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ABC / The Lexicon of Love SDE Exclusive Blu-ray – unboxed

SDE editor Paul Sinclair takes a first look at No 12 in the SDE Surround Series, ABC’s 1982 album The Lexicon of Love.

This physical product features FOUR exclusive versions of the album, as follows:

  • A Dolby Atmos Mix of The Lexicon of Love (by Steven Wilson)
  • A DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Mix of The Lexicon of Love (by Steven Wilson)
  • A hi-res stereo remix of The Lexicon of Love (by Steven Wilson)
  • A hi-res stereo instrumental mix of The Lexicon of Love (by Steven Wilson)
  • The 1982 mix of The Lexicon of Love in hi-res stereo

This product is exclusive to SDE. It is No.12 in the ongoing SDE Surround Series and ships with a collectible SDE slipcase.

The Lexicon of Love SDE-exclusive blu-ray is released on 4 August 2023. Pre-orders are shipping right now and there is still some stock available. Order using this link or via the buy button (‘pre-order’) below.

TECHNICAL NOTES: This blu-ray audio requires a blu-ray player. Decoding the Dolby Atmos mix requires a Dolby Atmos-certified soundbar or a Dolby Atmos-compatible AV Receiver/Amp. The Dolby Atmos mix will ‘fold down’ to 5.1 or stereo if a Dolby Atmos decoder is not detected.
EU SHIPPING NOTES: If you are ordering from the EU please be aware that that goods may be subject to import VAT when they arrive from the UK. The prices the SDE shop charge you do not include VAT

Tracklisting

The Lexicon of Love ABC / 40th anniversary

    • SDE Blu-ray Audio
      The Lexicon of Love in the following audio mixes:
      1. Steven Wilson Dolby Atmos Mix
      2. Steven Wilson DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix (96/24)
      3. Steven Wilson Stereo Mix in hi-res stereo (96/24)
      4. Steven Wilson Stereo Instrumental mix in hi-res stereo (96/24)
      5. Original 1982 stereo mix in hi-res stereo (96/24)
      The Lexicon of Love
      1. Show Me
      2. Poison Arrow
      3. Many Happy Returns
      4. Tears Are Not Enough
      5. Valentine’s Day
      6. The Look of Love (Part One)
      7. Date Stamp
      8. All of My Heart
      9. 4 Ever 2 Gether
      10. The Look of Love (Part Four)
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95 Comments

95 thoughts on “ABC / The Lexicon of Love SDE Exclusive Blu-ray – unboxed”

  1. I saw this listed for pre-sale and thought “hmmmmm…” as my memories of ABC while positive were like “Poison Arrow” and “The Look Of Love” on MTV. So I cued up the album in Apple Music and listened while going for a long (extra long as my wife and I got lost from each other!) run in Casa Del Campo park in Madrid. Oh wow what a gorgeous sounding album-ordered the Blu-ray as soon as we stopped. Finally got to listen (in 5.1) and oooooh to quote Ambrosia/Kurt Vonnegut “nice nice very nice.” One of the best music purchases I have ever made, thank thanks many thanks!

    My wish list? Well I’ll second some in this thread: yeah Frankie‘s Pleasuredome and Thomas Dolby and Duran for sure. Ah now Spandau Ballet, there’s another band with some great material and really good recordings. 90125 could be interesting as while I really liked the material and the tour, the sound has always been kind of thin or hollow to me; a stronger remix could be very cool. As would any surround from Jon Anderson…Enya…Kitaro while I’m at it. Back to the 80s maybe Howard Jones, Thompson Twins?

    To swing to the world of heavy metal well there’s not much that’s been done…Iron Maiden released Dance Of Death to the already moribund DVD-Audio format; Judas Priest put out Angel Of Retribution on the even less known DualDisc. Both were their current albums at the time, both did zero business, surely killing off any desire to spend money remixing more salable titles. I wonder if the bands were even aware, or just a record label thing? Classic metal titles remixed to surround and hyped through channels like online metal sites and Eddie Trunk’s SiriusXM shows and so on could do well! Please!

  2. Didn’t really know the ABC group (except from The look of Love remix from recent compilation ) , i don’t remember any of their singles to be played in France in the 80’s.

    Paul you caught me with your description of the 2023 mixes, so I listened to the original album and give it a try with this Blu ray release. And i really like it.

    Thank you Paul for all those releases, and very happy to hear you are working on the Ioss process !

  3. Another great release – thank you Paul!

    Please install a continental warehouse.
    Since the glorious Brexit every release is really expensive in Germany.
    Including all VAT and Others stuff thus one is almost 49 Euro or 42 British Pounds…

  4. “Jeff Wayne’s Musical Version of The War of the Worlds” would be a great future release. It has previously been available as an SACD in 5.1 sound. But a Steven Wilson Atmos mix would take it to another level. Ultravox “Rage In Eden” would also sound amazing in Atmos. SW has already done a 5.1 mix, so it would be a natural progression for him.

  5. Just wanted to echo the sentiments on this forum that this release is arguably the best of the series so far. The Stereo mix is simply one of the best aural experiences I’ve had listening to music. Unfortunately I don’t have an Atmos system so can’t comment on that, but hopefully I’ll get to enjoy that mix down the road.

    The seamless transition between the mixes is also a great feature and I love the fact that it allows you to do a “taste” test for a proper comparison. To my ears, the Stereo mix clearly surpasses the original mix. So massive kudos to SW.

    Thanks again to Paul for selling this amazing initiative to the many artists who have taken the plunge into the SDE Surround Series thus far. I cannot wait to see/hear what’s next.

    Cheers.

  6. Still waiting on my blu-ray, lathe cut vinyl arrived okay. There is another lathe cut vinyl coming up:
    Poison Arrow / When Smokey Sings. Paul, will you be offering this one also??

  7. My copy arrived today. It took it‘s time and after a first listen I‘m here to say, thank you Paul.
    If I had a wish for number 13 in this series I would go for Frankie goes to Hollywood – Welcome to the pleasure Dome. For that Blu Ray I would shell out 50 Euros again. That is the price I had to pay to get it to Germany. Don‘t get me wrong I‘m not complaining.

  8. Ultimate thanks for this edition of one of my favorite albums from this era of modern music. The Dolby Atmos and other mixes are incredible. It’s a great time to be alive :)

  9. Just received notification that mine is on the way (I’d bundled it with Paul Hardcastle, which then got delayed).

    I was already eager to give this one a spin so it’s been hard to read all the great comments below from those who already have theirs but now really excited to sit with it this weekend and give it a good listen.

  10. My copy arrived over the weekend and played it last night, the Atmos mix is superb and how good is the instrumental version, that is pure gold.

    ….Whilst listening, a thought came to me, a perfect addition for this series would be “The Luxury Gap” by Heaven 17, it was made for an Atmos Mix.

    Great work all round Paul.

  11. Thanks Paul for getting these out so quick. I received my package yesterday in California. Was worried about receiving on time as I am moving out of state at the end of the month.

  13. Absolutely brilliant. Martin Frys vocals sound fantastic, particularly on the atmos mix which anchors it mainly to the centre speaker. No auto-tune back in 1982 either! Steven Wilson excels once again. Also the instrumental mix really allows Anne Dudleys orchestrations to shine…along with Trev’s production. My favourite SDE release so far and the bar had already been set very high.

  14. This was a very enjoyable listen and yes, it was nice to flick through the variants to hear the differences in the mix. My only gripe, I wish all blu ray tracks had moving animations, my player and tv don’t go into screen save and my set up means I have to keep the tv on while listening in Atmos. I would love to hear beauty stab in Atmos, in fact I like the albums Up, abracadabra and even sky scraping would sound awesome in Atmos, especially the song light years. Thanks Paul and Martin.

  15. The “Atmos” mix is Dolby True HD 7.1. Thats from playing it on 3 different Bluray players through my Atmos receiver and speaker system.

    1. Dolby True HD isn’t the same as Dolby Atmos. True HD is an audio codec that Atmos needs to play lossless (the other is Dolby Digital Plus, which is lossy). It’s a container for Atmos basically but unlike True HD, Atmos isn’t limited to 7.1 channels. 128 is the maximum and of course Atmos has height channels which True HD doesn’t. If you’d like to learn more, here’s some info > https://thehometheaterdiy.com/dolby-truehd-vs-atmos/

      1. I discovered I had the “Zone 2” speakers enabled on my receiver, which idisables the front height speakers. I turned those off, and now I am getting the True-HD Atmos stream in all its glory.

        What a truly fantastic album this is. Having bought the album on vinyl on its release date, it is also the first album I bought on cd. And one I always thought would be amazing in surround sound.

        My only issue with this release is, the same versions are included on the bluray in the 4xvinyl boxset. And there’s a movie on there as well.

  18. So jealous of all of you guys who ordered from SDE as my Amazon UK pre-order has yet to ship! This album was the first album I ever played all the way through as a kid. It still holds up!

    1. I pre ordered directly from SDE (vinyl and Blu Ray) but tracking status is still as Royal Mail are waiting for SDE to give it to them. SDE say that it’s probably missed the initial scan at Royal Mail, Royal Mail say in that unlikely event it gets scanned at various points on it’s journey and would’ve been picked up at those points and should have been with me yesterday. Not great for a first time customer.

  19. Received my copy this morning and just had a very quick skim through some tracks. Love the fact that you can easily switch between audio settings while the track still plays uninterrupted. The new stereo mix sound awesome against the older version and although I have only got a 5.1 system I reckon the Atmos version sounds a lot fuller than the 5.1 mix.
    Can’t wait to listen to the whole album properly.
    Thanks Paul for this release.

  22. I received my copy of the blu-ray yesterday, and first off I have to give kudos to the speed in which I received it. This is my first time ordering an SDE release, and I am very pleased with the experience.

    I haven’t had a lot of time to delve into the disc as of yet, but what I’ve heard so far is fantastic. The new stereo remix has a remarkable clarity and punch, and is a wonderful counterpart to the classic original mix. I love the chances Wilson took with his remix, and deeply appreciate its uniqueness. The original mix has stood the test of time for good reason, but this gives longtime listeners a fascinating alternative.

    Thanks again to Paul & co for the care and attention given to this classic album!

  23. Hi Paul,

    Have there been discussions with the labels/artists about adding additional content like remixes, b-sides, etc. to the Blu-Ray releases? I know we have been given a treasure trove of sound variations as well as the two unreleased TFF cuts, which I’m appreciative of.

  24. I almost passed on this, only because I’m not familiar with the album as a complete piece (although I’ve always loved the singles). I’m so glad that I changed my mind at the 11th hour, the Dolby Atmos mix is OFF THE SCALE! It made me think of my late Dad who was quite conservative in his tastes. Listening to this tonight, I suddenly recalled that he was impressed with Poison Arrow and The Look Of Love when they were charting. We didn’t even discuss it, I just knew. We later enjoyed some terrific gigs together including YES on their Union Tour in ’91 (NEC, what a show…forget The Onion album) and Robert Plant on his Fate Of Nations tour (NEC again). He would have been mightily impressed if I could have played him this BD. Thank you Paul and to all involved for making this happen. I’m a massive fan of Steven Wilson’s work. Buyer do not beware! 90125…PLEASE!

    1. Agreed. 90125 would make for a KILLER 5.1/Atmos SDE BD.

      Might have to get another remixer to do it, though (StephenW Tayler, maybe? Jakko Jakszyk?). I think Steven Wilson is on record somewhere as saying that his interest in the Yes catalogue doesn’t extend beyond the titles he’s already done…..

  25. Listening to this right now with a glass of red and, I can’t believe this, it is an emotional listen. The clarity and separation is superb. An already nuanced album has had more layers uncovered. Thanks so much Steve Wilson and Paul.
    Now, about that Rio Atmos/5.1 mix…

  26. Mine was dispatched on Wednesday along with the vinyl, but Royal Mail tracking say they haven’t received it from SDE yet . Must’ve been one of the first to order.

  27. Postie didn’t arrive until late afternoon but I didn’t waste time and put on the Dolby Atmos mix and it doesn’t disappoint. It’s a great album, well produced with orchestration and has been crying out for years for a surround version.

    Hope Trevor Horn likes Steven Wilson’s surround mix and there will be some more Horn/Wilson produced albums to come. How about Street Fighting Years by Simple Minds which for some unknown reason didn’t get the 5.1 treatment like the other deluxe reissues.

    Thanks Paul for making the stand alone version available especially for those like me, who weren’t interested in the vinyl deluxe version.

  28. Wow!

    Fantastic, the original stereo mix sounds clearer than ever and the SW stereo mix diverges more from the original in terms of overall sound than any of his previous stereo mixes that I’ve heard. In fact what I’d say is that Steve has presented it in a more live band sense and I like it! He’s sort of captured the real instruments here in line with his sleeve note comment that most of it was real instruments.

    Drums and bass are more prominent in the mix for sure with more punch than the original (some won’t like this) and you can really now hear it’s a Rhodes piano in there. It’s different for sure but I like it as an alternative.

    Desperately hoping that we’ll see albums 2 & 3 from ABC, 1-3 Duran Duran, 1 & 2 Heaven 17, 1 & 2 Visage

  29. It’s been an Lexicon Of Love morning. Not only has the bluray been delivered but have also purchased tickets for the live date at The Hall For Cornwall in February. Looking forward to experiencing both immensely.

  30. Received mine today. Whilst I have admired (or perhaps simply been sufficiently curious of) the other SDE titles to thus far purchase them all, this is the first title in the series that I have always genuinely, unreservedly LOVED.

    Thanks for making this happen, Paul :)

  31. Copy arrived this morning….. wow, this is good. Well done, Mr Wilson (again). Loving the instrumental version. And that bass…. can we tell Trevor Horn is a bassplayer? *grin* Definitely one of the best so far. Thank you again all concerned!

  32. Just received mine and all I can say is wow wow and wow again, listening to the Stereo Remix at the moment and it’s worth the entry fee on its own it truly is fantastic and I’m over the Moon with it !. Excellent work Mr Wilson you’ve nailed it again. The fretless bass sounds so good on this as does everything else for that matter. I’d advise everyone to jump on this as it really is that good.
    Valentines Day is truly a revelation, try getting the smile off my face !!. Wonderful stuff indeed.

  34. Arrived today along with the 12″ limited single too. Now to get a BluRay set up and will be enjoying this in its splendour. Thanks again Paul.

  35. Curious how some albums, (ones by Horn being an obvious example) from around 40 years ago sound much better produced than ones today despite the limits of technology of the time. Add in surround sound then your onto something exceptional

    A few others from the ZTF catalogue would be ideal for surround obviously. A few other suggestions. Hounds Of Love, Cupid And Psyche, Golden Age Of Wireless, Sulk.

      1. Agree, but sadly, TMDR doesn’t seem to like surround sound, despite his name, or his other adventures in sound. None of his live releases were mixed in surround, none of his albums remixed, and I guess they’ll never be.

  36. Looking forward to my copy arriving tomorrow. One of my all time favourites. Must say I’ve been generally disappointed with blu-ray audio so far. Always thought that SACD had a superior sound.

  37. Nice. Expecting this any day now. A pity Roxy Music won’t do this with their catalogue. I’d also be in for a remix of the second album. I know it’s less popular but I still love it. It was a nice try at a different sound for the band.

    1. My blu-ray arrived today. Just to add – the blu-ray software I’m using on my PC is decoding the Atmos track as Dolby TrueHD 7.1, which works perfectly with the soundcard and headphones I have. So maybe not a true Atmos setup. That mix is a revelation though. So many little details I’m hearing now!

  40. I am really looking forward to this. I love this album and it has followed me through my life

    However, I always felt that the production was lacking on the opening track Show Me, I could never put my finger on it but the volume seemed to dip and swell.

    You can hear it most when Martin sings the first word, it’s almost like a limiter was left on and was being too sensitive.

    Looking forward seeing if Mr Wilson rectified this.

    But then no one else seems to agree with me.

    And when will there be some love for Zillionare and Alphabet City?

  41. Nice video!

    So Paul, when do we hear about the next title in the series?

    Thanks again for this amazing series. I’ve loved all of them thus far.

    1. Thanks Rob. Soon hopefully. Quite nice, in a way, to ‘catch up’ because we had periods earlier in the year where people had 3 titles still on pre-order. I can tell you that if all goes according to plan it’s going to get busy again in the second half of this year!

      1. With that prospect, is it an idea to take a subscription on the SDE serie ?
        You have the security that your investment is covered by payment in advance and I’m sure that I will not miss a single Blu-ray from your incredible SDE Excluvive series.

  43. Looking forward to this very much. My second BluRay after the Suede one from yourself Paul. Can someone tell me what I need to enjoy this disc for the best musical experience, I have a basic BluRay player, but what else do I need to get the best from this disc please.

    1. I’ll have to do a post on this since it’s a common question. A brief answer is that you either need to either 1: source a Dolby Atmos compatible soundbar which is designed to sit below your TV which your blu-ray player can plug into. This soundbar will ‘decode’ the Atmos signal being sent via HDMI on the blu-ray player and then ‘play’ the sounds to the best of its ability though the various speakers built into the soundbar. Or 2: invest in a Dolby Atmos compatible AV amplifier/receiver and then start building a surround sound speaker set-up where the various speakers connect to the amp. A basic 5.1 setup is two at the front, two at the back, a centre speaker and a subwoofer. However you need ‘height’ or upfiring speakers to get proper Atmos which is at least two more. It sounds complicated and expensive and it is to a degree, but you find that people upgrade their kit and certainly amps are quite cheap on the used market. I think £1000 would get you the kit you need on the secondhand market if you aren’t fussy about getting the latest gear.

      1. Has anyone tried the new Amazon Studio Speaker? It says it has Dolby Atmos and at £220 looks the cheaper alternative to getting a huge set up. But do you get what you pay for?

        1. Stay clear of the Studios. I have 2 and the sub playing through a firecube. I also subscribe to Tidal Studio which has Atmos albums on it, but never been able to get them to play, the speakers are Atmos, the cube is Atmos. Just says this device does not recognize Atmos. Also the only way to get them to play a Blu Ray is by wiring them through headphone socket of your TV. Having said that, they do sound fantastic and the spatial Audio would well on it. It’s just not versatile, it relys on the firecube/stick to play.

  44. Could I ask a question?, I’ve bought a few of the SDEs and have this one on Pre Order. Although I have a quality hifi system, I don’t have the room for an Atmos set up (I have read about speakers up the ceiling and all over the place and I’m pushed for space). Is a sound bar a good way of getting into Atmos to hear what’s on these discs authentically?,
    I’m guessing a few sde fans are in a similar position that I am. I’m sure I’m missing out on the full experience.

    1. I can’t afford / am not prepared to ruin a room in the house for Atmos, either. I just have a very good 5.1 setup.

      Atmos is one of those very specific things that’s become a brand that’s applied loosely and inappropriately now, like IMAX.

      You really need a ton of speakers all over the room to genuinely get the effect. My TV does ‘fake Atmos’ with its speakers (it does have quite elaborate speakers on top and all around) and it’s nothing like as good as 5.1 and not even approaching Atmos.

      Hope that helps!

      1. I also have a 5.1 setup and usually just play the 5.1 mix if there is one, but the Atmos mixes still sound really good on 5.1.

        I know I’m missing out, but I can’t justify the upgrade to Atmos, I really like the sound I get from my current system which to be fair is usually just playing good old fashioned stereo mixes.

        If I was starting from scratch I’d definitely buy an Atmos capable amp, but I’m not, so I likely never will. I try not to get too wound up on the tech though. If I don’t like an album in stereo I’m not suddenly going to love it in Atmos however clear the previously unnoticed triangle is.

    2. I cannot agree with Matthew’s comments. I have a basic Atmos system, yes I have speakers at the front, at the back and white ceiling speakers. They are all cheap or from other systems, you don’t need to buy the most expensive brand. Atmos generates a great room filling sound with some great effects, it doesn’t have to look bad or cost too much and I’m happy I made the effort because I think it sounds fantastic.
      Do a bit of research, maybe have a listen at a Curry’s store and make your own mind up.

      1. The main point of my comment was that an Atmos soundbar or ‘fake’ Atmos from a TV or headphones doesn’t give you the actual effect that you’d get at a high-end cinema and with a proper domestic speaker array.

        The other point was that I don’t want to stick speakers on my walls and ceiling, as I think it looks really ugly.

        It’s not just a question of cost.

      2. Thanks for the answers, I’m thinking of the sound bar option but something about it makes me feel you won’t get the effect accurately due to all the speakers being in the front enclosure?. I’m guessing it can do a good mimic but no way could a front facing sound bar be able to do rear channels and channels accurately above your head ?. Will continue my research, I read above that Paul may do an article on it at some stage, that would be very helpful . Thanks to all.

  45. Generally a fan of Trevor Horn produced things but this passed me by at the time. I always bought pop records but not nearly as much as rock and metal.
    The older me is much more mellow and I play the rock and metal records I was buying at the time far less frequently.

    Anyhow, I’ve never listened to this album. Until today.
    Listening to a stream of the original album now. (for the 2nd time)
    It’s quite good. (understatement of the day)
    Was disappointed to see it hadn’t sold out yet. I now have a decision to make.

  46. This will be a family event for us when it arrives, hopefully on Friday. My wife, 17 year old son and I are looking forward to listening to this together. My son cites this as one of his favourite albums.

  48. Absolutely Mega release & really looking forward to receiving mine. My question is does the dvd from the new 4lp box set come region free? Thanks Paul.

  49. The SDE unboxing clips are literally the only time I ever get to see inside deluxe editions before( or without) actually buying them.So they are great for Deluxe fans like me who get frustrated at usually having to buy an expensive deluxe product knowing little about what I might get!So keep these unboxing clips coming, especially any of those multi-content big expensive sealed editions where the contents aren’t really mentioned or shown on the packaging! Nothing annoys me more than high priced Deluxe editions where what is inside is made rather ambiguous!

      1. God was determined to give us a second child, which was a very nice and welcomed decision. He later changed his mind and withheld it for whatever reason, which wasn’t nice at all. Our daughter now remains on her own, which is very sad.

        Anyway, I’m looking forward to the blu-ray.

        Also, it’s FIVE versions as listed, not just FOUR.

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