richardchycki.com

Over the past weeks, I’ve been in the studio with long-time friend James LaBrie of Dream Theater, recording vocals for the band’s new album that is quickly nearing completion. I gotta tell ya, new DT drummer Mike Mangini is a monster player on the album. I worked with him on LaBrie’s solo album ‘Elements of Persuasion’ in 2005 and he was frightening (in a good way!) in the studio back then. James and I took an evening off to see Rush at Copps Coliseum in Hamilton, us pictured right with long-time friend and session drummer Alex Tukatsch.

I received an email from Sound and Vision Mag editor Mike Mettler who sent me a preview of his upcoming review of Rush’s Moving Pictures 5.1 Deluxe Edition in the Summer 2011 issue of the magazine. With his kind permission, I’ve posted his review below:

Rush
Moving Pictures — Deluxe Edition
(Mercury CD+Blu-ray)
Music 5 stars
Sound 5 stars

*** SOUND + VISION 2011 REFERENCE BLU-RAY ***
Moving Pictures? More like Moving Mountains. This 1981 touchstone ably frames the crafty Canadian trio’s shift from its progressive/hard-rock roots by positioning the new wave and reggae influences even more at the fore. It’s a concise masterpiece that serves as the centerpiece of the ongoing 30th anniversary Time Machine tour, and it’s the star of a brilliant DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround-sound mix on Blu-ray courtesy of longtime collaborator Richard Chycki. Chycki and I first discussed the idea of MP in 5.1 over 2 years ago (plus we dissect it anew on our website), and his work here delivers beyond my dearest dreams. “Tom Sawyer” instantly swaths with its signature swirling Mini-Moog caressing all channels, and drummer Neil Peart’s tom hits are massive and spread wide. Alex Lifeson’s arpeggiated, sustaining guitar solo on “Limelight” dominates the soundstage while Geddy Lee’s Taurus synth bass pedal triggers a punishingly impactful low end. The triangle that Peart taps out the Morse code pattern on during the corner-to-corner intro to “YYZ” is super-resonant, and the recurring breaking-glass effect lingers longer than the original mix before tapering off in the rears. Also deviating from the norm: Lee’s occasionally omnichannel lead vocals and the ostinato reverb on Peart’s kick drum throughout the burbling “Vital Signs.” (And oh, that snare delay…)
Three of-era in-studio videos, liners, and more comprise a taut extras package. It all sets the stage to make my favorite album something I’ll revisit in 5.1 in perpetuity. For those who think and feel, Pictures is perfect on Blu-ray. — MIKE METTLER

A track-by-track interview will be available soon at the Sound and Vision website.

Here is an excerpt from the blu-ray.com interview:

Rush: Moving Pictures Blu-ray, Audio Quality 5.0 of 5
Wow. What more can one say about the quality of at least two of the three lossless tracks offered on this incredible (mostly) audio Blu-ray? Oddly, and for one of the very few times I’ve experienced this in my reviewing careers, the lossless LPCM 2.0 stereo fold down (24-bit/96kHz) sounds surprisingly pallid when stacked up against the two lossless 5.1 tracks. The low end is especially weak on this 2.0 mix, so if you have the ability to experience the surround mixes, by all means, do so. Two brilliant 5.1 options are offered, an LPCM 5.1 and a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, and I personally would be hard pressed to find much if any difference between them. Both are presented with 24-bit/96kHz resolution, and the results are, to put it simply, astounding. The clarity and nuance that is now available to listeners of Moving Pictures presents whole new worlds of sonic activity. Multilayer synths which were before just kind of part of a muddled mass now ring out with singular clarity. Some of the sound effects utilized on a couple of the tunes are much more evident than they’ve ever been before. The utilization of the surround channels is brilliantly handled, and longtime fans of this album are in for some revelatory listening, as suddenly they’ll find themselves centrally placed in an incredibly active soundfield. Fidelity is brilliant, with unbelievably facile dynamic range. As the boys of Rush tell us on one of the text entries on this Blu-ray, the increased resolution of Blu-ray audio means that this was actually mixed lower than traditional CDs or SACDs, so they recommend turning up the volume. I second that recommendation.

In the [very kind] blu-ray.com comments above, there is a mention of a ‘lossless LPCM 2.0 fold down’ of the album which I’ve seen mentioned a few times around the web. The fact is, I didn’t do a fold down of the 5.1 mixes as my goal was to not remix the album per se but to present the album in an engaging ‘new’ format (5.1) for the fans. The 2.0 is a hi-res transfer and remaster of the original stereo mixes done in 1981.

Even more reading at Music Tap and at Music Radar, where Alex Lifeson does a track-by-track breakdown and also comments the following on MovPix 5.1:

“… In 2011, the whole of Moving Pictures is being celebrated by Rush on stage – they’ve been playing the album in its entirety since last year – and on a just-issued special edition Blu-ray CD+DVD package, which renders its seven wondrous cuts with a level of sound clarity that Lifeson calls “mind-blowing. Richard Chycki, who remixed the album, knew he was working with a part of history, and he did an amazing job. He didn’t change the record, just expanded on it. When I heard what he did for first time, I couldn’t believe it. It was impeccable. It was Moving Pictures in a 3-D box!”

I’ve also had a ton of email through the site — thanks so much for the kind words, enthusiasm and support!

Finally, the ‘Cleveland DVD’ is also underway. More details to be had when there are some …

Be well,

R