Of course commenter negative1ne has already acted swiftly on the comment thread of a post I made to commemorate “New God Dream [81, 82, 83, 84]” but I was away on travel for a memorial last weekend when I got the email from the best brains at Super Deluxe Edition. Their Blu-Ray audio series in surround sound and high-res formats is moving toward an impressive forty discs released since their inauguration just two years ago with the new Tears For Tears album in Dolby Atmos®. At least a third of the releases are albums I can get behind, and up until right now, I’ve actually bought three of their releases: xPropaganda – “The Heart is Strange,” ABC★★★ – “The Lexicon Of Love,” and most recently, Ultravox – “Lament.” The latter with Steven Wilson’s Dolby Atmos® remixes apart from the 5.1 in the “Lament” ultrabox DVD-A.
That was the first time that I found myself with two different surround sound remixed copies of an iconic album form my core collection, but now there’s more. Right up there with Ultravox in my core collection pantheon are Simple Minds. The fact that the group are still active means a lot to me, and stokes my flames of fandom righteously. And even though I have the 2005 DVD-A of the “New Gold Dream [81, 82, 83, 84]” album as remixed by Ronald Prent…as well as the “Sparkle In The Rain” ultrabox which featured a DVD-A as remixed by Steven Wilson in 5.1. There’s a new pair of discs in town that asks us to plunk down the dinero yet one more time.
This time the hand on the boards is the legendary Bob Clearmountain. I have enjoyed his work since encountering it in the late 70s and while I can debate the artistry of some of his projects, there is one indisputable fact; the man has golden ears. To that end he is taking on the multitrack masters to the top selling jewels in the first, imperial period of Simple Minds. He’s buffed the work of the band to a high gloss before [“Once Upon A Time,” “Black + White 050505,” “Graffiti Soul”] and this time he’s giving surround mixes a try. I’ve not heard his work in multi-channel before, but there’s always the first time! Here’s the goods.
NEW GOLD DREAM [81, 82, 83, 84]
Simple Minds: New Gold Dream [81-82-83-84] – UK – Blu-Ray [2025]
Bob Clearmountain 2024 Dolby Atmos Mix (48/24)
Bob Clearmountain 2024 5.1 Mix (48/24)
Bob Clearmountain 2024 Stereo Mix (48/24)
Bob Clearmountain 2024 Instrumental Mix (96/24)
Original Stereo mix (96/24)
- Someone Somewhere in Summertime 4:36
- Colours Fly and Catherine Wheel 3:49
- Promised You a Miracle 4:28
- Big Sleep 5:00
- Somebody Up There Likes You 5:02
- New Gold Dream (81–82–83–84) 5.39
- Glittering Prize 4.33
- Hunter and the Hunted 5.55
- King is White and in the Crowd 7.00
Ronald Prent & Charlie Burchill 2005 5.1 Mix (96/24)
- Someone Somewhere in Summertime 5:22
- Colours Fly and Catherine Wheel 3:49 [stereo]
- Promised You a Miracle 4:28 [stereo]
- Big Sleep 5:27
- Somebody Up There Likes You 5:45
- New Gold Dream (81–82–83–84) 6:08
- Glittering Prize 4:40
- Hunter and the Hunted 6:09
- King is White and in the Crowd 7:31
- In Every Heaven 4:46
So, yow! There are six different mixes of the album here. Crucially, the multitrack masters that were missing for two songs [“Colours Fly = Catherine Wheel, “Pomised You A Miracle”] for the 2005 DVD-A DTS 5.1 remix were subsequently found for these latest Bob Clearmountain mixes. So if you never got that 2005 DVD-A, the goods are contained within. For many, that would have been reason enough to buy this on the face of it. Interestingly enough, that version of the album used longer or in the case of “King Is White + In The Crowd,” a completely different takes to those used on the LP in 1982. Making it an alternate version beyond the number of channel streams.
The resolution of some of the new Clearmountain mixes are at 48/24 instead of 96/24 so I wonder if that’s down to room on the Blu-Ray or mixer preference? Because the instrumental version of the album that Clearmountain mixed was definitely 96/24 while everything else he did was half that at 48/24. Ultimately, I’m not too concerned about this because my aged ears are in noticeable decline.
SPARKLE IN THE RAIN
Simple Minds: Sparkle In The Rain – UK – Blu-Ray [2025]
Bob Clearmountain 2024 Dolby Atmos Mix (48/24)
Bob Clearmountain 2024 5.1 Mix (48/24)
Bob Clearmountain 2024 Stereo Mix (48/24)
Bob Clearmountain 2024 Instrumental Mix (96/24)
Steven Wilson 2014 5.1 Mix (96/24)
Steven Wilson 2014 Stereo Mix (96/24)
Steven Wilson 2014 Instrumental Mix (96/24)
Original 1984 Stereo Mix (48/24)
- Up On the Catwalk
- Book Of Brilliant Things
- Speed Your Love to Me
- Waterfront
- East At Easter
- Street Hassle
- White Hot Day
- “C” Moon Cry Like a Baby
- The Kick Inside of Me
- Shake Off the Ghosts
As if to say, “HAH,” this disc features an abundant eight different mixes of “Sparkle In The Rain!” Four by Bob Clearmountain, and three by Steve n Wilson, in addition to the original 1984 stereo mix. This is somewhat astonishing to me because the 2016 boxed set DVD-A of this album did not contain the Steven Wilson 2.0 remix or the instrumental version of the album. They make their debut here. As with the “New Gold Dream [81, 82, 83, 84]” disc, only the Clearmountain instrumental mix in in 96/24. As were all of the Wilson mixes. Leaving the Atmos®, 5.1, and 2.0 mixes in 48/24. Curiouser and curiouser.
As always, the window of opportunity on these discs are highly limited. If you want either of these, buy or die! You won’t want to pay aftermarket prices in the near future, but the costs are sensible from our friends at SDE.com if you can act decisively. Each of these discs have a £25.00 presale cost with a bundle of both at a discount of £47.00 for the pair. Pre-order closes on December 2, 2024 with a release date of February 7, 2025. Even though I already have these albums in a surround mix, I’m game to take another pass at each of these! And it’s been proven that you can’t own too many copies of “New Gold Dream [81, 82, 83, 84],” in any case! [n.b. this will be my 8th copy…]
It’s also delightful that I can finally hear “Colours Fly + Catherine Wheel” and “Promised You A Miracle” in surround! As an afterthought, ans who balked at the recent reissue of the “Sparkle In The Rain” boxed set from 2016 as a 4xCD clamshell box minus the DVD-A can purchase this as well to slake their thirst. DJs hit that button!
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Post-Punk Monk 
I wasn’t going to bother with these as I too have the previous dvd-a’s- I no longer have the 5.1 set up so a little wasted on me but what interests me about these and both the ABC and Bronski Beat BR’s are the instrumentals…they are very refreshing to hear even in stereo so you have now changed my mind and will have to have them….cheers Monk!
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Nick – You can always get 5.1 later! I bought the NGD DTS six years before I could hear it in 5.1.
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I’ve still got my Yamaha system in storage, its just not part of the current set up. I.m certainly not bothered with Atmos. Sure I read somewhere that Autobahn had been done recently…
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Nick – I can’t be bothered with Atmos® either. Heck, it took me until 2011 to get 6.1/5.1! Kraftwerk…in surround sound? Finally?! But I would have thought that “Trans-Europe Express,” “Man Machine,” or “Computerworld” would have been the first point of entry to surround sound mixes and Kraftwerk! Though I see that “Minimum-Maximum” was actually it! And I’ve had those DVDs for almost a decade without actually playing them! Ay, Yi-Yi!
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I’ve never owned one of these as I don’t have the equipment to play them, but New Gold Dream is just driving me wild. I love that album. Bought a copy of the old vinyl pressing just this year. Pretty to look at but even more beautiful to listen to.
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Andrew Albert J. Ty – I still need an original UK pressing. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one!
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Although I haven’t got the set up I will probably get these. I’m not such a fan of ‘Sparkle In The Rain’ but I think ‘New Gold Dream’ is a stunning album.
By the way, SDE have also announced a blue-ray of Bryan Ferry tracks. Not all, but a selection of tracks from his recent box set.
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AndyB – Yes, I saw it when prepping this post. Looks like just the 2xCD version in surround. With an album’s worth of bonus tracks. Odd. They could have fit the entire rest of the box in 2.0 on that B-R and that would have made more sense.
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hi mr monk,
glad you saw these and commented.
also, i’m sure you also saw, a bryan ferry compilation was announced also.
THATS IT for this year, paul said, and so it goes. number 35, and he hopes to hit 50 by the end of next year.
so about 15 more planned… hmmm. will be interesting to see what makes it out.
later
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n egative 1
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No mystery or conspiracy – Atmos is always 48K. That’s just the Dolby spec.
I am generally positive on Bob Clearmountain, except his recent Atmos mix of Roxy Music “Avalon” is a huge disappointment to me. Ferry’s vocals are WAY too dry and present, and the drums are very smacky. For an album that’s supposed to be gauzy and atmospheric, it really misses the mark. More Than This in particular brought me to (sad) tears. Oddly enough, the band had done their own Atmos versions a year prior (for the Best of Roxy & BF compilation) and it sounds much better. I don’t know what Bob was thinking, I have to assume Bryan Ferry told him to push his voice way up.
So… *cautiously* interested in these. New Gold Dream is my favorite SM album, but I think I’m actually more interested in the Sparkle mixes, as Steven Wilson always delivers.
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jsd – So 48/24 is baked into the spec? That makes sense given the ridiculous number of potential streams to take into account. Something would have to give! I didn’t know that “Avalon” had gotten the Atmos attention. It’s probably a streaming thing hence my ignorance. Still, it’s troubling to hear that Clearmountain lost his footing with it. It is a whole new ballgame so an adroit 2.0 engineer might not be all that and more in surround formats. (Monk strokes his chin pensively)
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Correct, Avalon Atmos is streaming-only. You’re not missing much. The 5.1 is better (IMO).
This guy disagrees with me… whaddya gonna do :) https://immersiveaudioalbum.com/roxy-music-avalon-dolby-atmos/
Clearmountain has been doing surround for ages now (he did the Avalon 5.1, which is considered a landmark) so I don’t think he’s lost. The changes for Atmos are clearly intentional. It sounds *very wrong* to me… but opinions etc.
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The pair would cost me close to $83 in my currency! Aye dias mio, Clem! Why do I keep picking such expensive hobbies?!
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I am a huge fan of what Paul Sinclair is doing here.
If I could rub the music storage hard drive and have the genie come out and grant me *one* wish for this series it would be a BR of Thomas Dolby’s Golden Age of Wireless with all the various b-sides, the EP, the different iterations of the album and of course an instrumental mix. Hey Paul, if you’re seeing this, yeah I’m that guy that keeps bringing this up, c’mon make my wish come true.
And it seems like the Ultravox SuperBoxes are reaching the end of their run….the folks who did that really need to start work on the Eurythmics catalog.
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