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Thread: Jon Anderson - Olias Remaster

  1. #76
    Quote Originally Posted by PCMusic View Post
    Same story with TAAB for me. Missed the boat and then I've seen copies of it going for $399
    Why don't they re-release the damn thing? ... or is it going to be another super deluxe edition?
    yikes - I was hoping they find some old-new stock - miracles do happen - recently the official Miles Davis online store found a bunch of old-new stock of the "complete sessions" series, including plenty of the most sought after release on that series, the "On The Corner" complete sessions - was able to complete my collection of those!

    I was however a disappointment to find out it was new-old stock - I was hoping for true re-release/reprint to kill the market for the $400 dollar offers you could see at discogs... ah well - hoping for some lucky TAAB finds...

    I know a lot of people have missed out on those - maybe a limited run of the whole thing thing would be great...

    v

  2. #77
    Insect Overlord Progatron's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by vmartell View Post
    yikes - I was hoping they find some old-new stock - miracles do happen - recently the official Miles Davis online store found a bunch of old-new stock of the "complete sessions" series, including plenty of the most sought after release on that series, the "On The Corner" complete sessions - was able to complete my collection of those!

    I was however a disappointment to find out it was new-old stock - I was hoping for true re-release/reprint to kill the market for the $400 dollar offers you could see at discogs... ah well - hoping for some lucky TAAB finds...
    I grabbed the On The Corner box as well, I was thrilled cross a major title off my want list! (Now if only I could find the Plugged Nickel box for a half decent price.) I was pretty disappointed to see it immediately appear on Discogs for hundreds of dollars. So uncool. I was lucky to have seen a thread about it, and placed my order from the official shop within minutes (for original shelf price!) ... but anyone not so lucky either gets fleeced by these pricks, or goes without.

    Quote Originally Posted by vmartell View Post
    I know a lot of people have missed out on those - maybe a limited run of the whole thing thing would be great...
    The Tull sets are a slightly different animal. They are advertised months in advance, and anyone who doesn't know they are being released isn't paying attention. And I suspect most of the TAAB sets (for example) that you see for huge prices secondhand are people who legitimately bought them for themselves initially, but saw the demand grow and were willing to trade their own copies for lots of cash. That's a bit more reasonable, at least.

    That said, I know people here have talked about missing out on Songs From The Wood, even though they had it pre-ordered well in advance, and that sucks for sure. I think since then, they have slightly increased the number they produce, but I'm not sure to what degree. But for better or worse, they always were advertised as limited runs.
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  3. #78
    Jazzbo manqué Mister Triscuits's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Progatron View Post
    The Tull sets are a slightly different animal. They are advertised months in advance, and anyone who doesn't know they are being released isn't paying attention. And I suspect most of the TAAB sets (for example) that you see for huge prices secondhand are people who legitimately bought them for themselves initially, but saw the demand grow and were willing to trade their own copies for lots of cash. That's a bit more reasonable, at least.

    That said, I know people here have talked about missing out on Songs From The Wood, even though they had it pre-ordered well in advance, and that sucks for sure. I think since then, they have slightly increased the number they produce, but I'm not sure to what degree. But for better or worse, they always were advertised as limited runs.
    The big 12" Aqualung box more or less started that whole merry-go-round, and that eventually got reconfigured and reissued to match the current book-format series. Now we know they will be doing the same with Benefit. And of course there had already been relatively recent multi-disc reissues of This Was and Stand Up before Steven Wilson and 5.1 mixes became part of the program, and those albums were duly remixed and expanded for the new series. There seems to be plenty of demand still for the TAAB box, and I won't be surprised if they finally do reissue it, probably with added content to force the completists who got it the first time around to buy it again.
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  4. #79
    Member Garyhead's Avatar
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    just got my copy today from Amazon. Twenty-one bucks paid for with Amazon points.....so free.

    Yes....the text is small. LP cover reduced to CD size. So what. How many bought this version who don't already have the LP?

    Looking forward to a listen tonight.
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  5. #80
    Member Garyhead's Avatar
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    Gave it a first listen last night on the home stereo. It was very nice and reminded me of 1976 with my Realistic Stereo!

    No sound stage at all. Very much coming directly out of the left & right speakers......like recording studio monitors. I have electrostatic speakers which put out sound both front and back of the units. This kind of fills the whole wall with sound. It was a bit jarring to just hear the old skool Left / Right sound. The bass response was very tame.....like the old LP's. Fish Out Of Water had the same response....bass sucked out.

    I will get my Japanese release out today (CD) and the original 1976 LP for comparison.

    I do not have a 5.1 setup so I can't comment on that aspect of this release. YMMV, IMHO and all that.
    The Ice Cream Lady Wet her drawers........To see you in the Passion Playyyy eeee - I. Anderson

    "It's kind of like deciding not to date a beautiful blonde anymore because she farted." - Top Cat

    I was expecting to be kinda meh, but it made my nips stiffen - Jerjo

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  6. #81
    Quote Originally Posted by Garyhead View Post
    I will get my Japanese release out today (CD) and the original 1976 LP for comparison.

    I do not have a 5.1 setup so I can't comment on that aspect of this release. YMMV, IMHO and all that.
    This is exactly what I want to hear. Looking forward to your comparison to the Japanese release.
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  7. #82
    I don't recall seeing a review of the remaster here yet. I read a bunch of Amazon reviews and all the positive reviews are about the material and all the negative ones are about the packaging and the remaster.

    Seems like the Japanese version is still the best one????

    Can any of the recent purchasers chime in?
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  8. #83
    Parrots Ripped My Flesh Dave (in MA)'s Avatar
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    You'd think that a site like SHF would be all over this, but so far not much.
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  9. #84
    Quote Originally Posted by ronmac View Post
    I don't recall seeing a review of the remaster here yet. I read a bunch of Amazon reviews and all the positive reviews are about the material and all the negative ones are about the packaging and the remaster.

    Seems like the Japanese version is still the best one????

    Can any of the recent purchasers chime in?
    I can’t comment on the 5.1. As I’ve yet to get myself a surround system, but I played the standard disc yesterday, and it sounded excellent to these ears. I’m not sure I noticed anything different from the earlier CD, but I’m not that attentive an A to B listener. The packaging is ok, certainly superior to the original CD issue, but that artwork will never work perfectly on such small scale, and as I commented before there are errors in the essay that really shouldn’t be there.

  10. #85
    One review I saw mentioned a bit more bass, but that anyone expecting more clarity to reveal the intricacies of the music will be disappointed. Esoteric tends to be hit and miss it seems.
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  11. #86
    Member yesman1955's Avatar
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    You have to keep in mind that this version is a remaster as opposed to a re-mix (ala Steven Wislon) because (as stated before) the multitracks were lost.
    Based on my own 7.1 experience, the 5.1 version is a big winner.

  12. #87
    Quote Originally Posted by yesman1955 View Post
    You have to keep in mind that this version is a remaster as opposed to a re-mix (ala Steven Wislon) because (as stated before) the multitracks were lost.
    Based on my own 7.1 experience, the 5.1 version is a big winner.
    Interesting. I've read complaints about the 5.1.
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  13. #88
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    Quote Originally Posted by ronmac View Post
    Interesting. I've read complaints about the 5.1.
    Complaints about what? the 5.1 mix is the only reason I'd get it so I'm interested what issues people may have with it.

  14. #89
    ^^ From an Amazon review:

    Whatever "remastering" was done amounts to a diminishment of the original work. I mean this very literally — the stereo version of this "special" release is not an improvement on previous releases. If your rationale for buying is to hearing things more clearly or to have the gorgeous details of the mix revealed... this release does not do that. Most disappointing of all is the 5.1 upmix (which was the main reason for my purchase). I know it's an upmix from the stereo master and not based on the original multitrack. But because Esoteric Recordings is intentionally marketing it as 5.1 mix, I think purchasers are justified in having some expectations for the result. What is that result? Virtually nothing. This 5.1 upmix puts a bit of reverb in the back speakers. That's basically it. There's no meaningful attempt at separation based on EQ.
    Now, that's one review. If I were you, I'd check for others.
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  15. #90
    I have ripped the tracks from the dvd using dvd extractor, and looked at the wav files in audacity. The waveforms of the front 3 channels look very similar . Listening to each channel in isolation shows they are all very similar no attempt to focus vocals in centre channel as seen with many multi- channel discs. The two rear channels have very low volume and don’t sound very different from the front L and R channels.

    I don’t think much effort has been used to isolate any of the instruments or vocals and put them in discrete channels. The rear channels are merely a copy of front channels designed to give a bit of atmosphere and depth.

    A disappointing upmix overall .

  16. #91
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    Quote Originally Posted by Derk View Post
    I have ripped the tracks from the dvd using dvd extractor, and looked at the wav files in audacity. The waveforms of the front 3 channels look very similar . Listening to each channel in isolation shows they are all very similar no attempt to focus vocals in centre channel as seen with many multi- channel discs. The two rear channels have very low volume and don’t sound very different from the front L and R channels.

    I don’t think much effort has been used to isolate any of the instruments or vocals and put them in discrete channels. The rear channels are merely a copy of front channels designed to give a bit of atmosphere and depth.

    A disappointing upmix overall .
    I really don’t know what an upmix is but can you do much with it?

  17. #92
    Member yesman1955's Avatar
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    I did an "accidental" A/B comparison between the high resolution stereo tracks and the 5.1 tracks and I still prefer the 5.1 version (in a quiet & closed listening environment)

  18. #93
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    Quote Originally Posted by Derk View Post
    I have ripped the tracks from the dvd using dvd extractor, and looked at the wav files in audacity. The waveforms of the front 3 channels look very similar . Listening to each channel in isolation shows they are all very similar no attempt to focus vocals in centre channel as seen with many multi- channel discs. The two rear channels have very low volume and don’t sound very different from the front L and R channels.

    I don’t think much effort has been used to isolate any of the instruments or vocals and put them in discrete channels. The rear channels are merely a copy of front channels designed to give a bit of atmosphere and depth.

    A disappointing upmix overall .
    Thank you! This is helpful; I would love for this package to make us happy, but it sounds like relatively too little improvement in the stereo mix, and a disappointing 5.1. But I am not surprised...how much can be expected without the multitracks?


    There are unfortunately many releases from many bands where this “we cannot find the tapes” issue is the case. So sad.

  19. #94
    Mod or rocker? Mocker. Frumious B's Avatar
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    So I guess none of these remasters are available for purchase as downloads. I went looking for Animation last week and came up empty. I ended up ordering the CD from Esoteric since it worked out cheaper than Amazon, but like Tom Petty said “The waiting is the hardest part.”
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  20. #95
    Moderator Sean's Avatar
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    Imagine if you never heard Olias but approached it with an open mind....

    That happened to my friend Vaylor this week. Check it out.... A different kind of "reaction" vid.


  21. #96
    Member Gizmotron's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sean View Post
    Imagine if you never heard Olias but approached it with an open mind....

    That happened to my friend Vaylor this week. Check it out.... A different kind of "reaction" vid.

    WOW, what a fascinating piece, Sean! Overall, I feel you fully achieved your aims (if I may be so bold to as to think that I know what you wanted to do). There were a few content and editing moments that were just a bit too “cute” (“mooed for a day”), but that is fine. It all worked well. The combo of the two of you really delivered something quite rare and fully formed. That was quite special and unique.

    You raise some good points about Anderson crafting something quite ahead of its time, especially with regards to the (highly flawed) genre “New Age.” And I really do see and agree with much of what you postulated. My beef—as always—is with the way “labels” and “genres” almost always reduce any given piece being labeled to something much less evocative and effective. It is as if the label sucks some of the life and the possibility out of the work. When a piece of music is approached with that open mind that you refer to, the intensity of our experience is heightened. And of course, I know you are not trying to do that; I know that you adore music, almost all music. I sense you do not intend to strip any magic away by exploring the way albums like this exist between a number of styles. Similarly, I sense that with regards to “Olias” you simply want to express a number of different angles that are not often examined. And you really did hit those targets.

    I guess my point is that music that sometimes gets classified as “New Age” music, “Spa” music, “Ambient Music”, and “World Music” has always existed. If Satie were around today, he’d see how much of his music ‘got there first.’ The Russian composers, the Hungarian composers, and frankly, most composers over the centuries have looked to the music of other cultures for ideas. Thy combined “genres” to achieve what they wanted to express. Many older pieces written by classical composers, and a surprising amount of pieces by popular artists could well be seen as examples of the genres i cited. Guys like Scriabin blew the doors off of the older ideas of what music “should” be.

    Music just…is. It comes out of our brains. Labels help us find the cool stuff. But they quickly can choke the process and close the mind. Each of us swims in a giant pool of musical and cultural influences. We generally don’t feel the need in our minds to label the music we love. It gets mixed up, reinterpreted, and blended in our minds. Continually. I love that. Most of us here understand that, but that darn Human desire to shove things into little boxes more often than not seems to reduce the magic of the thing, whether it is insects or minerals, or musical works. Our brains just cannot resist the lure of pigeonholing and explaining. I do it. All the time! But most of all, I try to approach music with the mind set of your friend: keep an open mind, feel the thrill of new explorations, share those works, and yes, sometimes go all cerebral to expound on how it all works within and without the genre lines.

    Thanks for creating this video, sharing it, allowing folks like me to attempt to explain what we feel, and most of all, thanks for creating this wonderful, on-line world that is P.E.!

  22. #97
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    I guess the music is pretty simple (especially when compared with Yes at the time), but that never really occurred to me all the times I've listened to the album since 1976. I was not disappointed that the album lacked the complexity of Yes, and it remains my co-favorite solo Yes effort (along with Wakeman's Six Wives).

  23. #98
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    I never thought of this album as 'new age', was that term even used in the mid 70's? I don't think it was here in the UK. I've always thought of Olias as rather 'hymn' like, it's a wonderful musical journey.
    Sonically though I'm not too sure about this latest upmix/remaster, there is something that I can't quite put my finger on that I don't like. I am keeping my old Jap import cd (and my original vinyl of course) just in case.

  24. #99
    Moderator Sean's Avatar
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    True, it wasn't a thing when Olias was new. In hindsight though it ticks a lot of the New Age boxes.

  25. #100
    I've always loved Olias. I remember how excited I was listening to it. The first time I had the phono set to 45 rpm. It sounded even weirder than it is. What I don't understand is why Jon was never IMO able to reach those heights again. It was a mystery to me that he didn't even try. Or maybe he
    has with Zamran, which I doubt will ever see the light of day.
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