96 kHz / 24 bit - Surround Sound
192 kHz / 24 bit - Stereo
Most fans of the Eagles will like this disc, at least to some degree, so long as they have an interest in surround music.
I�m a casual fan, but a fan nonetheless. I enjoy hearing the Eagles in small doses and a greatest hits package would probably be the best thing for me. Unfortunately, if I want an official hits album I�m stuck with regular CD---and stereo. Since I like high-resolution surround sound, the next best thing, I suppose, is to find a regular Eagles album that---in addition to being available on DVD-Audio---just happens to be chock full of hit songs. �Hotel California� certainly fits the bill here with four of the nine album tracks being chosen for the band's official �Greatest Hits - Volume 2� album.
So let�s take a look at the DVD-Audio release of �Hotel California�. As I already stated, I�m a casual fan and; thus, I�m not intimately familiar with each and every note played by each and every bandmember. As such, I can only look at whether or not the product in front of me pleases my ears. Comparisons to the original mixes are out the window, so to speak. I do, however, have some very basic background on the album in the form of previous reviews that I have read. Concerning the DVD-Audio release of �Hotel California�, it seems as though everyone loves it. Heck, I love it!
Surround Mix
Now, as if I haven�t already wasted enough online storeage space, please allow me the pleasure of getting more specific about the surround mix. (Hey, if it�s any consolation I don�t plan on writing about the stereo mix.) First off, we already know that it�s good. But what�s it like? Well... It�s not weird or clumsy at all. The final result basically has the front of the room as being the focal point of the mix. Main vocals are spread across the front in a fairly natural way. And most of the percussion comes from the front, too. There is some obvious guitar that makes its way into the surround channels---such as crunchy rhythm or occassional licks---but it�s all done in a way that is tasteful and works nicely with the music emmanating from the front. A good example of this can be found on the song �Life In The Fast Lane�. The guitars in the rear are quite obvious, but for some reason it works! I might suggest, though, that placement of your surround speakers too close to the couch, if that�s your sweet spot for listening, might result in a somewhat less positive opinion. Mostly, though, the mix is like many other good studio recordings that have been adapted to surround sound. It throws a little instrumentation into each of the available channels---probably not too little, not too much---and the result is a very nice room-filling sound. I should add that there seems to be a decent amount of �air� around the instruments and a decent enough sense of space..
Bonus Material
In most cases you�ll want to buy a DVD-Audio disc for its fabulous sound. Right? And since the Eagles �Hotel California� has pretty decent sound you won�t find yourself disappointed with the lack of bonus material found here. There is no photo gallery. The only things you get are the lyrics and a short interview with producer Bill Szymezyk.
Disc Navigation
And since we primarily care about the sound of a disc, we won�t be too disappointed if the disc navigation isn�t all that and more. Right? If you turn on your television set, you�ll have absolutely no trouble selecting which songs or which mix to play. However, if you dread having to turn on the television you�ll be somewhat dissatified by the fact a television screen is required to switch back and forth between the stereo and surround playlists. On my Pioneer DV-563A, the �audio� button will not allow me to switch between them like it does for some of my other DVD-Audio discs. Moreover, direct track access is functional only via the televisions on-screen menu. At least you can still play the album without turning on a television, but you�ll have to select tracks incrementally---cycling through tracks 1 through 5 to play track five instead of just pressing �5� and jumping directly to track 5. I guess I can handle that, though. In fact, that�s how I did most of my listening to this album during this review. So don�t fret. Let�s just hope new discs are authored in ways more friendly to those of us who would prefer to leave the television set turned off.
Conclusion
It seems kind�ve silly for me to throw a conclusion on here. I, mean, I�ve already stated over and over that this is a pretty good disc. It isn�t perffect, but it�s pretty darn good nonetheless. Read what I wrote and think about it. Weigh the many positives over the few negatives. And keep in mind that I�m just some regular guy, so this is just one opinion---but it is amongst many other positive opinions. Could we be be wrong? Well... I don�t think so, but reviewing a surround mix is such a subjective thing. What makes one guy sing praises might make another guy silent in disgust. So do what you�d like. Personally, I don�t think you can go too wrong with buying this disc. Just don't pay any insanely high collector's prices.
