Aric, if you like jazz or fusion I sure can suggest some truly refrence SACD's. I don't think I've heard too many truly reference rock SACD's. Joe Satriani's STRANGE BOOTIFUL MUSICA might be the contender, if you consider it rock...but it's not a hybrid, ugh!
I'm gonna disaggree that rock music can't sound better on SACD. Even if it's subtle, in stereo, the bass line will be more clearly defined. The guitars high's will be better. The vocals may be better if there's not alot of echo/ect. on them. If horns are present, they will sound better. I have The pop-lar White Stripes CD and I bet an SACD of it would be better. I've been tempted to get the two record set. I would if I was a bigger fan.
I've compared the CD layer and SACD layer on albums like SUITCASE PIMPS, Stones' LET IT BLEED, The Kink's releases, Alison Krauss' NEW FAVORITE, and Colleen Sexton. The CD layer is good but the better players will expose the SACD advantage IMO. i.e.- SCD's XA777ES & C555ES I disaggree that any particular type of music has less benefit from SACD or DVD-A for that matter. It's always better to have a higher possible ceiling, me thinks.
SACD is sort'a like Laserdisc and vinyl, in that it is fairly player dependent IMO. Even if you don't presently have one of the better players, atleast you have that possibility lurking in the software. Lee, may give me a gold star, or somethin' for this rant?
Rachael, I would like to try some Jazz but I have no idea what to buy! I have the two Big Phat Band DVD-A's and like them but I believe it's more progressive big band music than Jazz. What would you suggest in the way of a good jazz instrumental DVD-A preferably (I do have SACD but like DVD-A better but if that is where the good Jazz is then OK)!
try: Miles Davis - Kind of Blue SACD (this is the must-have definitive jazz disc) Miles Davis - In a Silent Way John Coltrane - Blue Train Joun Coltrane - Soultrane John Coltrane - A Love Supreme (another essential disc)
Rachael, the reason I've always contended that classical and jazz benefit most from SACD is because that music is typically more open and full of space than the density of rock. SACD shines when it comes to space and "air," which jives perfectly with a mellow Miles Davis tune or a violin sonata. But this also holds true for "jazzy" sounding rock music, like Steely Dan (when will Aja come out on SACD already?!).
But of course rock can benefit, too, and the Satch titles are a great example (I personally think Engines of Creation is even better sounding than its redbook counterpart than Beautiful Music and it's one of only a couple of stereo-only non-hybrids I'm holding on to).
Wes, if you're interesting in high-res jazz, just give up on DVD-A. There are a couple of modern titles here and there and a Count Basie disc, but there is just so much great stuff on SACD. Bil Evans, Miles Davis, Art Pepper, Sonny Rollins, and John Coltrane all have SACDs and they're all good (except some of the more obscure Miles Sony titles which, IMO, aren't worth it).
Rachael, Dont get me wrong, I'm all for good rock releases.. I own the Queensryche dvda, the geoff tate solo dvda, ministry dvda, megadeath and metallica dvda, stone temple pilots dvda, alice in chains hits sacd, and probably others. And yes I can definitely see the benefit of most music in higher resolution. The first 2 and some of the stripes 3rd album is not the best quality recording. I'm more referring to trying to create a good 5.1 high rez (or even low res) mix out of some recordings that may have been done with really old technology, or have damaged master reals, like the who's tommy, it took Pete T. 6 months to do that! It sounds pretty good, but I doubt it took an additional 6 months to do Steely Dan's last 2 discs, because they likely recorded them using 48-96 tracks and already have everything digital and seperated for mastering into 5.1. That was more my point.
BTW, I have the Joe Satriani disc, and like the surround mix quite a lot. not his best disc, but i give it a listen every so often. I really like the David Bowie Heathen disc also. For now I'm trying to pick up mostly 5.1 discs.
Rachael, you own laserdiscs, yes? Know anywhere I could find Pink Floyd-Pulse on LD or Ministry-In Case you didnt feel like showing up or NIN-Closure on LD?
Mike, there are like 6 Steely Dan sacd's coming out in June, I think multi ch hybrid. including AJA
Yes, or put another way, jazz and classical are often acoustically miked whereas most pop/rock is multi-miked and mixed to smithereens.
Still, there are several great rock albums like DSOTM and Tommy that are not to be missed. All the Steely Dans I have in hirez, both SACD and DVDA, are awesome and I can't wait for the new Dan albums!
Wes, if you'd like to try some fusionistic music how about Spyra Gyro. Their two SACD's are both have reference sound quality. Will & Rainbow from the Eighty Eights label is the king of my hill. Unfortuneatly it's an expensive disc, $30, and it's single-layer but it is exceptional!!! It has 3 vocals by Phoebe Snow and some hot fusion. It is stereo only but what stereo! The 88's have gone to hybrids and M/C as of late, BTW.
Christy Baron's STEPPIN' from Chesky is intresting. She takes rock songs and jazzes them. She does The Zombies SHE'S NOT THERE, The Beatles TOMORROW NEVER KNOWS, Prince's THIEVES IN THE TEMPLE, Heatwave's AIN'T NO HALF STEPPIN'. Most of the album is derived from rock and R&B material. Maybe not true reference sound but damn good and an intresting performance.
The Anthony Wilson Trio's OUR GANG is some nice jazz quitar. His title track is very good. He covers Kenny Burrell's CHITLINS CON CARNE. His take on The Beatles I WANT YOU (She's So Heavy) is quite nice and something you could proably identify with.
Peter White's GLOW is some nice jazzish, R & B-ish quitar picking. It's a Sony single-layer but a great sounding one.
Monty Alexander's MONTY MEETS SLY & ROBBIE is fun. They dabble in the popish end of jazz on this one. They cover Herbie Hancock's monster hit CHAMELEON. There's a variety of other covers and a couple of originals.
Mike, maybe the differences are more glaringly obvious on jazz but I stille contend rock benefits from SACD or DVD-A even if it's just stereo. I like the ENGINES OF CREATION too but I have not heard the CD. It's been awhile since I've had that one out. I thought it was heads above many of the other early SACD's some years back.
I don't appreciate fuzzy bass lines and hi-rez cleans that up. Blue Oyster Cult's SECRET TREATIES is much better than the CD. It sounds identical to the vinyl except that wild cut with initals for a title. It's distorted on the record and they got it totally right on the SACD IMO.
Aric, I'd troll E-bay for those music LD's. You might check Big Emma's too. They proably will not be easy to find. I don't have them. I have about 50 music LD's. Music LD's had notoriously low "mintages". Floyd is such an icon, I bet that one is a toughie??? Two few copies and so-oooo much demand. I'd bet it bids high when it's on E-bay...? See if you can find it in completed auctions. If you encounter the Floyd LD and really want it, I'd bid high and late!
Thanks, I check every so often. checked at big emmas too, I'll keep my eye out. By the time I find them, they'll probably show up on dvd, I've been looking for years for those 3.
Aric, these mintages are L-O-W. I had a VHS of Tear For Fears' SANTA BARBARA and it broke. I started looking for the LD. After about a year and a half a copy showed on E-bay. I bid, as best I can remember, over $50. Well, I think it sold for $80 +. I gave up. Some of these music LD's proably have 2500 or fewer copies...? If they were also released in Japan, well, that proably doubles your chances, maybe? Good luck! You will need luck on your side, me thinks!
Rachael, looks like you might be right, Pulse is on ebay now japanese starting bid is $50, with several days to go, will keep an eye on it. thanks for the info
RachaelB, there's a Tears for Fears DVD out now as part of the "20th Century Masters" series - only has five or six music videos on it, but check it out, maybe it has what that laserdisc had. I saw it at Best Buy. The packaging looks the same as the music CDs "20th Century Masters" series. I was shocked, but pleased that a studio is actually releasing old music videos rather than leaving it to the fans.
Will, the one I'd like to have again, on any video disc format happens to be LD or DVD, is a live concert in an amphitheater from Santa Barbera, Kalifornie. The music videos don't intrest me. But, thanks!
for the Floyd's Wish You Were Here, in particular I want it MC -- I am very curious to hear what Shine On You Crazy Diamond sounds like in 5.1. Same applies to Meddle and Echoes.