hradl.com – High Resolution Audio Download

SACD

Jascha Heifetz – Concertos: Sielius – Prokofiev – Glazunov (2005) [SACD / RCA Red Seal – 82876-66372-2]

adminFebruary 13, 2026 6 Views

Title: Jascha Heifetz – Concertos: Sielius – Prokofiev – Glazunov (2005)
Genre: Classical
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

In reissuing its vintage stereo recordings, RCA either reproduces the original albums as they were released on LP or combines several recordings into much fuller programs. Fortunately, the 2nd option pertains to this album of Jascha Heifetz’s masterful performances of violin concertos by Sibelius, Prokofiev & Glazunov; listeners get well over an hour of great music. Heifetz recorded Sibelius’ concerto & Prokofiev’s Concerto No. 2 in 1959, & these were released on LP with Walter Hendl & the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in the former, & with Charles Münch & the Boston Symphony Orchestra in the latter; the Glazunov concerto was recorded in 1963, with Hendl leading the RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra. As varied as the conductors, ensembles, & venues are, there is remarkable consistency in the excellence of the recordings. Heifetz is always in complete control, & his awe-inspiring playing binds these performances. In terms of reproduction, Heifetz is always distinctly separated from the orchestral accompaniment, & the 3 ensembles are reproduced with natural depth. For Heifetz fans who want to hear every astonishing detail, this is an ideal disc. ~~ Allmusic review

hraudio | allmusic | discogs

(more…)

2 min read

SACD

Boston Symphony Orchestra, Charles Munch – Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique (1954) [SACD 2006] [SACD / RCA Red Seal – 82876 67899 2]

adminFebruary 13, 2026 5 Views

Title: Boston Symphony Orchestra, Charles Munch – Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique (1954) [SACD 2006]
Genre: Classical
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

His overwhelming natural affinity for French music made Charles Munch an ideal conductor for Berlioz’s swirling tour de force Symphonie Fantastique. Perfectly capturing the drama, romance & philosophical angst in which this masterpiece is marinated, Munch takes the Boston Symphony Orchestra on an epic journey of proportions only possible in the human heart & mind. A classic, reborn in vivid Living Stereo. ~acousticsounds.com

In listening to the Symphonie Fantastique we immediately sense the light & frothy, ineffably ‘French’ sound that Munch is able to draw forth from the Boston Symphony players. The rubato phrasing in the 1st movement is enchanting & we are amazed by the see-into transparency revealed by the shuffling of the instrumentalists during quiet passages. The phrasing of the 1st violins is exquisitely delicate. Forte passages are wall-to-wall, with the idee-fixe carried by the trumpet deep to the right. Munch has supple control of the crescendi & decrescendi. The listener is drawn into Boston Symphony Hall through space & time by the transparency of the details & the realism of the dynamics. In the 4th movement we note the superb layering & depth in the counterpoint of the tympani & clarinet. Berlioz pulls out all the stops in the finale & we are treated to the clanging gong, trombones, tubas & breathy flutes. Overall, the music is fluid & breathtakingly dynamic. …I have always heard good things about this recording. Yet, never owned it in any incarnation before. As a performance, the strongest parts have to be, to me any way, the 1st & last movements. I dare say, the march to the scaffold is less harrowing than many other recordings. Though, compared to the Paray SACD, this is quite a bit better. My benchmark, previous to this, has been the Chicago/Solti recording. Performance wise, I will always enjoy that one for the ferocity of the Scaffold movement & the woodwind/brass playing. Don’t hesitate to get this if you enjoy a good performance. Soundwise, not an amazing release, but from my knowledge of previous versions, it seems better. ~sa-cd.net

hraudio | discogs

(more…)

2 min read

SACD

Heart – Magazine (1978) [Audio Fidelity 2014] [SACD / Audio Fidelity – AFZ 171]

adminFebruary 13, 2026 8 Views

Title: Heart – Magazine (1978) [Audio Fidelity 2014]
Genre: Rock
Format: SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

Problems with the Mushroom label delayed the release of Magazine, which eventually went platinum and peaked at number 17 on the album charts. Only the hard-rocking “Heartless” made it into the Top 40, and the album didn’t really live up to Heart’s last few efforts. 1976’s Dreamboat Annie showed stronger songwriting, while Little Queen had a lot more bite to it. Magazine lacks in energy and, to a much greater extent, fluency. The songs sound careless and scrambled together, and while some of the blame can be placed on the label controversy, it’s apparent that the Wilsons seem unconcerned, for the most part. “Here Song,” “Just the Wine,” and the predictable “Without You” all have weak seams in both the writing and the articulateness of the tracks as a whole. 1978’s Dog & Butterfly shows more interest and rock & roll vitality than its predecessor, making Magazine an album even the band likes to forget about.

hraudio | allmusic | discogs

(more…)

1 min read

SACD

Heart – Alive In Seattle (2x SACD, 2003) [SACD / Epic – E2H90287]

adminFebruary 13, 2026 6 Views

Title: Heart – Alive In Seattle (2x SACD, 2003)
Genre: Rock
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Recorded at the last stop on their 2002 tour, Alive in Seattle documents an impeccable performance and production, mixed for surround-sound playback on both regular and Super Audio CD formats. A warm artist/audience vibe permeates this set; it’s easy to imagine families sprawled out on an amphitheater lawn, taking in the music on an early summer evening. All that’s missing is any sense of urgency. The musicians hit every note flawlessly — too flawlessly, perhaps. Ann Wilson hints at the problem in the album notes, where she describes bandmember Ben Smith’s transformation from “studio cat to being a real rock & roll drummer.” In fact, some element of “studio cat” dispassion colors these performances; even the sisterly banter between tracks seems forced, if not, in their spoken prelude to “Magic Man,” slightly condescending. Ultimately it’s Ann Wilson who brings each track home, with a vocal delivery that never lacks soul. On their cover of “Black Dog” she even challenges Robert Plant’s original rendition, more than holding her own on high notes, power, and drama. On balance, that’s enough to recommend Alive in Seattle, lack of warts and all.

hraudio | allmusic | discogs

(more…)

2 min read

SACD

Harumi Nomoto Trio – Another Ordinary Day (2002) [Japan 2020] [SACD / Venus Records – VHGD 358]

adminFebruary 13, 2026 7 Views

Title: Harumi Nomoto Trio – Another Ordinary Day (2002) [Japan 2020]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

Japanese pianist Harumi Nomoto’s 2002 release includes original compositions plus standards “My Shining Hour”, “I Didn’t Know What Time It Was” and “Stardust”. The Trio features mostly Japanese musicians plus an american drummer, Tommy Campbell on some tracks.

hraudio | allmusic | discogs

(more…)

1 min read

SACD

Harry Nilsson – Nilsson Schmilsson (1971) [MFSL 2020] [SACD / Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab – UDSACD 2219]

adminFebruary 13, 2026 8 Views

Title: Harry Nilsson – Nilsson Schmilsson (1971) [MFSL 2020]
Genre: Soft Rock, Pop Rock
Format: SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

Harry Nilsson was many things in life – revered songwriter, razor-sharp wit, gifted singer, studio pioneer, daring poet, cult icon, creative maverick, fearless interpreter, larger-than-life inspiration, man of mystery and intrigue. All these hallmark facets come together in a resplendent symphony on Nilsson Schmilsson, a go-to standout in the beloved artist’s vaunted canon and most commercially successful release. For the first time in decades, it features audiophile sonics that bring the record’s brilliant melodicism, sophisticated soulfulness, subtle shading, and sure-handed production into full view.
Harry Nilsson had a hit, a Grammy, and critical success, yet he still didn’t have a genuine blockbuster to his name when it came time to finally deliver a full-fledged follow-up to Nilsson Sings Newman, so he decided it was time to make that unabashed, mainstream pop/rock album. Hiring Barbra Streisand producer Richard Perry as a collaborator, Nilsson made a streamlined, slightly domesticated, unashamed set of mature pop/rock, with a slight twist. This is an album, after all, that begins by pining for the reckless days of youth, then segues into a snapshot of suburban disconnectedness before winding through a salute to and covers of old R&B tunes (“Early in the Morning” and “Let the Good Times Roll,” respectively), druggie humor (“Coconut”), and surging hard rock (“Jump Into the Fire”). There are certainly hints of the Nilsson of old, particularly in his fondness for Tin Pan Alley and McCartney melodicism – as well as his impish wit – yet he hadn’t made a record as cohesive as this since his first time out, nor had he ever made something as shiny and appealing as this. It may be more accessible than before, yet it’s anchored by his mischievous humor and wonderful idiosyncrasies. Chances are that those lured in by the grandly melodramatic “Without You” will not be prepared for either the subtle charms of “The Moonbeam Song” or the off-kilter sensibility that makes even his breeziest pop slightly strange. In short, it’s a near-perfect summary of everything Nilsson could do; he could be craftier and stranger, but never did he achieve the perfect balance as he did here.

hraudio | allmusic | discogs

(more…)

2 min read

SACD

Harry James – Supreme Jazz (2006) [SACD / Supreme Jazz – 223268-207]

adminFebruary 13, 2026 7 Views

Title: Harry James – Supreme Jazz (2006)
Genre: Jazz
Format: MCH SACD ISO + DSF DSD64

Harry Haag James was an American musician who is best known as a trumpet playing band leader who led a big band from 1939 to 1946. He broke up his band for a short period in 1947 but shortly after he re-organized and was active again with his band from then until his death in 1983. He was especially known among musicians for his astonishing technical proficiency as well as his superior tone, and was extremely influential on up-and-coming trumpet players from the late 1930s into the 1940s. He was also an actor in a number of films that usually featured his band.

hraudio | allmusic | discogs

(more…)

1 min read

SACD

Harry BIG DADDY Hypolite – Louisiana Country Boy (2001) [SACD / APO Records – APO 2016 SA]

adminFebruary 13, 2026 7 Views

Title: Harry BIG DADDY Hypolite – Louisiana Country Boy (2001)
Genre: Blues
Format: SACD ISO

A longtime sideman of Zydeco King Clifton Chenier & later C.J. Chenier, Harry Big Daddy Hypolite steps into the spotlight for the 1st time with Louisiana Country Boy, his solo debut. If you share the tastes of APO Records’ CEO Chad Kassem, you’ll wonder, after hearing this recording, how this soulful voice & natural charisma have gone relatively unnoticed for so long. Deep down in rural Louisiana, Hypolite, a self-confessed poor boy, has been honing his blues since he could talk – 1st in Creole French & then in English (both languages are represented on this release). The results are heartfelt confessions of real-life hard times. “Nobody gave me a chance before,” Hypolite said. “But I said, ‘I’m going to show ’em what I can do.’ For me, this comes from deep in my soul. I want to play the blues, & I want to tell people about my Creole French heritage.” These are deep, unpolished, gravely blues. In short, this is the real stuff – the blues of undiluted emotion. Louisiana Country Boy is also full of zydeco – a genre Hypolite said is not always played the way masters like Clifton Chenier intended it to be. “Zydeco is simple music,” he said. “Guys who try to play jazz & put big chords in zydeco make it hard on themselves. You just need to know how to phrase it right, & it has to have a feeling & a meaning to it.” Feeling & meaning – those are attributes Big Daddy is never short on. Even in the simplest of conversations, Hypolite wears his heart on his sleeve. If he doesn’t win you over with his smile, he’ll floor you with his laugh. Hypolite has bottled pure emotion by writing & singing autobiographical songs that reach all the way back to his childhood. He’s been waiting for this moment for so long, played it over in his head so many times, that almost every song on this recording was done in 1 take, with no lyric sheets. In accordance with an APO Records tradition, the small mistakes were overlooked if the feeling captured could not be reproduced. At a time when many authentic blues artists are in the twilight of their careers, it’s the dawn of Harry Hypolite’s time in the sun. “This is like a dream for me,” he said. “I’m proud of this record.”

“…just a dozen songs performed with warmth & sincerity by a man who knows what he wants to say & how to say it.” ~Jim DeKoster, Living Blues “The disc debut of South Louisiana blues guitarist Harry Hypolite is undoubtedly 1 of the best surprises of the year…Aficionados of Louisiana & southern blues in general will likely be enthralled by this offering as this Creole bluesman is diamond in the rough. His deep gravely, sandpaper rough voice drips with Spanish moss & insufferable humidity, which often leads to unexpected howls & bursts of pent-up anguish that’s expressed as if it were the 1st time…As a guitarist, Hypolite hangs with the best of ’em, emitting warm, fluid tones from his candy apple red Gibson…Just like that fabled day when Chenier offered Hypolite his golden opportunity, another 1 of life’s thrilling rides is just beginning for the ‘Big Daddy’.” ~Dan Willging, ZydE-Zine, March 2002

hraudio | allmusic | discogs

(more…)

3 min read

SACD

Harry Connick, Jr. – We Are In Love (1990) [Reissue 2000] [SACD / Columbia – CS 46146]

adminFebruary 13, 2026 7 Views

Title: Harry Connick, Jr. – We Are In Love (1990) [Reissue 2000]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Harry Connick Jr. has a rare gift for summoning the style of classic 1940s saloon singing, hinting at Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and especially Dick Haymes, without engaging in actual impersonation. What’s more uncanny still is his songwriting, an idiomatic command of the standards that often summons some of the rhythmic ease of Gershwin, the tunefulness of Jerome Kern, and the wit of Cole Porter. Both his singing and songwriting talents are evident on this CD, recorded in 1990 when Connick was just 22. Its emphasis is squarely on the subject of love, both on the ballads and some harder swinging tunes, and Connick’s voice shines on original songs and the standards “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square” and Porter’s “It’s All Right with Me.” Connick’s voice and piano are ably supported by bassist Ben Wolfe, drummer Shannon Powell, and a string section, while there are some good jazz solos by regular associate Russell Malone on guitar and guest Branford Marsalis on tenor and soprano saxophones.

At one point in 1990, two Harry Connick, Jr. albums were released almost simultaneously, an instrumental outing with his trio (Lofty’s Roach Souffle) and this vocal-oriented album. Oddly enough We Are in Love is the more successful of the two. Connick’s vocals, while limited, are personable, guitarist Russell Malone gets in some short solos and Branford Marsalis makes two strong guest appearances (one apiece on tenor and soprano). Most selections utilize an orchestra and, although Connick is heard on piano, the emphasis is on his voice. He contributed most of the tunes but the high points are the two standards “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square” and “It’s Alright with Me”.

hraudio | allmusic | discogs

(more…)

2 min read

SACD

Harry Belafonte – Calypso (1956) [Audio Fidelity 2013] [SACD / Audio Fidelity – AFZ 138]

adminFebruary 13, 2026 7 Views

Title: Harry Belafonte – Calypso (1956) [Audio Fidelity 2013]
Genre: Calypso, Vocal
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

This is the album that made Harry Belafonte’s career. Up to this point, calypso had only been a part of Belafonte’s focus in his recordings of folk music styles. But with this landmark album, calypso not only became tattooed to Belafonte permanently; it had a revolutionary effect on folk music in the 1950s and ’60s. The album consists of songs from Trinidad, mostly written by West Indian songwriter Irving Burgie (aka Lord Burgess). Burgie’s two most successful songs are included — “Day O” and “Jamaica Farewell” (which were both hit singles for Belafonte) — as are the evocative ballads “I Do Adore Her” and “Come Back Liza” and what could be the first feminist folk song, “Man Smart (Woman Smarter).” Calypso became the first million-selling album by a single artist, spending an incredible 31 weeks at the top of the Billboard album charts, remaining on the charts for 99 weeks. It triggered a veritable tidal wave of imitators, parodists, and artists wishing to capitalize on its success. Years later, it remains a record of inestimable influence, inspiring many folksingers and groups to perform, most notably the Kingston Trio, which was named for the Jamaican capital. For a decade, just about every folksinger and folk group featured in their repertoire at least one song that was of West Indian origin or one that had a calypso beat. They all can be attributed to this one remarkable album. Despite the success of Calypso, Belafonte refused to be typecast. Resisting the impulse to record an immediate follow-up album, Belafonte instead spaced his calypso albums apart, releasing them at five-year intervals in 1961, 1966, and 1971.

hraudio | allmusic | discogs

(more…)

2 min read