Thanks for clarifying the technical problems. I was puzzled/miffed about the HDCD status. The CD sounds great. Not having a light come on won’t seriously interfere with my listening pleasure.

If one plays a DVD on a system that has small speakers, bass management is usually always on, regardless if there is LFE channel content.

Non-use of LFE channel does not mean you do not get bass. That’s not what it is for. IICORMN was mixed with the idea of full range speakers for the 5 surround, however, in sub-optimal (home theater) situations and even in some bigger systems, there is BASS MANAGEMENT, which means that low frequency signals from the 5 channels are summed and sent to a subwoofer.

Bass management works on the principle that low frequencies have the ability to be non directional, and can supply the missing range for the ’satellite’ speakers The LFE was designed for movies sound effects (think “EarthQuake”) and is added to the BASS MANAGEMENT signal on the way to the subwoofer.

The LFE was never intended to be a replacement for what BASS MANAGEMENT does for the other channels, and not for “more bass” either.

Not providing a LFE was an artistic decision - mine. I’ll take the blame. Warner/Rhino didn’t like it either. Remember that the playback format has the capability of as many channels are appropriate. In some cases mixers are creating THREE channel ‘mixes’ (L C R) from old 3 track tapes or Quad. using 4 speakers.

I’ve done a lot of research and discussed the use of the LFE with other surround mixers like Nate Kunkel, Al Schmidt, and Elliot Schiner, and the consensus is ‘less is more’.

If one were to listen to the content of most of the project, there is incredibly very little activity down there (below 60 hz). Only ‘Cowboy Movie’ and ‘What Are Their Names’ had anything down there at all, and when I tried to add kick or bass to the LFE on those songs, it didn’t enhance, it detracted. It sounded ‘muffy’ and unnatural and did not relay the experience of the original work.

My guiding light in the mixing of IICORMN was to be as true to the soundspace of the original as possible while expanding it. It was mixed in two locations over the span of 7 months, and I worked pretty hard on it. I hope many people will get a chance to hear this masterpiece in surround; you won’t forget it.

The stereo mixes, with the exception of KIDS AND DOGS, are from the original master tapes.

The surround mixes will play in all modern DVD players one way or the other, via Dolby, DTS, and DVD-A.

stephen barncard

Sincere gratitude to all associated with this record. I first heard IICORMN in 1983, as a teenager listening to a 40-year-old hippychick’s cassette copy in her basement room as she splashed on patchouli; it wasn’t the best introduction. Thank god, 24 years later I was allowed to rediscover this beautiful, beautiful butterfly of an album through Barncard’s glorious new surround mix. Maybe it’s just the timing, but I don’t know that I’ll ever hear a finer, more ‘in tune’ rock-n-roll record. Probably nothing else I’ve heard comes close in terms of chemistry, artistically or pharmaceutically.

I rediscovered Tim Buckley’s GREETINGS FROM L.A. about 6 years ago and had a similar response. How many other rock masterpieces from the golden era are languishing in obscurity? Time to trot them all out again, one by one, because it seems that our great cultural heritage is getting lost on the tonedeaf iPod generation.

Technically, I would’ve preferred an SACD mix to any of those offered, but the DTS mix is still gorgeous — swirly and shimmery and worthy of its own contact high. I’m not sure why, but my subwoofer picks up a strong signal (man, does it ever kick in with “Cowboy Movie”!). It’s orgasmic. I feel like I’m center-stage at the Fillmore.

Thank you Croz, thank you Stephen, your friends and your whole generation. The patchouli fades, mercifully, but your passion still glows.

Thanks for this site. I just finished listening to the Classic Vinyl Version, and it remains one of the most magical records ever recorded, right up there with Kind of Blue or Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Crosby was vastly ahead of his time with “If I Could …” and it’s great that it is finally getting the recognition that it should have received the day it was released [I still get angry when I read Lester Bang’s put down … and he wasn’t the only one!].

Anyway, on the Track by Track list, Stephen Barncard seems to remember that Jerry Garcia double tracked both lead guitar parts, but I’ve read elsewhere that Neil Young is the other lead guitar in the mix. I mean, to my ears, it has to be Neil, just listen to that riff after Crosby sings “mean and young, from the South” like he just called out Neil’s name, and Neil does that electric stutter break in response.

I hope Crosby realizes this is his finest work. I find most of the CSNY albums sounding dated these days … while “If I Could …” transcends time and, needless to say, space.

The IICORMN album was released on my 14th birthday. This unintentional birthday present came to shape many aspects of my latter years and shall continue to do so for years to come, God willing. It seems only fitting that this finely-crafted mix serves as a tribute to complete immersion into the ethereal realm of its creator David, the muse to whom the source of expansive inspiration shall continue to be attributed.

The new life which Stephen’s surround sound mix breathes into it is not so much a resuscitation as it is a reincarnation of the spirit which resides within the past, present and beyond, all of which comprise a circular, eternal now.

The circle, like the spinning disk itself, has been completed many times around yet this latest revolution envelopes and holds the listener captive on a host of harmonic levels. This latest cycle of captivation ironically effects the liberating freedom for the mind’s ear to become fully immersed in the voice of the muse.

As always, grateful to you both…
D.C.

I’m really glad to have a remastered version of one of my all-time favorite albums, but when I play it on my Rotel RCD-971 player the HDCD light doesn’t come on and it sounds to me like it’s isn’t playing in HDCD. Is there anything I can do about this? The dvd works as expected. It’s great to hear versions of this classic album that sound much better than the orginal cd version but I can’t help feeling that I’m missing out on that last bit of detail.

In the back of the case it says ‘Video” at the bottom of the listed features. Where/what is this video? I’ve yet to find it on the menu.
Help!
Mangelife

After a very long wait I was excited to finally get my hands on the much desired surround mix of IICORMN. From what I’ve been hearing from some friends I was fortunate that it played fine on my Toshiba DVD player. I have had several people tell me that it would not play properly on their decks. I hope that the bugs get worked out soon and those folks get replacement discs that have been corrected.

This release is too good for issues like that to stand between the fans and this work of art. I was completely blown away by the incredible resolution as well as the 5.0 mix. The only thing that I could imagine sounding better would be to have sat right in the middle of the band during the sessions. The mix was tastefully done and I never found it distracting. You are truly able to immerse yourself in the experience and I promise you that this has been worth the wait.

Hi Gang,

     Merry Christmas…

The first time I bought and listened to IICORMN I put on “WHAT ARE THEIR NAMES”.  Being a scant 16 years old, I felt I learned more about American politics after listening to the song than sitting in a civics or pol.sci class.  I made a black armband out of an old sock and wore it proudly knowing what it stood for.   Thanks David… I have played that song hundreds of times and everytime I play it or guitar or stereo, I re-commit to living in a free society with freedom of speech surrounded by the Bill of Rights.   Rock On… Joe Ray Skrha

It’s so satisfying to find that, through the years, many other folks have appreciated the importance of this wonderful recording. For me, the functional word is ’seminal.’ This album single-handedly shaped my musical, social and political thinking. As a 17 year old, I listened to the music and its message over and over again, learning the guitar parts and alternate tunings, absorbing the political content and gaining a love of the SF environs before I even had a chance to visit.

Decades have passed and the personal importance of this album has remained alive. Now, with this excellent reissue in surround sound, I can relive the initial experience by enjoying subtle musical nuances never before heard.

Thanks to all who made this happen and thanks to David Crosby for his enormous influence on my life.