No sooner does the SACD of Close To the Edge deliver to people – happy people – than the surprise news comes that Audio Fidelity, who is doing EVERYTHING right these days, will be delivering a coveted Going For The One SACD.
Going For The One was released after Relayer (please oh please oh please oh please let there be a Relayer SACD), with great fanfare. With five songs on the album including the single, “Wonderous Stories”, Going For The One was another magnificent addition to the Wakeman-era of YES.
(I remember a trip to Peaches Records and Tapes in St Louis and seeing the huge wooden painting of the album cover hoisted on to the top of building heralding its arrival.) Since, it has been a necessary part of the catalog.
The album contains the opening title track (“…should I really chase so hard, the truth of sports runs rings around you…”), the heavenly “Turn Of The Century”, with its engaging Howe guitars, the Squire-submitted “Parallels”, the previously mentioned “Wonderous Stories”, and the closing 15-minute “Awaken” track.
The upcoming (unannounced date) for the Steve Hoffman remastered Going For The One SACD is on many wanted lists as soon as it was announced on Facebook.
I, for one, look forward to this next release with Relayer, and Tales For Topographic Oceans to follow. An SACD of Fragile would be completely welcomed as well despite it having been reissued as a DVD-Audio package.
Here’s to continuing great times from the wonderful folks at Audio Fidelity.
This is too good to be true!! An SACD of “Going For The One”!
I am quite pleased with Audio Fidelity’s SACD release of “Closer To The Edge”.
And Matt – My wife (raised in St. Louis, we live there currently) remembers that exact huge painting hanging above Peaches Records and Tapes. She tells me many times this was her favorite record store in-the-day.
Gene, living in Streator (IL), it was an anticipated trip for me. I still, to this day, have many fond memories of this store!
Very cool.
I am with you on the Relayer and TFTO albums.
Does anyone know why Yes’ first live album (and video), Yessongs, has never been properly upgraded? Maybe I’m answering my own question, but I’m guessing the masters are in poor shape.
Matt, it’s a great question!
I hope they do a better job with this than with Close To The Edge. While CTTE sounds all right it it is nothing special. A straight 2 channel remaster that, to my ears sounds a bit exaggerated in the mids, harsh in the uppermost register and somewhat wanting in the low end.
Greg – Agreed. The SACD of CTTE is by far the best version I (having owned many over the years) have ever heard. Having said that, there was something bugging me about the remaster. “Exaggerated in the mids, harsh in the uppermost register and somewhat wanting in the low end” – you nailed it. When I play “Cans and Brahms” from the Japanese import SACD of “Fragile” the bass notes of Wakeman’s synth rattles my living room windows. Talk about low end!
Secretly hoping “Parallels” on the new SACD actually blows them out.
I would say that you guys are disciples of CttE. And I thought I loved that album. Still, I never noticed what you say, it sounds good to me. Disciples, I tell ya!
I own the remaster of ctte from rhino when they redone the catalog a few years ago and it sounds good not great.I never really noticed a lot of low end on the early albums,it wasn’t until I bought the dvd audio of fragile and like gene was blown away by the low end on wakemans cans and Brahms but not a lot of low end from squires bass he has more of a trebley bass sound unless he uses bass pedals
Greg – You are 100% correct regarding the way Squire’s bass has the inimitable Rickenbaker/Rotosound trebly twang. But, as a bass player myself, all basses that are tuned to low E and below, an octave lower than a regular guitar, include low end dynamics. This is what is missing from the Audio Fidelity CTTE.
If you check out what Steven Wilson did with John Wetton’s bass tone on the remasters of King Crimson, you’ll notice the difference. Wetton’s tone is not so different from Squire in that regard. Also, I have always heard Chris Squire’s thunder in the many Yes shows I’ve attended. That presence is missing from this remaster.
Matt, I guess I am fanatical about certain groups, enough to be regarded as a disciple. I’m even more into Tales and Relayer so I’m hoping if those albums get the full HQ remaster treatment they get someone of Steven WIlson’s caliber to do it right.
Don’t get me wrong, Greg, I love that level of intensity. I’m that way with a few bands myself.
I didn’t take you wrong, Matt. I was seconding your observation. I read your column religiously and am always impressed with how similar our musical perspectives are. I also find this to be a great go-to site for getting the scoop on upcoming releases and re-release. I hope you keep it going for a long time to come.
;-)