SACDs (Super Audio CDs) may not be on everyone’s mind, but they’re still compelling media for those that like a beautiful – and well defined – sound emanating from their speakers. This is especially true of well-loved and highly respected titles from bands of the past. The unfortunate thing is that current titles, the new ones coming out on a weekly basis, never get this treatment. That is largely what keeps the once mighty format on the shelves of people highly invested in the bands they have come to love over the years.
One of the labels that still remaster for SACD is Audio Fidelity. Led by the visionary Marshall Blonstein, Audio Fidelity has released a steady stream of highly prized titles mostly in 24k Gold discs, all remastered. Last year, Marshall Blonstein re-entered the SACD market, one that he started reissue label, Audio Fidelity, to release with an eye toward a high profile sound, but had abandoned as the market for SACDs diminished.
Since re-entering the marketplace, Blonstein’s Audio Fidelity label has released Close to The Edge, and Going For The One (YES), Counterparts, and Hemispheres (RUSH), along with other desirable titles by Bob Dylan, Poco, Elvis Presley, the recently released America debut, and Sarah McLachlan’s Touch. A few days ago, Audio Fidelity announced upcoming SACDs of two classics.
On December 17, Audio Fidelity continues their SACD reissues with the highly revered Excitable Boy, from Warren Zevon, and the much loved eponymous Atlantic Records release by Boz Scaggs.
For fans of not only the two artists (and the others), but also of the great sounds of SACD stereo (no 5.1 remixes from too many labels), these reissues are well anticipated. So, if you want them my suggestion is to get yourself over to Amazon, or whoever supplies your music these days, and lay in your pre-orders. Why? Simple. You cannot get either YES SACDs, or Counterparts (RUSH). They have sold out.
The market is still there. And unless Blu-ray Audio does a remarkable job of giving the consumer exactly what they are seeking, SACD will be the medium of choice for audiophiles seeking the possible best that they can get of their favored album titles.
Wonder what titles are next for the SACD machine?!
I would like to see more WEA titles on SACD. They favored DVD-Audio back in the day, but now many WEA titles are avaialble in Japan on SHM-SACD. It’s too bad they’re so flingin’ flangin’ expensive to import!
I agree, Greg.
Why oh why can’t at least some of these be done in 5.1? If they are making decent money off of them now, can’t they hire one of the 5.1 gurus (Elliot Schiener comes go mind) to take on this task for at least some of these classics?
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again… I might buy the occasional SACD done in stereo, but I would buy any and all of these without a moment’s hesitation if they were 5.1 mixes!
And for peat’s sake…STOP releasing the occasional 5.1 mix as a “Deluxe” set wherein you have to buy a bunch of other stuff (with the accompanying high price) that are of marginal interest at best…cough…cough….Aqualung…cough…cough….MoonDance….
Or at least make the 5.1 mix available for separate purchase! Is that so much to ask?!?
Don’t forget…cough…cough “Wish You Were Here”.
WYWH did see a separate 5.1 SACD release…I picked that one up immediately when it was first released even though it was a little pricey for just a single disc…I think I paid about $40 for it, but I just had to have that one. Still, that price was better than the crazy immersion sets that are well over $100…
I’m hoping that the MoonDance Deluxe set will eventually fall below $40 on the used market…I could deal with that price I suppose even though I’d still end up with a bunch of extraneous outtakes/stuff I probably will only listen to once at most…
Jon
I love the SACD format, but there are a couple of major problems: 1) lack of installed user base and 2) poor master transfers.
Getting over problem “1” in a hi-res format is easy with the advent of blu-ray.
The problem is going to lie in “2” where we have seen major flaws in the recent “blu-ray audio” drive by Universal.
Don’t get me wrong, the blu-ray audio format is still in its infancy, but if they could do both decent transfers and offer “value added” material that has already been sitting on the shelves, sometimes for over a decade, they might really see the format take-off (and yes, I’m a Canadian, EH!).
Until they can offer the quality and resolution, as well as accessibility, SACD will linger…
Just noticed the SACD for Waters “Amused to Death” pushed to April 2014! Yikes, I think I ordered mine (amp;other 2LP) back in May of this year. Anyone know the story?
Dammit!