Name some reference-quality rock SACDs (1 Viewer)

[Ben_wood]

What are your favorite demo-reference quality rock genre sacds? The ones that really show off hi-rez. Thanks!

 

[KeithH]

Ben, here are some of my favorites, both musically and sonically.

* Aerosmith O, Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits
* Creedence Clearwater Revival Willy and the Poorboys
* Creedence Clearwater Revival Cosmo's Factory
* Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon
* The Police Synchronicity
* The Police Every Breath You Take: The Classics
* Rolling Stones Flowers
* Rolling Stones Beggars Banquet
* Rolling Stones Let It Bleed
* Rolling Stones Metamorphosis
* Rolling Stones Hot Rocks -- 1964-1971
* Rolling Stones Singles Collection -- The London Years
* Santana Abraxas
* Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble Couldn't Stand the Weather
* The Who My Generation

Note that I only own two of the CCR SACDs, but I'm sure the other ones out there are excellent since they were all done by Steve Hoffman. Also, I have just a few Police and Stones SACDs, so I can't comment on everything out there. I simply love what I have heard so far.

 

[Rich Malloy]

Beck "Sea Change" **
Bowie "Heathen"
Deep Purple "Machine Head"
Pink Floyd "Dark Side of the Moon" **
Rolling Stones "Beggar's Banquet", "Let It Bleed"
Roxy Music "Avalon" **

And if you want to stretch the definition to include some funk, fusion, soul, etc....

Herbie Hancock "Head Hunters"
Miles Davis "In a Silent Way"
Earth, Wind & Fire "Alive in '75 (That's the Way of the World"

I also cautiously recommend Roger Waters "In the Flesh", especially if you're a Floyd/Waters fan. This disc has gotten a lot of criticism, but to my ears the worse you can say about it is that it sounds like the sound system in a big arena rock show... which, of course, is exactly what it is. You won't get the intimacy and gorgeous fluid midrange of something like "Alison Krauss + Union Station LIVE", and so this will never be a demo-quality disc. But it does transport me into a big ol' barn with an industrial-sized P.A. system kicking out some enormous SPL levels. Volume is not an end in itself, of course, but this one will definitely get your pants legs flapping around your ankles.

 

[Mike Broadman]

Joe Satriani- Engines of Creation

 

[Lee Scoggins]

Ryan Adams "Gold""
Peter Gabriel "So"
Pink Floyd "Dark Side of the Moon"
James Taylor "JT" (depending on the rock definition)
The Police "Synchronicity"
Beck "Sea Changes"
Rolling Stones "Hot Rocks"

Try Keb Mo The Door for Blues if you like really early rock.

 

[Rachael B]

The Zombies * GREATEST HITS
Joe Satriani * STRANGE BEAUTIFUL MUSIC
Johnny Winter THE BEST OF
Grant-Lee Phillips MOBILIZE
Blue Oyster Cult AGENTS OF FORTUNE
Rolling Stones LET IT BLEED
Ryan Adams * GOLD
Creedence Clearwater Revival *COSMO'S FACTORY & *WILLY AND THE POOR BOYS
David Bowie * HEATHEN
Bruce Cockburn ANYTHING ANYTIME ANYPLACE
OASIS (WHAT'S THE STORY) MORNING GLORY
Cowboy Junkies OPEN
Brian Ferry * FRANTIC
The Kinks * LOW BUDJET & EVERYBODY'S IN SHOW BIZ
Frankie Goes To Hollywood RAGE HARD-THE SONIC COLLECTION

* = Extree goode!

 

[Rich Malloy]

Racheal, I see you've got a "*" next to Bryan Ferry's "FRANTIC"... I think I've definitely got to pick this one up now, import prices or no.

I'm so utterly blown away by the "AVALON" SACD that I can only imagine how great newly-recorded Ferry could be. I guess there's no use in procrastinating further... anybody know where the best deal on "FRANTIC" might be found?

 

[Rachael B]

Rich, it's a pretty good album for such an old rocker. The sound quality es muy, muy excellente! So far, I'm pretty impressed with Virgin's releases. They're few and far between but well done....I have Mike Oldfield, Tangerine Dream, and maybe one more? I hope to soon have their King Crimson, IN THE COURT OF.... It's being released in Britan, supposedly in August ( I forget the exact date). I have it preordered with MusicDirect I think, or somebody, anyway. As far as I know , it's not scheduled for the U.S. I don't get Virgin's lack of pressence in the U.S. market????

Getting back to FRANTIC, he sounds darn good on his 2 Bob Dylan covers. CRUEL sounds like a hit song. Too bad it only is on my imaginary chart. The rest of the songs vary from filler to pretty good. Eno was involved in the album too, some anyway. I haven't heard AVALON. I holding out for my fav, FOR YOUR PLEASURE. I hope you get a copy soom. Best wishes!

 

[Mike Broadman]

Hold on... Crimso on SACD?
*drool*

So is this going to be some absurdly priced import?

 

[Lee Scoggins]

Grant-Lee Phillips MOBILIZE

Rachael, I knew you would put that one in your list.

 

[Rachael B]

Lee, R U keeping lists of my lists now?

 

[Jimmy Nugent]

Rachael-

As good as FRANTIC and AVALON are as SACD's- just imagine the incredibly layered and multi-textural MAMOUNA as a multi-channel SACD. A boy can dream, can't he?

Jimmy

 

[Chris_Eff]

If the people you are demoing for are into popular rock I suggest 3 Doors Down/Away from the Sun.

I am not sure if the sonics are the greatest but I really enjoy the CD and the Multichannel has impressed everyone I have played it for.

 

[Brajesh Upadhyay]

Where can I buy Bryan Ferry's "Avalon" SACD? Can't seem to find it online anywhere. Is it an import?

 

[Rich Malloy]

That's right... the cheapest price I found it for was at amazon.fr. It's a much better deal (in terms of shipping charges) if you buy more than one disc. Perhaps another import like "Machine Head" or "Frantic". I purchased "Avalon" and "Machine Head" in one order, and had it shipped to Boston for a total of $41.

 

[Charles Gurganus]

I was a huge Grant Lee Buffalo fan. Mobilize, while it has some nice songs and is recorded great, could have used the whole band IMO. He needs Buffalo back.

I don't seem to be able to pull up the SACD of Avalon on amazon. There is 2 or 3 versions but none that I see have a date later 2000.

 

[Rachael B]

Jimmy, we have the same dream, except it's FOR YOUR PLEASURE in my scenario.

Charles, the weak point of MOBILIZE is the drumming if you ask me. I'm sure it's machine made at times and it's rather bland when it sounds human. Stille, when you compare his one-man band album to, say, ones made by the likes of Rundgren and McCartney...I'd say it stacks up pretty well. I aggree he should work with da Buffaloes or other desirable musicans. I'd like to see that. Tally ho!

 

[Michael St. Clair]

Regarding 'In the Court of the Crimson King'; this may be the first digital release that uses the original master tape for 'side one' of the album. This tape was recently reported as found.