A&R decisions for Hi Rez Music discs (1 Viewer)

[cwhite]

Most of the users who post to this forum have some type of high resolution audio format in their systems. If not, there's no doubt that we are all audiophiles. I have just bought Earth Wind & Fire's Gratitude SACD this weekend and I was torn between buying that and similiar SACD That's The Way of the World Live . But Gratitude finally replaces a well preserved but scratch vinyl record that has been in my collection. However, it dawned on me that if I were a executive at Sony Music, I would choose to release a EWF studio album on SACD rather than two SACD's of essentially the same material. With Gratitude being a multi-channel SACD, I would had chosen either Open Your Eyes for its known quad mix or the studio That's The Way of the World solely for its hits(plus it had a quad mix, too). And looking at both formats, the selection of music being released is, sometimes, questionable. Does anyone
else have these same thoughts when buying these high-res discs
and what would you choose to release instead of the present catalog selection?

 

[Sathyan]

yes, I hear you. For quite a number of artists the high-rez album released is not my top pick (and since I have the RBCD I'm torn: I don't want to rebuy that album but at the same time

I think they choose to release the most popular album which often means not the "best" (IMHO, of course)

for example:

Artist High-rez release My fav. album

Corrs, The In Blue Forgiven, Not Forgotten
Natalie Merchant Tigerlily Ophelia
Diana Krall Look of Love Love Scenes
Celine Dion New Day French Album
Emma Shapplin Etterna Carmine Meo
Gloria Estefan Alma Let It Loose
etc.



But I understand why they do it. Also for rebuying, people may not want to rebuy the full catalogue may buy a best of (like release for Elvis, Dion & Estefan). And maybe they're right - I still rebought the releases.

Did they do the same thing when CDs were new?

Is anyone running a site to register high-rez release requests?

Sathyan

NP Natasha St Pier - De l'amour le mieux

 

[LarryDavenport]

Since I have so many CDs (2100 and counting) it is doubtful I will even try to replace my collection with DVDA or SACD. It has to either be a multichannel mix or an album that means a lot to me.

Nevertheless I am eager to replace all my Beatle, Pink Floyd, and Led Zeppelin CDs!

 

[Mike Broadman]

There are a few high-res release choices I find questionable. Most especially some of the Miles Davis titles- Quiet Nights and Big Fun are possibly his two weakest albums, yet Bitches Brew on SACD is only available as an import. Jazz at the Plaza is a very obscure, short, minor live document. Meanwhile, ESP and Milestones are two of his most seminal and popular recordings but, AFAIK, aren't even slated for releases in the future.

 

[LarryDavenport]

I'd add that I will also love to replace my Genesis discs (up through Seconds Out) whether they are multi-channel or not.

Jazz at the Plaza may be a "minor seller" but I wouldn't call it a minor live document as it is the only Miles live album with the Kind of Blue lineup.

 

[Mike Broadman]

Larry, check out Live at Newport 1958. A stronger performance with much better sound quality, IMO.

 

[Lee Scoggins]

I can't agree with the Gloria Estefan issue. The Alma Carribena (sic?) is a great release with high quality sound.

I think the key will be success, as these formats grow more and more titles will come out, even if it remains a "big" niche of sorts. We just have to be patient. I am pretty excited about some of the recent titles...

 

[Mike Broadman]

The key to selecting titles for format success is simple: they should pick things I like.

 

[Lee Scoggins]

The key to selecting titles for format success is simple: they should pick things I like.

Actually they should pick bestsellers like DSOTM so they can get more bands involved early on.

 

[LarryDavenport]

Thanks Mike, I already own it.

 

[Rich Malloy]

I have just bought Earth Wind & Fire's Gratitude SACD this weekend and I was torn between buying that and similiar SACD That's The Way of the World Live . But Gratitude finally replaces a well preserved but scratch vinyl record that has been in my collection.

Charles, I agree with the general gist of your impressions, but I think there may be some other factors with this release. I'm not at home with my collection now, but I think "Alive in 75" was a relatively recent, deep-in-the-vault discovery... at any rate, I'd never heard of it until the SACD release. Had it come out way back when "Gratitude" was first released, I think I'd completely agree with you. But as someone who much prefers live music, generally speaking, and live EW&F, specifically, I ain't exactly complaining!

There is some overlap between the two SACDs, but not too much, and while I may very slightly prefer the "Gratitude" performance (tho' one might chalk that up to greater familiarity), I've been listening more to "Alive in 75". The sound quality is better, for one, and I won't dismiss that aspect, but it's also nice to have what is, to my ears, "new" music.

And yet, if I was choosing, I'd probably have broken it up with a studio album release ("That's the Way of the World" most likely). Which brings me round to the question I had... didn't I hear that there was Japanese SACD of studio EW&F, a compilation perhaps?

 

[cwhite]

I think I could had made a better case using TOTO for example.
Hydra by TOTO was one of the first SACDs released and
it had one "hit" song and a short running time of 38 minutes. Later, TOTO IV is released in multi-channel SACD. Again, if I were the exec making these decisions, I probably would release TOTO IV and then probably their debut album later. BTW, I have TOTO IV in Sony gold CD with no desire to replace it with SACD. What is the maximum length for SACD format? Are we still brickwalled to 78 minutes like CD's?

 

[Ken Stuart]

What is the maximum length for SACD format? Are we still brickwalled to 78 minutes like CD's?

We are if they are Hybrid SACDs ! (Actually it is 74-75 minutes; longer CDs exist because there is a plus or minus tolerance, and some manufacturers have intrepreted that as more space - with the result that extra-long CDs have less compatibility than regular CDs).

 

[cwhite]

Even if it's dual layered, wouldn't the SACD material extend beyond the Redbook CD layer? And what is the maximum time for DVD-A?