James Blunt: Back to Bedlam

[Paul R]

I picked up this CD yesterday, and I can't decide if something is just wrong with the CD, if it is supposed to sound this way, or if the dang thing is just recorded very badly. The first track _High_ has segments on it that sound very discordant, and instruments, voices, and what sounds like noise become inseparable.

 

I really like this guy's work, the segments of each track that are listenable are pretty good - the tracks grab you and catch you up in what he is feeling. I would hazard that the guy is ex military. He really seems to know what he is talking about in some of his work.

 

I have tried ripping the darn thing with XLD, dbPowerAmp, and iTunes, all withe same result, so I think the disk is physically okay.

 

Anyone else have this and can verify if it is supposed to sound this way in parts?

 

-Paul

 

 

[Stevef]

I enjoy Mr Blunt, but even on my system I find some if the sound poorly managed. He is military, I believe he was a tank commander in Kosovo during that war, an (I believe) served as a member of the Queen's guardian regiment at some point. Perhaps some of the haphazard production was haste to get a CD out to the public.

 

Steve f

 

[davidR]

Paul I listened to the track you mentioned and I feel James Blunt is another victim of the loudness wars. You know the recordings have no dynamics when the chorus sounds "smaller" and literally quieter than the verses themselves (the verses sound fine). I hear what you are talking about. Hard limiting and compression really playing against the listener here. If they were to remix and master this and go easy on the plug ins he could have some really dynamic superb recordings. Unfortunately with the pop genre every record label wants to make it "pop" out on the radio. o_O Have you tried offline upsampling these tracks ahead of time with software and had any luck?

 

[Paul R]

Yes, I expect you are correct.

 

Indeed, I just was playing with up-sampling it, different file formats, equalization, Amarra, Pure Music, J. River, played on the CD player, the BRD player, computer(s), and so forth. No joy. What a shame such a really good album has been so ruined.

 

-Paul