Pink Floyd - The Division Bell (including 5.1/2.0 High Rez Blu-ray) - June 30th, 2014

[dobyblue]

http://www.pinkfloyd.com/news/index.php

PINK FLOYD TO RELEASE 20TH ANNIVERSARY BOX SET OF 'THE DIVISION BELL'

• RELEASED: 30 JUNE 2014
• PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED 5.1 SURROUND SOUND MIX
• BLU-RAY DISC INCLUDING NEW 2014 FILM OF MAROONED
• 2-LP VINYL FEATURING FULL-LENGTH TRACKS FOR THE FIRST TIME
• REPLICA 7" AND 12" COLOURED VINYL AND MUCH MORE

Pink Floyd is releasing a 20th anniversary box set of The Division Bell, the band's 1994 multi-million selling album that included the Grammy Award winning track Marooned. Set for release on 30 June 2014, 'The Division Bell' was the last studio album to be released by the band: David Gilmour, Nick Mason and Richard Wright. This 20th anniversary box set features six discs, including three replica coloured or clear vinyl discs, 5 collectors' prints, a Blu-ray disc and for the first time Andy Jackson's 5.1 audio mix of 'The Division Bell'.

'The Division Bell' debuted at No 1 in the UK and in the USA, staying at the top of the US charts for 4 weeks; it also went to No 1 in eight other countries and, to date, has reached total album sales of over 12 million. The album was recorded by the band at Astoria and Britannia Row Studios with the majority of the lyrics being written by Polly Samson and David Gilmour.

David Gilmour said at the time: "The three of us went into Britannia Row studios, and improvised for 2 weeks. Playing together and starting from scratch was interesting and exciting, it kick started the album and the process was very good, it was collaborative and felt more cohesive".

The Division Bell 20th Anniversary collector's box set will feature a new 2-LP vinyl edition of the album, remastered by Doug Sax at The Mastering Lab from the original analogue tapes, including all the full length tracks (originally edited to fit on a single LP) in a gatefold sleeve designed by Hipgnosis/StormStudios. Five other discs are included: a red 7" vinyl replica of single Take It Back, clear 7" vinyl replica of High Hopes, 12" blue vinyl replica of High Hopes with reverse laser etched design, the 2011 Discovery remaster of 'The Division Bell' and a Blu-ray disc including 'The Division Bell' album in HD Audio, plus the previously unreleased 5.1 surround sound audio mix of the album by Andy Jackson.

Another addition included on the Blu-ray disc is a new video for Marooned, the track that won a Grammy for 'Best Rock Instrumental' in 1994. Filmed in Ukraine during the first week of April 2014, the video was directed by Aubrey Powell at Hipgnosis. It will appear on the disc with audio tracks in both PCM Stereo and a 5.1 mix by Andy Jackson.

Bob Ezrin and David Gilmour produced the original album, with orchestral arrangements by the late Michael Kamen. The anniversary box set discs have been remastered by long term Pink Floyd audio associates James Guthrie and Joel Plante.

Schwing!

[flyonthewall2983]

Looks and sounds great. Too bad there are no unreleased tracks, as I've heard they recorded enough for two albums but I'm very happy with this. To have that iconic artwork in something considerably larger size than the jewel case is most welcome.

[mywhitenoise]

Why couldn't it be Animals instead!?

[LMN8R]

Originally Posted by mywhitenoise

Why couldn't it be Animals instead!?

Stand-alone BD for this would be a day one. This will be an easy pass.

Animals on the other hand would not. I would want that one!

[flyonthewall2983]

I suspect we'll be getting more sets within the next few years. Maybe even one before the end of the year, as that's when David Gilmour's next solo album is supposedly coming out.

[PowellPressburger]

Pre-ordered without hesitation, I honestly didn't expect this to have a box set release, and while I am still waiting for BLU audio for The Wall I hope more sets get released.

[BrystonUser]

Originally Posted by LMN8R

Stand-alone BD for this would be a day one. This will be an easy pass.

Yep me too, no stand alone Blu-ray or even a CD/Blu-ray bundle then no purchase. It sucks that this is the way these things get packaged.

Soundgarden's upcoming album is the same thing.

[pentatonic]

Great news but I'd love it to also come on SACD, no way I'm spending that much, however good it might be, if I didn't spend that much for WYWH and DSotM, no way. It's sad though as I would jump on a Blu or SACD up to $45-50.

[montyb]

Pink Floyd's music was made for surround sound. Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here were mixed for the SACD releases and sound outstanding! Just wanting to see the other Pink Floyd recordings to be released in hi res SACD. I have a few Blu Ray Audio discs, and they don't come nowhere near the quality I hear from a great SACD. Plus, DTS and Dolby Digital logos should nowhere be seen on any hi res recording. That's my opinion.

[themoviefanatic]

anyone need the Immersion Blu-ray Sets for DSOTM and WYWH?

[bhampton]

Originally Posted by Slikkbradd

anyone need the Immersion Blu-ray Sets for DSOTM and WYWH?

I'll take um... Should I message you my address?

[bhampton]

All I want from this Division Bell release is the blu of course.

I hope I can find it (meaning just the blu) on Ebay.

I don't want the lps at all. I gave all my floyd Lps away (and I had most of them.)

Lps may sound the best buy keeping them is a full time job and not for me.

I hope that since there are real, actual, legit, blu rays that already exist of several Pink Floyd records (3 that I know of so far...) someday they will be made available separately... just have to live long enough I guess and hope my hearing holds up.

I'm certain there is a "machine" of sorts managing the proper milking of all PF material... Why wouldn't there be? ... There's money to be made and no one really wants to leave money on the table so to speak. So, I'm hoping in time there will be a better availability for all the floyd blus.

(by the way,... The other day I tried to buy Live 8 on DVD and accidentally ordered live aid instead... g'damn!~)

[Dubstar]

Originally Posted by montyb

Pink Floyd's music was made for surround sound. Dark Side of the Moon and Wish You Were Here were mixed for the SACD releases and sound outstanding! Just wanting to see the other Pink Floyd recordings to be released in hi res SACD. I have a few Blu Ray Audio discs, and they don't come nowhere near the quality I hear from a great SACD. Plus, DTS and Dolby Digital logos should nowhere be seen on any hi res recording. That's my opinion.

received WYWH (SACD version) in the mail today - can't wait to hear and compare it to the bluray edition.

[xXFloydianXx]

At least the HD stereo audio mix on the blu-ray needs to be released separately. The whole rest of the Floyd catalog needs to be updated and released on either surround SACD or BD Audio.

The whole Floyd catalog has been haphazard mess over the past decade. Some albums sound better than others, some don't include things that others have, multiple random compilations, switching of record companies (first Columbia to EMI, now EMI to Warner).

I hope Warner steers away from the shoddy card sleeve packaging that EMI began a couple years back, though. I avoided the Discovery albums because of such.

[Todd Smith]

Is there no hope of a separate stand alone blu ray release? I just want the 5.1 mix!

[timothyemerson]

Originally Posted by Todd Smith

Is there no hope of a separate stand alone blu ray release? I just want the 5.1 mix!

I'm with you on that one. All of the multi-channel Floyd releases need their own standalone BD release.

One BD should be sufficient for stereo/surround mixes, all videos at 1080p, and any other edits and outtakes, all in a standard blue BD case, thank you very much.

They'd sell way more than they would with these giant cardboard box sets. Why the marketing doofuses persist with the fancy packaging mystifies me.

[HomerJay]

Originally Posted by Todd Smith

Is there no hope of a separate stand alone blu ray release? I just want the 5.1 mix!

Not quite, but there is now a standalone 5.1 DVD available for pre-order (9.99GBP):

http://euroshop.pinkfloyd.com/en/bro...1-mix-dvd.html

Also can be ordered from the US store ($14.99): http://www.pinkfloyd.com

Not sure of the 5.1 format, hoping its at least DTS. I doubt its a DVD-Audio since that limits playback for the masses with standard DVD players only.

[dobyblue]

Originally Posted by Dubstar

received WYWH (SACD version) in the mail today - can't wait to hear and compare it to the bluray edition.

I expect it will sound identical to the Blu-ray version, advantage for me was it was only $35 and I don't need the Quad mix. For DSOTM I think the Parson's Quad 24/96 4.0 PCM on the Blu-ray handily trumps the 2003 Guthrie 5.1 SACD.

[JMK]

Pink Floyd The Division Bell Blu-ray Review

[HomerJay]

The Dynamic Range readings for the BDA look good. Should be the same for the DVD too:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Analyzed: Pink Floyd / The Division Bell (5.1 96kHz - DTS-HDMA)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DR Peak RMS Duration Track
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR12 -1.60 dB -25.78 dB 5:59 01-Cluster One
DR13 -0.04 dB -17.86 dB 4:22 02-What Do You Want From Me
DR13 -0.08 dB -19.18 dB 7:04 03-Poles Apart
DR13 -0.18 dB -18.88 dB 5:29 04-Marooned
DR12 0.00 dB -19.33 dB 4:15 05-A Great Day For Freedom
DR13 0.00 dB -19.21 dB 6:51 06-Wearing The Inside Out
DR12 -0.28 dB -18.70 dB 6:09 07-Take It Back
DR12 -0.03 dB -20.04 dB 6:23 08-Coming Back To Life
DR12 -0.37 dB -18.49 dB 6:08 09-Keep Talking
DR12 -0.73 dB -21.34 dB 5:24 10-Lost For Words
DR14 -0.83 dB -21.66 dB 8:28 11-High Hopes
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of tracks: 11
Official DR value: DR13

Samplerate: 96000 Hz
Channels: 6
Bits per sample: 24
Bitrate: 7091 kbps
Codec: FLAC
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