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If you're a Police or Sting fan, run, don't walk, to get the new Hybrid SACD/CD collection, "The Police: Every Breath You Take". It's a brand new re-issue and mix going back to the first generation source tapes, converting to DSD (SACD), and for the CD layer, downmixed with the latest SBM. (Super Bit Mapping). To top it off, it was mastered by Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering... in case you don't know, it doesn't get any better than this, he's the best in the business.
So, how's the sound? Starting off with Roxanne, it's clear that this is something very special, compared with the original releases or subsequent re-issues. By "Message In a Bottle", I'm wondering how they possibly got such a wealth of detail and natural sound from the old tapes- it's clear they took the limiters off the drum tracks for this remaster- they sound fabulous. And I'm talking the CD layer here, folks, even in my Camara with a Delco BLOZE sound system. At home, it's even better. :B
The only way I think I can adequately describe the improvement on a good system is to liken it to hearing the initial mix while recording BEFORE it goes on tape, and loses a bit of the definition and clarity of the live sound from the mic's - it's really that big an improvement over the original disks. It so clean, it just makes me want to crank it up and up, and revel in the rush of re-experiencing these old favorites in a completely different contex than when I grew up with them.... so there I am, going down I-580, with my stereo maxed out, singing along like a total loon... at 51.
Highly recommended. (if you're a Police fan... :W
For those who have heard both the unremarkable CD release of James Taylor "Hourglass" versus the sonics on the single layer SACD version, it's comparable- except that the CD layer on this new Police disk is even this much better. Let's here it for high grade mastering, and shame on the record companies for cutting corners so often in the past.
Best regards,
Jon
Earth First!
_______________________________
We'll screw up the other planets later....
So, how's the sound? Starting off with Roxanne, it's clear that this is something very special, compared with the original releases or subsequent re-issues. By "Message In a Bottle", I'm wondering how they possibly got such a wealth of detail and natural sound from the old tapes- it's clear they took the limiters off the drum tracks for this remaster- they sound fabulous. And I'm talking the CD layer here, folks, even in my Camara with a Delco BLOZE sound system. At home, it's even better. :B
The only way I think I can adequately describe the improvement on a good system is to liken it to hearing the initial mix while recording BEFORE it goes on tape, and loses a bit of the definition and clarity of the live sound from the mic's - it's really that big an improvement over the original disks. It so clean, it just makes me want to crank it up and up, and revel in the rush of re-experiencing these old favorites in a completely different contex than when I grew up with them.... so there I am, going down I-580, with my stereo maxed out, singing along like a total loon... at 51.
Highly recommended. (if you're a Police fan... :W
For those who have heard both the unremarkable CD release of James Taylor "Hourglass" versus the sonics on the single layer SACD version, it's comparable- except that the CD layer on this new Police disk is even this much better. Let's here it for high grade mastering, and shame on the record companies for cutting corners so often in the past.
Best regards,
Jon
Earth First!
_______________________________
We'll screw up the other planets later....
Luke: "Hey, I'm not such a bad pilot myself, you know"
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