Hi-Res Disc Reviews, Part 3 of 4

by | Feb 1, 2004 | SACD & Other Hi-Res Reviews | 0 comments


58 SACD & DVD-A Reviews!

Jan/Feb 2004 Part 3 of 4 – Rock & Jazz

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The Art of Recording and the SACD of Tommy

Tommy – The Who – Deluxe Edition hybrid multichannel SACD (with some stereo-only tracks) Geffen B0001386-36 (2 discs): [Purchase at Elusive Disc]

The Who’s Tommy has been one of the most eagerly anticipated releases on SACD. This 75-minute rock opera about a deaf, dumb, and blind kid, recorded in 1969, is one of the best rock albums ever made. The music is strong throughout, including such songs as “Pinball Wizard,” “I’m Free,” “See Me Feel Me,” and “We’re Not Going To Take It,” as well as two interesting instrumental pieces called “Overture” and “Underture” – the last one of my favorite pieces on the album.

Before I go on, I should explain what I feel is necessary for a good sounding recording. Above all else, it must be true to the emotion of the music. This means that it must convey such things as power, intensity, tempo, dynamics, beauty, nuance, airiness, and tranquility. Each instrument (and the term “instrument” includes the human voice) should have its own place in the stereo image. Its sound should come from a definite spot on the soundstage, with the appropriate size for that instrument. If you hear ten-foot-wide guitars or five-foot-wide heads, something is wrong. There should be two sounds from each instrument. The first is the sound produced by the instrument. The second is how that sound affects the air around it. The close-miking widely used today usually eliminates this second sound. Many recordings (and stereo systems) present instrumental images that are too big and come from a nebulous area in the soundstage.

The recording should convey the individuality of each instrument and how it is played. This is done is by retaining the proper harmonics of each instrument. Brass instruments should sound brassy. Woodwinds should have a reedy character. Bass should be tight and clean. Low percussion should have the initial impact and then the proper weight of the note produced. High percussion should have the initial strike followed by the airy ring of the instrument. On bowed strings, you should hear the rosined bow going across the strings. On plucked or strummed strings, you should hear the musician’s fingers on each string. In orchestral music, you should be able to distinguish between the different sections of the orchestra. With main voices, you should be able to hear what individuates each voice. With backup voices, you should have some idea of how many voices there are behind the main voices and where they are placed.

Each instrument should have a sense of presence in the soundstage — a sense that there is an actual instrument being played in front of the listener. The proper balance in sound between the instruments should be maintained. Instruments should appear on a three-dimensional soundstage. If the backup instruments are too recessed, the sense of presence is lost. If the backup instruments are too prominent, the role of the solo instrument is lessened. There are two ways that backup instruments are used. They may have conversations with the main instruments, as in jazz, concertos, and rock, or they may be the musical background used to support a soloist, usually a singer. In either type, proper instrumental detail enhances the reality of the music.

The advent of multi-channel sound has added another set of parameters. The first rule for such recordings should be: Do not detract from the performance. Surround should be mainly used for ambience, to create a sense of the recording venue. Examples of this are orchestral music in a symphony hall, choral music in a large hall, and Jazz at the Pawnshop type ambient sounds. One of the best uses is documenting the low frequency sounds echoing off the rear and side walls of a room. The sound must be delayed enough so that the ear hears it as a separate sound. If it is not, the bass gets muddy. Surround sound can also enhance the feeling that the music is trying to evoke. Examples of these uses are Pink Floyd type sound effects, the wind machines in Vaughn Williams’ Symphony Antarctica, offstage horns or bells, and the ambient wash of New Age music. The principal misuse of multi-channel is putting the main instruments in the surrounds. This destroys the sense of a live concert, since listeners are very seldom in the middle of a band. It also has a tendency to destroy the front channel’s image and blur the music. Properly executed surround can enhance the listening experience. Done wrong, it can make listening to music an unnatural and fatiguing experience.

The good news is that CD layer of Tommy sounds really good. It sounds much better than the Mobile Fidelity Gold Ultradisc II CD, which was the best version of the album until now. The CD layer of this SACD adds more solidity and crispness, making the MoFi sound dull by comparison. The original LP sounded fairly good, but not as good as the MoFi, which was the first version to give some idea of the music’s true content. The standard CD of Tommy is dull and lifeless.

The better news is that the SACD stereo layer is an improvement over the CD layer. There is more presence and more sense of pace and energy. The music has more solidity. The bass is controlled and has more detail. Is the SACD layer perfect? No. It could use more bass impact and a little more detail in the backup instruments.

Nevertheless, this is the recording to have, even if you don’t have a SACD player, as the CD layer gives about 96% of performance of the SACD layer. Unless you can get hold of an early-generation copy of the master tape, this disc will give you the best version of this essential album.

Now for the not-so-good news: the multi-channel SACD layer is very problematic. At times it can sound fairly decent, but much of the time the engineers gave in to an “Oh Wow” mix. The principal instruments are heard in all the channels, which destroys any sense of a rock concert on a stage. The bass has no detail or impact. Images are often nebulous and lack presence. The sound is at its best when there is only one or two instruments are used, and are kept in the front channels. The only way I would listen to this layer is if I wanted to turn out the lights and be surrounded by music, without caring about the sound.

The second disc in this deluxe edition is of limited interest. I believe it was added to justify charging an extra $15 for the set. There are six songs not included on the original album, but they are not particularly interesting. Alternative versions of six tracks are on the album, some of which are not complete songs. There are also five stereo-only demos of songs from the album. They sound very good, but don’t add much to the album versions. I doubt I will play this disc very often. The Tommy SACD set is well worth buying for the CD and stereo SACD versions, but it would have been nice if only the first disc were available, at half the retail price of the two-disc set.

– Clay Swartz

[Reprinted with permission from
POSITIVE FEEDBACK ONLINE © 2003]



James Taylor – Flag – Sony CH 90749 – Multichannel Hybrid SACD: [Purchase at Elusive Disc]

James Taylor – Dad Loves His Work – Sony CH 90750 – Multichannel Hybrid SACD: [Purchase at Elusive Disc]

The original release of these two albums roughly coincided with the much-publicized dissolution of James Taylor’s marriage to Carly Simon. The turmoil that he experienced in his personal life couldn’t help but spill over into his work, and both albums, while reasonably successful commercially, were given mixed reviews by the critics. Going through a very distracting time myself back then, I neglected these two albums – and pretty much rubber-stamped the critics opinions without even giving them as much as a listen. Huge mistake – and hearing these new SACD versions has opened my ears and my eyes to twenty years of apathy on my part. Each of these albums has many undiscovered chestnuts that you’ll never see on a greatest hits collection, but nonetheless are well worth giving a listen, and the icing is the really superb multichannel mix by Nathaniel Kunkel, who also remixed the JT SACD.

Flag is probably the least accessible of the two albums, and excepting his first-rate cover of Up On the Roof (which he still performs in concert), is among the least well known of his albums. The first three songs (which includes a less-than-successful cover of Day Tripper) are the weakest on the album, but from that point on, it’s classic JT all the way. His trademark mixture of rough-edged blues, acoustic folk and sparkling vocal harmonies really shines on songs like Brother Trucker, Millworker and Sleep Come Free Me. Plus, he throws in the quirky, funny little number like Is That the Way You Look? that just makes you want to laugh out loud.

Dad Loves His Work was heralded by the top-ten hit Her Town Too, which chronicled the breakup with Carly; the super-slick production and rich harmony vocal provided by J.D. Souther (who also co-wrote the song) just brings the term “ear candy” into very sharp focus. There isn’t a bad song on the album, and songs such as Believe it or Not, Summer’s Here and Sugar Trade are all so uniformly excellent that they deserve to be much more well known than they are. That Lonesome Road has a very gospel feel to the accompanying chorus, and gives quite a spiritual conclusion to an album that almost mirrors the much-acclaimed Hourglass stylistically (or is it the other way around?).

Production values for both albums are superb; I did all my listening in multichannel mode because these albums are such textbook examples of how SACD should be done. Neither should be missed, either by JT fans or new converts. Do yourself a big favor – don’t wait twenty years to hear these two excellent discs.

Tracks: Flag: Company Man, Johnnie Comes Back, Day Tripper, I Will Not Lie for You, Brother Trucker, Is That the Way You Look?, B.S.U.R., Rainy Day Man, Millworker, Up On the Roof, Chanson Francaise, Sleep Come Free Me. Dad Loves His Work: Hard Times, Her Town Too, Hour That the Morning Comes, I Will Follow, Believe It or Not, Stand and Fight, Only for Me, Summer’s Here, Sugar Trade, London Town, That Lonesome Road.

— Tom Gibbs

Footloose Movie Soundtrack; Columbia CS 65781 Stereo-Only SACD: [Purchase at Elusive Disc]

I found this recording a little harsh, but the music more than made up for it. This is probably one of the few popular soundtracks that many people own from the 80s—Flashdance being another. A few of the songs I realized were somewhat forgettable, but others were emblazoned on my brain. It most likely was the fault of the Top 40 radio stations that played some of these tunes over and over. It was like stepping into a time machine and even though Kevin Bacon drove a yellow VW Bug he was cool. If the quality of the recording were better, then I would give this disc two thumbs up. To be fair, some of the tunes are better sounding than others, but I don’t find the sound significantly better than the CD. The disc doesn’t offer surround, and it isn’t even playable in a conventional CD player. There is a benefit to buying this disc however, and that is the few extra tracks offered. The regular CD still has the Shalamar remix, but not the other tunes. Anyone who has even the smallest heavy metal bone inside them will rejoice at “Bang Your Head.” That is kind of how I felt about this SACD. If you don’t already have it, then pick it up, otherwise you might want to think twice.

Songs included are: Kenny Loggins “Footloose”; Deniece Williams “Let’s Hear It For The Boy”; Mike Reno & Ann Wilson “Almost Paradise (Love Theme From Footloose)”; Bonnie Tyler “Holding Out For A Hero”; Shalamar “Dancing In The Sheets”; Kenny Loggins “I’m Free (Heaven Helps The Man)”; Karla Bonoff “Somebody’s Eyes”; Sammy Hagar “The Girl Gets Around”; Moving Pictures “Never”. Bonus Tracks: Quiet Riot “Bang Your Head (Mental Health)”; John Mellencamp “Hurts So Good”; Foreigner “Waiting For A Girl Like You”; Shalamar “Dancing In The Sheets (Extended 12” Remix)”.

-Brian Bloom

Foreigner – 4; Rhino R9 74366 DVD-A: [Purchase at Elusive Disc]

The DVD offers stills over the music and there is a high-resolution stereo mix. There is also a photo gallery and lyrics as well. I find it odd that the stills that are shown over the music are of the band in concert even though this is obviously a studio record. The music is both in the front channels and surrounds, but the focus is primarily up front. The disc case insert details the story behind the music. Apparently, after the band’s third album stalled on the charts, the members struggled during the tour, fought among themselves, and were having difficulty deciding the direction to take with the music. It was realized that great care needed to be taken to produce an album that would help put the band on top again. “4” realized this goal and more. The album spawned many hit songs including “Waiting For A Girl Like You” which holds the record for being the longest-standing #2 single on the Billboard Pop chart—10 weeks.

It would be hard to believe that anyone who listened to popular music in the 80s wouldn’t remember the buzz surrounding this album. Hearing a re-mastered version of “Urgent” (that showcases the talent of Jr. Walker on the saxophone) is still playing in my mind as I write this. Pick this disc up! Songs included are: Night Life; Juke Box Hero; Break It up; Waiting For A Girl Like You; Luanne; Urgent; I’m Gonna Win; Woman In Black; Girl On The Moon; Don’t Let Go. Bonus Tracks (“nearly unplugged”): Juke Box Hero; Waiting For A Girl Like You.

-Brian Bloom

Yellowjackets – Time Squared (Bob Mintzer, reeds; Russell Ferrante, keyboards; Jimmy Haslip, elec. bass; Marcus Baylor, drums & percussion) – HeadsUp Enhanced Multichannel SACD HUSA 9075: [Purchase at Elusive Disc]

I covered that standard CD version of this in our May issue. After more than 20 years performing and recording, the dynamic jazz quartet own put together this session of 11 tunes – many first takes. The “up” feeling of most of the quartet’s music and the variety of styles in which they play has great appeal for their audiences, getting them two Grammys and a wide audience of fans. They’re not just another fusion band. They seem to be in more of a straight albeit eclectic jazz bag now than they used to be.

Of special interest here are Monk’s Habit, which explores the quirky piano stylings common to Thelonious Sphere, and the lyrical Claire @ 18 is dedicated to bassist Haslip’s daughter. As the album titles indicates, many of these tunes play around with irregular time signatures, as jazz innovators such as Dave Brubeck and Don Ellis have done in the past. As with most Heads Up CDs, there is also an excellent cross-platform music video of one of the tracks that gives a good feeling of the quartet in action. The higher resolution over the 44.1 version is heard as more presence in the sound of the various instruments and more clarity in the higher frequency drum set sounds, but the big attraction here is the surround sound. Tracks: Go Go, Monk’s Habit, Smithtown, Healing Waters, Time Squared, Gabriela Rose, Sea Folk, V, Clarie @ 18, Village Gait, My 1st Best Friend.

– John Henry


Michel Camilo, piano – Live At The Blue Note (with Charles Flores, bass; Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez, drums) – Telarc multichannel SACD 2SACD-63574: (2 discs): [Purchase at Elusive Disc]

The standard double-CD version of this was reviewed by me in our September issue. Two hours and a quarter with one of the most arresting jazz pianists playing today, plus his very receptive live audience and great rhythm section. Dominican-born Camilo is not just a pianist but also a composer and arranger for many different performers, and he appears with symphony orchestras and has done music for films. His style could be described as the antithesis of, say, Count Basie. Camilo plays the entire piano sort of like a Latin Errol Garner with more finesse, and with an irrepressible energy coming from his Caribbean musical origins.

The 18 tracks total on the two discs are mostly Camilo originals, including several brand new tunes. One track is an unusual medley of Blue Bossa and Happy Birthday to You. There’s little doubt that this compendium of two long sets conveys more excitement via the sense of risk in the improvisations than if the album had been recorded in the studio. The closing tune is titled On Fire and Camilo certainly is that. The standard CD versions give a fine feeling of being in the audience at the Blue Note, especially if you fed the two-channel signal thru ProLogic II or an equivalent. However, with discrete multichannel you really feel like you are there, and all sorts of subtle musical details come forward that were missed in the less transparent 44.1 version. I see why Telarc decided on a double-disc release in Camilo’s case – he really gives you your money’s worth – sort of a jazz equivalent of a Hong Kong kung fu movie.

Tracks: Cocowalk, Two of a Kind, Hello & Goodbye, The Magic in You, Tequila, Dichotony, Twilight Glow, Happy Birthday/Blue Bossa, This Way Out, On the Other Hand, Mongo’s Blues, Thinking of You, At Night, Why Not!, Silent Talk, See You Later, San Sammy Walked In, On Fire.

– John Henry

David Sanborn, alto sax – Timeagain – Verve multichannel SACD 440 0761 55-2: [Purchase at Elusive Disc]

This is one of those big slick productions in the pop/jazz genre, but I don’t necessarily mean that as criticism. Sanborn has a great alto sound of his own, the choice of tunes is topflight and the sidemen on the date are some of the best: Mike Mainieri on vibes, Russell Malone, guitar; Steve Gadd, drums; Christian McBride, bass. Duke Pearson’s Cristo Redentor is given a backup vocal quartet and some fine guitar and vibes solos for a thrilling version of this classic. Stevie Wonder’s lovely Isn’t She Lovely brings in a viola and cello for an also wonderful treatment. The stereo option is fine but the multichannel is much more involving and exciting listening. Mastering master Bernie Grundman worked on this SACD and it would be a good choice for demonstrating the attractions of multichannel hi-res to anyone new to it.

– John Henry

Elton John – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road – Multichannel SACD – Island B0001478-40 Deluxe set: [Purchase at Elusive Disc]

This is a SACD hybrid reissue of the classic 1973 Elton John album “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”. This album has appeared in many audiophile versions over the years. This is a very good sounding version. It is cut at a higher audio level than most discs. I turn it down about 4 dB to give it a normal listening level. One problem with the modern audio producers is that there seems to be no standard level for what the average recording level for a disc is should be. You can put a disc on, after playing another disc recorded at a low volume, which sends you diving for your remote to turn it down. This is especially true of DVD videos. Often a disc recorded at a low level sounds compressed, even with the volume turned up. This is a very dynamic-sounding version.

Another tendency of the recording industry is to add extra discs to justify a higher price. The remastering of this album for standard CD is on one CD. They have put it on two SACDs for this set. One is 39 minutes and the other is 38 minutes without the bonus tracks. The bonus tracks are not overly interesting and could be left off the album without much loss. There is also a DVD documentary of the making of the album. I am not very fond of such things and might watch a documentary once if at all. If they wanted to add extra value, they could have included some of Elton John’s videos. This album held the number one spot on the Billboard charts for a number of weeks in 1973. It spawned the hits “Candles In The Wind”, “Bennie And The Jets”, “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” and “Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting”. To me this is a fairly good album, but not a great album. Most listeners have probably heard it and can make up their own minds about how good the album is musically. The multichannel sound of the album is very compelling. The use of the surround channels is done tastefully, with crisp and dynamic sound all around. The album does however not give much of a feeling for Elton’s usual flamboyant performance style. The stereo SACD sound is a little disappointing, sounding compressed and overly smooth. The CD layer sounds more dynamic and crisper than the stereo SACD layer. Any of the layers are substantially better than the standard CD’s sound. The DVD contains interviews with persons involved in making the album. The interviews happen by song title and eight songs are represented – of only mild interest to me. It is up to the buyer to determine whether the better sound is worth the extra money to buy it. This would have been a stronger issue if the album was on one SACD and sans the DVD. I prefer one 78-minute album to two 39-minute albums even at the same price.

– Clay Swartz

We next give an exceedingly thorough auditioning to George Thorogood…
George Thorogood And The Destroyers (self-titled); Rounder 11661-3013-2 Hybrid Stereo SACD: [Purchase at Elusive Disc]

This is the second re-release of George Thorogood on SACD, although you wouldn’t know it from the CD case—you have to read the fine print. This record was originally released in 1977, and due to the band’s extensive touring at the time, helped to secure a position in rock ’n’ roll history. Many judge this album to be the best of the Thorogood arsenal, and it is hard to argue with that overall critique. Just by listening to the disc it is hard to believe it is 25 years old—in fact the music sounds so fresh. The amount of pure energy that is captured on this record leaves no question as to why the band became so popular. The blend of rock, blues, and country/western music only helped to broaden the appeal of the band. Songs like “Madison Blues” and “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer” were fairly big hits for the artist and can be heard on the classic rock stations on a daily basis.

The recording quality is good to very good with songs like “Kind Hearted Woman” showcasing not only the quality of the sound, but also the caliber of the Thorogood’s skill. Interestingly, “I’ll Change My Style” sounds like it could be a great scene opener in a movie. To hear where it all started, check out this disc. Songs included are: You Got To Lose; Madison Blues; One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer; Kind Hearted Woman; Can’t Stop Lovin’; Ride On Josephine; Homesick Boy; John Hardy; I’ll Change My Style; Delaware Slide.

-Brian Bloom

George Thorogood And The Destroyers – Move It On Over; Rounder Records 11661-3024-2 Hybrid Stereo SACD: [Purchase at Elusive Disc]

Like the recent reissues of the Rolling Stones’ catalog, this title only indicates its SACD capability in the fine print on the back of the cover. Is it bad marketing to offer superior sound quality? In any case, the sound quality of this disc was very good with above average reproduction of percussion. This disc is full of blues and rock songs originally performed by superstars like Chuck Berry, Elmore James, and Hank Williams. Thorogood’s voice and guitar sound is unmistakable, and considering the fact that the movie Terminator 2 popularized “Bad to the Bone” it would be hard to believe anyone couldn’t recognize his characteristic sound. Some of the tunes like “I’m Just Your Good Thing” remind me of early Rolling Stones’ music—a band who were also heavily influenced by the blues. Overall, the music is highly guitar driven and the instrument is very prominently featured in every song. Most of the songs on this record are upbeat and fast-paced, and songs like “New Hawaiian Boogie” are easily danceable.

The insert gives some useful information about the man and his band, as well as providing interesting tidbits of information on the entire production. If the genre is of interest, then so will this disc be. Songs included are: Move It On Over; Who Do You Love?; The Sky Is Crying; Cocaine Blues; It Wasn’t Me; That Same Thing; So Much Trouble; I’m Just Your Good Thing; Baby Please Set A Date; New Hawaiian Boogie.

-Brian Bloom


Eleanor McEvoy – Yola – Blue Dandelion Records EMSACD1 – Stereo SACD:

Eleanor McEvoy is an Irish singer-songwriter, who started taking music lessons at age 4. All the songs on the album are written or co-written by here. On the album she is accompanied by: Eoghan O’Neill on bass, Brian Conner on piano and keyboards, Liam Bradley on drums, percussion and vocals. Eleanor sings both vocals and backup and plays guitar and violin. The album’s name came from the name of a dead dialect in an isolated area of Ireland. This woman shows a lot of talent for both singing and song writing. Her voice reminds me of Sinead O’Connor and Suzanne Vega, only better. She sings with lots of expression and very good tonality. Her enunciation of the lyrics makes them very intelligible. The musical accompaniment is very tasteful and well-played. The sound quality is superb and natural. The balance between singer and instruments is excellent. The music has a pleasant laid back feeling, while escaping the tendency towards a New Age sound. There is enough variety in the feeling of the music to keep you interested, but enough continuity to make it seem the songs belong together as an album. I feel that this is a fine album well worth owning. The songs on the album are:

I Got You To See Me Through, Isn’t It a Little Late?, Did I Hurt You?, Seasoned Love, The Rain Falls, Dreaming of Leaving, Easy in Love, Last Seen October 9th, Leaves Me Wondering, I Hear You Breathing In, Something So Wonderful.

– Clay Swartz

Hue & Cry – Next Move – Linn Records Stereo SACD/ CD Hybrid AKD 131: [Purchase at Elusive Disc]

Hue & Cry is a British group, which has had a fair amount of success in England, but is little known in the USA. Band members wrote seven out of the nine songs. One of the other songs, “Sign ‘O’ The Times”, was written by Prince, and Harry Connick Jr. wrote one song, “Sony Cried”. Hue & Cry is the stage name of Pat and Gregg Kane. Tommy Smith, Ian Thomas, Laurence Cottle, and Brian Kellock join them. The main musical style of the album is upbeat jazz pop. The lyrics of most of the songs are very down and depressing – creating a big contradiction with the up tempo music. In most of the cuts, the lyrics are somewhat buried by the instrumental playing. I find the constant upbeat tempo a little unsettling. By far the best track on the album is the ballad “Sonny Cried”. I would only give the SACD sound about 2 stars. It lacks a sense of a real band playing on a real stage. Crispness and dynamics seem to be dulled. I do not find the music very compelling either, seeming unfocused. The CD sound is actually better than the SACD sound. It is crisper and more dynamic and there is a better sense of presence to the music. In my opinion, the CD layer should be the preferred listening, skipping the SACD layer. Songs on the album are:

She Moves Through The Wires, I Didn’t Know, Sign ‘O’ The Times, Sonny Cried, Once In A Lifetime, Next Move, Speed O’ Lite, Pawn Of The Weekend.

– Clay Swartz

Meat Loaf – Bat Out Of Hell – Epic Stereo/Multichannel SACD ES 62171: [Purchase at Elusive Disc]

This 1977 classic rock album by Marvin Lee Aday (Meat Loaf) was one of the best selling albums of the 70s. All the songs were written by Jim Steinman. Meat Loaf’s highly theatrical presentation of the music made it unique. The album sparked three hit songs: You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth, Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad, and Paradise By The Dashboard Light. The music has sort of an epic nature to it, with lots of drama. I feel the music is at its best during the ballad songs. I love the changes in tempo and feeling incorporated in the music. Some of the songs are up to 11 minutes long. There are two bonus songs on the SACD that were not on the original record. They were recorded at a live concert in 1978. The sound on the SACD is somewhat variable. It is a little jagged during the bombastic sections and fairly decent during the more ballad parts. Both the studio and live versions of the song “Bat Out of Hell” suffer from overuse of the surround channels, with the studio effort sounding much better than the live version. The multichannel layer is at a higher than usual sound level. The stereo SACD is cut at a much lower level and sounds compressed and dull. If you get a chance to see the Meat Loaf videos, they are among the best I have seen, and I would like to see them on DVD. The tracks on the album are:

Bat Out Of Hell, You Took The Words Right Out Of My Mouth, Heaven Can Wait, All Revved Up With No Place To Go, Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad, Paradise By The Dashboard Light, For Crying Out Loud, Great Baleros Of Fire (live instrumental) and Bat Out Of Hell (live).

I would love to see the sequel to this album, “Bat Out Of Hell II” put on to SACD (Big Hint to the SACD makers). I consider it one of the 10 best rock albums ever made and a total masterpiece.

– Clay Swartz

[Continue on to Part 4 – final part – of Hi-Res Disc Reviews]

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