If you're not a fan of guitar virtuoso, Eric Johnson, don't bother. However, for fans this might be an interesting disc
First off, though, lets be honest; it's not particularly good. Both the surround mix and stereo mix sound harsh compared to even the CD version I bought back in 1992. The top end isn't particulary open and the percussion seems to have been jacked up to eleven on a ten scale. (This makes the decision to place drums into the rear channels twice as bad.) Oh... and then there is this little iddy bitty mistake: The song "Desert Rose" contains the incorrect takes---and sounds noticably different than what Eric Johnson originally intended and officially released on CD back in 1990.
Johnson wasn't involved---or even aware of this remix---until it had been printed, pressed, and readied for release. Eric Johnson is a perfectionist and I'm sure he had some say in this disc quickly disappearing from store shelves. But maybe there are still some discs out there? Probably not anymore unless you're looking at eBay, but you never know. Anyway... Johnson had indicated on his website a few years back that Captial had agreed to let him work on a new remix, but I haven't heard where this is happening. (Honestly, I doubt we'll ever see it.) So fans may want to get this DVD-Audio copy as a last resort. Just don't pay too much.
That said, you do at least get the music video for "Trademark". That's kinda cool. And, well, some of the tracks are somewhat serviceable in surround sound. For instance, acoustic tracks "Steve's Boogie" and "Song For George" show glimpses of the untapped potential this album had for surround. "Forty Mile Town" ain't all bad, either.
Ultimately, though, this release might be best suited to collectors: It has a few serviceable remixes, a music video, and a "mistake" that gives us a brief glimpse regarding the development of the song, "Desert Rose", by Johnson and crew.
