Brothers In Arms SACD

[moverton]

Got this one two weeks ago. I like Dire Straits but avoided Brother in Arms due to it being so overplayed when it was first released. My favorite was always the first album.
I have to say that the new SACD release is awesome. The mixing is very good and doesn't distract by being overly gimmicky. The sound quality is excelent. It is right up there with the Dark Side of the Moon SACD in terms of execution.
As for the music, I have to say I like it a lot. I think the overexposure has worn off for me by now so I can listen to it as if it were fresh. The lead off tune is a gripping version of So Far Away. After Money for nothing the album gets even stronger. The trumpet and sax parts are great and with the clarity can make your hair stand on end.
Love to find a few more SACD's with this quality.

 

[MacManNM]

Got this one two weeks ago. I like Dire Straits but avoided Brother in Arms due to it being so overplayed when it was first released. My favorite was always the first album.
I have to say that the new SACD release is awesome. The mixing is very good and doesn't distract by being overly gimmicky. The sound quality is excelent. It is right up there with the Dark Side of the Moon SACD in terms of execution.
As for the music, I have to say I like it a lot. I think the overexposure has worn off for me by now so I can listen to it as if it were fresh. The lead off tune is a gripping version of So Far Away. After Money for nothing the album gets even stronger. The trumpet and sax parts are great and with the clarity can make your hair stand on end.
Love to find a few more SACD's with this quality.

The original recording was one of the first pure digital recordings. It sounded great when it first came out. I bet "Ride Across the River" is great.

 

[Rob Babcock]

I preordered the DVD-A version a few days ago. At $18.99 it costs about 1/2 what the import SACD one costs. It comes out in about 2 weeks, so hopefully it will be equally as good.

 

[moverton]

I preordered the DVD-A version a few days ago. At $18.99 it costs about 1/2 what the import SACD one costs. It comes out in about 2 weeks, so hopefully it will be equally as good.

I got the SACD for $18 from:
http://www3.cd-wow.com/detail_results.php?product_code=17932

I think there are two SACD versions. One is some kind of collector's edition and costs more. I would expect the DVD-Audio to be the same quality. One nice thing about the SACD is that it also has the CD layer on it.

 

[Rob Babcock]

The DVD-A is packaged with the CD, also. Not that it matters- I have the superb recent remasters of all the Dire Straits catalog.

 

[anamorphic96]

Isn't Mark Knopfler a bit of an audiophile in real life. Just a rumor I heard. Maybe someone else knows.

I have noticed that everything Dire Straits and Mark have put out has always been great to amazing in regards to sound quality. He seems to embrace higher resolution since alot of his discs are HDCD and now where seeing SACD releases.

I love artists who really pay attention to the sound quality of there albums. Kudos to Mark.

My copy should be coming in the next day or too. Cant wait.

 

[moverton]

The DVD-A is packaged with the CD, also. Not that it matters- I have the superb recent remasters of all the Dire Straits catalog.

I did not know that some dvd-a disks came with the CD version. I will look for that in the future. I have been leaning towards the SACD hybrids because of the CD layer but if a DVD-A title came with a CD that would be even better. I usually end up just ripping a copy of the CD layer for my car.

Have they released the first Album in DVD-A or SACD?

What would be another Dire Straits title I should try?

 

[Bob R]

Oh, sweet mother.

You know, I have the vinyl and never bought the red book CD. Most of my favorite Dire Straights music is their non-MTV stuff. I mean, how many times can you listen to “Money for Nothing” and think of only the video.

Well, this is a complete album, the type you don’t ever feel cheated buying. “Your latest Trick” is a thing of beauty, with the Sax rolling around your head and the drum ending of ‘Why Worry” renewed this cut for me.

I almost knocked this one back to a 8 due to missing surrounds. But then I continued to listen. The surround kicked in with “Your latest Trick” and I started swatting at the crickets on “Ride Across the River”

So, I then wanted to give it a 9. But I continued to listen.

Then Mark Knopfler just melted me away with “Brothers in Arms”. OK, OK it’s a ten.

Let me listen to it again, and again, I’m sure I’ll find something to criticise.

Ooh, ooh. It’s too short - that’s it.

 

[moverton]

SACD Problems

Well, still love this one but I have had a lot of problems getting my SACD player to recognize it. About 1/2 the time it spins for a minute or two and finally gives up. I asked the supplier for a replacement which they graciously sent but the new copy is worse, it never loads. I guess i'll keep the original and just load it a second time if it fails. Anyone else having issues with this one? All my other SACD's work fine.

 

[BGLeduc]

I see the DVD-A is up for pre-order at Elusve Disc, but there is no detail at all about what will be on the DVD-A or on the bounus CD.

Has anyone got any details?

Brian

 

[Rob Babcock]

It's supposed to be released on DVD-A on July 26th. I have mine preordered.

 

[Buckle-meister]

What would be another Dire Straits title I should try?

I have a number of Dire Straits albums which I like very much. However, I would not hesitate to recommend that you consider Mark Knopfler's solo albums 'Goldenheart', 'The ragpickers dream' and especially his latest 'Shangri-la'.

In my opinion, good though Dire Straits were, they are not a patch on Mark Knopfler as a soloist. True, the style has changed; he is now much more folksy. But to me at least, his solo material is far far more creative.

Regards

Oh, also check out the soundtrack to 'Sailing to Philidelphia'. Track 11 is a monster when it kicks in! (other tracks are also very good though)

 

[Mobius]

I've had this SACD for a short while now and I agree that it is an excellent SACD. Hopefully the DVD-A is just as good (I'm sure it will be) and if it comes doubled with a CD that would be really cool.

moverton,

FYI some other DVD-A discs that I know of that also come with CDs are Beck - Guero, R.E.M. just re-released a bunch of their albums with both formats included, and I think you can get some of the Seal DVD-As with or without a CD (heres one of them. Then you also have some DualDisc albums that supports both DVD-A & CD like Nine Inch Nails - With Teeth & A Downward Spiral , Foo Fighters - In Your Honor (Disc # 2 only), Diana Krall - The Girl in the Other Room, Leeann Womack - Greatest Hits, Toby Keith - Shock'n Y'all, Most of the DualDiscs from Silverline records, Keane - Hopes and Fears, and probably quite a few more. Most DualDiscs however seem to not use DVD-A but instead Dolby Digital 5.1 or Enhanced Stereo so shop wisely, I have a few DualDiscs that are not DVD-A and I still like them but not as much as I would if they were true DVD-A.

 

[BostonMark]

Yes, I just ordered Brothers in Arms from amazon imports, and neither my Pioneer Elite 45A nor 47A seem to recognize it. I haven't had a problem with any other SACDs, DVD audios or even Dual Discs. Don't know what it is, but I just reordered Brothers in Arms in DVD audio format from amazon canada. If anyone knows why this won't play for me, I'd love feedback. (and yes my 6 analog cables are all hooked up, and the settings are all proper)

 

[Rob Babcock]

Are you interested in selling it, BostonMark? I'd like to have it.

 

[BostonMark]

I'm more interested in why it won't play for me, when every other SACD and DVD audio does, but if my DVD audio arrives and that works, I don't have any use for an SACD that won't play. Are you sure it would play on your system?

 

[Rob Babcock]

I have some Pioneer units, but in my main rig I have a Denon. So far I've never found a disc it won't play (store bought, I mean).

 

[moverton]

problems with sacd

I also had problems with the SACD. The first one I bought loads about 1/2 the time. I asked for a replacement and it was sent but the replacement never loads at all. There must be some problem with this edition.

 

[BostonMark]

Well, once my replacement on DVD Audio arrives, I'd be happy to ship it to someone who can play it.

 

[Alex2507]

I recently got the SACD version and want say that for me it is an absolute pleasure to listen to. I don't know about anybody else but I like being alone while doing so. Friends talk, my girl tolerates it but complains if it's too loud. When I get the rare chance to just listen to something of this caliber I am put in a state of awe by the fact;
firstly that somebody can come up with this in their head,
secondly that these sounds can be made by instruments and voices,
thirdly that it can be recorded,
and lastly that it's being played in my living room.