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SACD recommendations

MoFi Thoughts

Decided I wanted a Patricia Barber enough to purchase the Cole Porter, MoFi 180g vinyl; at the same time ordered a MoFi sacd (Billy Joel, Piano Man).

Got to say the hybrid sacd is nothing to shout about; just sounds like another cd. On the other hand, the P/B vinyl is outstanding, superb sound quality.

But, maybe the age, genre, and engineering are at fault. Piano Man is thirty years old, raucous rock, popular audience. The Barber is three years old, small jazz combo, engineered for a small, niche, audiophile market.

But, just sayin', don't waste your dough on the B/J sacd.
 
I just got these 2 SACDs on the Water Lily Acoustics label.
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Recorded live, in concert, with 2 mics in a coincident pair (Blumlein IIRC) and they are simply the most realistic recordings I've ever heard. Stereo only. It's obviously not a world-class orchestra, but that's OK with me.
 
Dennie said:
I hate seeing this thread sit idle, so I thought I would get Pro-active. :yes:

I recently bought this one.....
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This is an Outstanding SACD. Here is a review by David W. Robinson.......

The Anthony Wilson Trio, Our Gang
Groove Note GRV1008-3

Disc type = SACD Hybrid Stereo
Disc provenance = Live and direct to 2-channel DSD via Meitner chipset; recorded by Michael C. Ross and Darren Morra; produced by Ying Tan, Sebastian Koh and Joe Harley; mastered by Bernie Grundman

I have to say that I wasn’t familiar with Anthony Wilson (jazz guitar), Joe Bagg (Hammond B-3) and Mark Ferber (drums)…but I am now!

Ying Tan was kind enough to send this SACD along for a listen. Groove Note SACDs are always a treat for me; Ying and company are fiends for "only the best," don’t compromise on the sound, and always deliver music that amazes me for its beauty and excellence. (Look at what Groove Note has done with Jacintha… with Luqman Hamza… with Jay McShann on SACD, for example—you have bought those, haven’t you?!)

But these folks I didn’t know. I popped the disc on, and sat down for a minute… and stayed for a while. Quite a while.

What a sweet recording!

The feel is small and intimate; you’re in a small club with a jazz trio—only you’re alone with them. Anthony Wilson commands his guitar with improvisational work that at the other end of things away from stale or hackneyed. Whether bluesy ("Britta’s Blues" or "Prelude To A Kiss"), funky ("Chitlins Con Carne"), or jazzy-rock (his exceptional cover of the Beatles’ "I Want You (She’s So Heavy)"), Wilson drew me into that world of head-nodding reverie. His compadres, Bagg (love that classic Hammond sound… I never get tired of it!) and Ferber are just right, and deliver accompaniment that’s spot on to round things out to perfect.

The sound is pure DSD: transparent, effortless, deep, detailed, and utter relaxing. This is what recordings of this kind should sound like!

Highest praise to everyone involved in producing this quiet masterpiece.

Love jazz trios and great instrumentals? Then this SACD, my friend, is for you.

It merits a Ye Olde Editor’s "Highest Recommendation."

Sound = 10/10; Performance = 10/10; Music = 10/10


This is a fantastic recording and lately I have really been getting into "Trio's" as I find them (for lack of a better word) "easier" to listen to and they just draw me in.

If you're unfamiliar with Anthony, but know Diana Krall, he is the Guitarist on "Live From Paris" CD/DVD and others with her.

I highly recommend THIS SACD! :thmbsp:

Dennie
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I'm listening to this one again and had to give it a bump. If you like Jazz Guitar and/or Hammond B-3, this is a great example of why we buy SACD's! :yes: :thmbsp:

BTW, I'm listening to it in 2-Channel! :music:


Dennie
 
wanders said:
Decided I wanted a Patricia Barber enough to purchase the Cole Porter, MoFi 180g vinyl; at the same time ordered a MoFi sacd (Billy Joel, Piano Man).

Got to say the hybrid sacd is nothing to shout about; just sounds like another cd. On the other hand, the P/B vinyl is outstanding, superb sound quality.

But, maybe the age, genre, and engineering are at fault. Piano Man is thirty years old, raucous rock, popular audience. The Barber is three years old, small jazz combo, engineered for a small, niche, audiophile market.

But, just sayin', don't waste your dough on the B/J sacd.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the "Heads-up" on the B/J! And I can imagine the P/B sounds fantastic. Congratulations on an outstanding purchase! :tresbon:


Dennie
 
Dennie said:
I'm listening to this one again and had to give it a bump. If you like Jazz Guitar and/or Hammond B-3, this is a great example of why we buy SACD's! :yes: :thmbsp:

BTW, I'm listening to it in 2-Channel! :music:


Dennie
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Agreed - a real gem. Gets a lot of play in my house.
 
I am new to this SACD thing so please excuse what might seem like a silly question. I bought Dark Side of the Moon 2003 SACD two years ago. My Blu-ray player doesn't do SACD and I knew that at the time but bought it since it was the same price as the "regular" CD. Someday I will upgrade my player.
So, when I play this CD what am I hearing? Is it essentially the 1973 release or am I hearing something that is not that and not the SACD sound either?
 
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punman said:
I am new to this SACD thing so please excuse what might seem like a silly question. I bought Dark Side of the Moon 2003 SACD two years ago. My Blu-ray player doesn't do SACD and I knew that at the time but bought it since it was the same price as the "regular" CD. Someday I will upgrade my player.
So, when I play this CD what am I hearing? Is it essentially the 1973 release or am I hearing something that is not that and not the SACD sound either?
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Deacon Jubal said:
That is a hybrid release, meaning it has both a SACD layer and a standard CD layer as well. You are listening to the 2003 remaster stereo CD.
If you want a Blu-ray player that also plays SACD andf DVD-Audio, go here:http://www.oppodigital.com/blu-ray-bdp-93/
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And don't forget there's the newly released deluxe edition of DSOTM that includes a blu-ray with two seperate hi-res surround mixes. For roughly the same price as a new blu-ray player...
 
I love SACDs, my favorite digital format. Check out http://sa-cd.net/ for reviews on essentially every SACD ever made.

The Nightfly is an excellent SACD. I believe it is a port from the DVD-Audio but I could be wrong. We own the DVD-Audio and it is very very good.

The Aja SHM-SACD is excellent as well. Like some SHM-SACDs it needs to be broken in. After reading reviews I listened to it twice after opening, then I put it on my player and put repeat on for most of a day and then listened to it, the difference was very very positive.

Gaucho is a good multichannel release too. I don't know if I would call it AMAZING, but it is definitely a great listen. You can get it for cheap too these days.

Dire Straits/Dire Straits is another SHM-SACD that is awesome too. In my opinion it feels more like an analog sound than a digital. This is one of my favorite digital releases.

Brothers in Arms... goes without saying. Incredible multichannel album.

A real unknown SACD is the Rolling Stones Sympathy for the Devil. It is a multichannel single with a bunch different versions of Sympathy. Most of them are ok and interesting to listen to, but the real heart of this SACD is the last track, the original Stones version of Sympathy in true discrete 5.1. It is awesome. The best part? It can be purchased for $6.00 online.

If you can find a copy of it, The Animals Retrospective is fantastic.

Deep Purple Machine Head (the 2003 edition, not the 2011 Japan 5.1), has one of the most intense surround mixes I've ever heard. The opening guitar in Smoke On The Water is anchored on the left surround, then the second guitar comes in on the right
surround, then the drums on the front. Very intense mix.

Foghat Fool For the City MFSL SACD is AWESOME. Highly recommend this if your a Slow Ride fan.

T. Rex Electric Warrior is an excellent multichannel release. If you can get your hands on one for a good price... get it.

Eric Clapton Slowhand is a great surround mix. Contrary to popular belief Cocaine, in my opinion, is not the best song on that album. I strongly believe that Track 6, The Core is easily the best song. I believe the surround mix proves it, the saxophone on the left surround then Clapton's solo on the right. So awesome, can't help but tap your feet and drum the coffee table with your fingers.

The new Dark Side of the Moon Immersion Blu-Ray includes the 5.1 on the SACD (I believe it is the SACD 5.1 but it could be a new mix, not positive), and the original Alan Parsons Quad which is said to be superior.

I've read from a few sources that The Wall is coming out in 5.1 in 2012. Cannot wait.

A lesser known SACD is Roger Waters: The Wall, Live in Berlin. This is the concert he formed at the site of the Berlin Wall a year after it fell in the 80s. Along with Waters are some top notch rock artists. The Band, Van Morrison, the list goes on. Great multichannel release.

I hope it has already been recommended, but if it hasn't the new Wish You Were Here SACD is hands down the best digital release I have ever heard.
 
"The Aja SHM-SACD is excellent as well. Like some SHM-SACDs it needs to be broken in. After reading reviews I listened to it twice after opening, then I put it on my player and put repeat on for most of a day and then listened to it, the difference was very very positive. "

Let me guess - your home theater in a box salesman told you this, right? No wait, you said "after reading reviews", so it had to be either one of those 15.00 high-end audio magazines from the UK, or you read it on the internet. Did you also put a "red ring" on it as well? You KNOW that improves your player's ability to read the disc, don't you? You might even try a few "hail marys" while you're at it. No sense in leaving anything out.
 
Deacon Jubal said:
Let me guess - your home theater in a box salesman told you this, right? No wait, you said "after reading reviews", so it had to be either one of those 15.00 high-end audio magazines from the UK, or you read it on the internet. Did you also put a "red ring" on it as well? You KNOW that improves your player's ability to read the disc, don't you? You might even try a few "hail marys" while you're at it. No sense in leaving anything out.
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We're all entitled to our own opinions. Except when I disagree with one's opinion I prefer to discuss it as opposed to responding like a fool. Hope you enjoy whatever music you are listening to in whatever method you see fit. Loving the home theater in a box assumption.

Anyways. I forgot to mention that the Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers is a great SACD as well. At low volumes it doesn't seem too alive but once you pump it up a bit.

Piano Man MFSL sounds excellent as well.
 
Chesky Jazz

In the past couple of months have purchased a number of Chesky sacd, jazz releases. Everything recorded and engineered since the millennium; but featuring young as well as vintage jazz artists (Jimmy Cobb, McCoy Tyner, etc.)

SQ is excellent; prices range around $20. They issued two nice jazz collections "Best of the New York Sessions, Vols. 1 & 2."

The sacd's are available from all the usual sources: Acoustic Sounds, etc. Strongly recommend not buying direct from Chesky; they're nice people but absolutely incompetent at shipping and accounting. I ordered several items from them in late September; the items arrived a week ago and they are still promising to fix a significant overcharge.
 
I recommend looking for HighNote SACD records. Amazon has them for around $10.

"Jazz for the Wee Small Hours" is a standout.

No way I'm paying $80 for a Japanese reissue!

Loved the Boccherini Fandango SACD. You'll recognize some of it from the closing scenes of "Master and Commander."

My all-time favorite? "Ella and Louis." Who doesn't love this music and the SACD is much better than the LP I have of it. The sonic limitations are in the original recording but the SACD makes the most of what's there.
 
As mentioned previously, I'll agree the Rolling Stones' SACDs are worth searching out. I bought the whole lot for $10 each when Virgin started to struggle. My fav is "Their Satanic Majesties Request", a significant upgrade here. I actually like this LP. :-) I do!
 
FauxHall said:
No way I'm paying $80 for a Japanese reissue!
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You can find them for 50-60 on the bay. That and CD japan are my go tos for the SHM-SACDs. I use CD Japan when I'm getting more than one.

I'm going to be ordering Love Over Gold, Exile, and Second Helping soon. Making Movies too once it's out.
 
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