SACD – Page 59 – hradl.com – High Resolution Audio Download

SACD

Ewen Carruthers – One Red Shoe (2009) [SACD / Stockfisch Records – SFR 357.4048.2]

adminMay 11, 2025 206 Views

Title: Ewen Carruthers – One Red Shoe (2009)
Genre: Acoustic, Folk
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Ewen Carruthers’ One Red Shoe is a warmly anticipated new album that feels like reconnecting with an old friend. Its melodies shimmer like sunlight on autumn leaves, paired with reflective, heartwarming lyrics. The slide guitar adds a captivating touch to the down-to-earth yet soulful songs. Carruthers’ storytelling weaves personal and universal themes, exploring life’s beauty and flaws. His lyrics address human experiences, from love and understanding to natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina. He portrays Katrina as a raging force, yet celebrates the resilience of New Orleans artists creating from debris. The title track references a single red shoe at Ground Zero, symbolizing loss and hope. Carruthers grapples with life’s imperfections, a recurring theme in his work. He suggests that art, like his, sustains us until the world is restored. One Red Shoe is a kaleidoscope of human emotion, delivered with timeless artistry.

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1 min read

SACD

Esbjorn Svensson Trio – Tuesday Wonderland (2006) [SACD / ACT – ACT SACD 9806-2]

adminMay 11, 2025 271 Views

Title: Esbjorn Svensson Trio – Tuesday Wonderland (2006)
Genre: Jazz
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Esbjörn Svensson Trio (e.s.t.), a leading European jazz force, released Tuesday Wonderland in the U.S. after its 2006 European debut. The album blends classical, melodic jazz, and electronics, delivering the energy of a pop/rock show. Nominated for Best Jazz Album, it appeals to diverse music lovers. Tuesday Wonderland opens with “Fading Maid Preludium,” a delicate piano line that shifts into a heavy groove with drums and fuzzed bass. The track, paired with “Fading Maid Postludium,” frames the album’s bold, intuitive improvisations. Pianist Esbjörn Svensson channels Keith Jarrett and Ahmad Jamal while incorporating modern influences like Cecil Taylor and rock power-chords. Drummer Magnus Öström shifts effortlessly from subtle brushwork to polyrhythmic complexity, evoking Steve McCall. Bassist Dan Berglund delivers soulful acoustic lines and uses a synthesizer for both delicate and intense effects. Tracks like “Brewery of Beggars” move from lyrical calm to electric intensity, showcasing e.s.t.’s versatility. E.S.T. has evolved into a unique, modern jazz hybrid, balancing freedom with melodic and rhythmic clarity.

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2 min read

SACD

Ennio Morricone – The Mission (1986) [2003 Remaster] [SACD / Virgin – SACDV 2402]

adminMay 11, 2025 290 Views

Title: Ennio Morricone – The Mission (1986) [2003 Remaster]
Genre: Soundtrack
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Ennio Morricone’s Academy Award-nominated score captures the conflict between 18th-century Jesuit missionaries trying to convert the native Indians, and the slavers who want to destroy them. In keeping with the serious subject matter and epic scope of Roland Joffé’s film, the score is by turns grave, lyrical, and tense. Ever inventive, Morricone mixes liturgical chorales, native drumming, and Spanish-influenced guitars, often in the very same track, to capture the drama of the culture clash. His trademark lyricism also comes through, notably in the beautiful themes for “Gabriel’s Oboe” and “The Mission.” Not as over-the-top as his well-known spaghetti Western scores, The Mission shows Morricone at his dramatic best.

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1 min read

SACD

Ennio Morricone and Dulce Pontes – Focus (2003) [SACD / Universal – 980 829-3]

adminMay 11, 2025 291 Views

Title: Ennio Morricone and Dulce Pontes – Focus (2003)
Genre: Jazz
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Focus, a 2003 album, features Portuguese singer Dulce Pontes interpreting film composer Ennio Morricone’s cinematic themes. Pontes transforms Morricone’s music into songs in English, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese with epic grandeur. Her potent yet subtle voice blends gracefully, capturing the nuances and beauty of Morricone’s eccentric style. Standout tracks include the English song “Your Love” from Once Upon a Time in the West and the Brazilian-inflected “Nosso Mar.” Her finest moment is “No Ano Que Vem,” inspired by Jerusalem and set to upbeat music from Maddalena. Focus is a superb achievement in Pontes’ career, matching Morricone’s classical stature. The album showcases her ability to elevate Morricone’s compositions with breathtaking vocal artistry.

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1 min read

SACD

Elisa – Lotus (2003) [SACD / Sugar – 3004324]

adminMay 11, 2025 234 Views

Title: Elisa – Lotus (2003)
Genre: Rock, Pop
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Elisa, an Italian singer-songwriter, performs under her mononym and primarily writes in English, blending pop, alternative rock, electronica, and trip hop. Lotus, her fourth studio album released in 2003, combines live acoustic recordings, new songs, re-recorded hits, and covers. Originally planned as a live album, it includes six new tracks, seven reimagined songs from her earlier albums, and three covers. The album opens with a cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” and includes a slowed-down version of The Velvet Underground’s “Femme Fatale.” Re-recorded tracks like “Sleeping in Your Hand” and “Luce (tramonti a nord est)” from her previous albums are presented in acoustic form. Mia Martini’s Italian classic “Almeno tu nell’universo” is also covered. Lotus was recorded live, emphasizing its acoustic, intimate sound. Certified 4x platinum in Italy, it sold over 400,000 copies.

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1 min read

SACD

(e.s.t.) Esbjorn Svensson Trio – Viaticum (2005) [SACD / ACT – ACTSACD 9801-2]

adminMay 11, 2025 348 Views

Title: (e.s.t.) Esbjorn Svensson Trio – Viaticum (2005)
Genre: Jazz
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Esbjörn Svensson’s trio (E.S.T.) blends acoustic and electric sounds, creating a distinctive, refined jazz style. Their stable lineup, with Svensson on piano, Dan Berglund on bass, and Magnus Öström on drums, ensures cohesive interplay. Subtle amplified keyboard shades enhance Svensson’s piano, setting E.S.T. apart from louder jazz combos. Viaticum showcases their meditative, surrealistic sound, rooted in a spiritual aesthetic. Tracks like “Tide of Trepidation” echo ECM’s mysterious style with electronic undertones. “In the Tail of Her Eye” conveys heartbreak, while “What Though the Way May Be Long” explores poetic destiny. “The Unstable Table & the Infamous Fable” evokes cinematic tension, and “Eighty Eight Days in My Veins” drives with a 6/8 shuffle. “The Well Wisher” dances lightly in a tango-like style, reminiscent of Keith Jarrett. “A Picture of Doris Travelling with Boris” paints a haunting, nocturnal soundscape. Viaticum appeals to ECM fans, fantasy enthusiasts, and younger listeners, marking a progressive step for E.S.T.

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2 min read

SACD

Various Artists – 2L The Nordic Sound – Audiophile Reference Recordings (2009) [SACD / 2L-RR1-SABD]

adminMay 11, 2025 201 Views

Title: Various Artists – 2L The Nordic Sound – Audiophile Reference Recordings (2009)
Genre: Classical
Format: MCH SACD ISO

2L’s 2-disc set includes materials over which audiophiles could sit & argue for hours, if not longer. Each disc contains the same 19 musical selections taken from their growing, broad selection of recordings ranging from Mozart & Vivaldi to Schoenberg, Carter & beyond. The goal, presumably, is to make an argument for the superiority of surround sound not just for movies, but for music as well. Disc 1 is a hybrid SACD with 3 separate audio tracks: DSD Stereo, DSD 5.1 channel surround, & standard redbook. The 2nd disc is a Blu-ray disc again presenting 3 audio formats: 5.1 channel DTS-HD Master Audio, 5.1 channel 24bit Linear PCM, & 2ch 24bit Linear PCM. Two discs, 19 tracks, & 6 different audio formats to choose from; what’s an audiophile to do? There can be little question that 3 surround options, whether on Blu-ray or SACD, offer a far more pleasing listening experience; the level of detail & realism offered in these formats vastly exceeds the 2ch tracks. But even between the surround options, there are differences. There are some tracks, such as the excerpts from Britten’s “Simple” Symphony & Bartуk’s Sonata for Solo Violin, where the SACD surround track offers a much cleaner, more detailed accounting. However, the sense of truly being in the centre of a live performance of Islandmoen’s Requiem or Haydn’s Op. 76/5, String Quartet that is achieved on the Blu-ray with DTS-HD cannot be improved upon. The decision, then, comes down to the preference of individual listeners. Maybe even more than that, however, is the practicality of using Blu-ray as an audio-only format. Sure, there’s a sharp-looking menu that listeners can use to navigate the disc, but that still seems like a bit of a waste of Blu-ray’s vast storage capacity. DVD-A was a format that was even less popular/accepted than SACD, so it will be interesting to see if Blu-ray Audio catches on.

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2 min read

SACD

Otis Redding – Otis Blue (1965) [Analogue Productions 2016] [SACD / Analogue Productions – CAPP 095 SA]

adminMay 11, 2025 297 Views

Title: Otis Redding – Otis Blue (1965) [Analogue Productions 2016]
Genre: Soul, Funk
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Otis Blue, Otis Redding’s third album, is his first fully realized work, showcasing his bold talent and clear musical direction. Half the album features Redding’s confident takes on diverse songs, including three by his idol Sam Cooke, who died in 1964. Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” and “Shake” are soul masterpieces, while “Wonderful World” is a rare gem. Redding’s covers of “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” and “My Girl” highlight the Stax/Volt sound. His originals “Respect” and “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” became iconic, with “Respect” later popularized by Aretha Franklin. A standout cover of B.B. King’s “Rock Me Baby” features Steve Cropper’s dynamic guitar and a strong horn section. Redding’s gritty, powerful vocals make Otis Blue rich and deeply moving. This album is an essential soul listening experience.

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1 min read

SACD

Andrew Lloyd Webber – The Phantom of the Opera (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2004) [SACD / Sony Classical – 828767666228]

adminMay 11, 2025 218 Views

Title: Andrew Lloyd Webber – The Phantom of the Opera (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2004)
Genre: Soundtrack
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera, adapted from Gaston Leroux’s 1911 novel, is a blockbuster stage musical with global cast album sales nearing 25 million. The 2004 film soundtrack, directed by Joel Schumacher, features a 100-piece orchestra and The London Boys Choir. The single-disc version includes key songs, while a deluxe double-disc edition is also available. Gerard Butler’s youthful Phantom complements Emmy Rossum’s conflicted Christine, with new arrangements by David Cullen. Webber added a new ballad, “Learn to Be Lonely,” sung by Minnie Driver, for the film. The musical, second only to Cats in Webber’s catalog, opened in London in 1986 and New York in 1988. The original London cast album, featuring Michael Crawford and Sarah Brightman, sold eight million copies in the U.S. by 1996. The film soundtrack, the first major re-recording since 1986, includes a 63-minute standard CD and a complete two-hour Special Edition. The Special Edition contains full film audio, including dialogue and effects, making it an unusual listen. Despite new material, the original 1986 recording with Crawford and Brightman remains the definitive version.

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2 min read

SACD

Osipov State Russian Folk Orchestra – Balalaika Favorites (1963) [Reissue 2005] [SACD / Mercury – 475 6610]

adminMay 10, 2025 186 Views

Title: Osipov State Russian Folk Orchestra – Balalaika Favorites (1963) [Reissue 2005]
Genre: Classical
Format: SACD ISO

This SACD features the first recordings made in the Soviet Union by American musical and technical staff, captured in Moscow. The Osipov State Russian Folk Orchestra’s legendary performances are presented in their original 3-channel (left, right, center) format. Using 35mm film masters, the disc includes a DSD 3-channel stereo and a new DSD stereo transfer. The orchestra, with domras, gooslis, Vladimir Shepherd’s Horns, and balalaikas, delivers Russian folk music with astonishing artistry. Its sound, distinct from Western ensembles, resembles guitars, mandolins, pan pipes, and harps. The music, rich in melody and rhythm but light on harmony and form, is charming and unique. Originally released in the early ’60s on Mercury Living Presence, the LP was a classical bestseller. Its realistic 3-channel, 35mm film recording made it a stereophile favorite. Restored in super-audio, the disc places instruments like the lead balalaika and goosli vividly in the soundstage. Ideal for lovers of exotic, well-recorded music, this release remains a captivating listen.

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