| The Police - Every Breath You Take |
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| Music Disc Reviews DTS 5.1 CD | |
| Written by Brian Kahn | |
| Tuesday, 18 January 2000 | |
Every Breath You Take, Image Entertainment | Performance 7 | Sound 7 | This album is a must-buy for the DTS-equipped Police aficionado. Although a glance at the track list would indicate that this is the same album as the two-channel ‘Every Breath You Take The Singles,’ it is quite different. The combination of the takes utilized, as well as the mastering, gives the listener the feeling of being inside a small lounge-type club with the band. The first time I heard the album, I listened to it on a speaker system utilizing a bipole/ dipole arrangement, I then switched the speakers for a direct radiating system. With this album, I had a strong preference for the direct radiators. The opening track, "Roxanne," was mixed to give the listener a good sense of ambience, which I found much better with direct radiating rears. The DTS surround mix was pretty effective in throwing up a convincing 360 degree soundstage. Compared to the two-channel version, this DTS disc is on the mellow side. The band still comes through with a few harder-hitting cuts. "Don’t Stand So Close To Me" punches it up, the bass on this a bit, and the next cut, "de do do do, de da da," will be well appreciated by those with systems capable of an accurate low end. "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" uses a good-sized dose of the rear channels to bring the listener into the middle of the performance. I especially enjoyed the balance of channels used in "King of Pain." This has to be one of the best-sounding renditions of this song that I have heard anywhere, with the vocals, the instruments, all coming through strong and well- defined. This disc differs from the DTS disc reviewed last month, Lyle Lovett’s ‘Joshua Judges Ruth,’ in that there is a much more liberal use of the rear channels. Those who look to DTS as a method of recreating a more solid front image with a touch of rear channels to add some realistic ambience are likely to be bothered by much of the rear channel usage on this album. The takes selected are more on the mellow side, something you’d expect to hear in a smaller venue, perhaps one not too much larger than your listening room. This selection, along with the liberal use of all channels, provides a fun and different mix, one in which the Police fan can imagine being surrounded by the band as they perform a small intimate show. Like this article? Bookmark and share with any of the sites below.        |
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