SACD recommendations?

[bobsticks]

Our young friend jrhymeammo has recently acquired a SACD player and seems to be enjoying the experiment. I'm always looking for some good recs myself so If ya don't mind hows about some top titles?

Here's a few that will probably make today's playlist:

Keb' Mo'~The Door

Yellowjackets~Time Squared

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers~Keystone 3

Any takers?

[Dusty Chalk]

Dredg, El Cielo -- alternative rock a la Perfect Circle, Tool, Alice in Chains, etc.

Talk Talk, Spirit of Eden -- definitive seminal post rock.

Lots of classical titles -- for instance, pretty much anything on the Mercury Living Presence series.

[Slosh]

Super Furry Animals - Love Kraft (UK import)
Excellent 5.1 mix here. Never listened to the stereo mix (except on the CD-layer).

Ryan Adams - Heartbreaker (stereo hybrid)
Got this one on 180 gram vinyl as well and the SACD sounds every bit as good.

Roxy Music - Avalon

...and it goes without saying Dark Side Of The Moon is a must have.

Most of the others I have do indeed sound better than CD but won't make your jaw hit the floor or anything (Death Cab For Cutie, The Police, Peter Gabriel, Stones, etc.)

I really wish Sony would have foisted this format on everyone. Maybe one day.

NP: Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (not SACD but still recorded pretty well )

[noddin0ff]

oooh. I bet Talk Talk sounds good in SACD

[N. Abstentia]

Of course Dark Side, goes without saying

The Eric Clapton SACD's are great.

Some of my favorites are actually the Alison Krauss SACD's, they are superb.

[jrhymeammo]

I think this will be a great thread, Good going bobsticks.

I guess I got a few things to mention.

Art Blakey and TJM - Caravan. It's not bad, but I think this is meant to be played at 33 1/3. Ah F' it!!! It's not a good live recording. But this allows me to go back in time 45yrs, and experience their great performance. So if you dont wanna hear bottles clinging from time to time then this one aint for you. Sometimes great music doesnt have to sound good at all. So, I recommend this music, but not neccesary a SACD recomdtn.

Unlike Slosh, I didnt think DSOTM was all that. It was good, but not great. Maybe I need to hear it in bobsticks MC setup, that might change my mind.

I got Lauryn Hill Unplugged on CD and SACD. CD version was kinda like watching the show on DVD, while SACD made me feel like I was only couple of rows back.

made me feel like I was only couple of rows back

I read this kinda reviews all the time, and I'm always thinkin "Ah not again. How unoriginal!!" But I guess I finally understand that now.

I think what I need to do is to stay with LP on older recordings, and acquire newer recording on SACD. I dont think people should be afraid of replace their music all over again as long as you got alot of music on wax. But if you only have CDs then you will be financially doomed.
DOOMED I TELL YA!!!

JRA

[Dusty Chalk]

oooh. I bet Talk Talk sounds good in SACD

It does, especially since it already sounded pretty good on regular old redbook.

I also have The Colour of Spring on SACD, and it sounds quite good as well. The drums just sound...I don't know...right.

[Slosh]

Unlike Slosh, I didnt think DSOTM was all that. It was good, but not great. Maybe I need to hear it in bobsticks MC setup, that might change my mind.

Yeah, I've only ever listened to the 5.1 mix and thought that was kinda implied when I mentioned the same thing about the SFA disc.

At any rate SACD is only half the story. While I generally prefer SACD there are quite a few good DVD-As still out there too, but of course you pretty much need a TV to navigated them.

[jrhymeammo]

Yeah, I've only ever listened to the 5.1 mix and thought that was kinda implied

Yes. Yes is was. I was just pointing it out from a 2ch perspective. But I was greatly impressed with NIN The Downward Spiral, in 2ch of course. It might blowup my mind in a MC setup. Also, maybe I enjoyed it more than DSOTM because it's a newer recording.

I also recommend Daivd Sanchez - Coral. I find it to be a prety good recording in my system, and this hybrid Jazz/classicalish composition is great.

JRA

[DPM]

My faves are...

1) Joe Satriani/Strange Beautiful Music
2) Blood Sweat And Tears (stereo only disk from Mobile Fidelity)
3) Roxy Music/Avalon
4) Elton John/Honky Chateau, Capt. Fantastic, Madman Across The Water, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and Tumbleweed Connection (great surround mixes)
5) Pink Floyd/Dark Side Of The Moon
6) Helmet Of Gnats/Helmet Of Gnats
7) Mike Oldfield/Tubular Bells (original quad mix)
8) Steely Dan/Gaucho

[jrhymeammo]

I really want to get a copy of SONY's Ultimate SACD sampler. It has Roger Waters' Perfect Sense !&!! from Amused to Death. I need that on vnyl, but the only place I can find it on is Ebay......

I've already said I wanna get SACDs on newer music, but not sure how I can resist since there are so can CAN on SACD.

JRA

[Dusty Chalk]

It does? Does that mean Amused to Death has been or will be released on SACD? Or is this one of those elusive things like Return to Forever's Romantic Warrior and Aerosmith's Rocks?

[jrhymeammo]

Damn Dusty, when do you go to sleep? I swear people on this site sleep about 4 hours a day. Me? Just taking a break from studying at 2am.....

http://www.sa-cd.net/showtitle/1879

Reg has been my idol for the longest time. I remember when i was into HT, I kept upgrading my stuff just for enhancing In the Flesh DVD. I read on that site that In the Flesh on SACD isn't all tha and some complaints about Center channel not being used. DVD only used the Center on 2 or 3 tracks also.... but I'll probably get it for the hell of it.

How sweet would it be if ATD was released on SACD? I think it will happen in near future...........

[kexodusc]

1) Beethoven's 5th/7th - Kleiber, DG - I can't say this enough - the quadraphonic recording finally receives justice on SACD - and the performance, recording, and material - top notch
2) Alison Krauss - New Favorite -
3) Charles Mingus - Mingus Ah Um
4) Wes Montgomery - The Incredible Jazz Guitar of
5) Pink Floyd - DSOTM
6) John Coltrane - Blue Train
7) John Coltrane - A Love Supreme
8) Thelonious Monk - Brilliant Corners

[bobsticks]

I am familiar with all of Kex's list and give a hearty second to it. Probably throw in Monk's Criss Cross and Mingus' Mingus Ah Um. I can't say enough about the Alison Kraus discs. Even if you don't like bluegrass/country/twangwhatever check out New Favorite---breathtaking.

I'd reassert my support for any of the Martin Pearlman/Boston Baroque series as well...

Thanks Slosh and Dusty for suggesting some more modern fare. I'll be sure to pull the trigger.

[Woochifer]

I would put the SF Symphony's Mahler series right at the top of the list. These were originally recorded in DSD with excellent multichannel mixes. They capture the acoustics of Davies Symphony Hall very well, and the performances (especially the 1st and the 6th symphonies) are great.

That Art Blakey recording is another really good one. You can pretty much go with any of the other Concord Jazz SACDs. That label has always had high standards for recording quality, and the 5.1 remixes generally unveil a brand new level of sound quality because all of the original multitrack masters have been remixed in the DSD format. Some of the older two-channel mixes had obvious signal loss and processing applied. The new 5.1 remixes in these cases reveal just how much processing went into the original mix, and by spacing the instruments out the overall sound is much cleaner and lifelike.

I just got the Maynard Ferguson big band recording on the Concord label, and it's sonic tour de force. The horns are absolutely spine tingling in their clarity on the multichannel track.

[bobsticks]

Hey papaWooch,

Good to hear form you. Of course the SFS/MTT series deserves inclusion on any list of superior sounding SACDs. I didn't throw it in on the first go around because I don't think Jayra is into classical. Boston Baroque made the cut, if only in an absent-minded way, because J.S.Bach:The Complete Orchestral Suites was spinning at the time. Great disc, if you get the chance give it a spin.
How's morning sickness/potential fatherhood going?

Cheers

[Dusty Chalk]

Damn Dusty, when do you go to sleep?

During the day. Went to bed around 9a.m.

http://www.sa-cd.net/showtitle/1879

Reg has been my idol for the longest time. I remember when i was into HT, I kept upgrading my stuff just for enhancing In the Flesh DVD.

Oh...it's the live version...bummer.

[jrhymeammo]

I know that I've stated this in other threads, but I have to mention this album again,

Mike Wofford Trio: Live at Athenaeum Jazz

This is probably the best live recording I've heard in my life. I will say this. I personally know the owner/recording engineer of this company. So, feel free to take this post as a heavily biased opinion. Also, I purchased another album by the same label. It is called:

Bouncing with Bud and Phil: Bud Shank Quartet w/ Phil Woods at Yoshi's.

Now this recording is not very good, and I dont really care for the music either. If I were you, I wouldnt waste your money on this album, but I highly recommned Mike Wofford Trio. That one is just an incredible performance with excellent sonic. I may not be in position to say anything about sound quality since my system is far from reference. But I'm extremely thrilled about this album.

btw, this is a good site for me to checkout SACD titles. http://www.sa-cd.net/home.php
JRA

[Woochifer]

Hey papaWooch,

Good to hear form you. Of course the SFS/MTT series deserves inclusion on any list of superior sounding SACDs. I didn't throw it in on the first go around because I don't think Jayra is into classical. Boston Baroque made the cut, if only in an absent-minded way, because J.S.Bach:The Complete Orchestral Suites was spinning at the time. Great disc, if you get the chance give it a spin.
How's morning sickness/potential fatherhood going?

Cheers

It's all going fine. My wife got through the first trimester, and is mostly over the morning sickness. It's just heartburn and general issues from getting bigger in the midsection!

I just re-read some of the responses, and if jazz is the focus I would recommend trying the two Concord Jazz SACD samplers. Because they're hybrid discs, they should be fairly easy to find (I got mine at Borders). It will provide a very good overview of Concord's artists, as well as how they do their surround mixing.

Another great one for sound quality is Swing Live from Bucky Pizzarelli. It from Chesky Records, and it literally takes you into a small jazz club. The overall imaging effect is excellent, and the music is good if you're into small ensemble swing standards (instruments consist of clarinet, vibraphone, guitar, bass, and drums).

Another good one to try is the Heads Up Jazzin' Surround sampler. Heads Up is Telarc's contemporary jazz label and they issue several of their albums in both CD and CD/SACD hybrid formats. The Yellowjackets, Hiroshima, and Spyro Gyra are among the artists that have recorded for that label. Heads Up tends to go with a very aggressive approach to multichannel mixing with very active use of the surrounds. Even if you don't like that surround approach, the sound quality of the two-channel mixes are top notch, especially on those albums originally recorded in DSD.

[jrhymeammo]

I went out and got alot of music today, but I only picked up one SACD.

Marvin Gaye - Let's Get it On

I've never owned this album so I can't really compare it, but who cares.
This album doesnt really need the dynamic range SACD can offer. But the fact it is in much higher rez and was well mastered, I think people would enjoy this album tremendously.But I guess there is only so much engineers can do from old tapes.

Anyone here gotta SACD by John Legend? I already bought 20CDs, 1 LP and a SACD today, but I think I'm gonna go find a copy of that and Allyson Klauss tonight. I'm glad that I've been extremely busy, cuz I havent had time to spend any.

Great thread,

JRA

[jrhymeammo]

Acquired 3 SACD today, and here is what I've found in my environment.

Paul Gulda, Klavier - Gaby Pas van Riet Flote

This is a complilation of five 20th century composers which includes Gabriel Faure, Francis Poulenc, Darius Milhaud, Albert Roussel, and Charles Koechlin.

It's not a bad recording, but didnt really enjoy it too much because I'm pretty sick of classical music.

Bob Belden Black Dahlia

I didnt think Blue Notes had SACD out besides Coltrane and Norah Jones. Some of you might know that I'm a whore when it comes Blue Notes, but I did not enjoy this album at all. This disc sounds like it's trying to sound what it should be doing, but basically gives up. This post just goes to show you that you dont have to have a great system to reveal crappy recordings. I'm making it sound like it's the worst recording ever. It's really not that bad, but overall sound is pretty thin....


which leads me to the last album

Think like the Water - Gordon Grdina, Gary Peacock and Paul Motian

Not all tracks were my kinda music but I enjoyed it alot.

I dunno guys, at this point I'm enjoying CDs alot more than SACDs. I guess I'm just enjoying music I like, and which is a good thing. I did see alot of classical music on SACD today at Tower Reocrds, bu I'm not trying to buy music just because they are on SACD, cuz well......that's stupid.

I guess I'm back to internet shopping cuz I cant really find much in my 'hood. I havent tried CC or BB though. Maybe I'll go tommorow, but I'll only be buy one album. Better do some research first.

JRA

[jrhymeammo]

Wow, it's no hype!!!

Virgin MS finally got Alison Krauss +US - New Favorite in stock. Holy Crap!!! She's a hot babe, but after hearing this album I understand why bobsticks wanted to hump luggn nuts of her Tour Bus.... I'll happily take sloppy 2nds when you get done with that.

JRA

[topspeed]

It does, especially since it already sounded pretty good on regular old redbook.

I also have The Colour of Spring on SACD, and it sounds quite good as well. The drums just sound...I don't know...right.

This is interesting, because it is in the realm of percussion that I really notice the difference between sacd and rbcd. There is a certain roundness (sorry, don't know how to describe it) and body to the drums that isn't present in rbcd. This is easy to hear on hybrid discs that have both layers, such as John Mayer's Heavier Things, a recording that is certainly no slouch in rbcd format.

All of the best rec's have been taken, so unfortunately I've got nothing more to add.

[bobsticks]

Wow, it's no hype!!!

Virgin MS finally got Alison Krauss +US - New Favorite in stock. Holy Crap!!! She's a hot babe, but after hearing this album I understand why bobsticks wanted to hump luggn nuts of her Tour Bus.... I'll happily take sloppy 2nds when you get done with that.

JRA

You got that wrong...I never said...you misunderstood....nevermind.