything. But the tape, in this case, has 16 different and unique tracks. Think of it this way...a stereo cassette tape has 2 distinct tracks, or channels: right and left. If you were to hook up a cassette deck's audio L & R outputs to a digital mixer, you then would have complete control over each of the two tracks in the digital domain. Now take the 16 track tape machine and hook up the 16 outputs to a digital mixer and you have control of the 16 tracks. In the analog world Parsons recorded DSOTM in it took considerable time looping tapes to create all the audio effects. This can now be done quite quickly digitally.