I never saw the point in buying this release when you could buy the DVD and get the complete experience with 5.1 Audio and Video which upscales to 4K quite adequately. The addition of Dolby Atmos wouldn't be enough (for me anyway) to buy it. All in all a rather pointless release
In collaboration with Craft Recordings, SDE is proud to exclusively offer the brand new Dolby Atmos Mix of Concert For George on limited edition blu-ray audio.
Furthermore, the SDE-exclusive blu-ray will feature all the audio – the complete sound recordings from Concert For George – and therefore includes the beautiful Indian music performed/conducted early in the evening by Anoushka Shankar, the Monty Python numbers and Sam Brown’s supreme rendition of Horse To The Water (with Jools Holland). The complete sound recordings have never been issued on CD and were only previously released as an audio product via the 4LP vinyl set (issued in 2018 and now re-available). With the physical blu-ray audio you can make yourself comfortable, sit back, and enjoy all two hours of the full 27-track configuration without flipping sides or changing records.
The Dolby Atmos Mix of Concert For George has been created by GRAMMY-winning engineer Paul Hicks, whose many credits include the 2009 Beatles remasters, the remixes for the 50th anniversary of George Harrison’s 1970 album All Things Must Pass and the spatial and stereo audio mixes for the albums issued as part of the ongoing John Lennon reissue campaign (Imagine, Gimme Some Truth and Plastic Ono Band).
With regards to this Concert For George Atmos Mix, Paul Hicks explained to SDE how he took a two-pronged approach to the spatial audio mix, treating the theatrical version and the blu-ray audio version differently, with the later more immersive and a lot bolder than the original 5.1 mix (the one on the previous DVD/blu-ray video releases).
He told us: “With the fact that Apple and [others] have embraced spatial technology, I feel that people are ready to go a bit bolder in it now. When we did the theatrical [Dolby Atmos mix], you know, that’s meant for screenings, so was a little bit more traditional. But with how people are listening to Atmos today, I thought we could go a little bit more daring with this [Blu-ray Audio]… the format is [typically] where you’re looking at the band, but for this Blu-ray you’re standing where the singers are—so it’s nice and immersive.
Having it on Blu-ray you get the advantage of the full-quality Atmos. It’s a chance to hear [the concert] full-quality in all its glory”. Paul Hicks, 2022
The Concert For George limited edition blu-ray audio is the only way to enjoy the new Atmos Mix via a physical product, and the disc also features a 48/24 stereo mix of the complete sound recordings (the highest resolution available). Please note, for the avoidance of any doubt, this blu-ray does not include any video, it’s an audio-only product – a live album – that contains the remastered sound recordings of Concert For George newly mixed in Dolby Atmos, and in stereo.
Here’s the now traditional reminder as to why this product is highly recommended:
- It’s the only way to enjoy the Dolby Atmos mix of the album via a physical product
- You don’t need to sign-up to a streaming service such as Tidal or Apple Music to hear the spatial audio mix
- The Atmos Mix on the blu-ray is not compressed due to streaming bandwidth restrictions
- You own the product, you are not renting it from a digital service provider
- The blu-ray audio is an excellent format for music and you don’t want to see it die off
- Supporting SDE with these initiatives leads to similar collaborations with labels/artists and we are keen to bring your more in the near future
TECHNICAL NOTES: This blu-ray audio contains no video. It requires a blu-ray player. Decoding the Dolby Atmos mix requires a Dolby Atmos-certified soundbar or a Dolby Atmos-compatible AV Receiver/Amp. The Dolby Atmos mix will ‘fold down’ to 5.1 or stereo if a Dolby Atmos decoder is not detected.