Fans Get Screwed By Neil Young

[Mr Peabody]

I foolishly paid the extra money to get a DVD with Neil Young's Greatest Hits. I put the DVD in expecting live footage or interview, not even close, all it shows is a picture of a turntable playing and features the same songs as on the CD. Different songs, you get a different album on the table and camera angle, whooopie! I truely feel ripped off by Neil Young and if it's an attempt to get back at downloading then many of us that don't become victims of his scheme. This may have been funny if it didn't cost additional money to have it played on me.

[ForeverAutumn]

I foolishly paid the extra money to get a DVD with Neil Young's Greatest Hits. I put the DVD in expecting live footage or interview, not even close, all it shows is a picture of a turntable playing and features the same songs as on the CD. Different songs, you get a different album on the table and camera angle, whooopie! I truely feel ripped off by Neil Young and if it's an attempt to get back at downloading then many of us that don't become victims of his scheme. This may have been funny if it didn't cost additional money to have it played on me.

Is the DVD version in 5.1? I recently saw versions of the Keane and Snow Patrol disks for almost double the price. One side of the disk was the usual CD and the other side was the same album on DVD but it was properly mixed for surround sound. My understanding was that there was nothing to watch, the only benefit being that you could listen to it on your home theatre system.

I'm sorry that you paid the extra money and didn't get what you expected. Maybe you can return the disk under the pretense of false advertising.

[Davey]

For those not familiar with this package, the DVD is mastered at 24/96 high resolution and from what I've read most audiophiles were very happy with the sound of it, some claiming that it sounded better than most DVD-A discs they've heard, except maybe NY's own Harvest disc which has 24/192 stereo tracks on it. But if you were looking for video and not high quality sound I can see your point. I thought it had a prominent label on the jewel case, but maybe not.

I think his desire lately has been to try and get his catalog out in the highest resolution possible and with DVD-A so screwed up, these DAD discs are an alternative as they are covered under the normal DVD spec. I have a few classic jazz releases from Classic Records in the 24/96 DAD format and they sound very nice. But no video :)

[Dave_G]

I looked at this set a bunch of times and nowhere does it claim that there is concert video or anything like that, so I didn't waste my dough. I hate greatest hits things anyway so I was mainly looking at the dvd content and since it didn't mention "concert" I put it back on the shelf.

Dave

[shokhead]

How much input do you really think NY has to do with it? I'm thinking very little as the lable will have most of the control i would think.

[Martini]

Hi folks - first post for me.
I've been wondering about this release as well, specifically the regular audio CD version. Is it remastered? Usually this is a big selling point and it's clearly indicated on the stickers on the shrink wrap, but it isn't on this release. I already have Decade plus some of the original CD releases - are the sonics any better on this Greatest Hits release?

Thanks

[Davey]

Hi folks - first post for me.
I've been wondering about this release as well, specifically the regular audio CD version. Is it remastered? Usually this is a big selling point and it's clearly indicated on the stickers on the shrink wrap, but it isn't on this release. I already have Decade plus some of the original CD releases - are the sonics any better on this Greatest Hits release?

Thanks
Welcome Martini! Cool moniker - now you need to find a justascool avatar ;)

I haven't heard it myself but you can read some opinions at http://stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=45295

[Dusty Chalk]

Blue Man Group, Audio -- DVD-Audio

Most of it are (is?) stills, but when they get to 'Cat Song' (which isn't on the regular Redbook CD version), it switches to video. Of one of those hand-held LED light message wands that they enjoy playing with in concert.

And a cat.

And the cat's reactions to the messages on the light message wand.

It's actually quite amusing.

I do not feel 'ripped off', as the surround is very enjoyable. It's a bit over-the-top (you are at the center of a large, percussion-heavy ensemble), but as long as you know what you're getting...

[Woochifer]

How much input do you really think NY has to do with it? I'm thinking very little as the lable will have most of the control i would think.

From what I've read, Neil Young is a huge fan of the high res formats, and the combo CD+DVD pack has a high res disc that's playable on ALL DVD players, not just those that can play DVD-A. A package like this is hardly something that record labels would come up with on their own, especially since the DVD is for the most part the exact same content as the CD.


Hi folks - first post for me.
I've been wondering about this release as well, specifically the regular audio CD version. Is it remastered? Usually this is a big selling point and it's clearly indicated on the stickers on the shrink wrap, but it isn't on this release. I already have Decade plus some of the original CD releases - are the sonics any better on this Greatest Hits release?

The technical notes for the remastering process and how they created the high res version is on Neil Young's website. Apparently, it was a start to finish remastering job, and what I've heard is quite good.

http://www.neilyoung.com/archives/
http://www.soundstage.com/backstage/backstage.htm

[Mr Peabody]

I may have misunderstood Neil's attempt here but I would have appreciated something on the package to say what the DVD was. I'm personally not into the 5 channel music thing. Now that I have my HT part of my system back in place I'll have to give the DVD a listen to see how it sounds. I played it on my Sony DVD linked the the Sony TV via HDMI cable just to see what was on it.

[Mr Peabody]

I posted my prior message from email and did not realize so many replies were here. I do believe the CD is remastered and have to say I think the sound quality is outstanding. Especially when compared to other music recorded in the same era. There's some hiss in the background, really noticeable when the music stops you can hear the hiss fade out as the CD goes to next track. I didn't find that so bothersome since the music itself sounded so good.

From the impression I got from the VH-1 Behind the Music with Neil Young, I have no doubt that he was in control of this release. I think Reprise, intentional or not, did a bad job of packaging the product so that the consumer knows what they are getting. I don't have many of these duel sets but from the few I have it looks like this is a typical problem. Joe Bonamassa So It's Like That doesn't even say you are getting a DVD. But that kind of a surprise I can live with. The Leann Rimes Greatest Hits did say it included a DVD and exactly what was on it. I guess if it doesn't say for sure it's best to leave it alone unless you might benefit from the sound some how. I did read that this was also available on vinyl. I might have bought that if the price was right.

[Martini]

A couple of days after I posted here I had a closer look at the CD cover, and there was the little HDCD designation. A day or two after that I found the CD in the used CD shop for a great price, so I picked it up. You are absolutely right, the sound is outstanding. Far superior to the Decade release..

[PPG]

I'm a little late to this party but, I've got this CD/DVD-A and, 1. The regular CD has been remastered and sounds very nice, 2. The DAD is, I believe, stereo-only hi-rez (not 5.1) but it sounds superb. The turntable playing the record is basically a joke/gimmick to have on your screen if you desire to give you the feeling that you're listening to an LP. But about the hi-rez disc, it sounded so revealing to my ears that my thought when I was listening was, "who needs surround sound music when this sounds so darn good?!" I bought this almost soley based on the comments I'd been reading about the sound quality of the DVD - I had never bought a NY release prior to this one.