Rhino Records continues to mine the Warner archives, reissuing the long, lost, 4-channel, Quadrophonic mixes of many classic albums, now playable on Blu Ray discs with a surround sound system.
Bread – The Best of Bread (Quadio)
I admit to being a little skeptical about this one. After all, does the world need to hear Bread in quadrophonic? Well, the answer is actually a resounding YES. In fact, the quad mix of this album may rank as one of the best Rhino has done (Paranoid from Black Sabbath is the penultimate – read our review on that one here).
The Best of Bread was hugely successful upon it’s release in 1973, eventually selling 5 million copies just in the United States. Their unique blend of soft rock is perfect for the Quadio setting.
The number one smash, “Make It With You,” is glorious in quad. What really stands out here immediately is Mike Botts’ cross-sticking (the percussive, crack sound on the quieter drum parts). The strings that come in on the second verse envelope you, front to back – especially noticeable on that instrumental bridge.
The harpsichord was a surprise, showing up in the back right on “Everything I Own.” Pay attention and you’ll catch a little harp flourish at the very end of the song that isn’t on the stereo version. This warm music really benefits from the 4-channels, with “Diary” sounding exquisite with the background harmonies and strings.
“It Don’t Matter to Me” has so much more punch in this mix – the bass sounds incredible and you really discern the harmonies between David Gates and James Griffin.
The original album’s side two is where some of the band’s less popular, yet more adventurous material is. The hard rocking, “Mother Freedom” sounds monstrous here, although the mix seems heavy on the right channel, both front and back. While Griffin’s jangly “Down on My Knees” and Gates’ “Let Your Love Go” are both pretty damn close to the things the Raspberries were doing at the time. The album closes with the surprise rocker, “Truckin.’”
Carly Simon – The Best of Carly Simon (Quadio)
Someone had way too much mixing this one…
The album starts with “That’s The Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be” and everything is up front, until the strings come in. But when the big drumming comes in, it’s way too loud, throwing off the song’s feel. “The Right Thing to Do” definitely takes full advantage of quad – acoustic guitars and background vocals are back left and right.
“Mockingbird,” a duet between Simon, and then husband, James Taylor, has their vocals panned left (James) and right (Carly) which is kind of goofy – again, distracting from the listening experience. The underrated “Legend in Your Own Time” has acoustic guitars that just hug you from everywhere, and “Haven’t Got Time For the Pain” is also really good in this setting.
“You’re So Vain” is where things get kind of crazy. The opening bass riff jumps all over the speakers. The electric guitars are much more in your face, and the guitar solo leaps front to back as well. It also sounds like an alternate vocal from Simon, and the cowbell is too loud. Even the harmonies at the end are different. Honestly, this is where things kind of cross a line: this quad version is so different, it seems there was no care in preserving the original song.
Things get redeemed on her other big hit, “Anticipation.” The piano, strings, and acoustic guitars are spread out nicely, and the big drumming is not as overpowering. There’s a really discernible bass part on the third verse that I’ve never noticed before.
“Night Owl” sounds very aggressive in this mix, while the forgettable, “Attitude Dancing,” has a lot going on all the channels, but it doesn’t save the lackluster song.
New Seekers – The Best of the New Seekers (Quadio)
A much more straight-forward approach to the quadrophonic experience. This pop-folk group was known for their five-part harmony, which is on full display on this collection. The set opens with the Melanie cover, “Look What They’ve Done to My Song, Ma,” which features honky tonk piano, accordion, guitar, flute – all spread out over the four channels. You really feel like you’re in the middle of this big hootenanny.
Some of this material is an acquired taste, like two more Melanie singles, “Beautiful People” and “Nickel Song,” which sound pretty dated, and don’t improve on the originals. Much better is their faithful cover of the Delaney & Bonnie classic, “Never Ending Song of Love.” Their version lacks the soul and grittiness of the original. But, they make up for it in their exuberance.
I can name only one time in the history of music where a song started out as a commercial, and then was expanded to make it an actual single – “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing” began life as a Coke advertisement, before the New Seekers took it to the Top Ten. It’s schmaltzy, but so was a lot of stuff from this time period.
Shockingly out of left field, this straight-laced group tried their hand at two songs by The Move (the precursor to ELO). “Blackberry Way” is pretty good, yet “Tonight” uh, actually rocks! There’s a few more sappy numbers, yet the album closes with another surprise in the Neil Young/Crazy Horse cover, “Dance, Dance, Dance” showing that this middle of the road quintet were willing to test their boundaries.
Judy Collins – Colors of the Day: The Best of (Quadio)
This album originally went platinum and captures the spirit of folk giant, Judy Collins. The Quad mix opens with the Ian Tyson composition, “Someday Soon” – the pedal steel really jumps out in this setting. The strings and Collins’ clear voice highlight “Since You Asked.” The big hit here is her take on Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now, and the isolated electric piano is particularly strong.
You feel like you’re in the middle of the performance of “Sons Of,” with the piano front right, and strings behind you. “Farewell to Tarwathie” is very impressive, with the nature and animal sound effects coming from all sides, and Collins is the only instrument.
Her voice just cuts you to the bone, and it’s on glorious display here, as on “Who Knows Where the Time Goes.” Her acoustic interpretation of the Beatles’ “In My Life” is very warm in this arena, although there seems to be some distortion on this track. Collins’ iconic reading of “Amazing Grace” is a cappella and stunning.
After delving into all four releases, The Best of Bread truly stands out from the rest. It’s well mixed, giving you a chance to appreciate new things, while staying respectful to the original versions of the songs. The Best of Carly Simon is much more aggressive with the quad mixes, ending up with mixed results, while The Best of Judy Collins’ relies less on trickery and is more faithful to the original. The New Seekers, although an acquired taste, has it’s moments as well. Above all, accolades to Rhino for unearthing these long-lost mixes and putting them to good use; letting us hear this classic music in a fresh, new way. — Tony Peters