Surroundablog

Gavin Harrison & 05Ric "The Man Who Sold Himself" on DVD-A....

Available as a 2 disc cd/dvda set, The Man Who Sold Himself is the third collaborative outing from Porcupine Tree's Gavin Harrison and Canadian multi-instrumentalist/singer-songwriter 05Ric.

Exclusive: the first 500 copies will be signed by Gavin & 05Ric

Best known for his work with Porcupine Tree, Gavin has also played with King Crimson and played sessions for many other artists, but Gavin has stated that his work on The Man Who Sold Himself contains, 'Some of the wildest rhythmic concepts that I have ever conjured and 05Ric has snaked his bass around.'

05Ric goes on to explain that lyrically the album deals with themes, “Based on the greed of the financial global crisis, the empty shallowness of goal seeking without passion or for its own sake and the destructive force left behind by selfish behaviour. The central character through heightened awareness and right action discovers his true calling.”

Both lyrically and musically, The Man Who Sold Himself pushes this unique collaboration's possibilities even further out than before.

Preorder now for 27th February 2012

All the World's a Surround Stage...

Editor's note..I started to shake with anticipation when this bit of news hit my inbox...promptly ordered all 3 sets..including the wrongheaded synthesizer'd period of set3. Just so you know...these sets ONLY  include surround sound versions of "Fly by Night", "Farewell to Kings" and "Signals". The other 13 cds smell like stereo-only. It's unclear whether those 3 dvds will be available as stand alone cd\dvd deluxe editions or blu-rays. This article originally ran on Antimusic.com.

On Wednesday Rush Sectors Box Sets Details was a top story. Here is the recap: UMe have set a November 21, 2011 released date for Rush Sector box sets consisting of three separate six-disc box sets which together spans their entire historic Mercury Records recording career.

Each "Sector" contains five of their 15 Mercury albums in chronological order, all transferred to high resolution 96kHz/24-bit audio and digitally remastered for optimal quality.

In addition, each volume includes an exclusive booklet packed with unpublished photos, original album lyrics and credits, and features one album from each set specially remixed on DVD in high resolution 96kHz/24-bit, 5.1 surround sound and stereo, compatible with both DVD-Audio players and DVD-Video players. Each album is packaged in a replica vinyl mini-jacket of the original album release with all three box sets forming a Rush CD road case.

SECTOR 1

• RUSH – Their hard-rocking, self-titled 1974 debut hit the Billboard 200 and features classics such as "Working Man" and "Finding My Way."

• FLY BY NIGHT (1975) – Released in 1975, Fly By Night sees the debut of drummer Neil Peart who would help drive the band towards more complex material. Included are fan favorites such as the title track, "Anthem" and the eight-minute composition "By-Tor And The Snow Dog," which shows the band's musical growth and progression.

• CARESS OF STEEL (1975) – Also released in 1975, Caress Of Steel hit the Top 200 and gives a further glimpse of the band leaning toward prog rock and features Rush classics such as "Lakeside Park" and "Bastille Day."

• 2112 (1976) - One of Rush's all-time classics, 2112 was the band's commercial breakthrough reaching the Top 100 on the album chart and remains one of their most popular albums successfully merging prog rock with their hard rock roots, a first for its time. 2112 features epic

tracks such as the 20-minute title track "2112," taking up the entire first side of the original vinyl album.

• ALL THE WORLD'S A STAGE (1976): Hitting Top 50, this was Rush's first live album and features classics such as "Fly By Night/In The Mood" which reached Top 100, "2112," "Bastille Day" and "Something For Nothing."

• DVD: FLY BY NIGHT – Their classic 1975 sophomore release is now, for the first time, presented in high-resolution 96kHz/24-bit 5.1 surround sound and stereo.

SECTOR 2

• A FAREWELL TO KINGS (1977) – Their 1977 Top 40 release features their hit "Closer To The Heart," "Xanadu" and the title track, "A Farewell To Kings."

• HEMISPHERES (1978) – Reaching Top 50 on the album chart, Hemispheres includes the 20- minute opus "Cygnus X-1Book II – Hemispheres" and the metaphoric social commentary "The Trees."

• PERMANENT WAVES (1980) – This 1980 release hit No. 4 on the Billboard 200 and features classics such as "Freewill" and "The Spirit Of The Radio."

• MOVING PICTURES (1981) – Considered one of the greatest hard rock albums of all time, this quadruple platinum-selling masterpiece features the Grammy® nominated instrumental "YYZ" and rock radio staples such as "Tom Sawyer," "Red Barchetta," "Vital Signs" and "Limelight."

• EXIT…STAGE LEFT (1981) – Released in 1981, this Top 10 live album features performances of favorites such as "Tom Sawyer," "Freewill," "YYZ" and deeper album tracks such as "La Villa Strangiato" and "Broon's Bane."

• DVD: A FAREWELL TO KINGS – The album that set their musical course and signature songwriting style is now presented in high-resolution 96kHz/24-bit 5.1 surround sound and stereo.

SECTOR 3

• SIGNALS (1982) - The synthesizer-driven Signals reached Top 10 and produced their No. 1 hit

"New World Man" and the Top 20 hits "Subdivisions" and "The Analog Kid."

• GRACE UNDER PRESSURE (1984) – This 1984 release hit Top 10 on Billboard's album chart and features classics such as "Red Sector A" and "Distant Early Warning."

• POWER WINDOWS (1985) – Released in 1985, Power Windows features Top 10 hits "Marathon" and "Big Money," plus the Top 50 hits "Territories" and "Mystic Rhythms."

• HOLD YOUR FIRE (1987) – The Top 20 album includes "Force Ten" and "Time Stand Still" with both reaching No. 3 on the Mainstream Rock chart, plus the Top 50 hits "Lock And Key" and "Mission."

• A SHOW OF HANDS (1988) – While 1976's All The World's A Stage shows Rush's hard rock roots and 1982's Exit…Stage Left showcases their mix of synth and prog rock, the Top 50

double live album A Show Of Hands concentrates on the band's later synth-driven era with tracks such as "Subdivisions," "Force Ten," "Red Sector A" and "Marathon."

• DVD: SIGNALS – The 1982 Top 10 album Signals is also featured in high-resolution 96kHz/24-bit

5.1 surround sound and stereo.

Jethro Tull surfaces for Halloween...

A commemorative Collector's Edition of Jethro Tull's classic 1971 album, featuring new stereo and 5.1 surround sound mixes by Steven Wilson.

The box set contains 2 cds, a 180g audiophile LP in replica gatefold sleeve, plus dvd and blu-ray discs containing a 5.1 mix of the album and four bonus tracks.

The superb package comes with a 48 page hardback book featuring detailed liner notes, a new Ian Anderson interview, Q&A's with engineer John Burns, notes from Steven Wilson, lyrics, rare photos, and reflections from Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond, Martin Barre, Clive Bunker, Barrie Barlow, Glenn Cornick, Terry Ellis and Jennie Franks (Ian Anderson's first wife and lyricist for title track Aqualung).

Shipping includes insurance as standard (UK = Recorded Delivery, EC/Rest of World = International Sign For). You will need to sign for the package when it arrives.

Pre-order now for 31st October 2011 release date

Another King Crimson ProjeKct on DVD-A and Vinyl...

A King Crimson ProjeKct, A Scarcity Of Miracles is the debut release from (Jakko) Jackszyk, (Robert) Fripp, and (Mel) Collins.

Featuring a dream rhythm section comprising Gavin Harrison and Tony Levin, ASOM is a sonically rich and detailed collection of surprisingly accessible and heartfelt songs which boasts a seductive, widescreen production.

Echoing elements of King Crimson's unique vocabulary, while presenting a unified group sound far removed from anything previously released under the KC name, A Scarcity Of Miracles manages to be both intimate and epic, complex yet immediate.

Honouring a great band's legacy, whilst undoubtedly taking it somewhere new, ASOM is the Crimson related album your wife and ballad loving friend might just fall in love with!

'One of my favourite albums of those where I am a determining element. It has the Crimson gene, but it is not quite KC.' - Robert Fripp

The album comes as a standard cd, a heavyweight 200gm gatefold vinyl edition and in a deluxe cd / dvda version (which features a 5.1 mix, 24/96 stereo, the ASOM video, and an album's worth of alternate mixes and improvs from the original sessions).

Pre-order for 30th May release.

King Crimson 40th Anniversary Editions

Forty years ago this month King Crimson went onstage at Hyde Park London as part of a bill topped by The Rolling Stones. The concert propelled the band from being the “hottest new band in London” to “hottest new band in the UK” overnight.

This status was confirmed when their classic debut album In the Court of the Crimson King achieved a UK Top 5 chart placing upon release in October that year. Such chart success was quickly replicated elsewhere with the record entering the US top 30 and replacing The Beatles’ Abbey Road at the top of the Japanese International Artist chart by the end of the year.

To celebrate 40 years of the Crimson Kings, DGM & Panegyric proudly announce the release of a series of CD/DVD-A editions of the original King Crimson studio albums.

Each CD/DVD-A release features the full original album plus bonus tracks on the CD. Two of the titles – Lizard & In the Court of the Crimson King feature entirely new 2009 stereo album mixes by Steven Wilson & Robert Fripp.

The DVD-A presents each album fully remixed into stunning 5.1 Surround Sound with Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree) in the producer role and King Crimson founder member Robert Fripp as executive producer.

The 5.1 mixes are accessible in full MLP lossless audio on DVD-A players & DTS 5.1 on standard DVD players/DVD Rom drives. Additionally, High Resolution stereo is also accessible on the DVD-A (24/96 DVD-A & 24/48 DVD/DVD Rom).

Selected DVD-A titles in the series will also feature era specific, rarely seen, King Crimson video footage. Each album is presented in a double Digipack, with booklet artwork featuring new sleeve notes by Robert Fripp and King Crimson biographer Sid Smith alongside archive material and photos, enclosed in an outer card slipcase.

The first three titles are set for release this year with further titles to follow throughout 2010:

Red: September 21st 2009
In the Court of the Crimson King: October 12th 2009  (various editions)
Lizard: October 26th 2009

Additional information about individual titles.

 

Red – (KCSP 7 CD/DVD-A) September 21st release.

(KCSP 1 CD/DVD-A edition)

CD: Features entirely new 2009 stereo edition mixed from the original pre mix multi track tapes by Steven Wilson and Robert Fripp, plus bonus tracks including early versions of I Talk to the Wind, the backing track for Epitaph and the session that produce the opening wind effect for 21st Century Schizoid Man.

DVD-A: Features the original album in 5.1 Surround Sound. The 2004 master edition & the 2009 new mix also appear in Hi-Res Stereo, along with several bonus tracks from the original recording sessions.  
Video Footage: Newly re-sequenced archive footage of 21st Century Schizoid Man from the legendary Hyde Park concert.

(DGM 5009 2CD edition)

CD1: as per above.

CD2: Features the 2004 master edition plus bonus tracks including the Morgan studios instrumental recording of 21st Century Schizoid Man, the John Peel Top Gear recording of I Talk to the Wind (not previously released on CD) and a transfer of the original single a/b side of The Court of the Crimson King.

(KCCBX 1 4CD/DVD-A Boxed set – Limited edition.)
Full details to be arranged.

Lizard – October 26th release.

King Crimson’s third album, a jazz-rock tour de force.

(KCSP3 CD/DVD-A edition)

CD: Features entirely new 2009 stereo edition mixed from the original pre mix multi track tapes by Steven Wilson and Robert Fripp plus three bonus tracks: Lady of the Dancing Water (alternate take), Bolero (alternative version originally from Frame by Frame) and a studio run through of Cirkus from the original recording sessions.

DVD-A: Features the original album in 5.1 Surround Sound. The 2004 master edition and the 2009 new album mix also appear in Hi-Res Stereo, along with the three bonus tracks from the CD. 

King Crimson reissues on their way

King Crimson's label DGM have announced that they will start to release the  Steven Wilson 5.1 surround sound mixes of the King Crimson back catalogue in June, with "Lizard" and "Red", followed by a special 40th anniversary edition of "In the Court of the Crimson King" in October. Where appropriate new stereo mixes and out-takes / alternates have also been mixed, although we don't know yet if DGM will approve these for release as part of the new editions.

According to Classic Rock Magazine, 5 albums have been completed with another 5 in the works...

GRAHAM NASH/SONGS FOR BEGINNERS DVD-A & CD

CD/DVD-Audio Reissue of the legendary musician's classic 1971 Solo Debut. Features Remastered Stereo plus DVD-A High Resolution 5.1 and Stereo Mixes.

Graham Nash first rose to fame with the band The Hollies. He went on to co-found the legendary rock supergroups Crosby Stills Nash and Young. Throughout it all Nash has also pursued an acclaimed solo career, beginning with the 1971 gem "Songs For Beginners." Rhino's landmark reissue of this classic title in CD/DVD-A special edition features the original album in remastered stereo on CD and a host of extra features including an all new interview with Graham Nash on the DVD.

"...a surprisingly restrained and beautiful production..." - Rolling Stone, 1971

Features:
• DVD-Audio & CD
• Deluxe edition of the Nash Solo Classic
• Expanded & Remastered on CD & Remixed on DVD in Surround Sound
• Advanced Resolution Surround Sound (96k/24bit), Dolby Digital & DTS
• Stereo Mix in advanced resolution (192k/24bit) & Dolby Digital
• DVD also featues an all-new 2008 video interview with Graham Nash, Photo Gallery & Complete Lyrics

Guest performers:
Rita Coolidge, David Crosby, Jerry Garcia, Bobby Keys, Phil Lesh, David Lindley, Dave Mason, and other greats.

Selections:
CD:
1. Militray Madness
2. Better Days
3. Wounded Bird
4. I Used To Be A King
5. Be Yourself
6. Simple Man
7. Man In The Mirror
8. There's Only One
9. Sleep Song
10. Chicago
11. We Can Change The World

DVD-Audio:
• Entire Album in advanced resolution Surround Sound
• Stereo mix in advanced resolution
• Lyrics
• Video
• Interview

Ringo Starr 5.1

Ringo Starr 5.1: The Surround Sound Collection Release Date: March 04, 2008 Label: Koch

Ringo Starr was so enamored with The Beatles' "Love" that he wanted to do a vaguely similar release of his own disappointing catalogue. Instead of encapsulating his entire set of yawn inducing solo work he settled on his favorites from his Koch years....anyways...apparently someone is excited...

"A selection of highlights from Ringo's latter-day albums for Koch, 5.1: The Surround Sound Collection is designed as a sampler for audiophiles and it should please most of that crowd...(except those that wanted true DVD-Audio instead of Dolby Digital).  This concentrates not on his steady stream of live recordings but rather his strong latter-day solo albums -- records that draw heavily from the lush sound of latter-day Beatles, so they lend themselves well to being opened up via Surround Sound. Of course, this is not a necessary purchase for listeners who don't enjoy immersing themselves with 5.1 sound, but for those who do, it's a nice experience." Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

porcupine tree - lightbulb sun (remaster) (cd+dvda preorder)

A brand new edition of the long out of print 2000 studio album by Porcupine Tree. The album contains the original studio versions of PT classics such as Shesmovedon, Russia On Ice, Hatesong, and Feel So Low, and has been lavishly revamped into a definitive 2 disc set. Disc one is a CD containing a pristine remix / remaster of the album, while disc two is a DVDA (playable on any DVD player) containing the album remixed into 5.1 surround sound (in DVDA and DTS versions), as well as a 24 bit high resolution version of the stereo mix and the original 2000 mix/master. Also included are 5.1 mixes of bonus tracks Disappear, Buying New Soul, and Cure for Optimism, which were recorded during the same sessions. This is the definitive version of one of the essential albums in the PT catalogue.

Porcupine Tree Fear of a Blank Planet pre-ordering

Fear of a Blank Planet pre-ordering 03-23-2007 Please note that Fear of a Blank Planet will *not* be available to order from the band directly, at least not until after the release date. What we need you to do this time is buy the album from regular retail outlets, and from within your own country (so if you're in Europe please order it from your local store, rather than from the US for example).

The album is being released in 2 different forms; the first is a regular crystal case edition with a 12 page booklet. The second is a deluxe 2 disc set, which contains the stereo CD, and a full 5.1 surround sound mix of the album on DVDV (which also includes 24 bit high resolution stereo). Both discs are housed inside miniature card LP sleeves, and come in a box with a 40 page book of Lasse Hoile images. Both Roadrunner in Europe, and Atlantic in the USA have pressed a limited number of these special editions. They differ slightly in that the US edition has 2 separate single card sleeves for the discs, while the Roadrunner edition has both discs housed in a single gatefold card sleeve. It's possible for US customers to pre-order both editions of the album from Newbury Comics with a signed booklet. The European edition is released on 16th April, the US edition on 24th April.