Mike Oldfield - Five Miles Out - DVD-A 5.1 surround review

Mike Oldfield has re-released his 1982 "Five Miles Out", as a three disc 2CD+DVD edition, with the DVD featuring a 5.1 surround sound mix. Returning to extended compositions on Five Miles Out, Oldfield continues the "Taurus" series with the mammoth "Taurus II," with references to Irish music, brass bands and Oldfield's beloved Morris. The title track stands out, referring to flying in bad weather, but it would be his song "Family Man" that would become a huge worldwide hit for Hall & Oates.

Oldfield continues to remix his discography, many which are available in surround sound. Five Miles Out has been given the full treatment here, and includes on disc 1: the entire album remixed with two bonus trakcs, on disc 2: The previously unreleased Five Miles Out Tour recorded in December 2012 in Cologne. The third disc is the DVD which contains the entire album in surround sound, along with a couple of promo and live videos.

As one would expect, I found the DTS 5.1 version to have superior sound quality compared to the Dolby Digital 5.1 track. The overall mix is one of Oldfield's best, and is very well balanced throughout much of the album. Yet there are several times during the nearly 25 minute opening track "Taurus II" where instrumentation in the center channel was overpowering the remainder of the mix. At points voices float from the rear channels while percussion and drums take their common place up front with a smooth round sound for the timpani and a lush quality for the cymbals. The original multi-tracks must contain closely placed microphones on the various untreated instruments. There is fantastic separation and real depth to the ambient effects across the sound stage. Listeners will find thumpy bass propelling them through several tracks on this release, but will surely find the surround mix to be very good overall.

Recommended for fans of progressive rock and collectors of Mike Oldfield's distinctive material. Also check out Crises, re-issued at the same time, or pick up some of his earlier works such as Tubular Bells and Hergest Ridge, also available in surround sound versions.

Disc: 1 - CD (Re-mix of original album)

1. Taurus II
2. Family Man
3. Orabidoo
4. Mount Teidi
5. Five Miles Out
6. Waldberg (The Peak) * Bonus Track
7. Five Miles Out (Demo) * Bonus Track

Disc: 2 - - CD  (Concert, Cologne, Dec 1982)

1. Tubular Bells Part One
2. Sheba
3. Mirage
4. Family Man
5. Taurus II
6. Mount Teidi
7. Five Miles Out
8. Guilty

Disc: 3 (DVD – 5.1)

1. Taurus II
2. Family Man
3. Orabidoo
4. Mount Teidi
5. Five Miles Out
Other video promo & live bonus material

 Format Info

Two Audio CD's and a DVD-Audio with a 5.1 surround sound mix in either Dolby Digital 5or DTS

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 About the Author

Wesley is a lifelong music enthusiast. He started his career in the recording industry in New York City as an audio engineer, producer, and studio manager. Subsequently he toured across America as a guitarist with the short-lived band Land's Crossing. After many years in the technology sector and amassing a substantial vinyl and CD collection, he delved into immersive audio and created Hi-Res Edition to share with other listeners about the sound quality and discrete mixes available on many formats. He recently upgraded his system to 7.1.4 Dolby Atmos and continues to seek out and share about the best sounding releases.