Are the Peter Gabriel SACDs well done?

headrott
headrott Posts: 5,496
edited March 2010 in Music & Movies
I am considering buying his catalog on SACD (At least the ones released in this format), but am interested in thoughts and reviews of the catalog on this format. Is it worth the money to re-buy the catalog again? Thanks for your thoughts and help.

Greg
Relayer-Big-O-Poster.jpg
Taken from a recent Audioholics reply regarding "Club Polk" and Polk speakers:
"I'm yet to hear a Polk speaker that merits more than a sentence and 60 seconds discussion." :\
My response is: If you need 60 seconds to respond in one sentence, you probably should't be evaluating Polk speakers.....

"Green leaves reveal the heart spoken Khatru"- Jon Anderson

"Have A Little Faith! And Everything You'll Face, Will Jump From Out Right On Into Place! Yeah! Take A Little Time! And Everything You'll Find, Will Move From Gloom Right On Into Shine!"- Arthur Lee
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  • agfrost
    agfrost Posts: 2,430
    edited March 2010
    I've got the "Up" SACD, and it's a great sounding one. I haven't compared it to the redbook release, so I can't say whether it's worth your while to repurchase; I suspect you'll enjoy them.

    SA-CD.net has quite a few reviews on his catalog if I recall correctly so you may wish to browse there if you haven't already.

    Jay
    Jay
    SDA 2BTL * Musical Fidelity A5cr amp * Oppo BDP-93 * Modded Adcom GDA-600 DAC * Rythmik F8 (x2)
    Micro Seiki DQ-50 * Hagerman Cornet 2 Phono * A hodgepodge of cabling * Belkin PF60
    Preamp rotation: Krell KSL (SCompRacer recapped) * Manley Shrimp * PS Audio 5.0
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  • lightman1
    lightman1 Posts: 10,794
    edited March 2010
    I like my SACD's medium rare. Leaves more of the natural juices in them.
    nyuk nyuk nyuk!:D
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  • shack
    shack Posts: 11,154
    edited March 2010
    For the most part they are very good. Good luck in your search. Most of them are OOP and the ones you really want will cost you $50 and up...if you can find them.
    "Just because you’re offended doesn’t mean you’re right." - Ricky Gervais

    "For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don't believe, no proof is possible." - Stuart Chase

    "Consistency requires you to be as ignorant today as you were a year ago." - Bernard Berenson
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  • reeltrouble1
    reeltrouble1 Posts: 9,312
    edited March 2010
    I dig them, I know I have Up, Scratch and So, nice recordings with decent dynamics, Sledgehammer still gives me a kick but they're others, I generally do not have them in regular rotation but will pull one out when I need something different in the Rabbit Hole.

    RT1
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  • Fongolio
    Fongolio Posts: 3,516
    edited March 2010
    I have every PG studio album made on LP including the sound tracks (except The Long Walk Home), and several SACD's. The SACD's are great but he's better on LP in my opinion. Up on 45 rpm 200 gram vinyl is one of the all time best sounding LP's I've ever heard. Big Blue Ball is a sonic masterpiece as well.
    SDA-1C (full mods)
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  • shack
    shack Posts: 11,154
    edited March 2010
    "Up" may be one of his best albums from a sonic standpoint...but it is one of my least favorite Peter Gabriel albums based on the music. The redbook CD of "Up" is near the equal of the SACD IMO.
    "Just because you’re offended doesn’t mean you’re right." - Ricky Gervais

    "For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don't believe, no proof is possible." - Stuart Chase

    "Consistency requires you to be as ignorant today as you were a year ago." - Bernard Berenson
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  • Erik Tracy
    Erik Tracy Posts: 4,673
    edited March 2010
    Hmmm...interesting.

    I too am interested in PG SACDs and was considering getting "So" and compare it to the Redbook CD I have.

    Overall the redbook CD of "So" is a pretty clean mix - Sledgehammer shines as a nice demo track -spacious, open, clean sonics.

    What is odd though is that "Big Time" on the same CD sounds bright/brash/congested.

    Would love to hear comments who has the SACD to compare these two tracks.

    H9: If you don't trust what you are hearing, then maybe you need to be less invested in a hobby which all the pleasure comes from listening to music.
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  • headrott
    headrott Posts: 5,496
    edited March 2010
    How about the "US" SACD? I have the Japanese copy of the CD and the "Mini-LP" CD remaster from England. Is it worth buying it a 3rd time for the SACD? Same with "Security", one of my favorite albums by hims. Is it mastered well?

    I would suspect they would be pretty well done as PG seems really "up" (no pun intended) on high fidelty formats and seems like he cares about releasing a quality item that is well mixed (especially multi-channel, his "Play" DVD is really well mixed in multi-channel along with the multi-channel Genesis DVD albums).

    I have seen they are getting herder to find, and when you can find them they are relatively expensive. Not as bad as older Mobile Fidelity CDs.:eek: If I sold all the MOFI CDs I have off, I could probably by my next $2,500 CD player. I wouldlike to get the PG SACDs before it comes to that point. Thanks for everyones input. Keep them coming if anyone else has heard/owns any of the SACDs.

    Greg
    Relayer-Big-O-Poster.jpg
    Taken from a recent Audioholics reply regarding "Club Polk" and Polk speakers:
    "I'm yet to hear a Polk speaker that merits more than a sentence and 60 seconds discussion." :\
    My response is: If you need 60 seconds to respond in one sentence, you probably should't be evaluating Polk speakers.....

    "Green leaves reveal the heart spoken Khatru"- Jon Anderson

    "Have A Little Faith! And Everything You'll Face, Will Jump From Out Right On Into Place! Yeah! Take A Little Time! And Everything You'll Find, Will Move From Gloom Right On Into Shine!"- Arthur Lee
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  • Danny Tse
    Danny Tse Posts: 5,206
    edited March 2010
    For those looking for Peter Gabriel SACDs, Hong Kong ebay seller "unixsystem" has 3 hybrid SACD titles available, including "Security". The starting bid is surprisingly and you may get lucky. Not affiliated, but I've been a customer of "unixsystem" for a long time and he's a good guy. Just a "heads up" to those who can't find PG SACDs locally.
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  • pitdogg2
    pitdogg2 Posts: 25,660
    edited March 2010
    I have "shaking the tree" greatest hits I think it sounds very good. The only downfall IMHO is i just wish they would of been multi-channel. PG put a lot of effort in most of his videos and such i would of thought he would of went and added a MC track to his SACD's
    my .02
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  • shack
    shack Posts: 11,154
    edited March 2010
    pitdogg2 wrote:
    I have "shaking the tree" greatest hits I think it sounds very good. The only downfall IMHO is i just wish they would of been multi-channel.

    Multi-channel music sucks for the most part IMO. I don't want to be in the "middle" of the music with intruments behind me, voices to the left, etc. We've had this discussion often here on the forum....some like m-c...some don't. I am firmly in the latter category.
    pitdogg2 wrote:
    PG put a lot of effort in most of his videos and such i would of thought he would of went and added a MC track to his SACD's
    my .02

    I think Gabriel is a bit of purist as well. If it wasn't originally recorded for multi-channel...don't don't do a rigged up remaster to make it one. That is probably the reason only "UP" is m-c...because it was anticipated to have a m-c track.
    "Just because you’re offended doesn’t mean you’re right." - Ricky Gervais

    "For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don't believe, no proof is possible." - Stuart Chase

    "Consistency requires you to be as ignorant today as you were a year ago." - Bernard Berenson
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  • agfrost
    agfrost Posts: 2,430
    edited March 2010
    shack wrote: »
    Multi-channel music sucks for the most part IMO. I don't want to be in the "middle" of the music with intruments behind me, voices to the left, etc. We've had this discussion often here on the forum....some like m-c...some don't. I am firmly in the latter category.



    I think Gabriel is a bit of purist as well. If it wasn't originally recorded for multi-channel...don't don't do a rigged up remaster to make it one. That is probably the reason only "UP" is m-c...because it was anticipated to have a m-c track.

    I've no basis for comparison myself (not having heard the other discs), but I've wondered if the MC track on "Up" is part of the reason for its higher-than-the-others rating over at SA-CD.net--It seems that a lot of users of SACD think that its benefit lies in the 5.1 potential.

    2.0 channels for me...

    Jay
    Jay
    SDA 2BTL * Musical Fidelity A5cr amp * Oppo BDP-93 * Modded Adcom GDA-600 DAC * Rythmik F8 (x2)
    Micro Seiki DQ-50 * Hagerman Cornet 2 Phono * A hodgepodge of cabling * Belkin PF60
    Preamp rotation: Krell KSL (SCompRacer recapped) * Manley Shrimp * PS Audio 5.0
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  • shack
    shack Posts: 11,154
    edited March 2010
    agfrost wrote:
    I've no basis for comparison myself (not having heard the other discs), but I've wondered if the MC track on "Up" is part of the reason for its higher-than-the-others rating over at SA-CD.net--It seems that a lot of users of SACD think that its benefit lies in the 5.1 potential.

    2.0 channels for me...

    Jay

    I doubt it. Sonically even the redbook is one of the best mastered CDs that Gabriel has put out. It is not one of my favorites from a musical standpoint...but it is extremely well recorded.
    "Just because you’re offended doesn’t mean you’re right." - Ricky Gervais

    "For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don't believe, no proof is possible." - Stuart Chase

    "Consistency requires you to be as ignorant today as you were a year ago." - Bernard Berenson
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  • Danny Tse
    Danny Tse Posts: 5,206
    edited March 2010
    shack wrote: »
    I think Gabriel is a bit of purist as well. If it wasn't originally recorded for multi-channel...don't don't do a rigged up remaster to make it one. That is probably the reason only "UP" is m-c...because it was anticipated to have a m-c track.

    Before they were released, it was Gabriel who was holding up the Genesis SACDs because he was tinkering with the surround effects.

    Incidentally, Gabriel's own studio was equipped for full surround recording and production work. This was mentioned on Sony's now-defunct SACD website.
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  • shack
    shack Posts: 11,154
    edited March 2010
    Danny Tse wrote:
    Before they were released, it was Gabriel who was holding up the Genesis SACDs because he was tinkering with the surround effects.

    Evidently he couldnt get them the way he wanted...thus my original statement...

    If it wasn't originally recorded for multi-channel...don't do a rigged up remaster just to make it one.
    "Just because you’re offended doesn’t mean you’re right." - Ricky Gervais

    "For those who believe, no proof is necessary. For those who don't believe, no proof is possible." - Stuart Chase

    "Consistency requires you to be as ignorant today as you were a year ago." - Bernard Berenson
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  • engtaz
    engtaz Posts: 7,664
    edited March 2010
    B&W Society of Sound has his "Scratch My Back" album for members download in FLAC24, FLAC16, and MP4 audio. Sounds fantastic.
    engtaz

    I love how music can brighten up a bad day.
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