HiRez Poll Garfunkel, Art - BREAKAWAY [SACD]

[rtbluray]

Please post your thoughts and comments on this 2018 Multichannel SACD of the classic Art Garfunkel album "Breakaway". This Multichannel SACD contains the first official release of the 1970s Quadraphonic mix in over 40 years! :yikes

 

[oxenholme]

Superb material
Superb sound
Superb mix

10

 

[bmoura]

Another good one from the Sony Music/Columbia Quad catalog.
A "9" here.

 

[GOS]

I'm a little biased, because I'm a big fan of Art Garfunkel and I really love most of the songs on this disc. Some, more than others. 99 Miles from LA is a standout for me and well I love the tune My Little Town.

The fidelity is excellent and the mix is very nice. A very warm, full mix I think. Not showy, yet a very nice presentation for these songs. I voted a 9. This is one I will play often as I am a big fan.

 

[fredblue]

this to me is a "10" any day of the week :worthy

tip top surround mix = check :upthumb

bop til you drop music = check :upthumb

cream of the crop sound quality = check :upthumb

keep it up DV! you're really cookin' on gas

 

[ar surround]

A solid 9 from me. All around excellent in every aspect...material, performance, sound quality, mixed from the very beginning with quad in mind. What's especially gratifying is that I did not dare buy this album back in the day, so this is like getting an extra bonus...

Girlfriend: You should get Art Garfunkel's album.
Young AR: Why?
Girlfriend: It's nice and mellow.
Young AR: Whaaaaaa...are you crazy!!!!???
Girlfriend: Giggle

 

[Simon A]

A solid 9 from me. All around excellent in every aspect...material, performance, sound quality, mixed from the very beginning with quad in mind. What's especially gratifying is that I did not dare buy this album back in the day, so this is like getting an extra bonus...

Girlfriend: You should get Art Garfunkel's album.
Young AR: Why?
Girlfriend: It's nice and mellow.
Young AR: Whaaaaaa...are you crazy!!!!???
Girlfriend: Giggle

So what you're basically saying is that your girlfriend was right.

 

[jhw59]

9 for me. Cream of the Cream musicians on this one. Liner notes were a bonus.

 

[John Svensson]

Same vote here. I assumed that I would prefer Angel Clare which I've had in SQ, but....overall I think this was a more cohesive album now, and I prefer the sound and production on this one. So, I guess Clare gets the 8+, All I Know wasn't as stunning as I felt it could be. Always look forward to reading Dave's notes.

 

[Clint Eastwood]

Just received my copy in the mail today...not a scratch or crack(first time)...

 

[JonUrban]

Of all of the Columbia Q8's I had back in the '70s, this was one of my favorites. The songs today are a bit burned out in my brain, but the quad mix is so perfect that I can't help but give it a 10. D-V has done a spectacular job on the mastering, not a peak or a loud moment in the entire program, even on "My Little Town", which IMHO has always sounded muddy and loud. The detail on some of the softer stuff is so clear that most of this disc is a true quad demo piece.

Way to go, D-V. Keep doing it! These Columbia gems never sounded so good. EVER.

 

[Mesozoic Mike]

Just received this sacd today. First listen, I enjoyed it very much. Could have a little better high end on some cuts. The original also had a weak high end on those same songs, eg. My Little Town and 99 Miles. Love The surround. Will have to give it another listen before I rate it.

 

[bmoura]

Just received this sacd today. First listen, I enjoyed it very much. Could have a little better high end on some cuts. The original also had a weak high end on those same songs, eg. My Little Town and 99 Miles. Love The surround. Will have to give it another listen before I rate it.

We need to remember that this is a Columbia Pop recording from the 1970s era. And it certainly sounds that way.
So the high end sonics aren't going to match an audiophile recording.

For me, the new Dutton Vocalion Surround SACD edition is definitely an improvement from the way the album sounded on Q8 Tape or SQ Vinyl LP when originally released by Columbia Records.
But it's not a state of the art Surround Sound release by today's standards. I agree with you on that.

Sometimes a 40+ yr old Surround reissue, like this one, needs to be graded on a curve to be fair on a poll like this one.

 

[DuncanS]

Again this is an album I didn't know, I did recognise his version of Gallagher & Lyle's Breakaway. So musically the tracks really hit it off with me (maybe one not so keen on), the production I think is much better than on Angel Clare, so a 10, musicianship again great a 9, sonically for an old recording its good and another excellent transfer so a 9. The Quad mix is good and suits the music so another 9 from me. So a solid 9.

...and I'll give it (and Angel Clare) a 10 for the liner notes from Dave, the nerd/geek in me just loves them, nice and informative, helps make the disc

 

[4-earredwonder]

We need to remember that this is a Columbia Pop recording from the 1970s era. And it certainly sounds that way.
So the high end sonics aren't going to match an audiophile recording.

For me, the new Dutton Vocalion Surround SACD edition is definitely an improvement from the way the album sounded on Q8 Tape or SQ Vinyl LP when originally released by Columbia Records.
But it's not a state of the art Surround Sound release by today's standards. I agree with you on that.

Sometimes a 40+ yr old Surround reissue, like this one, needs to be graded on a curve to be fair on a poll like this one.

And let's stop being modest, Brian. You have a pretty state of the art player/DACs/system. I'm sure your Meitner player extracts more detail from these discs than a Universal player and I still treat my discs, demagnetize them and damper them and what I'm hearing is pretty darn brilliant for 1970's QUAD. Not quite audiophile by today's standards.....but pretty darn close.

And those wonderful prices D~V are charging plus Dave's wonderful, informative liner notes exclusively commissioned for these reissues, in my mind, make these QUAD SACDs two PRETTY EXCEPTIONAL RELEASES.

 

[mattB2]

I gave this a 10 - not because I think this is better than Angel Claire but because taken together both albums would be 9.5s. Lovely sound and great surround mixes.:banana:

 

[TVB]

I had to go 10 on this one. It just sounds.......good. Found myself just enjoying the music and my quad system. I have a little history with this album because i could never win an auction on it. Other than LOOSING all the time, there were also a few times when I put in a bid for it during the last few seconds, and my computer would hesitate, ask me a dumb question or do something strange and the bid would not be made in time. Then it was another couple agonizing months waiting for another tape to come up for auction and then that miserable 7 days until the auctions end...but.... I finally managed to get a very good copy of the Q8 on a dts disc. I had just won an auction for the Japanese pressing of the CD4 album with "Papa was a rolling stone" on it. I think I paid about $70.00 for the record, which is the most expensive record I ever bought. Anyway, the guy asked if I wanted him to make me a decoded DTS disc of the "Papa" record at no extra charge. I told him I would rather have a 4 channel DTS copy of "Breakaway" if he had that disc. He said he did have it and so I got that rare Japanese record and "Breakaway" " for my $70. I copied the record on a Q4 at 71/2 IPS immediately and so I have very nice Q4 of that rare disc. I never could find the SQ of "Breakaway" either, but it seemed i could have purchased an SQ of "Angel Claire" about a dozen times if would have wanted to. Did I mention that I'm just crazy about Papa was a rolling stone, wherever he laid his hat was his home.......(singing as i end this)

 

[Mesozoic Mike]

We need to remember that this is a Columbia Pop recording from the 1970s era. And it certainly sounds that way.
So the high end sonics aren't going to match an audiophile recording.

For me, the new Dutton Vocalion Surround SACD edition is definitely an improvement from the way the album sounded on Q8 Tape or SQ Vinyl LP when originally released by Columbia Records.
But it's not a state of the art Surround Sound release by today's standards. I agree with you on that.

Sometimes a 40+ yr old Surround reissue, like this one, needs to be graded on a curve to be fair on a poll like this one.

Your points are well taken. I guess I was just hoping for a little better fidelity given Richard Perry's other records from that era such as Ringo, and Nilsson Schmilsson, which sounded great.
Those albums were on other labes so maybe it is a Columbia Records artifact.

 

[quicksrt]

We need to remember that this is a Columbia Pop recording from the 1970s era. And it certainly sounds that way.
So the high end sonics aren't going to match an audiophile recording.

For me, the new Dutton Vocalion Surround SACD edition is definitely an improvement from the way the album sounded on Q8 Tape or SQ Vinyl LP when originally released by Columbia Records.
But it's not a state of the art Surround Sound release by today's standards. I agree with you on that.

Sometimes a 40+ yr old Surround reissue, like this one, needs to be graded on a curve to be fair on a poll like this one.

In my opinion audiophile grade recordings were made all through the 70s. The period does not need a grading curve to be compared to today's standards of audiophile recordings. Many folks, myself included consider the modern era we are in to be a lesser quality period of recording, especially compared to top 70s recordings and their mix jobs.

The stronger recording quality of the 70s I speak of would include Steely Dan -"Aja" Supertramp -"Crime of the Century" and "Breakfast in America" Alan Parsons Project - iRobot" and "Turn of a Friendly Card" and Bruce Springsteen -"Darkness on the Edge of Town" as well as Fleetwood Mac and Eagles big hit albums. That's not to mention Pink Floyd's ground breaking magnum opus.

So no, one can't legitimately place any audio shortcomings of a 70s work on simply the era (being considered old and inferior). But it could be Columbia's mixing facility, board or recording decks were not quite state of the art. And thus produced a sound not consistent with other top of the line studios.

Could Columbia have produced wonderful quad mixes with the most tasteful balance and track positioning, yet resulting in a slightly veiled sound some have spoken of and you agreeing with?

The reason I am commenting is because this is not the first time you have taken the position of the 70s recording quality being somewhat inferior, and I generally disagree, some cases I strongly disagree.

 

[lennon fan]

In my opinion audiophile grade recordings were made all through the 70s. The period does not need a grading curve to be compared to today's standards of audiophile recordings. Many folks, myself included consider the modern era we are in to be a lesser quality period of recording, especially compared to top 70s recordings and their mix jobs.

The stronger recording quality of the 70s I speak of would include Steely Dan -"Aja" Supertramp -"Crime of the Century" and "Breakfast in America" Alan Parsons Project - iRobot" and "Turn of a Friendly Card" and Bruce Springsteen -"Darkness on the Edge of Town" as well as Fleetwood Mac and Eagles big hit albums. That's not to mention Pink Floyd's ground breaking magnum opus.

So no, one can't legitimately place any audio shortcomings of a 70s work on simply the era (being considered old and inferior). But it could be Columbia's mixing facility, board or recording decks were not quite state of the art. And thus produced a sound not consistent with other top of the line studios.

Could Columbia have produced wonderful quad mixes with the most tasteful balance and track positioning, yet resulting in a slightly veiled sound some have spoken of and you agreeing with?

The reason I am commenting is because this is not the first time you have taken the position of the 70s recording quality being somewhat inferior, and I generally disagree, some cases I strongly disagree.

I also agree that 70's era recordings are often excellent and properly balanced imo. Starting in the 80's the sounds get more mechanized and people start getting obsessed with bashing your brains with over the top dynamics.
On the surface, woofer blowing punchiness may seem ok but it starts to get very fatiquing over a long period. Recordings such as Rumours etc. have a drum sound more in harmony with the rest of the instruments and is proportionate in the mix. Breakaway is a very lush mix that is balanced for the goal it's trying to achieve, which is being a very good adult contemporary album.