Dire Straits – Love Over Gold (1982) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2011] [SACD / Vertigo – UIGY-9505]

Dire Straits - Love Over Gold (1982) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2011]

Title: Dire Straits – Love Over Gold (1982) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2011]
Genre: Rock
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Reissue features the high-fidelity SHM-SACD format (fully compatible with standard SACD player, but it does not play on standard CD players). DSD Transferred by Manabu Matsumura. Adding a new rhythm guitarist, Dire Straits expands its sounds and ambitions on the sprawling Love Over Gold. In a sense, the album is their prog rock effort, containing only five songs, including the 14-minute opener “Telegraph Road.” Since Mark Knopfler is a skilled, tasteful guitarist, he can sustain interest even throughout the languid stretches, but the long, atmospheric, instrumental passages aren’t as effective as the group’s tight blues-rock, leaving Love Over Gold only a fitfully engaging listen.

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1 min read

Dire Straits – Making Movies (1980) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2012] [SACD / Vertigo – UIGY-9520]

Dire Straits - Making Movies (1980) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2012]

Title: Dire Straits – Making Movies (1980) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2012]
Genre: Rock
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Reissue features the high-fidelity SHM-SACD format (fully compatible with standard SACD player, but it does not play on standard CD players). DSD Transferred by Manabu Matsumura. Without second guitarist David Knopfler, Dire Straits began to move away from its roots rock origins into a jazzier variation of country-rock and singer/songwriter folk-rock. Naturally, this means that Mark Knopfler’s ambitions as a songwriter are growing, as the storytelling pretensions of Making Movies indicate. Fortunately, his skills are increasing, as the lovely “Romeo and Juliet,” “Tunnel of Love,” and “Skateaway” indicate. And Making Movies is helped by a new wave-tinged pop production, which actually helps Knopfler’s jazzy inclinations take hold. The record runs out of steam toward the end, closing with the borderline offensive “Les Boys,” but the remainder of Making Movies ranks among the band’s finest work.

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1 min read

Dire Straits – Communiqué (1979) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2012] [SACD / Vertigo – UIGY-9519]

Dire Straits - Communiqué (1979) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2012]

Title: Dire Straits – Communiqué (1979) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2012]
Genre: Rock
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Reissue features the high-fidelity SHM-SACD format (fully compatible with standard SACD player, but it does not play on standard CD players). DSD Transferred by Manabu Matsumura. Rushed out less than nine months after the surprise success of Dire Straits’ self-titled debut album, the group’s sophomore effort, Communiqué, seemed little more than a carbon copy of its predecessor with less compelling material. Mark Knopfler and co. had established a sound (derived largely from J.J. Cale) of laid-back shuffles and intricate, bluesy guitar playing, and Communiqué provided more examples of it. But there was no track as focused as “Sultans of Swing,” even if “Lady Writer” (a lesser singles chart entry on both sides of the Atlantic) nearly duplicated its sound. As a result, Communiqué sold immediately to Dire Straits’ established audience, but no more, and it did not fare as well critically as its predecessor or its follow-up.

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1 min read

Dire Straits – Dire Straits (1978) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2010] [SACD / Vertigo – UIGY-9032]

Dire Straits - Dire Straits (1978) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2010]

Title: Dire Straits – Dire Straits (1978) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2010]
Genre: Rock
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Reissue features the high-fidelity SHM-SACD format (fully compatible with standard SACD player, but it does not play on standard CD players) and the latest DSD mastering in 2010 based on Japanese original analog tape. DSD Transferred by Hitoshi Takiguchi. Dire Straits’ minimalist interpretation of pub rock had already crystallized by the time they released their eponymous debut. Driven by Mark Knopfler’s spare, tasteful guitar lines and his husky warbling, the album is a set of bluesy rockers. And while the bar band mentality of pub-rock is at the core of Dire Straits — even the group’s breakthrough single, “Sultans of Swing,” offered a lament for a neglected pub rock band — their music is already beyond the simple boogies and shuffles of their forefathers, occasionally dipping into jazz and country. Knopfler also shows an inclination toward Dylanesque imagery, which enhances the smoky, low-key atmosphere of the album. While a few of the songs fall flat, the album is remarkably accomplished for a debut, and Dire Straits had difficulty surpassing it throughout their career.
https://www.discogs.com/release/3083910-Dire-Straits-Dire-Straits

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2 min read

Dr. L. Subramaniam and Larry Coryell – From The Ashes (2001) [SACD / Water Lily Acoustics – WLA-CS-59-SACD]

Dr. L. Subramaniam and Larry Coryell - From The Ashes (2001)

Title: Dr. L. Subramaniam and Larry Coryell – From The Ashes (2001)
Genre: Folk, World
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

A stunning improvised collaboration for fans of any kind of string instruments, From the Ashes brings together Dr. L. Subramaniam and Larry Coryell. Subramaniam & Coryell’s collaborative efforts go as far back as 1978, on an energetic cerebral exercise, “Spiritual Dance.” They’ve worked together numerous times, but on this occasion, the studio date was the stage for emotional closure for Subramaniam, who lost his wife. This album is a metaphoric “Taj Mahal” for Subramaniam, meaning this is his memorial to his beloved, just like that of the Indian aristocrat who commissioned the world famous landmark for that same purpose. Although Karnatak sounds stoic, Subramaniam ably fills emotion to the brim without losing Karnatak’s musical vision. “The Way You Placed My Bow” has the guitar & violin reply to the call of the otherworld, represented by a mournful drone. Coryell splashes folk like elements while Subramaniam expresses his everlasting emotional ties to his wife in “Beyond the Flames.” They perform some “Eastern blues” in “Love is Stronger than Death,” leaving an afterglow of eeriness within a transcendental setting, with its conclusion Coryell’s harmonic gesture. “Alone in the Ganges” relates to setting a departed’s physical remains into the Ganges, symbolizing death as part of life’s cycle. Here, Coryell expresses such, intensifying in volume & speed but without exaggeration.

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2 min read

Dredg – El Cielo (2002) [Reissue 2003] [SACD / Interscope Records – B0000798-36]

Dredg - El Cielo (2002) [Reissue 2003]

Title: Dredg – El Cielo (2002) [Reissue 2003]
Genre: Art Rock, Progressive Rock
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Dredg is one of those rare bands who truly cannot be categorized. Gavin Hayes’ vocals cascade like a waterfall over a sea of scratching Latin rhythms, dulcimers, guitars in odd time signatures, and prog rock-inspired drums. Hayes shares his penchant for Bulgarian chants in “Triangle” and “Same Ol’ Road.” “Whoa Is Me” could provide the soundtrack to all things haunted. Whether it’s a piano and strings or Cure-influenced (specifically the Cure’s “Fascination Street”) guitars, instruments fill the time between songs on El Cielo. They offer a respite from the monotony and the slow-fast-slow style of songwriting. In an odd moment at the end of “Whoa Is Me,” a soft-spoken public radio DJ speaks of a jazz number from 1944. The full-throttle rocker “It Only Took a Day” is one of the highlights. El Cielo is unlikely to become a hit on commercial radio, but perhaps Dredg could find their niche on college stations.

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1 min read

Dr. Teleny’s & Ettore Stratta – Stolen Goods & Viva Vivaldi (1972 & 1974) [Reissue 2019] [SACD / Vocalion – CDSML 8552]

Dr. Teleny's & Ettore Stratta - Stolen Goods & Viva Vivaldi (1972 & 1974) [Reissue 2019]

Title: Dr. Teleny’s & Ettore Stratta – Stolen Goods & Viva Vivaldi (1972 & 1974) [Reissue 2019]
Genre: Classical
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

A pair of very unusual albums – back to back on a single CD! Stolen Goods is a totally cool, totally groovy album from the 70s – one that features large orchestral arrangements of themes from the classics – but all augmented with plenty of wild contemporary touches! There’s moogy electronics, funky drums, wordless vocals, and lots of other hip 70s elements – including the kind of horn section that would have made Mozart, Chopin, or Beethoven wince – had they lived long enough to hear the approach to their songs served up on this British album! From what we can tell, Dr Teleny is Zack Laurence – who’s billed as the musical director on the album – serving up transformed tunes with titles that include “Power Play”, “Wild Turkey”, “Rhapsody From Hunger”, “Superjoy”, “Johann Sebastian Rock”, and “The People Yes”. Next up is Viva Vivaldi, served up by Italian conductor Ettore Stratta – who you’ll know from both sound track and easy instrumental modes – getting a lot of hip help here from arranger Chico O’Farrill! The songs are all from Vivaldi – as you’d guess from the title – but Chico’s charts add in plenty of sweet 70s touches, including electric bass, keyboards, and other instrumentation that moves things way past the baroque generation – even making some tunes groove in a surprising way. There’s still enough strings in play to tie the songs to classical roots – and titles include “Gloria Allegro”, “Mandolin Concerto In C Adagio”, “Suite From Four Seasons”, “Flute Concerto In D”, “Concerto In E”, and “Concerto In G For Two Mandolins”.

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2 min read

Mandelring Quartett – Shostakovich: String Quartets Nos. 1, 2 & 4 (2006) [SACD / Audite – 92.526]

Mandelring Quartett - Shostakovich: String Quartets Nos. 1, 2 & 4 (2006)

Title: Mandelring Quartett – Shostakovich: String Quartets Nos. 1, 2 & 4 (2006)
Genre: Classical
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

A triumphant start to what heralds to be one of the best Shostakovich quartet cycles imaginable. The numbering of the quartets is a little more concentrated in time than the comparable symphonies (for example, the first quartet was written in 1938 after the first five symphonies had been completed). As such, listeners should not be surprised by the emotional intensity and rawness of the melodic language employed even in this first volume encompassing quartets 1, 2 and 4. The Mandelring Quartett play this repertoire with the same extraordinary unanimity of approach and beautiful sound that has characterised their Schubert cycle thus far. Here though, their tone is more concentrated and less rich than before, yet their emotional response is far greater. The lament that forms the central “Recitative and Romance” of the second quartet (written in 1944) is heart-rendering in the eloquence and power that they bring. The more high-tempo parts are not short-changed either and the Mandelring bring plenty of excitement without ever sacrificing tone production or intonation – one can imagine few fiercer attacks than they bring in Waltz (also from the second quartet). The more (superficially) tender sections receive equally dedicated playing and hold the ear as easily as more outwardly exhibitionist moments. The Mandelring quartet are also scrupulous in their following of the dynamic markings so that Shostakovich’s intentions are easy for the ear and mind to observe without recourse to a score. The overall impression is that the Mandelring players have placed themselves firmly at the service of the music rather than the score to be a vehicle for display (not that they have anything to fear on this count!) The sound is also very good and one is able to ascertain the location of each musician with ease – the placing of the listener is in a very good seat indeed within a fine concert hall and the multi-channel sound has a lovely sense of presence; it is hard to imagine a better reflection of their sound being possible.

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2 min read

Dizzy Reece – Soundin’ Off (1960) [Analogue Productions 2011] [SACD / Analogue Productions – CBNJ 84033 SA]

Dizzy Reece - Soundin' Off (1960) [Analogue Productions 2011]

Title: Dizzy Reece – Soundin’ Off (1960) [Analogue Productions 2011]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Maybe not exactly the first Dizzy that comes to mind when discussing jazz, this Jamaican-born, British-raised trumpeter overcame whatever burdens that nickname may have wrought to become a highly respected player in the New York scene. He enhanced that rep by recording some truly excellent albums for the Savoy, Blue Note and Prestige labels among others. His robust and passionate playing styles always seemed to inspire other musicians in his company. The contributions of the esteemed trio invited; pianist Walter Bishop, Jr., bassist Doug Watkins and drummer Art Taylor unilaterally match the front man’s fire and bold approach to each tune.

Originally issued in 1960 and subsequently reissued multiple times in a variety of formats, the trumpeter Dizzy Reece’s fourth Blue Note outing as a leader is here presented in Super Audio CD format by the APO label. While it would have been nice to see a bit more material on a reissue like this (with at least a couple of alternate takes), the original program is densely packed with high-quality music and makes for a solidly satisfying listening experience on its own. The opening track, interestingly enough, is both a ballad and a standard: on “Ghost of a Chance” Reece plays with a buttery, burnished tone that coats the familiar melody in a golden haze like the quality of light at dusk. The sun rises again on the next track, a midtempo number titled “Once in a While,” and the tempo ratchets up another notch on “Eb Pob,” a rather undistinguished composition on the “I Got Rhythm” changes that is completely redeemed by the quality of the solos. “Yesterday” finds pianist Walter Bishop delivering a curiously lackadaisical solo, but he gets back in the groove on a wonderful version of “Our Love Is Here to Stay.” The program ends with a nice, bouncy blues original titled “Blue Streak.” Throughout the album, Reece digs into his bag of sonic tricks without ever doing anything that detracts from the music itself. Soundin’ Off is a little bit uneven, but is never less than a solid pleasure to listen to.

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2 min read

Dizzy Gillespie – Supreme Jazz (2006) [SACD / Supreme Jazz – 223269-207]

Dizzy Gillespie - Supreme Jazz (2006)

Title: Dizzy Gillespie – Supreme Jazz (2006)
Genre: Jazz
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Dizzy Gillespie’s contributions to jazz were huge. One of the greatest jazz trumpeters of all time (some would say the best), Gillespie was such a complex player that his contemporaries ended up copying Miles Davis and Fats Navarro instead, and it was not until Jon Faddis’ emergence in the 1970s that Dizzy’s style was successfully recreated. Somehow, Gillespie could make any “wrong” note fit, and harmonically he was ahead of everyone in the 1940s, including Charlie Parker. Unlike Bird, Dizzy was an enthusiastic teacher who wrote down his musical innovations and was eager to explain them to the next generation, thereby insuring that bebop would eventually become the foundation of jazz.

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1 min read