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Review by analogue July 20, 2010 (4 of 4 found this review helpful)
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Performance:  Sonics:  |
In every recorded music genre whether its classical, jazz or classic rock there are those recordings that are considered audiophile quality. We all know the great rock recordings that are audio treasures.....Pink Floyd's dark side of the moon....Beatles Abbey Road (BELIEVE IT OR NOT), The Who....Who's Next and ofcourse the Steely Dan albums. These recordings are essentially the cream of the crop for great sound and seem to be the quality bar that we compare all others to.
But what must be understood is that not all recordings are the same and we must never anticipate that they will be. We will always be stuck with how said album was originally recorded....warts and all. Which brings me to this sacd release of Humble Pie.....Smokin'.
Putting aside sound quality for the moment I must confess that this is one fantastic album. They dont make this kind of music anymore. This is one heavy, hard rock album which doesnt have a single weak track. The title "Smokin'" is very appropriate. From start to finish this album is a killer embodied with raw, powerful energy. As I said this seemed to be the period of rock history,with the long jams, blazing guitar solos and soulful, expressive singing that we just dont have anymore.
This recording. soundwise.... reminds me of Layla from Derek and the Domino's in the sense that the recording was not an A PLUS AFFAIR BUT IT STILL RESULTED IN AN INCREDIBLE AND CLASSIC ALBUM. Such is the case with this one. The original master tapes sound very fresh but the recording does not have the main things we attribute to a great transfer. Instruments are congealed and not very seperated.....Marriots voice rarely creates a phantom image in the center of the speakers.it's usually relegated to one speaker or the other. Instruments sound real but are all massed mostly in the midrange. But at the same time it is very robust and warm and does not have a single negative aspect we associate with digital transfers. There is no digital glare or high piercing sounds, no brittleness...its actually has the sonic character of a vinyl record. Yeah....sure the recording volume wavers from time to time ( FROM THE STUDIO TECHS) but despite all of this I must say I was still very impressed by the sound. This is a very excellent transfer from the original master tapes....warts and all. iT SOUNDS ANALOGUE. And the listener always knows whats going on in the music. We can follow every single instrument in the mix easilly.
And you know what...........in spite of all the supposed shortcomings in the recording studio........I think it still this sacd sounds awesome. An album this raw and smouldering would sound weird if it was recorded to sound like an audiophile album.
Highly recommended for quality of album, performance and musicianship and a very solid four rating for a very warm and robust sounding classic rock album that actually sounds like an album.
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Review by lampertb January 28, 2011 (3 of 4 found this review helpful)
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Performance:  Sonics: |
Ehhh... it is what it is: a bluesy, gutsy, poorly recorded early '70s rock record. The sound is NOT crystalline, I agree. Solid music, but not my favorite of the genre.
If you want this kind of record in outstanding quality, then check out MoFi's OMR "Foghat" or Edgar Winter Group releases. This one? It kind of left me wanting to play something else.
Not bad, but SACD is capable of much more....
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