Search - Pete Townshend, Ronie Lane :: Pete Townshend/Ronnie Lane: Rough Mix

Pleasing mix of Townshend and Lane originals a pity they did

Wayne Klein | My Little Blue Window, USA | 11/26/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"When Ronnie Lane was having financial difficulty he asked Pete Townshend for a loan. Pete said no. He then suggested that Pete produce his solo album and contribute songs to a solo album Townshend had a counter proposal; they record an album together. The result is the marvelous "Rough Mix" which features both songwriters in top form and meshing to create a unique sythesizer of both their sounds. The album sounds like a collison of these two unique songwriters and their bands (Lane was a member at one time of the Faces and The Small Faces)than just about anything either one of them created by themselves. The production by Glyn Johns and musical contributions from John Entwhistle, Eric Clapton, Charlie Watts and Rabbit makes this marvelous musical confection come together and gel.



Does this album sound better than the previously mastered version? Yeah it's improved. We get the original album remastered for CD with video interviews with producer Johns and Townshend on the DVD-audio side of things. There are also stills from Townshend's collection of the recording of the album. The 5.1 mix of the album sounds quite good as well although I find myself listening a bit more to the stereo CD side only because I tend to listen to music much more in the car than I do at home.



The booklet has information on the recording of the album in a brief essay as well as the original lyrics for all the songs. The big find though is three previously unreleased songs two by Lane and one by Townshend. "Good Question" builds on a demo from "Scoop" that Townshend recorded called "Brrr". Both "Only You" and "Silly Little Man" are exceptional Lane tunes that add to his musical legacy.



A warning to Townshend/Who fans; don't except "Empty Glass" this album has much more in common in tone, feel and sound to Townshend's "Who Came First" album than his later albums.



Pete's in great voice throughout. The opening strains of the odd "love song" "My Baby Gives It Away" which wouldn't have been out of place on a Who record. Townshend's songs tend to rock out a bit more than Lane's but the two provide perfect balance to each other here.

"

Five stars for content and effort

Gordon Pfannenstiel | Russell, KS United States | 10/18/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a 5-star album. Period. And while I lobbied for a decent remaster, I certainly never expected all this. They did a very good (not great) job of remastering, and you get your choice of conventional CD stereo, Dolby DVD stereo or Dolby DVD 5.1. No DTS, unfortunately. I know I'm picking nits, but I don't find the 5.1 mix all that alluring. First, the sound is anemic, requiring much more volume and amp power to get a decent listening experience. The mix lacks punch and high end and is not at all realistic, e.g. the drums are all in the right front channel, kind of a throwback to the "2-track" stereo mixes of the 60s. Also, some of the vocal tracks are different, which is OK, I guess, but off-putting and not as good as the finished vocal tracks. It's one of the most curious, and disappointing surround sound mixes I've heard. I don't know how the stereo master can be so much improved from the previous LP and CD releases, yet the 5.1 mix sound so different and disappointing.



But, honest, I'm not complaining. You don't have to listen to the 5.1 mix, it's there if you want it, and I'm well pleased with the stereo mixes. The CD stereo remaster seems a bit better than the Dolby DVD remaster, but they are close.



At any rate, I am glad they finally remastered this classic album, and the extras are very much appreciated."

Great Album

David | Edina, MN | 10/21/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Glad to have it in surround.

The guy that can't play it on his Pioneer needs only to take in his Pioneer DVD-Audio player to a dealer that can update his firmware, that will fix the problem! I guarantee it!"