Joe Satriani's "Strange Beautiful Music" - SACD........WOW! (1 Viewer)

[John Pine]

Just picked this one up and I was stunned by the audio quality (surround track) and the great songs it contains. I also played it back in stereo, but…..I guess I just prefer the surround mix. I am by no means a Satriani fan. Like a lot a people, I bought the “Surfing With the Alien” CD long ago, but have not listened to it for years. I did also buy the “Live in San Francisco” concert DVD a few years ago, but it was a little “hard” for my tastes. However, I consider this SACD a "Must Have"! I'm new to the DVD-A/SACD format, but this disc helps explain what all the fuss is about. Oddly enough, the only reason I picked it up was I read, on this forum, about some guy raving about a song called "Belly Dancer". Thanks to the guys at HTF, I think I’m now using my new Denon 2900 to full effect!

 

[Rachael B]

It is a bitchin' disc. Like so many Sony discs it might of done worlds better if it had been or was now re-released as a hybrid. Beyond Sony's casual disintrest in their own format, it's one of their best sounding discs so far IMHO. It's a bit too hotly recorded but just a bit, nowhere near two CD's I bought this week that audibly clip badly, one very noticably. I hope there's another Satriani SA-CD sum-day???

 

[John Pine]

Rachael B: My mistake, guess I should have said, "Guys & Gals at HTF!"

 

[Rachael B]

...like I even noticed! Not!

 

[Lee Scoggins]

I like it too John. Good performance!

 

[Mike Broadman]

Great album.
I also give my highest recommendation to Satch's other SACD, Engines of Creation. It's only stereo, but what stereo! The best sounding rock SACD from Sony I've heard. The music is his most unique- he uses some electronics on his backing tracks. But it's surprisingly good.

 

[John Pine]

Mike I was checking out your CD collection, very impressive, but I think you need MORE Frank Zappa......hehehe......jk!

Seriously, I was considering buying both of the SACD's below. I don't own anything by her. Which would you recommend a Barber newbie start with, for someone that generally prefers the surround track to the stereo?

Barber, Patricia Cafe Blue (h SACD) Jazz
Barber, Patricia Nightclub (h SACD) Jazz

 

[Mike Broadman]

John, no surround tracks on the Barber titles.

I prefer Cafe Blue as it's a little on the swinging side and diverse, but both are good. Nightclub was my first.

She has a couple more out there and they're on my "to get" list, which is even longer than my Zappa collection.

 

[Anthony Connor]

I am Big Satriani fan ( Satch ) I do not have SACD system yet, but I have always enjoyed his albums and thought that the CD's were top notch. Surfing with the Alien was remastered recently and I re-bought the album.


Regards

 

[Jack Gilvey]

Cool...gotta get this one.
Jg

 

[Brian L]

Hey...this threads almost a year old. Don't let it be said that I will ever miss a party..I may be late, and have the wrong kind of beer under my arm, but damn it, I'M THERE.

OK, scored this for less than $9 during the Sony Music end of year sale.

A very, very nice disc. Liked it from the minute I hit play.

When I pop in a new piece of music, I go through a very quick evaluation.

1. Do I like the music? Yup...classic Joe, with some interesting Eastern sounding licks in there.

2. How's the low end? Solid and clean, and definitely a 5 (or more) string bass, methinks. I love the sound of a bass that goes way below low "E".

3. How are the highs? I am not sure what I hate worse...an anemic low end, or a harsh high end. (Check that, I hate a harsh high end....sins of omission always win out over sins of commission).

How's this one? With my ears, and my rig, in my room, SMOOOOOTH. Very, very smooth. On balance, I would say its a pretty warm sounding recording, but the cymbals just have a nice pleasant sheen to them. Nothing harsh at all...a very pleasant listen.

I have not done any sort of hyper-evaluation of the surround mix, but on first listen, its is mostly ambient (in the best possible way) but there are some moments were Joe's licks are absolutely dancing around the four corners....cool!

And I did give a few of the tracks a listen in 2CH, and the frequency balance is unchanged (not always the case, in my experience). I even played them back using my NAD's EARS ambience extraction mode.....it was wonderful as well.

In fact, if you absolutely, positively HATE having any discrete instrumentation out back, then the 2CH mix payed back with PLII or whatever you may have might just be the ticket.

If you like Satch, I guess I would say this is a no brainer.....and at $9, its a no-brainer/squared.

BGL

 

[John Garcia]

If you like Patricia Barber's Cafe Blue, you will like Modern Cool. Not as good as Cafe, but still very well recorded. Companion is excellent too - Like JT and Black Magic Woman are sweet

 

[Philip_T]

Just picked this one up not too long ago and I must say it is very impressive. I was strictly DVD-A for the longest time, but being a Joe fan, this title kept knawing on my subconsciounse telling me that I would eventually have to get an SACD player. Finally broke down and got the SACD player, but couldn't find this title anywhere locally, so I had to order it and wait, and wait, and wait. But it was worth it. One of the best multi-channel mixes I've heard on either format. And it doesn't hurt that the material is solid either. Now he just needs to get the rest of his titles on hi-res. SWTA would be great in MC.

 

[Rachael B]

The other Sony SACD that's really done right like SBM is Jorma Kaukonen's Blue Country Heart. The former Jefferson Airplane/Hot Tuna guitarist's album is DSD recorded and the M/C mix is good. The material is really olden days kuntry stuff mostly. These two albums are the best Sony did, IMO. I think they're Sony's only DSD recordings...?