Peter Gabriel SACD's (1 Viewer)

[GarySI]

Has anyone A/B'd the new Gabriel releases to the last set of remasters? I just did with So and Shaking the Tree and what a difference. Don't Give Up has some things going on near the end that are muddled on the originals, but are brought just forward enough to hear them now. Now if I could just find the multi-channel release of "UP", Best Buy didn't get this with the first batch of discs. Oh yeah. they're on sale for $11.99!!!! My hat is off to Geffen for having the artistic sense to release these essential recordings the way they were meant to be heard.

 

[Evan S]

Gary, "UP" isn't scheduled for release for another 4-5 weeks or so.

 

[John Wielgosz]

I've picked up "So" and "Shaking the Tree". My Best Buy didn't have any other titles in. (I really, really, REALLY wanted to pick up "Us").

I haven't listened to it all yet, but I had to make time to listen to "San Jacinto".

WOW.

Very powerful, yet so well-defined...it's like listening to it for the first time again. Now I REALLY need to find a copy of "Us".

 

[Mark All]

I bought "Passion" and "Us" last night from a local Best Buy store. The store also had single copies of the first three albums, the soundtrack from "Birdy", and "Plays Live." I would have bought "3" (or should it be called "Melting Face"?) as well, but its case was cracked. The only downer from the set for me was that "Plays Live" is a highlights version and is missing a few tracks from the original double live album which I have on LP. Still, I left happy because I prefer "Us" to "So" (which they didn't have) and "Passion" is my favorite recording Peter Gabriel has done. I bought the remastered CD versions of "1", "2", and "3" last year, so I'm holding off on buying those in SACD format until I listen more to "Us" to judge the improvements.

 

[Justin Lane]

These Gabriel SACD do not seem to be getting much talk around here.

I picked up "So" and "1" and have been very happy with their sonics. These SACD have better bass response then their remastered CD counterparts, and the high end is much clearer. I thought the mid range was a bit lacking on both, but still an improvement over the CD. All in all these are worth picking up if you are a fan.

It is a shame only "Up" will be multichannel though. There was much potential to do more of these discs in multichannel but I am guessing the time or money wasn't there. Maybe down the road.

J

 

[Joe Casey]

Justin,
I received a few of them in the mail last week and among my fav's (3, Security, Passion, Us), none disappoints. So where are you going? Tweeter or PNC?

 

[Justin Lane]

So where are you going? Tweeter or PNC?

I will be checking Gabriel out at the Tweeter center this summer. I bought a couple of lawn seats for my girlfriend and myself. It should be a great show.

Where are you going to check him out, Joe?

J

 

[Scott_lb]

Does anyone know if all of the new Peter Gabriel SACD's are on sale for $11.99 at Best Buy right now, or just "Shaking the Tree" (as pictured in the ad). If they are all on sale, I'd like to pick up "Us" and "So".

 

[Joe Casey]

Justin,
I'll be going to the Tweeter with the wife and friends (adults only), but the day before I'm taking my 6 year old to the PNC show.

 

[Philip Hamm]

I had a discussion with two of my brothers (who are much bigger PG fans than me) about these. They both bought the CD remasters and are both pissed off about the SACDs. Particularly one who has a SACD player and a MD player in his rack (a good combination for portablizing non-hybrid SACDs). They both have sworn off ever buying non-hi-rez remasters again. They don't want to buy these discs again, and I don't blame them.

I like PG, but I wasn't enough of a fan to buy the CD remasters, and I passed over the SACD ones yesterday at Best Buy without a problem, even at $11.99.

If they were multichannel I would have bought many of them, especially "Security". If they were hybrids, I would have bought a couple, I even had "Security" and "So" in my hands.

I'll probably buy the multichannel Up, but I am not happy about buying it twice.

 

[Lee Scoggins]

have sworn off ever buying non-hi-rez remasters again

I understand they are upset since the SACDs came out on the heels of the remasters, so this makes a lot of sense to me. As a Peter Gabriel fan, I would want the whole catalog in the best form.

 

[Rich Malloy]

Does anyone know if all of the new Peter Gabriel SACD's are on sale for $11.99 at Best Buy right now, or just "Shaking the Tree"

At my local Best Buy, only "Tree" was $11.99. The others were all $14.99.

I've reviewed several of these in other threads, so I won't repeat all that here... I'll just say they sound exceptionally good, far beyond the original CD releases (don't have the remasters). The space, the air, the bass... my god, the bass! My neighbors surely hate me.

 

[Michael St. Clair]

First the SWL DVD was botched, and now Universal drops the hybrid ball.

I've got all of his CDs, tons of import CD singles, vinyl, laserdiscs, videos, and more. I've seen him perform live several times.

The handling of his catalog over the last year is wholly offensive. The discs should have been hybrid single-inventory, and only released once. They should have handled The Police the same way.

I'll buy one or two of the back catalog discs, plus 'Up'. I would have bought the entire back catalog if they had handled it right.

 

[Jerry Klawiter]

Scott,
You can find most of the Peter Gabriel SACD's for $12.99 and free shipping at Circuit City

 

[Rich Malloy]

I'll buy one or two of the back catalog discs, plus 'Up'. I would have bought the entire back catalog if they had handled it right.

I'd have bought the entire back catalog if Best Buy had 'em stocked! But I wanted to ask about "Up", since I've never heard a single track from this album... is it really among his best works, so much so that you'd prefer buying it over "Passion" or "So" or "3", etc.?

 

[Michael St. Clair]

I'd have bought the entire back catalog if Best Buy had 'em stocked! But I wanted to ask about "Up", since I've never heard a single track from this album... is it really among his best works, so much so that you'd prefer buying it over "Passion" or "So" or "3", etc.?

I already have multiple stereo versions of those albums.

'Up' is being released in surround SACD, so it's not like buying another version of something I already have. It is also a hybrid. Apples and oranges.

I think the new album fits quite well with the first three, and I do think it is very good.

Again, my beef with the back-catalog SACDs is the lack of a hybrid layer to play at work, at the PC, in the car, on the go, etc. If anyone sees a halfway reasonable price on the hybrid imports, please post it here.

 

[Rich Malloy]

From what I've seen, you might get a better deal buying both the CD and SACD than buying the imports. I considered going for the imports, but when I priced them it just wasn't worth it to me... I don't have a car, and I do almost all my listening on the "main" system. I've got many of the Miles remasters that were later issued on single-layer SACD, but I never listen to them. I think they'll be passed along to my SACD-less brother fairly soon!

And I'm really excited to hear some good words about "Up"! Is that June now? I guess I don't really mind the wait so much, and particularly since the hybrid format is clearly so important to so many people. But I fear it's gonna be well into next year or beyond before the big backlog at the hybrid plants is finally overcome. I keep hoping they'll build/convert yet another facility for hybrid production... this is the kinda infrastructure that really needs some investment!

 

[Rich Malloy]

What a coincidence that I came upon this thread: http://www.audioasylum.com/forums/hi...es/135367.html

If you're looking for hybrids, shop wisely! Apparently, the prices fluctuate quite a bit, but there do seem to be some better deals out there than I'd previously seen.

 

[Lee Scoggins]

is it really among his best works

Not in my opinion...only average but it has grown on me since I got it. I will wait for the SACD.

The problem with the new Gabriel redbook CDs is that PG mixes very heavily and has dense musical landscapes. While I like the creativity and density of the landscapes, he does not have very good recording engineers so the overall effect is usually muddy even on my very clear (and expensive) stereo system.

My hope is that hirez cleans up a lot of the muddy soundscape and it definitely seems like a natural for surround sound.

I thought "So" was better due to the lyrics, the simpler but highly creative music, and the themes. On "Up" it can be hard to understand where he is coming from.

Just my two cents.

 

[RaulR]

My hope is that hirez cleans up a lot of the muddy soundscape and it definitely seems like a natural for surround sound.

They'd have to re-EQ the muddy mixes to clear them up. I wouldn't have any problem with that if it's done right, but I'm sure that would have a lot of purists crying "foul".