Talking Heads - Brick set Dual Discs

Does anyone know what the cost will be in Canada?

 

I have my copy and I love it. These records really come alive in 5.1 - particularly songs like "I Zimbra" and "Burning Down The House." There's so many details I never really noticed before! Each booklet has a little paragraph from Jerry Harrison describing the recordings of the original albums and how he had to approach a 5.1 mix for each album differently. I just sat in awe as I listened to these discs! DualDiscs play fine in my DVD-Audio player.

Although I did pick up the new Franz Ferdinand DualDisc today - great album, but f*%# Sony for only making the DVD side in "enhanced stereo." At least their Duran Duran Astronaut DualDisc is 5.1, despite not being hi-res.

 

Thanks for the mini review Surly. Can you tell us the resolution on the surround and stereo mixes on the DVD Side?

Thanks

 

What is the resolution of the DVD-Audio 5.1 mixes? (96/24? 48/16?)

What is the resolution of the DVD-Audio stereo mixes? (192/24? 176/24? nothing because they don't have stereo mixes?)

Who is credited with mastering each of the DVD-Audio mixes? How about the "CD" side mastering?

Thanks,
Craig(VC).

 

$149.99 at my local Best Buy and Borders...YIKES! I'll pass and wait for the single releases early next year! I instead spent my hard earned cash on the new RHINO 4-CD Girl Group box set!

 

Not sure of the resolution.

Surround sound mixed by E.T. Thorngren and Jerry Harrison

Surround sound mastering: Ted Jensen

Stereo mastering: Ted Jensen and Ryan Smith

The booklets are very nice (packed with lyrics, etc) but in my opinion, the color repro of the cover art is dark and unlclear. Perhaps they lost the original slides. Still, I love the box.

 

I'm very interested to hear what the bonus alternate of "Life During Wartime" is like. Is it very similar to the original, only with the ending not faded out? Or is it significantly different in your opinion? Thanks!

 

Thanks for checking on that - hoping someone else can report on the resolution of the DVD-Audio 5.1 and stereo layers.

Are you saying that the DVD-Audio stereo mastering is credited to Ted Jensen and Ryan Smith . . . and not the "CD-ish" 44.1kHz/16bit side?

As a Talking Heads fan and a life-long music consumer, it's important for me to know whether there's a dedicated high-resolution DVD-Audio stereo (don't really care about 5.1) mix on these discs before I invest in them. If not, I'll stick with my wonderful vinyl LPs!

Thanks,
Craig(VC).

 

It sounds like the albums later than Remain in Light are not completely remixed in 5.1, but only certain tracks? Is this correct?

In other words, do the post "Remain in Light" albums in the box complete in 5.1 or only certain tracks?

 

I sampled three of the discs, merely to find out what hi-rez content was on the discs. All three albums I sampled (I didn't listen - I just placed the discs in my DVD-Audio player to check the resolution) were in 96/24 PPCM stereo and 96/24 PPCM 5.1 surround.

So it appears that we get 96/24 all around on the DVD-Audio side of these discs, but I noticed (as post #66 of this thread seems to indicate - although not directly) that on most of the discs the bonus tracks are only available on the CD-side of the Dual Disc.

For instance:

Talking Heads '77 has 5 CD only bonus tracks, while there are 2 different bonus tracks on the DVD-side (which does not include the 5 CD only bonus tracks). The DVD side has extra video tracks.

More Songs - the bonus tracks are only on the CD side, while the DVD side has extra video content.

Fear of Music - the bonus tracks are only on the CD side, while the DVD side has extra video content.

Remain in Light - bonus tracks CD side only, DVD - extra video content.

Speaking in Tongues - bonus tracks on CD side, while DVD side has one alternate bonus track and video content.

Little Creatures - bonus tracks on CD side only, DVD side has bonus video content.

True Stories - bonus tracks on CD side are different than the one bonus track on the DVD side. Video content also on DVD-side.

Naked - CD bonus track is different mix than the bonus track on DVD side. DVD side also has video content.

All discs have a stereo and 5.1 hi-rez mix on the DVD-Audio side.

ARGGHHHH!! It looks like I will have to burn copies of the CD side of all the discs to be able to play them on my Sony SACD players. I hate this.

I am glad I am getting DVD-Audio on the DVD-side, but with alternate bonus tracks on the CD side that are not on the DVD side, I am forced to make CD-R copies to ensure I can play these darn discs in all my players.

I really wish DualDisc would drop off the face of the earth - so we could have CD + DVD (or just SACD).

I am still happy to have this set - and hopefully will be able to start to listen real soon.

 

Based on what I can tell, all the albums are remixed in 5.1 surround - it is just that certain songs may be more "immersive" in 5.1 than others. As was mentioned in a previous post, Jerry Harrison indicates his intentions for the 5.1 mix for all the albums on the first page of each of the booklets.

 

This is so exciting!!! Even if the white plastic box is not quite as expected,

 

Is there a possibility that these are "fold-down" or "down-mixed" stereo DVD-Audio mixes from the surround layer, rather than true high-resolution stereo mixes?

Sorry for seeming so skeptical, but I am trying to be careful about spending $100+ on something I might be disappointed in if it doesn't have great sounding, dedicated, high-resolution stereo layers. And all the official information about this box set that I've read has exclusively referred to "surround" for the DVD-Audio side, implying that a true stereo layer is not inlcuded. . . .

96/24 is fairly high resolution. Any reviews on how well the high-res stereo layers are mastered?

Thanks,
Craig(VC).

 

Hasn't High Fidelity done a review yet? Would save a lot of people grief. Isn't a release like this why they exist?

 

Regarding whether the DVD-Audio side has a stereo mix, All Music Guide has an interesting note in their review of the box set:

"Each album is presented in expanded form with a handful of bonus tracks on the CD side, with the DVD side containing the entire album, but usually not the new bonus tracks available on the CD side, in 5.1 Surround mixes and PCM stereo, plus some additional video bonus material."

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?...F2BE85305D2CDE454FFCC0640&sql=10:9yrvadskw8wj

That's encouraging.

 

They don't do DVD-A reviews....well it seems that way . What was the last Mainstream DVD-A release they reviewed? Steely Dan ?

 

You want to know why I can't play the CD side on my SONY SACD player, you really want to know why I can't play the CD side on my SONY SACD player.....OK.

BECAUSE THESE DARN DISCS ARE DUALDISCS!!!!

There I said it again --- BECAUSE THESE DARN DISCS ARE DUALDISCS!!!!

I haven't been able to play the CD side of any DualDisc in either my XA777ES or C333ES without the disc either never being able to initialize or causing the most godawful noises with the transport and laser trying to lock on to the CD data. I won't even try putting a DualDisc in my XA777ES anymore for that reason. I did try and put Talking Heads 77 in my C333ES. The player grind-ed, sputtered, spun the disc at like 9,000,000 RPM (because I could hear it whirring like a banshee) and finally locked on to the CD - after nearly 1 minute. A push of the play button automatically had the laser jump to the middle of cut 9 on the CD side. Trying to skip back to track one caused the player to go into fits and starts again. I then ejected the disc. When I place a normal CD back into the player I have no problems. DualDiscs just won't play in my Sony SACD players without problems - and I really don't want to take the chance and have the players break down because I played a DualDisc in them.

DualDiscs, both the DVD side and CD side, seem to play fine in my Pioneer DV59-Avi. I can play the CD side in this player, but Pioneer did issue a "disclaimer" warning about playing DualDiscs in their players (which I assume relates more to the CD audio side than the DVD side). The CD side does take a bit longer than a normal CD to lock in on the Pioneer, but once the DualDisc CD side locks in it plays fine.. without a problem. The Pioneer isn't my player of choice, though, for playing CDs (that goes to the XA777ES first and the C333ES second).

I guess I will have to make a "concession" and allow my Pioneer DV59-Avi to handle the CD duties for all DualDiscs in my system - or as a precaution I can merely burn a CDR of the data and play them in my Sony players. Either way I always burn a CDR from a DualDisc for playing in my car, since my car player tends to put little scratches on the DVD side of any DualDisc I have played in it so far.

The idea of a DualDisc makes a lot of sense from a marketing perspective, but from a practical perspective it is a nightmare. I said it once and I will say it again, any major consumer format that requires a disclaimer that "This disc is designed to play in DVD and CD players. A limited number of players may fail to play this disc" - should never have been foisted on the public. What does "A limited number of players" actually mean??? 2 models, 10 models, 50% of all models????? Why is it that my two most expensive and most highly regarded players (in my system at least) refuse to play a DualDisc (cd audio). My problem is I don't have a true CD only player hooked up to my main system since I purchased both the C333ES and XA777ES. I could always remove the C333ES and replace it with my aging Denon CD player (which dates back to around 1990) and see if that player plays the DualDiscs ok. (I would have to replace the C333ES with the Denon since I don't have anymore room on my rack for another player - even though I do have some open inputs for another CD player.) If it does, what the hey... as I couldn't care less if the DualDisc "damages" the Denon CD player (which has been sitting in a closet for years now).

Oh how I have a real love/hate relationship with Dualdiscs. Long live Dualdiscs/Death to Dualdiscs.

Sorry for the rant, but when I spend good money on music (which is important to me) I want to be able to listen to that music without having to burn CDR copies or worry about any "damage" to my equipment (especially if it is an 8-disc box set which cost me around $104.00). Bring back straight DVD-A (or CD + DVD-A) - or better yet "I want my SACD"!

 

The DualDisc rants are understood, but do we have to have them in every thread about specific DualDisc releases? I think the pros and cons of DD have been well discussed in the forum, and are best confined to dedicated threads.

Regarding the set, I missed the Wherehouse deal and am still undecided as to what to do. Since the individual releases in January will likely receive release-week promotion by the big box retailers, it'll probably be cheaper to pick them up instead. The per-disc price of this set is well above the boxset average, and is higher than the typical DualDisc on release day.

 

I understand where you are coming from, but I was asked why I couldn't play the Talking Heads CD Audio in my Sony SACD players, otherwise I am not sure I would have gone on a long rant. Unfortunately that started me up. Sorry if I get riled up when I spend $104.00 on a box set of music I REALLY want to hear in a remastered form, and because of certain bonus tracks ONLY being on the CD audio side, I am forced to use the CD audio side of a disc that, for me, causes me ire. I will try to hold the DD rants to a minimum.

Regardless, if you might follow my posts, etc. I have just as many, or maybe more, DualDiscs in my collection at home than most other forum members. I might complain about the compatibility issues, but that still doesn't stop me from purchasing them. Either I am a hypocritical idiot, or I see the merits of some Dualdiscs in spite of the issues that exist regarding the CD audio in my personal experience.

 

At the $104.00 price point I paid, from CDuniverse.com, I paid about $13.00 per disc - which to me is less than I probably would have paid if I bought them individually. Even at the current $116.00 price at CDuniverse.com the discs come out to an average of $14.50 per disc. Personally, if you want this set I don't see how waiting is going to get you the discs that much cheaper once released individually. Unless they are all placed on sale for anywhere between $9.99 - $11.99 (which I might doubt in this case, IMHO), I might assume the price in most stores will average $13.99 - 16.99. Hence, in that case, if you buy all 8 individually you really gain nothing and you have to wait a few months to boot.

 

Well, the $104 deal is gone, anyway. I figured some b&m stores would promote/discount this set at release, boy was I wrong.

I would have grabbed the Wherehouse deal if I had seen it in time.

 

For what it's worth, the Newbury Comics chain in the Boston area has this on sale this week for $109.99. Tragically (huge TH fan since I was a wee one!), I'm passing up on this completely due to my apprehension about the DualDisc issues but those of you in New England may want to pick this up before it goes back to the list price.

 

This is not true. All 5.1 AND stereo on the DVD side is 96/24 MLP. And sounds absolutely fantastic! My complaint is that we keep hearing that they kept the bonus tracks down to keep the CD under 60 min, due to the DD factor. Well, then why the hell aren't they on the DVD side that can hold HOURS of material? The CD sides are actually LONGER than the DVD-A sides!!??!! Even if they didn't want to mix the bonus tracks to 5.1, why didn't we get them in hi-rez stereo only, like on Tommy? Another bitch is about the packaging, which is a triumph of form over function. NO writing on the sides of the discs, NO way to see a track listing without opening the booklets (would it have killed them to affix a track listing for the entire box on the shrink wrap, like Capitol just did with The Band box set, so we could navigate the damned things)? If you liked the packaging on Pink Floyd's Shine On box, you'll love this.

OTOH, I just listened to Girlfriend Is Better in 5.1 in my car & was totally blown away! And, BTW, it's ALL discrete 5.1, no fakes or extractions.