Steve Miller's Fly Like An Eagle 30th Anniversary remaster

Maybe the advance copies are Dolby Digital only while the released versions contain a hi-rez track. Happened with the Talking Heads discs. Lets keep our fingers crossed.
Is the disc in the advance copy sort of generic looking or is it an official printing? The Heads advance copies were generic.

 

I'm awaiting for confirmation as I type this. It is an advance copy of three discs - the CD (on CD-R test pressing), and two DVD-5 DVD-Rs comprising what will be the final dual-layered second disc in the set. I don't think there will be space for DVD-A, but I'm hoping for a nice surprise.

I rec'd the complete version of the Talking Heads DualDisc box, so I got the final deal. I did receive an advance on the R.E.M. DVD-A catalog which was comprised of the final DVD-A disc (but no CD).

 

DAMN! I was hoping for HiRez, but I guess "those days are dwindling".............

 

Alrighty folks...a sneak peek...

I can only compare "Fly Like An Eagle" for now, as I have a few deadlines to meet, but here goes...

It is definitely a new, state-of-the-art mix - a lot of effort was put into it. Unfortunately I've been able to confirm that the Limited 30th Anniversary CD+DVD set that will be released June 27th will only have Dolby Digital as the 5.1 listening option. No plans for DVD-A or DualDisc "at the moment."

That being said...

I was pleasantly surprised by the DD 5.1 track. Here are some comparisons of the 30th Anniversary 5.1 mix to the DTS Entertainment DTS-CD 5.1 (repurposed from the original quad mix):

The DTS-CD had audible tape hiss; cleaner on the 30th

The 30th is brighter

DTS-CD cut off part of the space intro (same as the original quad mix); the 30th appears to have the entire intro

The DTS-CD was encoded/mastered at a low level; the 30th is mastered louder - about 10db difference (while this sounds severe, much of this I think is in the encoding, although some dynamic limiting has been applied - but I'm not sure)

The DTS and 30th mixes both make use of the synth swirling around the listening space

On the 30th, "Tick" is in the rear-left, "Tock" is in the rear-right, "Doo-Doo-Doo-DooDoo" is in the center (yes, it bounces around playfully)

Lead vocals are in the center and I think the double track of the lead vox is also mixed into the front L-R channels. Vocals are louder on the 30th

Guitar is mixed in the left-front on both versions. On the DTS-CD, the guitar would "pop out" with some notes - less conspicuous on the 30th

Drums are clearly in the rear on the DTS-CD, with hi-hat in the right-rear, and the ride cymbal on the chorus in the left-rear. On the 30th the drums have moved away from the rears a bit, but the hi-hat and especially the ride still in the same places

There's a new synth sound I don't believe I've heard before - although I may be mistaken - heard in the 30th, toward the end, b/f the last chorus (a kind of droning sound)

The 30th is clearly a more playful, energetic mix

I believe I can hear the limitations of the lossy codec in the highs - the brighter mix also reveals a high-end that isn't very stable or "clean" - although this may be a revealing of the elements.

30th Credits...surround mix by Ed Cherney, remastering by Eddie Schreyer at Oasis Mastering.

Just a few obs...

 

Felix, thanks for the info!

 

Pre-order at cduniverse for $17.49. Cheapest by a longshot!

http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=7115020&style=music&cart=349784713&BAB=M

 

While I am entirely sympathetic to the following arguments:

1.) Dolby Digital 5.1 can be played by almost everyone

2.) 96/24 MLP tracks can be played by only a small market segment

3.) Hardware that can decode 96/24 MLP is in short supply

4.) New releases with 96/24 MLP support are few and
far between


I am still boggled why Dolby Digital 5.1 would be the only
option on a disc that was probably mixed using hi-res
rates. I'd bet the 5.1 master recording is NOT Dolby 5.1

I'm guessing that because the DVD part of this package
has a concert video - the "audio only" surround mix
is the bonus...

If the Dolby 5.1 mix for the album is on its OWN
DVD... there would be no excuse whatsover

 

"Surround" Me says - "Woo-Hoo! A new surround release!"

"HiRez" Me says - "What an outrage!"

 

The concert (2 hour +), interview (30 min), and album in 5.1 are going to be on one DVD-9 disc that will accompany the remastered CD.

 

It boggles my mind why music and Dolby 5.1 are even ALLOWED to co-exist.


I know, I know... old argument that DTS lost somewhere when the DVD
standard was developed...


But if they wanted the concert video and the surround album on one DVD-9
disc, they should have went for Dolby 2.0 (to satisfy the "must have dolby"
requirement), and then included a DTS 5.1 option... If they still didnt have the
space - trim some of the 30 minute interview


Or just get rid of the CD all together. Its the one thing I could care
less about if the package had hi-res audio...


Maybe common sense will prevail and they will have a 3 disc "deluxe" edition.

Disc 1: compact disc
Disc 2: concert video plus interview
Disc 3: DVD-A disc with MLP, DTS, and Dolby options

 

FYI - Received this email today at our radio station:

<<Fly Like An Eagle 30th Anniv. PR.doc>>
On June 27th, Capitol Records will ce <<SteveMiller30.Cover.jpg>> lebrate the 30th
anniversary of the Steve Miller Band's Fly Like an Eagle with an expanded
limited-edition two-disc set. This classic album has been remastered with bonus
tracks, and the set includes a DVD with a 5.1 surround-sound mix of the album, a
"making of" Fly Like an Eagle documentary, and a 2005 Steve Miller Band concert
filmed in Northern California.

In conjunction with the release, Capitol has produced a one-hour commercial free
special in which Steve takes you behind-the-scenes of the album, telling stories
about some of the songs, and so much more. The special contains no national spots
and there are 10 minutes for local avails (three segments - two five minute breaks).

Songs featured in the special include "Fly Like an Eagle," "Rock'n Me," "Take the
Money and Run," "Serenade," "Dance, Dance, Dance" and more.

The preferred air date is the weekend of June 23 - 25.

If you are interested in running this special, please reply by e-mail with your
proposed air date, preferred shipping address and contact information.

Best,

Rich Mahan
Capitol Records National Radio Promotion

 

Here's the original press release too:

April 26, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


SPECIAL 30th ANNIVERSARY EDITION OF FLY LIKE AN EAGLE,
STEVE MILLER BAND’S BIGGEST-SELLING STUDIO ALBUM,
SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 27th RELEASE ON CAPITOL RECORDS

Collectible Package Includes Re-Mastered Original Songs Plus Three Bonus Tracks; DVD Includes Album In 5.1 Surround Sound, Documentary And
Two-Hour 2005 Concert Featuring Guests George Thorogood and Joe Satriani

Steve Miller Band Tour Dates Begin May 25th


On June 27th, Capitol Records will release 30th Anniversary Edition Fly Like An Eagle by the Steve Miller Band. Fly Like An Eagle is one of the seminal rock albums of the 1970’s and, thirty years hence, its hits are still staples at classic rock radio. The original album has been re-mastered for the CD and is presented in 5.1 Surround Sound on the accompanying DVD.

“With the Surround Sound mix, people will finally hear the album the way I originally intended it to be heard,” says Miller, noting that it was originally recorded for quadraphonic sound systems. The DVD also contains an exclusive interview with Miller on the making of the record and a two-hour concert.

Filmed in September 2005 at Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View, CA, the concert footage was taken straight from the live recording made for the giant screen close-ups the night of the show. The result is an undoctored snapshot of the current day Steve Miller Band. Highlights include a 20-minute version of “Fly Like An Eagle” with guest guitarist Joe Satriani and appearances by George Thorogood, Paraguayan gypsy fiddler/harpist Carlos Reyes and classical composer Nolan Gasser, who accompanied Miller on piano for the Nat King Cole classic “Nature Boy.”

To celebrate the release of this remarkable collectible package, which also features three previously unreleased bonus tracks, the Steve Miller Band will be launching a tour on May 25th in Sonoma, CA that will keep them on the road into November.

“We just love to play,” says Miller. “This tour will be a blend of everything – we’ll do our greatest hits, some acoustic stuff and we’ll also be mixing in a lot of jazz and blues.”

After the success of 1973’s The Joker, the Steve Miller Band’s first Platinum album, Miller took some time off and retreated to a home he had purchased on a remote hilltop in Marin County, outside Novato, CA, where he built a recording studio. It was there that he spent months scrupulously overdubbing Fly Like An Eagle and its successor, Book of Dreams. (The albums had been recorded at CBS Studios in San Francisco.)

Originally released in May of 1976 against the backdrop of America’s bi-centennial celebration, Fly Like An Eagle proved to be a career-defining album for the Steve Miller Band. “Steve Miller had started to essay his classic sound with The Joker, but 1976's Fly Like an Eagle is where he took flight, creating his definitive slice of space blues,” says allmusic.com critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine. With over four million albums sold to date, Fly Like An Eagle is the Steve Miller Band’s biggest-selling studio album. It spent nearly two years on the Billboard 200, peaking at #3 and yielding the Top 40 singles “Rock ’N Me,” which was the band’s second #1 single (following 1973’s “The Joker”), the title track, which reached #2 on the pop charts and #20 on the R&B charts, and “Take the Money and Run,” which peaked at #11.

The three bonus tracks on the CD provide a revealing glimpse at the evolution of these songs, including an early, bluesy demo of “Fly Like An Eagle,” recorded in 1973, a slow version of “Rock’n Me,” recorded in 1976, and an acoustic version of “Take the Money and Run” sung over an early version of “The Joker.” These “draft” versions offer clear insight into Miller’s creative process and are the first fruits of archival work by former Steve Miller Band guitarist Dave Denny. Denny’s task is an ambitious one for, as the DVD’s compelling concert footage demonstrates, Miller is not an artist content to merely replicate his hits – through the decades, he and his band have continually experimented with the material, taking the songs to new heights.

Initially a fixture in San Francisco's "Summer of Love" scene as leader of the Steve Miller Band, the Texas-bred singer, songwriter and guitarist used his blues/rock roots to transcend the psychedelic trend and develop his own enduring sound. In the ensuing decades, Miller has toured consistently and seen his songs covered by artists as diverse as Smashing Pumpkins, deftones, Seal, Run-D.M.C. and k.d. lang. The band’s Greatest Hits 1974-1978 has been certified 13-times Platinum. Cumulatively, the Steve Miller Band has sold 23.5 million records total since its 1968 Capitol debut, Children of the Future.

Upcoming tour dates are as follows:

Steve Miller Band – 2006 Tour Dates

6/24 Murphys, CA Ironstone Amphitheatre
7/8 Muskegon, MI Muskegon Summer Celebration, Heritage Park
Landing
7/10 Lansing, MI Common Ground Festival, Adado Riverfront Park,
7/12 Walker, MN Moondance Jam 15, Hwy. 200 & Onigum Rd.
7/14 Costa Mesa, CA Orange County Fair & Expo, Pacific Amphitheatre
7/18 Highland Park, IL Ravinia Festival, Pavilion
7/21 Cheyenne, WY Cheyenne Frontier Days
7/22 Minot, ND North Dakota State Fair, Main Grandstand
8/3 Paso Robles, CA California Mid-State Fair
8/7 Sturgis, SD Rock’N The Rally, Glencoe Camp Resort
8/17 Danbury, CT Ives Concert Park
8/18 Augusta, ME Augusta Civic Center
8/19 Hyannis, MA Cape Code Melody Tent
8/20 Gilford, NH Meadowbrook Farm
8/23 Vienna, VA Wolf Trap/The Filene Center
8/25 & 26 Boston, MA Bank of America Pavilion
8/28 St. Paul, MN Minnesota State Fair
9/2 Kelseyville, CA Konocti Harbor
9/3 Salem, OR Oregon State Fair
9/16 Pierre, SD Vietnam Vet’s Festival
9/17 Hutchinson, KS Kansas State Fair
9/29 Selma, TX Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
9/30 Houston, TX Cynthia Woods Pavilion
11/4 Phoenix, AZ Arizona State Fair

Additional dates to be announced.




# # #


For more information, visit http://www.stevemillerband.com

 

I was pleasantly surprised to receive an advance store copy of this yesterday at my radio station. After listening and comparing the new 5.1 mix with the old dts version, the new DVD-A is superior. The new 5.1 mix sounds similar to the dts mix but improved with DVD-A loss-less sound and a more balanced mix. I did notice that the extra intro on "Take The Money and Run" on he dts version is absent on the new version. Their might be more little nuances like that, but I was giving it the quick review. I watched the whole interview segment and it was really good! I tracked through the concert and it looks good too! I didn't check out the sound on the concert portion. I hope it's mixed 5.1, but I only watched it on my mono TV set. I didn't check out the CD at all, but it contains 3 unreleased bonus tracks, demo's of Eagle, Take the Joker and Run, and Rock n Me. Packaging is good and comes with a booklet. Overall it's a great package and I can only hope that Capitol does more of these!

 

Whoa......this is a DVD-A????? I was under the impression it is Dolby Digital only! Can you please check!

 

Don't get your hopes up...

 

Didn't think so. I see no indication it's a DVD-A.

 

I stand corrected, it's not DVD-A, but it sure sounded like it, compared to the dts version!

 

What does it offer in stereo? Just 16 bit / 44.1 ?

 

It's a two disc package, compact disc & DVD.
The DVD only offers a 5.1 mix in Dolby Digital.
If you want stereo you listen to the remastered CD.

 

How is ol' Stevie in concert these days? I was thinking about see him when he comes to my area this summer. Last time I saw him was back in '75. Is he still worth seeing?

 

A Sony dualdisc offers more choices than that. I will pass on this one.

 

I'm not happy with the Dolby Digital , but I really wanna hear this in surround,( other than the DTS, sounds like this is a better mix).

 

True. But you also have to wonder if a DualDisc will actually play on anything you own.

 

I thought it was solid improvement over the dts!

BTW-I got this piece of new at work today.
"The release of the 30th anniversary edition of the Steve Miller Band's Fly Like an Eagle has been pushed back from June 27th to July 18th".

 

ggggrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr