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Label:
   Universal (Japan) - http://www.universal-music.co.jp/
Serial:
   UIGY-9637
Title:
   Dire Straits: Love Over Gold
Description:
   "Love Over Gold"

Dire Straits
Track listing:
  
Genre:
   Pop/Rock
Content:
   Stereo
Media:
   Single Layer
Recording type:
  
Recording info:
  
Note:
   Formerly UIGY-9505
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Related titles: 7 show all
 
Reviews: 8 show all
Review by congajoe October 2, 2011 (16 of 17 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:
First of all, there is no more "sameness" to this album than any other Dire Straits offering. Obviously, a group of songs written, played, and sung by any single group will share a degree of uniformity; however, does the upbeat rocker "Industrial Disease" sound at all like the epic "Telegraph Road" with its beautifully ornamented passacaglia passages? How about the erotic, acoustic guitar laced arrpegios and slow burn of the spoken "Private Investigations" as compared to the hard-driven guitar rhythms and prolonged, intense crescendo of "Love Over Gold?"

Dire Straits never produced a weak album, but this one is magnificent, their most ambitious and possibly their finest studio recording.

I agree with one reviewer that the Japanese SHM SACDs are ridiculously overpriced, but his assertion that this SACD is inferior to the Bob Ludwig mastered CD could not be more wrong. That CD is plagued by considerable brickwall compression (The Dynamic Range tool reports 0.00 overhead for both the left and right channels) and is painful to listen to at even moderately high volume. Run a couple of wavs through an audio editor and you will find brutal clipping on all but the softer passages.

I bought the LP when it came out and have listened to it many times, and I can say with certainty that this SACD is remarkably similar to the vinyl. Knopfler's vocals have not been artificially boosted, but remain laid-back as they were intended; the music displays great dynamic range, from pianissimo to fortissimo -- which probably accounts for some listeners perceiving it to be a "quiet" recording. I can play the SACD at very high levels with no listener-fatigue at all. It is clean and highly detailed, with a sense of space around the instruments that brings out their distinctive timbres and makes them sound more real and present in the room.

I've heard a couple of SHM SACDs that were not so impressive, but in those cases I think it was due to the poor recording of the original masters. "Love Over Gold" simply shimmers, and I can't recommend it more highly. It is a beautiful-sounding SACD of a truly classic album.

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Review by analogue August 25, 2011 (6 of 9 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:
The first Shm-Sacd of Dire Straits self titled album was a masterpiece. It ranks up there in the highest tiers of sonic bliss. And great music as well.
This one does'nt quite reach the same lofty levels either musically or sonically.

Perhaps Dire Straits tried to be overly ambitious. Higher production values does not a great album make. In my opinoon there is a certain sameness to the overall tone of the music (TRACK AFTER TRACK) that leaves me a tad bored.

Sonically, although Dsd to tape was done I found the sound somewhat flat.....it never really achieves the very best qualities that we love from the very best Shm-Sacd's. Perhaps its the recording process that tries to fill in to much insrumentation or perhaps its the tape source. In either case I expected more.

That said this is a rather good transfer that fans of this album will enjoy. The volume has to be turned up rather loud. There is good seperation of instruments and vocals are pushed back in the mix a little. I guess what I am trying to say is that in my opinion there is nothing really outstanding on this disc. It is solid sounding but not much better than that.

It doesnt get my attention as do other disc in this line. And the original album was so much better than this.

Recommended only if you are a hige die-hard of Love over Gold.

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Review by sonnysin168 July 26, 2011 (3 of 5 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:
This album has a darker and/or more melancholy theme as compared to other DS albums. Starting slow and quiet and gradually getting louder much like a story told in a hush and building to an explosive climax. I like the guitar sounds as they are natural sounding. The highs are clear and smooth. But I felt that the vocals are a bit laid back for my taste. I must say that they're not that bad, but I prefer it a little more forward than this version. Other than this, I feel this is still a very good sacd.

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