STELLAR RECORDINGS

[PaulyT]

One of the best I've ever heard.....

A Meeting By The River -- SACD

Ry Cooder & V.M. Bhatt

Just finished listening to this SACD; thanks again, Dennie, this is a good one! The recording is very good, but more than that, it's very interesting music. Maybe not for everyone... a sort of fusion of blues guitar and Indian classical music. Really well played though, and the sound of Bhatt's instrument - that he invented+built himself - is fascinating. As is the sound of the subtle bass(ish) drum in the background.

I've already ordered more of Ry Cooder's music.

Interesting tidbit: according to the liner notes, Bhatt studied with Ravi Shankar, who is the father of Norah Jones. Small world.

 

[Dennie]

One of the best I've ever heard.....

A Meeting By The River -- SACD

Ry Cooder & V.M. Bhatt

Just finished listening to this SACD; thanks again, Dennie, this is a good one! The recording is very good, but more than that, it's very interesting music. Maybe not for everyone... a sort of fusion of blues guitar and Indian classical music. Really well played though, and the sound of Bhatt's instrument - that he invented+built himself - is fascinating. As is the sound of the subtle bass(ish) drum in the background.

I've already ordered more of Ry Cooder's music.

Interesting tidbit: according to the liner notes, Bhatt studied with Ravi Shankar, who is the father of Norah Jones. Small world.

You are welcome my friend! :handgestures-thumbup:





Dennie :eusa-clap:

 

[PaulyT]

I've had this for a while (Bach Brandenburg concertos by the Swiss Baroque Solists), but am listening to it again this morning, and am very impressed. This is an excellent recording, both technically and musically. It's a small(ish) ensemble of various instruments in different combinations in each movement. Each one comes through very clearly. The sound of each instrument is very intimate, meaning it sounds like they were pretty close-mic'ed (a la AIX), as opposed to being recorded from a stage distance. I really like it, great sense of being there right amongst the performers. And the musicianship is top-notch, a lot of excitement and energy, as well as subtlety in the slower parts.

Good demo material, this. Well, assuming you're into this type of music, of couse.


And DAMN, all the distortion in my headphone amplifier is really revealing the soundstage and imaging precision of this recording in all its true glory!




:angelic-green:

 

[PaulyT]

This was posted in another thread by Zing. I didn't know this album well, only a few songs from it, but Zing made it sound pretty interesting, so I ordered it. Just got it yesterday and listened to it just now, and...

HOLY SHIT THIS IS FUCKING AMAZING!!!!!!!


I haven't been this blown away by any recording that I can remember. I love it on so many levels. First, the music - how was I not familiar with this one? I've loved Queen for a long time, I guess I just knew their somewhat more recent stuff better - things from the greatest hits album(s). Of course, I knew Bohemian Rhapsody, nobody in the universe who has any tendencies toward music could fail to know that one. And You're My Best Friend. But I don't think I've ever heard any other song on this album. I loved 39, and Prophet's Song. But it's all good. After listening to a lot of prog rock, I think I have a somewhat better understanding of where these guys were coming from, and the musical scene around that time, '75-6. I'm not sure I would have appreciated this music 5 years ago. But now... wow. Just ... wow.

And I'm putting it in this thread more for the incredible surround mix than for the recording itself (which in this "restored" version sounds pretty dang good). It was so much FUN! I had a big grin plastered on my face pretty much the whole time. I like how they put stuff in the entire space, not just individual speaker channels. I mean, there's stuff there that uses mixtures of surround channels in a way that few others do. Often if rears are used, the instrument is pretty much confined to just the left or right rear channel, not so much middle-back (stereo in rears), or "right" (right front right rear, so it sounds like it's coming from the right side). But in this one, it's all over the place, and the detail they've put into all the instrument and vocal placement in the surround field is amazing. Clearly, a lot of attention was put into this. I was trying to figure out who did the surround mix, but all the case and insert seem to indicate is that the 5.1 mix was done in 2005. Was this available in some other surround format earlier?

Well anyway, Zing, I thank you so much for posting this, I never woulda seen it otherwise. This is so totally worth having, I can't recommend it enough. (Okay now that I've raised your hopes, I hope it doesn't disappoint if anyone else does get it. )

:eusa-clap:

 

[Batman]

What's this Bohemian Rhapsody you speak of?

































:eusa-whistle:

 

[Zing]

Was this available in some other surround format earlier?

Yes. There is/was a DVD-A mix of this. I've had mine for about 2-3 years now so I can't say whether it's still available or not.

 

[Botch]

I'm lovin' it too Pauly, and you're right on the money about how they "spread" the sound around among the 5 speakers, not discrete. On the stereo version the lines "little high, little low" are hard-panned to each speaker, but in the 5.1 they're mostly hard-panned right/left, but there's a few voices coming from hither and yon, also; a lot of craftsmanship in this mix! (for the record, there are >180 overdubs on this recording).
And here's an interesting story on the album's opener, Death on Two Legs (Dedicated to.... Queen had a moderate hit on their debut album, toured a lot, but got royally screwed by their original record company and saw not a dime. They sued to get out of their contract, lonnngggg legal battle, but finally did. The first song on this, their sophomore effort, is vicious, venomous, and doesn't really fit in with the rest of the album (I often listened to it starting from Track 2) but is their brilliant final kiss-off to their original label.
That this album contains what many maintain is the Greatest Rock Single of All Time, must have just been icing on the cake for Queen! bscene-birdiedoublered:

 

[Rope]

This was posted in another thread by Zing. I didn't know this album well, only a few songs from it, but Zing made it sound pretty interesting, so I ordered it. Just got it yesterday and listened to it just now, and...

HOLY SHIT THIS IS FUCKING AMAZING!!!!!!!


I haven't been this blown away by any recording that I can remember. I love it on so many levels. First, the music - how was I not familiar with this one? I've loved Queen for a long time, I guess I just knew their somewhat more recent stuff better - things from the greatest hits album(s). Of course, I knew Bohemian Rhapsody, nobody in the universe who has any tendencies toward music could fail to know that one. And You're My Best Friend. But I don't think I've ever heard any other song on this album. I loved 39, and Prophet's Song. But it's all good. After listening to a lot of prog rock, I think I have a somewhat better understanding of where these guys were coming from, and the musical scene around that time, '75-6. I'm not sure I would have appreciated this music 5 years ago. But now... wow. Just ... wow.

And I'm putting it in this thread more for the incredible surround mix than for the recording itself (which in this "restored" version sounds pretty dang good). It was so much FUN! I had a big grin plastered on my face pretty much the whole time. I like how they put stuff in the entire space, not just individual speaker channels. I mean, there's stuff there that uses mixtures of surround channels in a way that few others do. Often if rears are used, the instrument is pretty much confined to just the left or right rear channel, not so much middle-back (stereo in rears), or "right" (right front right rear, so it sounds like it's coming from the right side). But in this one, it's all over the place, and the detail they've put into all the instrument and vocal placement in the surround field is amazing. Clearly, a lot of attention was put into this. I was trying to figure out who did the surround mix, but all the case and insert seem to indicate is that the 5.1 mix was done in 2005. Was this available in some other surround format earlier?

Well anyway, Zing, I thank you so much for posting this, I never woulda seen it otherwise. This is so totally worth having, I can't recommend it enough. (Okay now that I've raised your hopes, I hope it doesn't disappoint if anyone else does get it. )

:eusa-clap:

Rope

 

[Zing]

Prepare yourselves for more statements like these:

Mind.

Blown.

and

HOLY SHIT THIS IS FUCKING AMAZING!!!!!!!

In my lifetime, I've bought Elton John's "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" six times. My first copy was on vinyl, then 8-track, then cassette, then CD, then 24K gold CD and finally the incredible 5.1 Hybrid SACD. Did I need a 7th iteration?

As it turned out, yes I did.

I honestly did not think the multichannel Hybrid SACD could be outdone. I was wrong. I was very, very wrong.

 

[PaulyT]

Interesting... I have the SACD. Hmm. Is it really a completely new mix? Or just a different multichannel transfer?

 

[Zing]

^ There's no way it can be just a new transfer. It's too different and noticeably better than any other.

 

[Babs]

Believe me, I have been listening to EJ on so many levels for a lot of years. I luv him! The High Fidelity, Pure Audio disc is just incredible & for the second night. Enough said! :bow-blue:

 

[PaulyT]

Hmm... well, according to amazon:

"The iconic 1973 Goodbye Yellow Brick Road album presented in glorious HD on the Blu-ray High Fidelity Pure Audio format. This will include the stereo mix of the brand new 2014 remaster as well as the 2003 5.1 surround sound mix of the album."

So the surround mix is not new? Well maybe it's just a better transfer than the SACD... (Dr. AIX goes on a lot about the weaknesses of DSD.)

Ok I'm willing to take the risk and get this, and will compare with the SACD.

 

[Botch]

(Dr. AIX goes on a lot about the weaknesses of DSD.)

He does, but his arguments don't hold water with me (although I agree with him most of the time). Anxious to hear your comments too Paul, its already 2/0 in favor and I may end up buying it anyway.
Please please please somebody do this to Aja....

 

[Zing]

Hmm... well, according to amazon:

That description was not available when I pre-ordered this in early March. I just saw that it was due out and, based on my other PA BD discs, bought it without reservation.

Frankly, since it didn't specifically mention that it contained a 5.1 mix, I expected it to just be a stereo offering so I was pleasantly surprised and haven't even listened to the 2.0 mix yet. Nor have I done a direct multichannel comparison with the older SACD. But now you've got me curious so I may even play around with both versions today.

 

[Zing]

(Dr. AIX goes on a lot about the weaknesses of DSD.)

He does, but his arguments don't hold water with me (although I agree with him most of the time). Anxious to hear your comments too Paul, its already 2/0 in favor and I may end up buying it anyway.
Please please please somebody do this to Aja....

If either of you would care to give me some cliff notes on the good doctor's assertions, I'd appreciate it. I find it interesting (read: hard to believe) that there's something to complain about regarding DSD. I've been enamored with that codec for quite some time.

 

[PaulyT]

I believe the substance of his complaint is that the format necessarily introduces noise above the audible frequency band, like above 50kHz or something. And maybe that the D-to-A conversion is not as "natural" as it is for PCM encoding, not totally sure about that part.

 

[Zing]

That's pretty weak, in my opinion.

Thanks.

 

[PaulyT]

He's clearly very biased towards PCM (AIX stuff is all 96/24 PCM). I get his point from a purely engineering point of view; DSD is not a "high resolution" format because it only goes up to ~30kHz or so before the noise kicks in. Whether that matters in any practical way... well, I don't know. DSD is also not practical in a recording studio because it doesn't lend itself well (or at all) to DSP techniques.

Here's a few of his articles on the subject from a quick search:

:text-link:

:text-link:

 

[Botch]

What Pauly said. Dr. AIX claims that there IS additional "air" with his recordings that can only be heard on an extremely high-end system in a perfect environment, even though the highest frequencies aren't detectible by the human ear. At that point it starts sounding like a Monster cable ad...