HiRez Poll Davis, Miles - BITCHES BREW [SACD-JAPAN]

[humprof]

“‘Bitches Brew’ is an orchestral marvel because it fuses James Brown’s antiphonal riffing against a metaphoric bass drone with Sly’s minimalist polyrhythmic melodies and Jimi’s concept of painting pictures with ordered successions of electronic sounds.”

--Greg Tate (R.I.P.)​

 

[quicksrt]

This album on SACD as a double disc set was not double the price of my other Japan 7" series SACDs. It was the "Nice Price"
Specially Priced 2-Albums for the Price of One.

 

[NYMo]

Have been listening to this album for a few decades, but it never really clicked for me in stereo.
Got this Sony quad version today and to my brain, it all makes sense now !
I voted 9 ( it REALLY is a historic recording )

 

[newslane]

Have been listening to this album for a few decades, but it never really clicked for me in stereo.
Got this Sony quad version today and to my brain, it all makes sense now !
I voted 9 ( it REALLY is a historic recording )

Track down the two in-studio "Deep Brew" bootlegs. Excellent fidelity, with many minutes of unreleased music.

 

[Tim7099]

Have been listening to this album for a few decades, but it never really clicked for me in stereo.
Got this Sony quad version today and to my brain, it all makes sense now !
I voted 9 ( it REALLY is a historic recording )

Not SACD but just out of interest I have the Columbia Legacy CD release C2K 65774 which states that it is a bright new re-mix, which is interesting as it is most definitely and clearly full SQ. I haven't compared it back to back with the vinyl album so I can't say for sure if the mix is bright and new but Quad it most certainly is

 

[fizzywiggs41]

Not SACD but just out of interest I have the Columbia Legacy CD release C2K 65774 which states that it is a bright new re-mix, which is interesting as it is most definitely and clearly full SQ. I haven't compared it back to back with the vinyl album so I can't say for sure if the mix is bright and new but Quad it most certainly is

Let us know the results of your comparisons. I'm always keen to know of SQ matrix encoded CD'S . (as are others)

 

[Tim7099]

Let us know the results of your comparisons. I'm always keen to know of SQ matrix encoded CD'S . (as are others)

Will do, might be a few days as I'm out tomorrow, I'm quite keen to do a comparison myself

 

[kap'n krunch]

Oh man, I have to spin this soon! It's another masterpiece that is so dense that you will ALWAYS find something new with every listening!

 

[Tim7099]

Let us know the results of your comparisons. I'm always keen to know of SQ matrix encoded CD'S . (as are others)

Initial impression is of greater brightness and clarity but I was troubled by excessive pumping of the rear channels from the SQD2020 so will have another go through the EMI SQ1500 which is a basic decoder and doesn't have such tricks in it's repertoire

 

[Malhomme]

Oh have I waited for that one ! ! ! Mini LP Sleeve, gorgeous book with also english (not so often), metallized cover, inside goodies. The object is itself a treat before listening to a single note. That doesn't help managing your money when editions are that beautiful.

The music speaks volume, I am not going to ponder that, eveyone knows.
I was a bit baffled from the beginning of Pharaoh's dance as the panning is a bit epilectic and everything won't stay in place more than a 1/3 of a second. It certainly serves the psychedelic element of the music, but is hard for the listener. Later, it settles.
The quad mix other than that is what you would expect. Raw, often uncompromising. Same as Deodato's SACD, the "an instrument and its effect in the same channel rule" has been dynamited. Trumpet can be center, with a delay in the rear right and another "delayed delay" rear left. The trumpe goes then from single source to envelopping bubble. It as a 9 for me has some quad decisions of the time made some parts harder to listen to. But it is a must have. By all means, get it.

 

[humprof]

Former longtime New York Times music critic Ben Ratliff has a long piece in the New York Review of Books adapted from his liner notes for The Electric Years box set. I found it really insightful, not least about Bitches Brew and Live-Evil specifically, but also about the whole change in approach that led to those albums. If you've got the patience for long-form music commentary and you're an NYRB subscriber, here's the link. (If you're interested but not a subscriber, PM me.)
https://www.nybooks.com/online/2024/01/13/not-not-jazz-miles-davis/

 

[newslane]

Thanks for this, Professor!

 

[steelydave]

You can get around the soft paywall by using this link:

https://archive.is/a2CxF
...and just generally speaking, the website archive.ph (or.is) is great if you need to circumvent these kinds of things.

 

[yawitz]

You can get around the soft paywall by using this link:

https://archive.is/a2CxF
...and just generally speaking, the website archive.ph (or.is) is great if you need to circumvent these kinds of things.

What a great resource! Thanks for sharing...