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Review by Quint August 22, 2013 (4 of 4 found this review helpful)
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Performance:  Sonics:  |
To be truthful, I held off on purchasing this self-titled debut and “Heaven and Hell” because of decidedly mixed reviews on other forums. But, in the end, I had collected all the others in the series, and was over the moon about those, so I decided to pull the trigger and fill in the last two gaps in my collection.
Was it worth the $60.00 I paid for S/T? Well, yes and no. I still think the two-CD Deluxe remaster that Andy Pearce did a few years ago is simply stunning—not just “for redbook” (a common qualifier on these kinds of forums), but stunning PERIOD. I knew the SACD, no matter how some raved about it, was gonna have a hard act to follow. And it did.
But I’m happy to report, however, that this SHM-SACD is leagues from being a flop. Overall, it’s very well done, and has a little more detail (particularly on Bill Ward’s drums) and captures the studio ambience a bit better than the Deluxe. Both have great dynamics. Tonally, it surprisingly sounds just a hair LEANER than the redbook, but the difference is rather small and is probably system- and listener-dependent more than anything. The “in-the-room” feel of the recording is fantastic with the Deluxe, but it might be even a little better yet on this SACD.
So the million dollar question is, is this SACD a big enough upgrade to justify the expense over the Deluxe? Depends on how huge of a Sabbath fan you are, I guess. I put it off for a long time, but finally caved, honestly more out of a desire to complete the series than out of any confidence that it was gonna be a significant upgrade. Which it isn’t—at least to me. But it is more than good enough, and just different enough in a couple of key areas, to justify keeping.
If you’re more a casual fan and don’t consider yourself an OCD-addled audiophile, then buy the Deluxe without hesitation. You will NOT be disappointed. But if you’re a Sabbath fanatic and a have a good SACD player, and want that last one tenth of one percent, then pick this SACD up before the prices climb markedly higher.
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Review by katabatic February 23, 2013 (3 of 3 found this review helpful)
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Performance: Sonics: |
This is the third SHM SACD I have bought. It arrived from Japan this morning. My regular postman Eric handed it to me.
It is now 9:30 pm GMT, and I have just played the disc for the first time. My heart is pounding and I need another drink after listening to all fourteen minutes plus of ‘Sleeping Village/Warning’ (sorry, neighbours!). Hard to reconcile the fact that this was originally released here in the UK forty three years ago……….
Like the other SHM SACDs I have (Caravan – Land of Grey and Pink, and 10cc – Original Soundtrack) it may be a little ‘hot’, bright even, for some: there is a hell of a lot of treble energy here (and bass to match)! Some will baulk at the price, but like a genuine antique or quality single malt it is worth the expense if you want the ultimate formulation of something dear to your heart.
In short, a record that changed music for ever. Enjoy.
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