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I'm a fan of Eric Clapton's music, but not a super fan. I saw him live at Royal Albert Hall in February 2001 and loved the show, but I certainly didn't travel to London specifically to see him. I own a few of his albums and have a few more favorited in my streaming libraries. I prefer the deeper tracks over the classic rock radio hits. I love his albums Reptile (2001) and Riding with the King with B.B. King (2000). I got heavily into his Lady in the Balcony unplugged album over the last couple years as well. To be honest, I don't remember ever listening to Clapton's 24 Nights.
Why am I writing about The Definitive 24 Nights Super Deluxe CD Edition and isn't there someone who can better compare and contrast 24 Nights versions and dig deep into the differences of each box, both past and present? I'm sure there are many people more capable of writing a 24 Nights treatise. However, the reason I'm excited about The Definitive 24 Nights and what the focus of this review is, is Dolby Atmos. Without Dolby Atmos, I'd likely have overlooked this box set. With Dolby Atmos and my calibrated 12 channel Wilson Audio system, this box is right up my alley.
According to Clapton's online store, "The Definitive 24 Nights [Super Deluxe CD Set] limited-edition deluxe box sets include a full concert on audio and film of each genre: Rock, Blues and Orchestral. 47 songs, almost 6 hours of music on 6 CDs or 8 LPs and 3 Blu-ray’s. The Blu-ray’s are exclusive to these box sets that also contain a hard bound book and an individually numbered lithograph."
The three Blu-ray Discs contain video of the concerts, but to be honest, I haven't seen a second of the video. I love music and theater of the mind. I'll never allow video into my listening room. I wanted the Blu-ray Discs for the lossless TrueHD Dolby Atmos music only. The entire three disc set will be available in lossy Dolby Digital+ JOC Atmos beginning June 22, 2023 on Apple Music, but the TrueHD Atmos on the Blu-ray sounds much much better (compared to the early release singles). If one is interested in quality, this box set with three Blu-ray Discs is an absolute must!
The Blu-ray Discs are labeled Rock, Blues, and Orchestral. Most of the songs are unique to each disc, but some songs are on more than one disc, played in different arrangements. At first blush it seems that more than one version of a song is for the super fan only, but after listening, I'm happy to report this isn't the case. Even the casual Eric Clapton fan will enjoy the different versions.
Let's look at the song Old Love. It's on the Rock and Orchestral discs. The Rock version in Atmos places the listener right in Royal Albert Hall, with great reverb filling out the surround and height channels. The side surround channels envelop the listening position with the perfect amount of content. For example, the guitar solo near the 3.5 minute mark is mainly focussed on the front speakers, but the supporting cast of speakers has plenty of reverb, drums, and cymbals to keep the immersion very real. At the end of the solo, the crowd applauds, again putting the listener inside Royal Albert Hall.
The Orchestral version of Old Love features more music in the side and height channels, for a great sense of space. Just like an orchestral piece should. The backing orchestra gives an elevation to the music that lifts the listening space up as the sense of heigh increases. It's truly a fantastic listening experience and a fantastic piece of music. Old Love isn't a track I remember hearing, ever. The Atmos versions (rock and orchestral) are unique and have me totally sold. A combined twenty minutes of music that goes by in a flash.
Bell Bottom Blues (orchestral) is another wonderful arrangement and Atmos mix. The immersion is so tastefully, there isn't a hint of gimmickry. Comparing this to the stereo version and the Lady in the Balcony Atmos version, it's no contest. The 24 Nights Atmos orchestral version blows away all previous versions.
The entire 24 Nights three disc Atmos set is mixed wonderfully and sounds terrific. All the meters in my 7.1.4 12 channel system show plenty of music. This is the opposite of The Rolling Stones' Grrr Live! in Atmos, which I can't stand. A major tip of the cap to Dolby Atmos mixing engineers Andy Bradfield and Simon Climie, and Dolby Atmos Assistant Engineer Jacob Dennis for their great work on this Definitive 24 nights box set.
As I write this, I just keep listening and getting feedback from people via the forum (I posted a short note that I was listening to the album). There's a lot of music to listen to in this box, but I'm enthralled with it and have a new love for more of Clapton's work since I started listening. I'm currently playing White Room on the orchestral disc. A track that I previously would've skipped. In Atmos, it's an enveloping experience with backing vocalists, horns, strings, and 5,272 applauding Clapton fans. This Definitive 24 Nights box set has me much more interested in Clapton's entire catalog, and I absolutely want it all in TrueHD Dolby Atmos. There's nothing like it.
It doesn't stop! I just received a message that I should listen to the song titled Edge of Darkness. I can't say I've ever heard of it, but I see it's on the orchestral Disc of 24 Nights. This track is superbly gorgeous. Lush guitar with an ethereal backing string section that's mixed for Atmos beautifully. Once the band kicks in around the 3:30 mark, the sound fills out the three dimensional Atmos space even more and immerses the listener in all that is great about Clapton and this 24 nights box. It's like bathing in guitar virtuosity that sounds stellar. The ending solo makes me feel like I'm sitting in Royal Albert Hall!
The Definitive 24 Nights Super Deluxe CD Set is an absolute bargain and a must have. Considering the Rush Moving Pictures box, which is required to get the 7 songs in Atmos on Blu-ray, costs from $250-$300 right now, and that I paid $320 for the Dark Side of the Moon box set, only to get the Atmos Blu-ray, I think spending $140 for 6 hours / 50 tracks of Clapton gems that sound fantastic in Atmos is a no brainer. Add to cart. Seriously.
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