Bread: Baby I'm-A Want You Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		0.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		4.0

Bread: Baby I'm-A Want You Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman August 12, 2024

The seventies are sometimes remembered by music fans for the flourishing of everything from punk to disco, but there was a much, well, gentler approach offered by a number of artists who had significant success in both airplay and sales, including such well remembered acts as Carpenters (they did not want a definite article in front of their name) and Bread. In fact, Bread's first (and only) Number 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 was for Make It With You, which actually knocked Carpenters' (They Long to Be) Close to You out of the pole position, after it had resided there for several weeks. If that particular single was the band's biggest success (at least in terms of chart position), the album currently under discussion was their highest charting affair in "LP" territory, and it provided Bread with several more high charting and well remembered singles.

The album's track list can be seen in the screenshots of the disc menu I've uploaded to accompany this review.

Bread: Baby I'm-A Want You Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

This is another Quadio release from Rhino that has my personal preference in terms of the label's somewhat variable way of authoring discs, in that this disc allows toggling between audio codecs with the colored buttons on your remote, meaning you don't really even need to have a monitor or display on to enjoy this release. Toggling does not start the song and/or album over, as has sometimes been the case with other Rhino releases.

Bread: Baby I'm-A Want You Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Bread: Baby I'm-A Want You features DTS-HD Master Audio 4.0 and DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 options. Once again, the quadraphonic track is something of a revelation, at least for those used to stereo version of this album. Kind of humorously, given Bread's reputation for being an "easy listening" or "soft rock" band, the group does try to rock out, at least relatively speaking, a couple of times on this album, and tunes like Mother Freedom show some really engaging separation in rhythm instruments in particular. You can, for example, here individual instruments like shakers and acoustic guitars, emanating from the rear speakers, with the rest of the group "up front". This same approach is followed throughout the album, with appealing discrete channelization of individual instruments. Voices tend to be positioned toward the front, but backups can waft throughout the soundstage, creating some enjoyable immersion. Fidelity and clarity are top notch.

Bread: Baby I'm-A Want You Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

As with most Quadio releases, there are no on disc supplements. The insert booklet recreates the original album's lyric sheet, while offering the Quadio standbys of a picture of the box holding the master tape, as well as Rhino's typical verbiage on setup.

Bread: Baby I'm-A Want You Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Somewhat hilariously given the questionable grammar of this album's title (and single), one of my high school English teachers turned out to be David Gates' cousin, and in fact we found out about "our" Mr. Gates' impending nuptials the same day it was revealed he was related to David. Suffice it to say the class chit chat had nothing to do with an upcoming wedding. This album shows off David Gates' songwriting acumen and plaintive tenor to great effect, and the band (including "newcomer" Larry Knechtel) sounds great. The quadraphonic version is spacious and inviting. Recommended.