New Bob Dylan SACDs

[Guy Robinson]

Anybody know why Nashville Skyline wasn't made in 5.1? Since multi tracks DO exist? I have this as an SQ Quad LP, and it probably was available on Q8 too. What a dissapointment!

To my ears Nashville Skyline comes off the worst of all the releases. I suspect that the source was not that great. There are some dropouts apparent in places. You would only notice the difference if you are playing all the other reissues back to back which is what I was doing.

 

[Bob R]

Boo, hisssssssssssss.

As a Dylan lover I’m allowed to say anything I want (prefaced by IMO).

I gazed over all the Dylan reissues in hybrid SACD today and picked up my favorite – John Wesley Harding.

After listening to side one, and then “Dear Landlord” on side two I stopped it and put on my vinyl.

The “SACD” is empty feeling and Bob’s mouth harp is unbearable. The vinyl is more smooth and warm – and the SVS Sub actually kicked in!

Move it over to the Sony CD player, much better than the SACD, but his voice is too harsh (as if it ever wasn’t).

I’ll keep the vinyl, thank you.

Pioneer DV-563A

 

[Guy Robinson]

Boo, hisssssssssssss.

As a Dylan lover I’m allowed to say anything I want (prefaced by IMO).

I gazed over all the Dylan reissues in hybrid SACD today and picked up my favorite – John Wesley Harding.

After listening to side one, and then “Dear Landlord” on side two I stopped it and put on my vinyl.

The “SACD” is empty feeling and Bob’s mouth harp is unbearable. The vinyl is more smooth and warm – and the SVS Sub actually kicked in!

Move it over to the Sony CD player, much better than the SACD, but his voice is too harsh (as if it ever wasn’t).

I’ll keep the vinyl, thank you.

Pioneer DV-563A

JWH is not my favourite disc and I don't have it on vinyl but Bob's harmonica does have kind of a "wobbly" sound to it. Also, I switched my speakers from "Large" to "Small" to see how much sub output was there and whoa! Tons!

 

[texquad]

I wonder why the old quad Dylan albums didn't come out on 5.1 this time around? We know that at one time there were mult-channel tapes available because some of us own the quad versions:
"Nashville Skyline"
"Planet Waves"
"Desire"
Maybe next time around!
And I did buy all the new 5.1 releases, including "Hwy 61" for good measure.

 

[winopener]

I wonder why the old quad Dylan albums didn't come out on 5.1 this time around? We know that at one time there were mult-channel tapes available because some of us own the quad versions:
"Nashville Skyline"
"Planet Waves"
"Desire"

When i was on the record store i was supposing it was just a bad joke... instead it was true, all three are released just as stereo sacd.
Too bad that "street legal" is still stereo-only too.
Slow train coming sounds just fantastic in surround! I liked a lot that disc in stereo - i'm a Knopfler fan too - probably is the best surround sacd i have to date. Blonde and Blood are fine too.

 

[Guy Robinson]

Yeah, as I said at the beginning of this thread, Slow Train stands out sonically from the rest.

The best stereo disc from a sonic perspective appears to be "Freewheelin'." It also has one hit after another. Definately worth getting.

 

[dprokopy]

Too bad that "street legal" is still stereo-only too.

Is "Street Legal" the original mix, or did they use the new remix that was done a couple years ago? Just to be on the safe side, I held onto my original CD's for both.

I'm so torn - I don't know whether to fulfill my desire (no pun intended) to start buying and listening to these things now, one at a time, or wait until I can afford the box set and get them all at once (and a lot cheaper). Grrrr! I guess the sampler will have to do for now...

 

[winopener]

Another issue: why BoB as a double sacd, while the regular stereo version was on one Cd only? Both discs togheter don't even pass the 74min border...

 

[Guy Robinson]

Another issue: why BoB as a double sacd, while the regular stereo version was on one Cd only? Both discs togheter don't even pass the 74min border...

Well I guess because the stereo and the MC are on the same layer it took up a lot of room. The original disc had just stereo as you point out.

 

[beljah]

Well I guess because the stereo and the MC are on the same layer it took up a lot of room. The original disc had just stereo as you point out.

But that still makes no sense Guy, don't take that assertion personal as I know it wasn't your idea.

If the stereo mix already exists on the previous SACD release, why duplicate it on the re-release and put people who already own the original (like myself) in the uncomfortable position of having to pay for a two SACD set in order to have the 5.1 mix?! Boo, hiss SONY!!!

 

[Guy Robinson]

But that still makes no sense Guy, don't take that assertion personal as I know it wasn't your idea.

If the stereo mix already exists on the previous SACD release, why duplicate it on the re-release and put people who already own the original (like myself) in the uncomfortable position of having to pay for a two SACD set in order to have the 5.1 mix?! Boo, hiss SONY!!!

Unfortunately over time this will happen more and more with SACD's. Previous stereo only SACD releases will be redone to surround and re-released. I myself don't have the previous stereo only SACD of BonB. I will probably never play the stereo layer of the new SACD but a lot of people will. At this point in time you cannot sell a MC version of a title without also including a stereo version. There are lots of people (check some other forums) that will only play the stereo version for now as they do not have MC capability.

Also the 2 SACD set was no more than the other Bob Dylan releases and was in fact almost 50% less ($15 Cdn against $27) than the previous SACD release. I had both of them in my hand. Therefore you pay no penalty to get the additional disc. So under the circumstances you want them to release the title under if I want the stereo version I buy the original stereo only SACD for $27 and the MC only new release (now only one disc but still $15) for $15 and now I have paid $42 in total instaed of just $15. Or are you saying that the new BonB shoudl be only one disc and MC and it should also only be $7.99 as it only has the MC version.

I don't get it?

 

[dprokopy]

So can anyone confirm or deny whether the stereo mix of "Blonde on Blonde" is new and different than the previous stereo SACD? And if either of those are different than the previous Superbit Gold CD that was released many years back? I've held onto both the SB and stereo SACD thinking they might both have unique mixes on them. Anyone A/B'd them yet?

 

[timbre4]

Can't find the ICE issue with the Dylan re-issue story right now, but I recall them mentioning that the stereo 2.0 layer is the same mix used for the previous stereo only SACD...

 

[Guy Robinson]

So can anyone confirm or deny whether the stereo mix of "Blonde on Blonde" is new and different than the previous stereo SACD? And if either of those are different than the previous Superbit Gold CD that was released many years back? I've held onto both the SB and stereo SACD thinking they might both have unique mixes on them. Anyone A/B'd them yet?

I understand from comments on other forums that the stereo SACD mix on the new hybrid is the same one that was on the single layer SACD that was released some time ago.

 

[beljah]

Also the 2 SACD set was no more than the other Bob Dylan releases and was in fact almost 50% less ($15 Cdn against $27) than the previous SACD release. I had both of them in my hand. Therefore you pay no penalty to get the additional disc. So under the circumstances you want them to release the title under if I want the stereo version I buy the original stereo only SACD for $27 and the MC only new release (now only one disc but still $15) for $15 and now I have paid $42 in total instaed of just $15. Or are you saying that the new BonB shoudl be only one disc and MC and it should also only be $7.99 as it only has the MC version.

I don't get it?

Actually, it was after posting that I found out that "BoB" wasn't the double SACD price that I'd anticipated. I'd considered the Sopranos soundtrack SACD until I saw it retail for around $36. I thought "BoB" would follow suit, but was pleasantly surprised by the reasonable price.

As for my feelings of whether "BoB" should be a single disc, IMO yes. As was stated previously, the album totals 74min. and had fit on a standard CD. The Who's "My Generation SACD totals over 90min. (no redbook layer) so since I don't have a multi-disc SACD, I'd prefer it if material can fit on one disc, let it be so.

 

[Guy Robinson]

Actually, it was after posting that I found out that "BoB" wasn't the double SACD price that I'd anticipated. I'd considered the Sopranos soundtrack SACD until I saw it retail for around $36. I thought "BoB" would follow suit, but was pleasantly surprised by the reasonable price.

As for my feelings of whether "BoB" should be a single disc, IMO yes. As was stated previously, the album totals 74min. and had fit on a standard CD. The Who's "My Generation SACD totals over 90min. (no redbook layer) so since I don't have a multi-disc SACD, I'd prefer it if material can fit on one disc, let it be so.

But if MC was included The Who title would also be 2 discs. The stereo and MC SACD streams fit on the same layer. The CD PCM fits on another layer. I think at this point the idea is to release everything as a hybrid with a stereo and MC track whether it takes 2 discs or not.

 

[bmoura]

Actually, it was after posting that I found out that "BoB" wasn't the double SACD price that I'd anticipated. I'd considered the Sopranos soundtrack SACD until I saw it retail for around $36. I thought "BoB" would follow suit, but was pleasantly surprised by the reasonable price.

The list price on the Sopranos SACD (and all of the Sony 2 Disc Single Layer SACD sets) has been reduced to $24.95. So you can now get a better price on it at some of the web stores that carry SACDs.

 

[JonUrban]

Well, I FINALLY got my "box" of the Dylan SACDs from Red Trumpet.

DAMN. These digipacks are going to get trashed going in and out of the box. I think the box was spec'd and built with the idea that BoB would be a single disc, not double. If I leave one disc out, the use of the box is feasable. Ramming the 15th disc back into the box is virtually impossible.

Next, on to the tunes! (Better late than never)

 

[Guy Robinson]

Well, I FINALLY got my "box" of the Dylan SACDs from Red Trumpet.

DAMN. These digipacks are going to get trashed going in and out of the box. I think the box was spec'd and built with the idea that BoB would be a single disc, not double. If I leave one disc out, the use of the box is feasable. Ramming the 15th disc back into the box is virtually impossible.

Next, on to the tunes! (Better late than never)

The sound quality and surround mix on "Slow Train" will blow you away.

 

[Big Stevie]

youre right, received my copy today, and that harp really hurts my ears - too bad...

Boo, hisssssssssssss.

As a Dylan lover I’m allowed to say anything I want (prefaced by IMO).

I gazed over all the Dylan reissues in hybrid SACD today and picked up my favorite – John Wesley Harding.

After listening to side one, and then “Dear Landlord” on side two I stopped it and put on my vinyl.

The “SACD” is empty feeling and Bob’s mouth harp is unbearable. The vinyl is more smooth and warm – and the SVS Sub actually kicked in!

Move it over to the Sony CD player, much better than the SACD, but his voice is too harsh (as if it ever wasn’t).

I’ll keep the vinyl, thank you.

Pioneer DV-563A