New Surround SACDs from Dutton Vocalion; Poco, Johnnie Taylor & Airto/Deodato (July 2018)

[sjcorne]

Just received my order from D-V today.

I'm not exaggerating when I say the Poco disc may be my favorite SACD release by anyone EVER. I've been listening to Seven in SQ for years and this so utterly destroys that LP it's not even funny. And Cantamos, which I never heard before, might be even better!

It can't get any better than this...

 

[Flaquad]

Just received my order from D-V today.

I'm not exaggerating when I say the Poco disc may be my favorite SACD release by anyone EVER. I've been listening to Seven in SQ for years and this so utterly destroys that LP it's not even funny. And Cantamos, which I never heard before, might be even better!

It can't get any better than this...

I recieved mine today also! It took one month and a day to be delivered which is very unusual. Now I know what I will be doing this evening.

 

[fredblue]

Just received my order from D-V today.

I'm not exaggerating when I say the Poco disc may be my favorite SACD release by anyone EVER. I've been listening to Seven in SQ for years and this so utterly destroys that LP it's not even funny. And Cantamos, which I never heard before, might be even better!

It can't get any better than this...

excellent! glad you got your latest DV shipment and thrilled you're loving the Poco SACD!

it may never get better than this Poco 2-fer but i'll bet that won't stop DV trying to top it all the same!
can you wait to see what's coming next? i can't!! it's nearly August...

are you a member of Mr.Hoffman's forum btw? there's a cool thread over there about this latest clutch, always good to spread the DV good news!

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threa...-bofill-in-stereo.760218/page-7#post-19201556

 

[4-earredwonder]

I have the distinction [if you can call it that] of owning almost every Dutton~Vocalion stereo/multichannel SACD disc released by Mr. Dutton in the past few years. I still revel at the scope of their releases across ALL genres and the rapidity in which D~V expeditiously rushes them to market. Even to have Ralph Vaughan Williams COMPLETE score [for the VERY first time] of Scott of the Antarctic in mch is a real coup and some superb sounding GRT artists [Dave Valentin/Angie Bofill] on Stereo SACD is simply amazing....not to mention the superb soundtrack to Watership Down [a REAL pleasure] on Stereo SACD!

OK, so I tired quickly of D~V's earliest 'Easy Listening' mch SACDs [save for the Montenegro/Mancini surround treasures], but when one thinks of all the labels D~V accessed, the superb Dave Zimmerman liner notes and the state of the art remastering for SACD accomplished by this Watford, UK company and MOST especially the ridiculously LOW prices, what other reissue company has ever equalled its success [and yes, to be fair, AF did a GREAT job, as well]?

Currently, as Airto's superb Fingers plays in the background, like every other poster @ QQ, I count the days until D~V releases their next batch of multichannel treasures. And each and every time, there ARE surprises GALORE!

And, IMO, it wouldn't hurt every once in awhile, to drop Michael Dutton an email thanking him for his most auspicious endeavors.

Santa Claus may NOT exist ........ but M.S. Dutton does...........even though his 'reindeers' are ROYAL AIR MAIL! Dear Santa Mr. Dutton:

 

[humprof]

Just received my order from D-V today.

I'm not exaggerating when I say the Poco disc may be my favorite SACD release by anyone EVER. I've been listening to Seven in SQ for years and this so utterly destroys that LP it's not even funny. And Cantamos, which I never heard before, might be even better!

It can't get any better than this...

Just when I thought I'd convinced myself not to spring for this one...

In the spirit of supporting Michael Dutton, I always try to buy at least one disc out of every batch of D-V releases, even when I'm not wild about the music. When I first caught the surround bug, I mostly limited myself to bands and albums and performances that I already knew and loved. Those days are long past, in part because I've made so many great--and sometimes belated--discoveries when I took a chance on something I wasn't familiar with or thought I was only lukewarm about (Tower of Power, Hues Corporation, Gentle Giant...). But at the end of the day, the music still matters more to me than the mix, so it takes a lot to get me to pony up for an artist that, try as I might, I just can't warm up to, even if it's a relative bargain and other people are rhapsodizing about it (cf. Rick Derringer). Anyway, when the July releases were announced, I gave everything a listen on YouTube and couldn't get excited by any of 'em, in spite of all the enthusiasm from other members. (But I hasten to add that I was happy for all you fans!) So I decided that Airto & Deodato would be my "Keep D-V Alive!" purchase this time around and I would otherwise sit this one out. When the first reports about Poco came in, though, I began to reconsider, and I've listened to both Seven and Cantamos three times now to try to figure out what I was missing. But even though there's other country rock that I lurv--gimme some Gram Parsons or Big Star in surround and I'll be all over it--Poco still doesn't grab me.

So I'm not looking to be converted to Poco; I just don't think that's in the cards. Yet I do know that sjcorne can describe what's notable or unique or essential about a mix like few others can, so...sjcorne: would you be willing to say what's so extraordinary about this disc that you're tempted to call it your favorite SACD ever? Maybe this is an album that even non-fans really do need to hear for the mix alone?

 

[sjcorne]

Yet I do know that sjcorne can describe what's notable or unique or essential about a mix like few others can, so...sjcorne: would you be willing to say what's so extraordinary about this disc that you're tempted to call it your favorite SACD ever? Maybe this is an album that even non-fans really do need to hear for the mix alone?

Wow, high praise. Thank you for your kind words. I think I may just have a soft spot for this one, since it was one of the first SQ records I heard and maybe the first one that really impressed me. We had a crappy decoder, and the few old favorites my father showed me (Santana's Abraxas and III, Janis Joplin's Pearl, etc) were from that first run gold-bordered series and I thought they sounded kinda wonky and/or gimmicky at first. This was one of the few later-era ones we had and it was just so much more impressive in both fidelity and mix. I also happened to really like the music. And I've been waiting for a reissue ever since...so, yeah, it's a special disc for me.

Without really going into detail, I'd say the mix just serves the music really well. The harmonies are just amazing in surround. It's one of those later Columbia quad jobs that sounds like it could be modern 5.1, with solid center vocals, stereo drums up front, etc.

$12 isn't much to lose...

 

[humprof]

Wow, high praise. Thank you for your kind words. I think I may just have a soft spot for this one, since it was one of the first SQ records I heard and maybe the first one that really impressed me. We had a crappy decoder, and the few old favorites my father showed me (Santana's Abraxas and III, Janis Joplin's Pearl, etc) were from that first run gold-bordered series and I thought they sounded kinda wonky and/or gimmicky at first. This was one of the few later-era ones we had and it was just so much more impressive in both fidelity and mix. I also happened to really like the music. And I've been waiting for a reissue ever since...so, yeah, it's a special disc for me.

Without really going into detail, I'd say the mix just serves the music really well. The harmonies are just amazing in surround. It's one of those later Columbia quad jobs that sounds like it could be modern 5.1, with solid center vocals, stereo drums up front, etc.

$12 isn't much to lose...

Fair enough--and thanks. Sounds like a case where a superb mix raises an album you already dug to another level. And as you say, it wouldn't cost me much to hear it and judge for myself...

 

[fredblue]

Fair enough--and thanks. Sounds like a case where a superb mix raises an album you already dug to another level. And as you say, it wouldn't cost me much to hear it and judge for myself...

well, i can't describe any of this stuff eloquently like sjcorne and while I concede it has to be about the music first.. man, are you missing out on some spellbinding surround music!!

having heard soooo much more old Quad music the last few years than I ever thought I would (!), at this point, to me the Derringer "All American Boy" & these 2 x Poco's are easily amongst the very best Rock & Pop Quads CBS ever did and right up there with the best Rock & Pop mixes Quad ever had to offer imho - and if all you've heard so far are samples of the Stereo mixes of these albums, to me they are boring and flat by comparison, the Quads sound so much more modern and exciting than the Stereo for both Poco's and the Derringer AAB Quad.

all that surround joy for a little over 20 smackers.. what a steal.. and if you still don't dig them, you'll be able to flip them to someone here no problem i reckon.. and even if you hang onto them and never feel compelled to play them again, I predict that one day when they go out of print they'll fetch you a pretty penny on eBay!

"take hold..
take hold..
take hold of the drivin' wheel..."

 

[4-earredwonder]

I always save the BEST for last and can wholeheartedly echo fredblue and sjcorne's sentiments: The Poco two~fer is pretty astonishing. Listened to it in its entirety last night on my main system and musically and surround~wise......simply amazing.

Actually, mix~wise, a QUAD textbook. Every budding surround remixer should behold its beauty. The fronts and rears are so well integrated as to create a cohesive sound field immersing the listener in a stunning 360 degree panorama.

Easily in THE very top 10 of all surround discs in my collection. And who'd a thunk Country~Rock could be so sophisticatedly intoxicating?

 

[mandrix]

What are you folks in the US paying for shipping from D-V?

 

[4-earredwonder]

What are you folks in the US paying for shipping from D-V?

As a reference, I paid £8.50 [$11.15US s/h] for 4 discs [Royal Air Mail] but have no idea what D~V would charge for 1.

 

[fredblue]

I always save the BEST for last and can wholeheartedly echo fredblue and sjcorne's sentiments: The Poco two~fer is pretty astonishing. Listened to it in its entirety last night and musically and surround~wise......simply amazing.

Actually, mix~wise, a QUAD textbook. Every budding surround remixer should behold its beauty. The fronts and rears are so well integrated as to create a cohesive sound field immersing the listener in a stunning 360 degree panorama.

Easily in THE very top 10 of all surround discs in my collection. And who'd a thunk Country~Rock could be so sophisticatedly intoxicating?

with you all the way Ralph! as much as I enjoyed the Crazy Eyes DTS CD years ago and as much fun as I had with the SQ LPs of Seven & Cantamos thru the Surround Master, nothing could've prepared me for the quality of the two Poco Quads on the new DV SACD, which absolutely blow the Crazy Eyes DTS out of the (blue) water in terms of surround sound, fidelity, content, you name it!

dare I say it, there are more excellent (one or two I'd say equally Poco-like in their exceptional quality) Don Young mixed Quads DV could remaster, including 2 x REO Speedwagon albums (which to some may not seem to be the most exciting proposition on earth.. but the mixes have to be heard to be believed, they are superb) ..along with big Quads like Edgar Winter's They Only Come Out At Night & Shock Treatment.. then there are his more contentious Quads like Billy Joel's Piano Man & Turnstiles and Bob Dylan's Desire, which have their fans and detractors alike..
plus there are a few cool Don Young Quads out there on a modern format already that are worth checking out for any QQ-ers who haven't done so already, including DV's Michel Legrand Twenty Songs Of The Century (fantastic mix!), the AF and/or Sony Japan SACD of the Jeff Beck Group (Orange) album, the Sony Japan SACD of Jeff Beck's Rough & Ready, Beck Bogert Appice Sony Japan SACD & DTS CD, DV's SACD of Derringer's All American Boy, AF's SACD of Mahavishnu Orchestra's Birds Of Fire and AF's SACD of Earth Wind & Fire's Head To The Sky. phew! whatta man! its a relief one of the more prolific Quad remix engineers was one of the best!

 

[mandrix]

As a reference, I paid £8.50 [$11.15US s/h] for 4 discs [Royal Air Mail] but have no idea what D~V would charge for 1.

Thanks!

 

[~dave~~wave~]

Re: Poco

• Interesting sequencing choice to present the albums in reverse chronological order.

I thought the early dementia was kicking in, but in fact Seven was released 12 April 74, Cantamos 1 November 74

• As always, Steely Dave's liner notes are a delight, I always learn something new.

Thanks to his footnotes, I found a link to the RS article by Cameron Crowe he referenced here:
Poor Poco: They Were ‘The Next Big Thing’ Four Years Ago
http://www.theuncool.com/journalism/rs133-poco/

“Come On,” pulled from the Deliverin’ album, came the closest to hitting.
The single, at one time, was getting heavy West Coast airplay, and chances looked excellent for a nationwide hit until an influential Bill Drake station in Dallas decided the tune’s chorus was “come on and suck me.”
The station made a big fuss, and “Come On” was whisked from all the playlists that had previously been playing it.
“The fuckers,” Schmit fumed. “That chorus was actually ‘Come on and love me.’ Ah well…”

 

[skherbeck]

Re: Poco

• Interesting sequencing choice to present the albums in reverse chronological order.

I thought the early dementia was kicking in, but in fact Seven was released 12 April 74, Cantamos 1 November 74

• As always, Steely Dave's liner notes are a delight, I always learn something new.

Thanks to his footnotes, I found a link to the RS article by Cameron Crowe he referenced here:
Poor Poco: They Were ‘The Next Big Thing’ Four Years Ago
http://www.theuncool.com/journalism/rs133-poco/

“Come On,” pulled from the Deliverin’ album, came the closest to hitting.
The single, at one time, was getting heavy West Coast airplay, and chances looked excellent for a nationwide hit until an influential Bill Drake station in Dallas decided the tune’s chorus was “come on and suck me.”
The station made a big fuss, and “Come On” was whisked from all the playlists that had previously been playing it.
“The fuckers,” Schmit fumed. “That chorus was actually ‘Come on and love me.’ Ah well…”

Love the line on the cover... "Is Freedom Of The Press in Danger?"... seems things never really change...

 

[mandrix]

Love the line on the cover... "Is Freedom Of The Press in Danger?"... seems things never really change...

Yep, 1973, I remember those days (well mostly).

 

[4-earredwonder]

A restless night, so I went into Dutton Vocalion's website, selected the SACD & SURROUND SOUND link and just submitted five reviews for Angel Clare, Breakaway, Poco [Cantamos/Seven], Andre Kostelanetz's Music of Spain and Music of Villa Lobos and Carlos Santana/Alice Coltrane's Illuminations.

COME ON PEOPLE, The Poco SACD two~fer which is BRILLIANT had NO reviews on the D~V website [makes me LC] nor did most of the others. Visit their website and convey in writing what you think of their discs by way of review. Get the word out. I even mentioned QuadraphonicQuadForum.

https://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/blog/

https://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=CDSML8543&review=all [FLAT OUT BRILLIANT]

https://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=CDSML8534&review=all [Angel Clare Dons a New Halo]

 

[zmacman]

Received the Rick Derringer but not the Poco yet. It's been almost 3 weeks. All the great reviews are driving me crazy and its a very short trip these daze...

 

[marpow]

I put these in my basket, what do you think?

Poco - Cantamos & Seven [SACD Hybrid Multi-channel]
£11.99


£11.99
CDSML8526
Ray Davies & The Button Down Brass - Themes from The Exorcist, The French Connection, The Sting and other great films & Flashpoint [SACD Hybrid Multi-channel]
£11.99


£11.99
CDSML8531
The Cecil Holmes Soulful Sounds - The Black Motion Picture Experience & Music for Soulful Lovers [SACD Hybrid Multi-channel]
£11.99


£11.99
CDSML8538
The Guess Who - Road Food & #10 [SACD Hybrid Multi-channel]
£11.99


£11.99
CDSML8540
Rick Derringer - All American Boy & Spring Fever [SACD Hybrid Multi-channel]

 

[MrSmithers]

I put these in my basket, what do you think?

Poco - Cantamos & Seven [SACD Hybrid Multi-channel]
£11.99


£11.99
CDSML8526
Ray Davies & The Button Down Brass - Themes from The Exorcist, The French Connection, The Sting and other great films & Flashpoint [SACD Hybrid Multi-channel]
£11.99


£11.99
CDSML8531
The Cecil Holmes Soulful Sounds - The Black Motion Picture Experience & Music for Soulful Lovers [SACD Hybrid Multi-channel]
£11.99


£11.99
CDSML8538
The Guess Who - Road Food & #10 [SACD Hybrid Multi-channel]
£11.99


£11.99
CDSML8540
Rick Derringer - All American Boy & Spring Fever [SACD Hybrid Multi-channel]

Complete transaction!

I have 3 of those - you won’t be disappointed...