HiRez Poll Isley Brothers - 3 + 3 (SACD)

[JonUrban]

Please post your thoughts and comments on this SACD, derived from the Quadraphonic mix from the '70s.
The Quadraphonic mix is also available to stream in Dolby Audio via Apple Music:
https://music.apple.com/us/album/3-3/1030452445

 

[Bob Squires Jr]

Great album but my favorite track "You Walk Your Way" has
a bit of distortion to it.

 

[fredblue]

despite the apparent rear channel swap, this is one of my goto discs.

it helps that I really LOVE The Isleys and this 3+3 band lineup was their high water mark, for me.

if only the Quad mixes of "Live it Up", "Harvest for the World", "The Heat is On" and "Go for your Guns" were also available on a modern disc format..

Big Sigh!

 

[fredblue]

I won't add any more comments on this disc here, right now ("Life getting in the way of living"..?!?)

meantime, here's my review of this SACD, that I posted a few years ago on sa-cd.net..

http://www.sa-cd.net/showreviews/676#6466

 

[wavelength]

The mix, the songs, the arrangements - yes all wonderful. But I am hearing the gorgeous sonics only on a few of the tracks: 2, 7, and 8 to be specific. The rest sound as if there is a veil over the sound. There just isn't that clarity and separation that defines high-rez music. When I listen to high-rez I want to cling to every note in anticipation of the next. The 3 tracks mentioned are very enjoyable but the others don't do it for me. They sound like I'm listening to Dolby. Great surround, great content, not so good fidelity - a 7.

 

[blue.monk]

I wish we could have received a fresh surround mix for this title. The adapted quad mix is entertaining but the fidelity isn't stellar. I'm sure this is due to the source material. Regardless, it's a terrific album featuring 'That Lady' and some very clever funked-up cover versions.

8

 

[fredblue]

did you have a chance to compare it to any other CD release yet, blue.monk? the SACD wipes the floor with the Legacy remastered redbook from around the same time (2001-ish) imho.. instruments have greater presence with mid-bass taking on much more lifelike feel than I've heard it on this LP before.. there's a palpable texture to everything that seems lacking on the CD.. Ron's vocals are chock-full of detail with some of the most incredible phantom centre imaging I've heard on a Quad mix, it really is like they've been hard-panned into the centre, until you shut the centre off and realise the mix isn't doing anything of the sort! it also strikes me that in the transition to Quad the mix became a bit drier than the stereo, there's a touch less reverb on bits and pieces here & there, which I'm a fan of too. really an exceptional release, I only wish Sony had got more of the same out.

 

[steelydave]

I've mentioned this elsewhere, but the rear channels on the SACD need to be swapped - it's obvious when the lead guitar comes in in Who's That Lady and Summer Breeze, because it comes out of one front speaker and a diagonally opposite rear speaker. Swap them and everything comes together.

The O'Jays Ship Ahoy is is swapped too, you can hear it in 'For The Love Of Money' - the bass intro pans in a 'Z' shape instead of a circle until you correct it.

 

[fredblue]

yep, I have Rear L&R on my Pioneer machine specifically wired round the wrong way just for these 2 discs as they're among my all-time fave Quads (plus I'm not geared up to do rips & repurpose channels, etc., I'm a Luddite!).

 

[blue.monk]

did you have a chance to compare it to any other CD release yet, blue.monk? the SACD wipes the floor with the Legacy remastered redbook from around the same time (2001-ish) imho.. instruments have greater presence with mid-bass taking on much more lifelike feel than I've heard it on this LP before.. there's a palpable texture to everything that seems lacking on the CD.. Ron's vocals are chock-full of detail with some of the most incredible phantom centre imaging I've heard on a Quad mix, it really is like they've been hard-panned into the centre, until you shut the centre off and realise the mix isn't doing anything of the sort! it also strikes me that in the transition to Quad the mix became a bit drier than the stereo, there's a touch less reverb on bits and pieces here & there, which I'm a fan of too. really an exceptional release, I only wish Sony had got more of the same out.

Thanks fredblue. I haven't heard the other CDs but I trust your opinion that this is the best mastering. It does sound 'unfutzed' with. My complaint was with the source material sounding rather veiled (apart from the lead vocal which, as you mentioned, does have nice detail). Who knows, maybe a new mix from the multitracks could bring out more clarity. It worked for 'Aqualung'! Cheers.

 

[blue.monk]

I've mentioned this elsewhere, but the rear channels on the SACD need to be swapped - it's obvious when the lead guitar comes in in Who's That Lady and Summer Breeze, because it comes out of one front speaker and a diagonally opposite rear speaker. Swap them and everything comes together.

Well I'll be damned! I did try it and the soundstage became better defined. I hadn't realized how many instruments were diagonally placed. Thanks for that!

 

[fredblue]

Hopefully we can get this to 10 x QQ Poll Votes now

 

[LizardKing]

I've mentioned this elsewhere, but the rear channels on the SACD need to be swapped - it's obvious when the lead guitar comes in in Who's That Lady and Summer Breeze, because it comes out of one front speaker and a diagonally opposite rear speaker. Swap them and everything comes together.

The O'Jays Ship Ahoy is is swapped too, you can hear it in 'For The Love Of Money' - the bass intro pans in a 'Z' shape instead of a circle until you correct it.

I've checked the SACD to my SQ Vinyl - and yes - I agree (from checking the first three tracks).

The rears are swapped on the SACD.

 

[fredblue]

Trying out the Japanese SQ LP for the first time - that is to say properly listening out for what the SM is doing as opposed to dicking around and doing something else while it tinkles away in the background .. and I will be DAMNED.. but from what I can tell the fuzzy spacey lead guitar is diagonally panning from front left to rear right in "That Lady"... :yikes

 

[markshan]

Great music, decent mix, decent fidelity, but slightly veiled and having a pronounced midrange.

 

[sjcorne]

This one only seems to be getting more scarce, so I decided to throw down the big bucks and finally add it to my collection. It's a great disc! Definitely not the best-sounding remaster of quad material or the best CBS quad mix ever done, but an enjoyable listen start-to-finish. Awesome cover of "Summer Breeze", but my favorite track is "Sunshine (Go Away Today)". I don't mind the mix with all the diagonal pans (now that we know it was intentional and not a mistake). It's kinda funky how the phasey guitar solos pulse back-and-forth diagonally.

Though I'm grateful Sony managed to put out a few quad titles when they were doing Multichannel SACDs, it definitely seems like their remastering was somewhat detrimental to the original mix. The rears sound a bit too low to my ears, and obviously the derived center and sub channels are needless. I defer to steelydave's analysis regarding mastering issues with this disc. Obviously, it's still a huge step up from the SQ LP.

I did compare "That Lady" with the version on AF's Collection SACD. It seems they did a fresh transfer from the master tape at a lower volume, and the front/rear balance is improved.

"That Lady" (Sony SACD):


"That Lady" (AF SACD):


It's an 8 from me. Ultimately, I prefer the content on Go For Your Guns, and the quad mix on that one is far superior. Maybe one day it'll be reissued...

 

[edisonbaggins]

Digging this album! Glad I finally found it at a sane price.

 

[fredblue]

despite the apparent rear channel swap, this is one of my goto discs.

it helps that I really LOVE The Isleys and this 3+3 band lineup was their high water mark, for me.

if only the Quad mixes of "Live it Up", "Harvest for the World", "The Heat is On" and "Go for your Guns" were also available on a modern disc format..

Big Sigh!

"it's a little bit funny.." oops, wrong song

https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/fo...t-up-go-for-your-guns-sacd.36179/#post-785705

well, i only had to wait 12 years to the very day (!) and the Grand Wizard Dutton delivered in style!!

to now have all 5 Isley Brothers Quads in the best quality they'll ever sound no doubt is for me truly a dream come true

some things in life are definitely worth the wait after all

 

[SomethingAnything]

"it's a little bit funny.." oops, wrong song

https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/fo...t-up-go-for-your-guns-sacd.36179/#post-785705

well, i only had to wait 12 years to the very day (!) and the Grand Wizard Dutton delivered in style!!

to now have all 5 Isley Brothers Quads in the best quality they'll ever sound no doubt is for me truly a dream come true

some things in life are definitely worth the wait after all

I love reading excited posts like this. Gets me excited too! So I must buy this.