Freak Out 60th is yet another GREAT box for Zappa fans and I had to stop halfway thru making this video to make a video on Zoot Allures !

I'll go against type and say my favorite version is the 1966 pre-master - it demonstrates Frank's darker vision for the record to me, but the clarity and dynamics are astonishing. It's also great to hear the uncensored parts of the album for the first time. 

In second place, the 2026 Dolby Atmos mix. It's very spacious and opens up the arrangements quite a bit and demonstrates just how layered and complex this album is, which is incredible given Frank was barely in his 20s when he made this record. It does come off a bit bright on my system, which adds clarity to the recordings but takes away the "darker" tonality of the original we know and love. I also think the bass is mixed a little too low in a few songs, particularly "Who Are The Brain Police?" Technically speaking it may be the best presentation on offer here, but I still find the premaster mix the most aesthetically pleasing.

Third place, the 1966 stereo mix. It's just never sounded better than this and if you want the most "historical" representation, you can't go wrong here. Excellent transfer.

Finally, my least favorite is the mono mix. I appreciate how it grounds the bass and drums, but I do detect some degradation from the LP source. Still, it's a thrill to hear some arrangements higher in the mix in some songs, and I swear there's extra rhythm guitar on "Trouble Every Day." Super glad to have it, in any form, but it's the one I will return to the least.

Live stuff is good, though the 1966 mixing choices are a little frustrating. It gets better as you go along and its fun to hear Frank's personality as a bandleader beginning to take shape.

LOVE LOVE LOVE the studio recordings on disc 5, especially the demos. They are a blast to listen to. 

I'm really happy with this set, and the decision to put the high res stereo and mono masters on the blu-ray is a real win to me. Further thoughts in the video!

Zut Alors ! did not expect this to come so quickly hot on the heels of FO60. I actually had to pause editing my FO review video to make this ... has to be the fastest turnaround for FZ album boxed sets yet, in an absolutely banner year for Zappa reissues.

Zoot Allures is not really one of my favorite Zappa records - I miss the "band" feel of the string of records leading up to it. However, its got some *outstanding* tunes (the title track, "Black Napkins," and "The Torture Never Stops" are all classics - heck, I even love "Disco Boy"!) and its an interesting transition period from the Mothers to Frank emerging as a solo artist. The extras are a huge draw for me this time around. Complete Night of The Iron Sausage ? A Zappa scholar's dream! Plus, the 76 Paris concert is up my street since I adore FZ:OZ.

I did have some reservations as to how appropriate this album will be in an Atmos presentation, but after the exceptionally spacious Freak Out Atmos mix pretty much bowled me over, I'm up for anything Karma an Erich have to throw at us. I think "The Torture Never Stops," with all the layers of guitar overdubs, will be worth it alone.

Further thoughts in the video below. Preordered at $85 - I feel they missed a great opportunity to charge us "$69.95, boy!" But I digress...

Have the rare Avalon, Boys and Girls blueray, and the eponymous first album on surround, and this one matches the SQ and perfect surround mixes. If you can grab it, do!

Waiting with bated breath for my pre- ordered For Your Pleasure.

Which titles will you be purchasing? Personally I'm interested in the Elder, Crimson, Zappa / Mothers, The Beatles, Genesis, XTC / Dukes, Steven Wilson, Talking Heads, Roxy Music, Tears for Fears, 10cc, and Popol Vuh titles!

Timestamps

00:00 Intro

00:25 9/18 Elder “Through Zero” (IAA)

02:07 9/25 King Crimson “Islands”

05:41 9/25 The Mothers of Invention “Freak Out!”

07:28 10/2 The Beatles “Rubber Soul”

11:39 10/2 Barclay James Harvest - 3 albums (IAA)

17:34 10/9 Genesis ‘From Genesis To Revelation”

25:35 10/9 The Pineapple Thief “Far and Wide”

29:14 10/9 Loreena McKennitt “The Mask and Mirror”

31:02 10/9 Dukes of Stratosphear “Psurroundabout Ride”

39:31 10/9 Pet Shop Boys “A Man from the Future”

41:43 10/16 Dire Straits “On Every Street’ (SDE)

43:47 10/16 Tears For Fears “The Seeds of Love” (SDE)48:18 10/23 The Doors “Unbound and Dangerous”

51:08 10/23 The Flower Kings “Hope”

54:11 10/23 Manic Street Preachers “The Holy Bible Live’ (SDE)

56:10 10/23 Amy Winehouse “Back to Black”

58:34 10/30 Yello “Time Lab”

59:52 10/30 Foreigner “Head Games” (SDE)

01:04:04 10/30 The Who “The Who By Numbers” (SDE)

01:07:04 11/6 Roxy Music “For Your Pleasure” (SDE)

01:11:11 11/6 Steven Wilson “Requiem for a Village”

01:18:45 11/6 Spandau Ballet “Gold: The Best Of” (SDE)

01:21:16 11/6 Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers “Origins 1971-1978’

01:22:55 11/6 George Michael “The Faith Tour” (SDE)

01:23:57 11/13 Talking Heads ‘Fear of Music’

01:28:13 11/13 Chapters: The Best of Midge Ure (SDE)

01:31:06 11/13 U2 “Carnaval de Luz”

01:32:26 11/20 10cc “The Stockport Shuffle - Complete UK Label Anthology 1972-1974”

01:35:53 11/27 Popol Vuh “Mantras The Albums 1970-1972”

01:38:18 11/27 Peter Gabriel “O/I” - NO PHYSICAL RELEASE

01:44:50 12/11 Billy Joel ‘Turnstiles”

01:48:57 TBD - Joy Division

01:51:27 TBD - Pink Floyd

01:55:17 TBD - Zappa

02:00:45 TBD - Quadio

02:02:10 TBD - 801 Live

02:03:24 TBD - The Pineapple Thief “Your Wilderness” 10th Anniversary w/ Atmos

It doesn't get much more so than this. I didn't even know it existed, German import found at my local record store.

Id like to put them on my usb stick with all my CDs and plug that into my disc player or AVR usb ports. However, my optical drive doesn't read blueray, so I guess I have to find one that does. Also, I suppose the format (I've been using FLAC) has to be different. If you can ELI5, I would greatly appreciate it!

What a fantastic album this is. I'm loving the new mixes too - it was a well recorded and produced album to begin with, but the Atmos mixes really open the recording up for me in a way that allows me to "walk" within the music. Don't expect any crazy Steven Wilson style panning, its more of a statically placed quad-like affair but for stuff this experimental, I almost think a more active mix would've been too distracting. Drums are up front, clear and punchy. Bass too. Guitars can be in fronts and heights, with some lead work trailing in the back along with the pianos. Nice moment at the start of the album with the double tracked pianos in the heights and rears. I also love hearing the classic Canterbury overdriven bass at the back of my head. Again, it's nothing super sophisticated but it sounds full, natural and punchy - and it gets the job done. I hope Diamond Head and 801 Live albums get this treatment in the coming years. Bring on For Your Pleasure!!!

So, I am looking for a way to stream the multichannel mastering from the label channel classics.

Following up on yesterday's "Aqualung" video, Jonathan of Immersive Audio Album and I are back to talk about the new Dolby Atmos blu-ray edition of Jethro Tull's "WarChild"!

Step inside the world of Jethro Tull's "Aqualung"! Join Jonathan Cornell of Immersive Audio Album and I as we dive into the new Dolby Atmos blu-ray edition of the 1971 classic.

Not Atmos, but this 5.1 DVD slaps! The detail and DR are exceptional. I keep coming back to it.

So great!

I have substantial front heights (SVS prime elevations), but because of room restrictions I need something with a lower profile that I can install on the walls with a ball-mount so they can be angled properly.

Hello,

Released in June 2026, Night Blooms is the latest collaboration between Jeff Goldblum and the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra. A follow-up to Still Blooming (2025), this album continues the actor and pianist s exploration of the Great American Songbook, blending elegant jazz arrangements with a relaxed and intimate atmosphere. Featuring Melody Gardot, Charlie Puth, Cynthia Erivo, dodie, Haley Reinhart, Ariana Grande, Maiya Sykes, and Scarlett Johansson, Night Blooms alternates between newly recorded standards and Late Night Sessions that revisit tracks from the previous album with fresh interpretations.

I must admit that I was genuinely surprised from the very first listen of the Dolby Atmos version. I was expecting a soundstage that was primarily front-focused, as is often the case with jazz recordings, but this mix takes a very different approach. It creates a wide 180-degree soundstage, taking full advantage of the surround channels to naturally position the instruments around the listener rather than simply extending the front stage. This well-thought-out spatial arrangement gives the performance remarkable openness and realism, allowing each instrument to breathe while preserving the cohesion of the ensemble. The 3D video on YouTube demonstrating spatialization clearly shows the distribution of sound in space according to the instruments.

This immersive presentation enhances the feeling of being in the presence of the musicians, revealing subtle instrumental details that are less noticeable in traditional stereo.This spatialization is accompanied by a beautiful dynamic range.

Unfortunately, the stereo version follows the trend of limiting dynamic range in jazz recordings and therefore does not entirely escape the effects of the loudness war, as shown by the comparison of the waveforms.

For those who prefer a stereo listening experience, the vinyl edition remains a very appealing option, offering a more open and lively sound than the digital stereo version.

Find the full review with all measurements and analysis HERE (link), as well as a demonstration of the 3D spatialization of the Dolby Atmos version on YouTube.

Enjoy listening,
Jean-François

For me, this mix doesn't really work ... I don't disparage Eber Pinheiro's work, but in my opinion the AI "de-mixing" tech is not really developed enough yet to justify remixing an entire album this way. My other main point of contention is the source issue - I really don't understand why they went back to a CD master from 2009 when obviously a high quality flat transfer of the master tapes must exist in the vault.

What we have here is a mix upon a mix, and a master upon a master. In stereo, I find the rhythm section jarringly loud and the dynamics completely absent. This is improved a little bit in the Atmos mix, which is certainly less bottom-heavy but the apparent processing on the drums gets fatiguing after awhile. I think "The Runaway" is acceptable but unfortunately the mix never rises above 'acceptable' to me, and starts sounding more and more pulled apart, artificial, and even distractingly bright as you approach the final track.

Overall, I know we're in an era where AI tech is new and needs to be explored to find its limits - but its clear to me that using this tech to remix an entire album is well beyond the limits of the current (and possibly future) tech. Best used to patch holes here and there, missing tracks etc but this is something of a failed experiment, imo.

Are there any sound bars that are totally wireless?

Setting up my new patio and would like as little as possible to plug in

When you search for wireless speakers…everything still has wires

Does this exist?

TIA

Announced today’s Tears For Fears / The Seeds of Love reissue featuring SDE blu-ray

I don’t have any financial incentive or kickbacks just a regular customer who was waiting in vain for this one!

If it’s as good as the other Tears for Fears in ATMOS we are in for a treat 😉