Pink Floyd Wish You Were Here 50th Anniversary Blu-ray Review: Dolby Atmos, 5.1, Quad and the 1975 L.A. Concert

I was happy to finally get the 50th Anniversary edition of Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here on a standalone Blu-ray Disc. This includes not only a new immersive Dolby Atmos multichannel mix of the classic 1975 album, but also an official release of an acclaimed fan-made bootleg concert recording from the Los Angeles Sports Arena that year. The disc also contains six previously unreleased alternate versions and demos from the period.

Now, if you are like me and already own Pink Floyd’s 2011 Wish You Were Here “Immersion” boxed set, you may be wondering whether you really need this new 50th Anniversary disc. As for the similarities, James Guthrie’s 5.1 mix and the 1976 quadraphonic mix appear to be the same, as do the promotional videos.

For me, the biggest attraction is the complete 16-song live concert recording from April 26, 1975, at the Los Angeles Sports Arena, which is totally worth the price of admission! The concert was restored and remastered by none other than acclaimed prog-rock producer and musician Steven Wilson.

It sounds excellent in its robust 96 kHz/24-bit presentation, especially considering the source—again, a very, very good fan-made audience recording. The performance is exemplary, with the concert beginning with two urgent early versions of songs that later appeared on Pink Floyd’s 1977 album Animals: “Raving and Drooling” and “You Gotta Be Crazy” (retitled “Sheep” and “Dogs,” respectively). And the concert only gets better from there.

If I have any disappointment, it is only that the new Dolby Atmos mix feels almost like an afterthought. Don’t get me wrong: it is OK, but it’s not significantly better than James Guthrie’s 2011 5.1 mix or the original 1976 quadraphonic mix.

The Dolby Atmos mix seems to feature a perhaps overly uniform, smooth blend, allowing the music to be heard effectively from almost any vantage point in the room. It does not rely as heavily on directing discrete information toward the so-called “sweet spot,” which is often the focus of 5.1 surround listening. And it is exactly that relative lack of precision from different positions in the room that I missed.

I do like the new navigation screen and screensaver on this 50th Anniversary disc, with their super-cool artwork and concert photos from the era.

Overall, for the price, the 50th Anniversary Blu-ray Disc edition of Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here is a solid value for deep and casual fans alike. It is available from retailers like Amazon for just $26.98, as well as via the band’s website.

Our Ratings

★★★★★★★★★★ Music

★★★★★★★★★★ Sound

★★★★★★★★★★ Packaging

Where to Buy

Mark Smotroff is a deep music enthusiast / collector who has also worked in entertainment oriented marketing communications for decades supporting the likes of DTS, Sega and many others. He reviews vinyl for Analog Planet and has written for Audiophile Review, Sound+Vision, Mix, EQ, etc. You can learn more about him at LinkedIn.

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