SACD List of Upcoming Titles to get excited about! (1 Viewer)

[Tony Casler]

Anyone know a good place for imports? I would like to get Korn, since it doesn't seem to be headed for a U.S. release anytime soon.

 

[Rich Malloy]

Color my aghast at the Dylan news--or at least taken aback and sceptical. When this news first broke last week, I was certain that it was hoaxy because of certain absurdities in the details, but apparently it's accurate.

In addition to Blonde on Blonde, five additional Dylan SACDs will also now appear in 5.1 Multichannel format. These albums are Another Side of Bob Dylan, Bringing It All Back Home, Blood On the Tracks, Slow Train Coming, Love and Theft.

First, the key to the 60s era Dylan titles, the "digital holy grail" as it were, is to finally get those albums in the mono mix that Dylan carefully worked on and preferred. Obviously the stereo mix should also be included.

But multichannel "Bringing it All Back Home" and multichannel "Another Side of Bob Dylan" and multichannel "Blonde on Blonde"? I'm sorry, but that's fucking stupid. Yes, yes, it might be halfway interesting, and yes, yes, I hope to be eating my hat this summer as I proclaim how wrong I was in this post... but I'll believe that when I hear it, and no matter what it certainly appears that we won't be hearing the mono mixes on SACD (or any other digital format save CD-R burned from vinyl).

To make an absurd situation nearly sublimely ridiculous, at least three of the other Dylan SACDs being released as stereo-only were released with a quad LP mix in the 70s! Namely, "Desire", "Nashville Skyline" and "Planet Waves". So, just like the mono mixes for the earlier albums, we are losing another important (though admittedly less so) historic mix in the quads.

I find these choices to be largely without aesthetic or historic merit, and as I consider these to be the most important records yet brought to SACD, it upsets me even more to see them done from what I can only call an ignorant, ahistorical perspective. I mean, can anyone explain to me the logic behind some of these choices?

 

[Michael_T]

Rich,
I couldn't have said it better. What is Sony thinking.

I can only assume that the MCH mixes on a lot of these Dylan titles will be done in a similar fashion to what was done with Miles' "Kind of Blue". They take the original 2-track or 3-track recording - spread it out discreetly, track by track, to the front 3 channels and then use ambience for the rear channels.

I really, though, question the re-release of "Blonde on Blonde" in MCH. Why not just leave well enough alone and give us some Dylan titles which aren't on the list.

 

[Justin Lane]

Anyword on Sony's pricing for the upcoming Dylan albums?

If these Hybrids are to replace the current redbook releases as well, I would hope the price is in line with a redbook CD. If they price the albums in a such a way, it would only make sense for them to reduce the price on their single layer SACD discs as well, which are ridiculously priced.

Regardless, I will still be picking up quite a few of these Dylan releases.

J

 

[Michael St. Clair]

The two most important mixes are the original mono and stereo. To throw out the mono and include multichannel shows a lack of understanding of the historical and artistic significance of the mono mix.

I'll pass on these discs and buy some Sundazed vinyl. I've given up home of the original mono appearing in a digital format.

 

[Rich Malloy]

When I think of all the endless petitioning regarding minor issues relating to crappy movies on DVD, it makes me wonder why there's been no effort and hardly any discussion regarding something as significant as the Dylan catalog on SACD.

I don't know why it is, but it sure seems to me that someone cares more about the idea of "multichannel", its marketing implications and broad appeal among the rubes, than they do about preserving one of this country's most important recording legacies. No, I have nothing against multichannel, and I believe even something like "Free Wheelin'" could sound great if done in an "ambient" manner that's faithful to the original recording... but not at the expense of the mono mix!

And if anyone doesn't understand that, I suspect that person doesn't know shit about Dylan, his music and its various permutations. It seems that Sony's gone off the plantation here, with an approach more in line with what we've seen from DVD-A than SACD. I mean, yes, I'm thankful that we at least have a stereo mix, though as many of you know, there often isn't a "proper" or "historic" stereo mix for a given title simply because there've been so many and since Dylan never was particularly involved in any of them... unlike the mono mixes. And if a particular record was released in quad - like "Desire", "Nashville Skyline" and "Planet Waves" - wouldn't that also be a good candidate for a surround mix (even a remixed approximation of the original quad)? But, inexplicably, no, so far as Sony's concerned anyway.

Honestly, there's much to look forward to with these releases, and some are clearly being done just exactly right. "Love and Theft" should sound marvelous in surround, and I'm even itchin' to hear "Blood On the Tracks" that way. Hell, I may even fall in love with the surround mixes of the early stuff. But no matter how "right" they get those, and regardless of the inclusion of stereo mixes (which mixes? who knows?), this is a lost opportunity. Surely, we are not the only ones who feel this way.

 

[JonathanG]

holy crap! Sigur Ros - wow! can't wait

any online reviews for Oasis "What's the Story Morning Glory" ?

 

[Danny Tse]

Yet to be confirmed....dvdshelf.com out of Hong Kong is listing an upcoming SACD release of Air Supply: The Definitive Collection. I can't provide the link because I am at work (Big Brother is watching!). But looking at the song listing, the songs are from their years on Arista Records, now a BMG label. While back in March, BMG made a big an announcement of its support for DVD-A, maybe HK BMG is pulling another HK Warner Bros by issuing SACDs.

I know, I know....Air Supply?? Hey, they can still rake up sales in Asia.

BTW, the SACD of Elv1s 30 #1 Hits is a bust....it's just the DVD-A. Error on the part of play.com.

Edit: Link to Air Supply: Definitive Collection SACD

 

[Rich Malloy]

Thanks, Danny. Do you know the release date on that one? Is it out today?

I also added a listing for another import SACD, namely The Who "Live at the Royal Albert Hall" (3-disc set) Hybrid.

I've included a link for preordering, and I'll try to do that for other imports, as well.

 

[Rich Malloy]

Well, this is a bit unusual. I didn't think there was a firm release date yet for DEEP PURPLE: CONCERTO FOR GROUP AND ORCHESTRA, but it looks as though euphoric sounds has it in stock: http://www.euphoricsounds.com/store/erol.html#2521

This is it, right?

 

[Danny Tse]

Rich,

Regarding the SACD of Air Supply's Definitive Collection, looks like it's available right now. Here's the link to order the SACD, in English. As for the name of the "publisher", I have no idea who they are. However, Hong Kong Sony's SACDs (so far, all single layer stereo SACD) are distributed by Fat Kee Records, and that also shows up as the name of the "publisher".

I am hoping Whitney Houston's debut album will show up on SACD....

 

[KeithH]

Danny, thanks for the information on the Air Supply SACD. I'd like to see some reviews of this one. I wonder if it will be available domestically.

 

[KeithH]

Yeah, what we really need is whiz-bang surround mixes on classic '60s Bob Dylan albums. Thanks, Sony. Sony should simply give us mono and stereo tracks. This is just plain stupid. What a bunch of morons over at Sony.

 

[Evan S]

I wonder if anyone can comment on two recent SACD releases? Namely, Chick Corea, et al. "Rendezvous in New York: Live"

Rich, I got the Chick Corea set on Tuesday. I have done more casual listening rather than critical listening, but I can easily say that I prefer disc 2 to disc 1, simply because of the fact that I find the Bobby McFerran tracks a little bit annoying, but they are growing on me.

The performances are first rate...very jazzy. I was surprised by this because my limited experience with Corea has been more of the contemporary jazz stylings, not the pure ad lib type jazz approach. The sound quality is truly amazing. On a par with the Alison Krauss discs, especially in the percussion, which has an extremely three dimentional soundstage. The crowd is not very prominent in the recording, except in between passages and during transitions in the music.

It's a package I highly recommend if that type of music is your cup of tea. All of my comments refer to a 2.1 setup, as I don't have a multichannel setup at this time (hopefully soon).

 

[Lewis Besze]

That British outfit doesn't seem to ship to the US nor provide conversion to $.Anyone ordered from them before from the US?
Also is anyone know if there is an Import SACD from Jean-Michel Jarre preferably Oxygen,or Equinox?
Thanks!

 

[Lee Scoggins]

Yeah, what we really need is whiz-bang surround mixes on classic '60s Bob Dylan albums.

Keith, how do you know that the surround recordings will be gimmicky? Sony has been reasonably tastefull so far with M-C.

 

[Lee Scoggins]

To make an absurd situation nearly sublimely ridiculous, at least three of the other Dylan SACDs being released as stereo-only were released with a quad LP mix in the 70s! Namely, "Desire", "Nashville Skyline" and "Planet Waves". So, just like the mono mixes for the earlier albums, we are losing another important (though admittedly less so) historic mix in the quads.

Rich,

Have you heard these? I heard they were not good and the original albums were not recorded in Quad in any event. If three track or two track masters exist and room tone is added in the sides for ambience, it is likely that the new mastering will be a vast improvement.

These are some of Sony's crown jewels. I doubt they are approaching this project lightly. I bet they are talking to Dylan and his engineers.

 

[David Lawson]

Has the Norah Jones SACD been delayed? Circuit City sends me a weekly status e-mail detailing why my preorder hasn't shipped yet, and the one I received today has the release date listed as June 10, instead of the May 20 date it's been on all previous messages.

Amazon and Elusive Disc still list the release date as May 20, and Acoustic Sounds says it's in stock (?), so I'm not sure what to think.

 

[Danny Tse]

Someone is selling the SACD of Air Supply's Definitive Collection on ebay. Click here for detail.

 

[Al B. C]

Roxy Music - "Avalon" - new release date 07/07/2003

http://www.bryanferry.com/avalonsacd.html