Golden Earring - Switch DTS (SBU)

Artist: Golden Earring
Album: Switch
Format: 5.1 DTS CD
Stereo to Surround Method: Surroundbyus.com

Review by Donald A. Guarisco

After the success of Moontan, Golden Earring could have easily parlayed its success into international stardom by continuing to play up that album's commercial elements. Instead, the group did an about-face, pursuing uncommercial song themes and pushing the prog rock side of its sound to the fore (this move included the addition of Dutch prog rock keyboardist Robert Jan Stips, formerly of Supersister, to the lineup). The band even lampooned the sexy cover art of its recent hit album with a similar cover that replaced the gorgeous showgirl on Moontan with a marionette. The result is an album that lacks the consistent sound and coherence of Moontan, but makes up for it with an adventurous spirit and plenty of instrumental firepower. Highlights include "Love Is a Rodeo," a tune that starts as a thrilling guitar rocker before taking a sudden left turn into a finger-snapping instrumental coda dominated by synthesizer, and "Kill Me (Ce Soir)," a mystical epic that starts with a pulsating bassline and builds to a thunderous, orchestrated climax as its lyrics present a surprisingly incisive portrait of how society inevitably destroys its idols. A downside is that, by encompassing so many different styles, the songs lack the logical flow that would allow Switch to feel like a full, cohesive album. Another problem is that the lyrics have a bitter and defensive tinge (especially on "The Switch," a hard-edged explanation of the group's artistic rationale) that sometimes sits at odds with the exciting quality of the music. Despite these problems, Switch remains a solid album that Golden Earring's fan base will enjoy; the disc might also appeal to adventurous fans of prog and hard rock.

1 Intro: Plus Minus Absurdio Hay, Kooymans 3:08
2 Love Is a Rodeo Hay, Kooymans 3:37
3 The Switch Hay, Kooymans 5:27
4 Kill Me (Ce Soir) Fenton, Hay, Kooymans 6:22
5 Tons of Time Hay, Kooymans 4:20
6 Daddy's Gonna Save My Soul Hay, Kooymans 4:15
7 Troubles and Hassles Hay, Kooymans 4:20
8 Lonesome D.J. Hay, Kooymans 4:36

Releases
1975 CD Polydor 8471602
1975 LP MCA 2139
Track Record 2139
CD Red Bullet 66207

DTS-CD info:

This is a 5.1 DTS encoded cd. You burn it just like any other cd (wav and cue file included) but it requires a DTS decoder to playback. Otherwise you will just get a blast of noise (un-decoded DTS)!

Some instructions here: http://www.surroundbyus.com/sbu/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=15

The short version is you play this in CD, DVD, Blu-Ray, or Game Console, with a DIGITAL connection (SPDIF or HDMI) to a Receiver with a DTS decoder. For DVD, Blu-Ray, Game Console, some settings may be necessary to ensure 44.1 Khz audio is BIT STREAMED to your receiver.

Some software players, such as foobar2000, can also be taught to play back DTS CDs or the included DTS encoded wav and cue files.