Brothers In Arms Is Here!

[gostan]

My 20th Anniversary Edition of Dire Straits Brothers In Arms arrived from Acoustic Sounds today. I have listened to the SACD 5.1 Surround mix once and my initial impression is that this is an absolutely "must have" great recording.

I have been very disappointed withl a number of sacd and dvd-a surround releases, but this one works. Mark Knopfler's lead vocal coming through the center channel with the chorus surrounding the rest of my listening room really works well for Money For Nothing. The horns and guitars opening Your Latest Trick coming from the fronts and rears get you in the perfect mood for the great sax solo truncating from the center speaker and then comes Mark's solo taking over for the sax with the rhythm section being delegated to the fronts and rears. Ride Across the River is another tune that is simply fabulously produced in 5.1.

The sound quality is definitely a 10. And the surround mix is its' equal.

Well, I am going back to listen to the surround version again and then I will spin the sacd stereo mix.

Am I simply overwhelmed because I love this recording. Anybody else care to justify or critique my initial listening reactions. Even if you critique the recording I still say that get this disc if you can because it makes me think that sacd is not dead...it is very much alive.....

[David Meek]

One of the all-time great albums. :T

Over the years, I've grown a bit tired of Money For Nothing and Walk Of Life but the rest are all A-caliber songs both musically and (on the copies I own) sound quality wise.

[Foxman]

gostan:

Everyone on the net that I have read states that this is a 9 or 10 out 10. I have one ordered and should be in around the 14th. It's satisfying to see them come out with great mixes on classics like this, I just wish there were more options. I think we all wish there were more options, but we have to make the best of what is available and I think the availability is what makes it so frustrating when the mix is a dud. The higher bit rate quality is great and all that, but it really is all about the multichannel mix to me.

[ThomasW]

Mine arrived today all the way from Hong Kong.... 8O

I'm just listening to the CD layer right now, and the remix/re-mastering is extremely good considering the age of this recording. The 'brass' instruments, sax, trumpet, etc, are very life-like. There's more bass punch. I heard Knopfler live last year, and they got his voice just like it sounded in concert........ :T :T :T :T

Addendum...

I took the disc into the main listening room. I don't have a multi-channel SACD player. So these impressions are based on 2 channel SACD and CD.

To my ears the CD layer has more realistic sounding recording. All aspects of it sound more like live music. The SACD layer is very listenable but the sound is a bit homogenized compared to the CD layer.

The front end of my playback system consists of a Sony SCD-777ES feeding a Ayre K5xe pre-amp. When playing the CD layer I use a Benchmark DAC1. The rest of the system is my quad-amped large ESL/magnetic planar/leaf tweeter system with the IB sub.

I have a friend with a tri-amped (Ayre/Aragon/PassLabs amps) all Apogee planar 7.1 channel system with a Sony XA-777ES player. It will be interesting to hear what differences he's system offers...

[George Bellefontaine]

Brothers In Arms is what got me hooked on Dire Straits.

[Andrew Pratt]

Thomas I'm so jealous you got to hear Knopfler live :drool:

[ThomasW]

He's back July 19th, fly down and we'll catch the concert.

BTW he's playing at a pretty nice venue.....:wink:

http://www.redrocksonline.com/05_photogallery/05_photogallery.html

[Andrew Pratt]

Bastard :

[John Holmes]

I've never listened to Dire Straits, however, this thread made me do a Google search and I found this site: www.mark-knopfler.com I listen to and watched the video for "Boom, Like That". Very nice!

Is this pretty much the kind of sound they deliver?

[Chris D]

I miss Red Rocks, having grown up there. I saw one massively good concert tour there.

I added Brothers in Arms to my Amazon wish list last night. It said it was coming out in a few weeks, and it's an import.

[ThomasW]

Chris,

Yep concerts at "the rocks" are magic....

I ordered my copy from www.cd-wow.com
Good price fairly quick shipping

John H.,

Dire Straits as a band hasn't existed for quite sometime.

The actual 'sound' of the new albums is quite similar to the Dire Straits recordings. Knopfler's newer songs are generally more laid back than the Dire Straits offerings, which tended to 'rock' for the most part.

Knopfler's guitar mentor is Chet Atkins if that helps (think finger picking with thumb and 2 fingers). The blazing guitar rifs on the albums are done by 'hired guns' not Knopfler). Knopfler's from England, and for me he's interesting because he's one of the few singer/songwriters that actually really likes many aspects of American culture. So he writes songs about it .....

A remastered Dire Straits greatest hits album will be released later this year.

[Foxman]

I've never listened to Dire Straits, however, this thread made me do a Google search and I found this site: www.mark-knopfler.com I listen to and watched the video for "Boom, Like That". Very nice!

Is this pretty much the kind of sound they deliver?

8O


WOW, I didnt realize there were souls on earth that hadnt experiminted with a lil Dire Straits. I can't wait to get my copy.. soon very soon.

[Chris D]

Knopfler's guitar mentor is Chet Atkins if that helps

WHAT? No kidding? Wow... I guess there's more to Dire Straits than I ever realized. I kind of considered them to be just another one of those 80's bands that put out some good tunes.

[Andrew Pratt]

I've never listened to Dire Straits

:thud:

I kind of considered them to be just another one of those 80's bands that put out some good tunes.

:naughty:

Chris you should give some of Knopfler's solo work a listen. Sailing to Philidelphia is very good and the bonus CD's live version of Brothers in Arms is stunning. Knopfler's in a select group that give their guitars depth and feeling...simply amazing.

[ThomasW]

This is a nice album, mellow and laid back.... the 'student' and his mentor.... :wink:

[John Holmes]

Thanks Thomas!

I knew the band existed, just never associated them as my cup of tea.

Mark's solo work sounds nice. The fact that Chet is his mentor is a major plus. I'll be adding Knopfler to my collection :T

[Spearmint]

This is a nice album, mellow and laid back.... the 'student' and his mentor.... :wink:

Thanks Thomas, I will add this to my next purchase.

What is the significance of the cover you posted as it is different to the CD cover?

[ThomasW]

What is the significance of the cover you posted as it is different to the CD cover?

That pic is the cover of the book.

[Spearmint]

That pic is the cover of the book.

Thanks Thomas...

Have you read the book? I have the CD on order, and was now thinking maybe I should also order the book.

[ThomasW]

I simply grabbed the image off the net. I don't know anything about the book

[Spearmint]

I simply grabbed the image off the net. I don't know anything about the book

Ahhh… so you display a book cover and talk about an album, let me guess you manage either or both artists, and you head up their marketing team. (JK)

Looking forward to receiving the CD looked for it down-under but couldn’t find it so have ordered it out of the US.

Thanks for bringing this album to my attention.

[Foxman]

I just received my copy of this SACD along with my Deadwing DVDA import from the UK on Friday. This SACD is fabulous. I really very much enjoyed the mix on Brothers in Arms (the song). I was able to sit and veg on this tune more so than the others.

[junior77blue]

$34+s&h for this SACD from Amazon????

Come on now...will this be officially realeased in the U.S. or just as an overpriced import?

[ThomasW]

Come on now...will this be officially realeased in the U.S. or just as an overpriced import?

It will be released in a few months if I recall correctly.

It's under $20 delivered, from http://www8.cd-wow.com/detail_result...uct_code=17932

[Chris D]

Just got BIA on SACD from Best Buy. I'll let you know how it is!

[Brandon B]

Thomas/All -

Would you say spring for the SACD over the remastered regular CD release they put out a few years back? Even just for the CD layer? (I do have a fair SACD player, Sony SCD-555ES)

Keeping in mind this is one of my more listened to albums also.

BB

[ThomasW]

Brandon,

I have the new SACD and the original CD not the remastered CD.

I recall some posts on AA stating that the XRCD was the 'best' version.

[Brandon B]

Hmm. OK. The remastered CDs are pretty nice as is. I'm probably better off getting something I don't already own, then.

BB

[rdram]

I got the DualDisc (yeah, I know) version a few weeks ago at an FYE for $18. CD side does play, DVDA side is a fabulous mix.

Rich

[Brandon B]

FYE?

[rdram]

Brandon,

I believe FYE stands for "For Your Entertainment"-it's a chain of stores here in upstate NY. One of the few places left that have a dedicated section for SACD, DVDA. Strange thing is that they mix the DualDisc's in with the regular CD's. Strange marketing scheme...

[Chris D]

Well, I finally listened to the DVD-A side of the Dual Disc last night. Absolutely amazing. The new expanded version of "Money for Nothing" is unparalleled. I dare ANYONE to crank that up and then not be compelled to do a good air guitar during the intro. I cranked it up to reference level in my theater, and during the very beginning of the intro, the softest, quietest part before everything fades in, there was NO hiss. None. Absolutely zero hiss from the media.

I didn't own BIA before, so this was definitely a good buy.

[mitch57]

BIA is totally AWSOME!!! :T If you like the Multi-Channel BIA disk check out this one!

"Sailing To Philadelphia [CD & DVD-A] Di, Mark Knopfler" :B

It's totally awsome as well and comes with both the CD and the DVD-A disk. Tower records is selling it for $23.99.

[rockethouse]

GREAT RECORDINGS sounding their best.