Brothers In Arms-REmaster SACD

Oh no - not another version!

How many copies of this (beautifully produced) yuppierock album are in YOUR collection.



It's nearly as bad as DSOTM..... (not the content)

Amazing isn't it? - this mega selling slice of AOR isn't a patch on the wonderful (Eponymous) first album.

There isn't a bum track on 'Dire Straits' right through to the delightful last track 'Lions'.

There's real energy and passion on this album, with some superb guitar from Knopfler. And............ great drumming and cymbal work from Pick Withers, who sadly left the band after the second album.

John.

OK OK, so im not embaressed to say i actually like this album. It has a few memories for me, formative years and all that.

Even though it was a breakthrough CD album , i never thought the CD version was as good as the LP which i had when it was released. No LP12 since 1992.So comparing memories, never a good thing.

Anyway back to question any one got the new CD and found it better than older version.

David

Hey David - no embaressment necessary. I like Scritti Politti so ain't throwing stones.

I remember hearing the black version on an LP12/Naim system in about 1989. Remarkable. But the opioniated, strutting, flaunting tosspot who was showing it off didn't have a clue. I expect he's got a midi system now. You know the type.....

I still like Brother's in arms and I have a very early original pressing on LP. It sounds brilliant. But, whilst I think the first album is very good, it's Love over Gold that I prefer.
Mind you the live album 'Alchemy' hasn't aged well in my view.

Peter, just interested as to why you feel that about "Alchemy"?

I have both " B in A" (the original issue)and "Shangrila" on Vinyl. A visitor brought his CD of "B in A" with him and we played them back to back. No contest the black stuff slaughtered the CD. I get pretty much the same excellent level of replay off the black stuff on "Shangrila" which is spread over 2 LP's BTW. I will have to get the SCAD/CD just to compare out of interest. This could be a good test for the new format.

regards
GEOFF

I had a loan of a CDX2 demonstrator a few weeks back and it would not play the SACD/CD disc,
CDI no probs.

David

I haven't picked up the remastered Brothers in Arms so I can't answer your specific question. However, if it is any help, I have picked up remastered versions (cd only, not SACD) of Dire Straits (first album), Making Movies and Love Over Gold (their three best in my opinion) and found the remastered versions to better the originals.

Mike

quote:

Originally posted by J.N.:
There's real energy and passion on this album, with some superb guitar from Knopfler. And............ great drumming and cymbal work from Pick Withers, who sadly left the band after the second album.

Pick was with the band through the first four studio albums; it was Mark's brother David who left after album #2.

Agree with you on the quality of their debut, though. Not a misstep anywhere.

quote:

Originally posted by David S Patterson:
I had a loan of a CDX2 demonstrator a few weeks back and it would not play the SACD/CD disc,
CDI no probs.

David

That's interesting, my newish cd5x plays them fine. Though I think I've read somewhere that some discs, are, so to speak, more compatible than others.


regards,

Tam

quote:

Originally posted by Chris Kelly:
Peter, just interested as to why you feel that about "Alchemy"?

It surprised me the last time I listened to it. I've had the LP since it came out, a US pressing, but when I played it last I just found it lacking in energy and conviction compared with the studio versions of the same cuts.

I still enjoy listening to dire straits, and in a broader sense a lot of 70s/80s material, but find 'Alchemy' only for hard core fans now.

Thanks Peter.
I guess I'm a hard core fan then, although I never managed to see them live. Did see Mark Knopfler at the Royal Albert Hall 2 weeks ago. He played an eclectic mix of DS and solo stuff: it was a really excellent concert. I have an "unoffical" live recording of DS on CD from about 1985 and that is interesting in that it differs quite a bit from "Alchemy". The version of Sultans is absolutely amazing.

Chris,

I just picked up the Ragpicker's ball, which I love, so I haven't gone off Mark Knopfler. I played that CD so much my wife started to complain about always listening to the same music!

I haven't tried Shangri La.

Peter
I think Shangri La is his best work for a long while. HDCD too!

Well ive gone and done it, bought the new SACD/CD remaster version (well actually returned a Doobie Bros live 2004 that i bought last week that was a crap recording) and have to say that this is areal step forward from my original CD.

First thing is the output level from the cd. With the original the Grad is at about 11.30 to get my usual optimal sound level (ie its quite a low output CD) but the SACD remaster is set at the normal level Grad set at about 9.30.

Clarity is much better, dynamics are in adifferent league to my original.In fact i could not get the original to sound as loud at any level (if that makes sense).

Bass drums now show a good recording resonance and overall there is more seperation to the individual strands of the tracks.There is much more attack and pace to the tracks (dynamics again i suppose)

Overall a good purchase.

As a bit of advice, if i return a disc to a shop i always quote recording quality not up to standard(usually a genuine reason). Stores cannot argue about quality issues, like any substandard product the law is with the consumer, and its a difficult one for the store to argue or they risk calling you a liar.

David

quote:

Originally posted by Chris Kelly:
Peter
I think Shangri La is his best work for a long while. HDCD too!

Ok, I just ordered this one, we'll see

I think Shangrila is 90% fab and 10% crap, first half of the disc is brilliant and then tails off towwards the end, subjective of course.

David

Which 10% do you think is crap, David? 90/10 is pretty good quality control compared with a lot of other stuff!

Sorry Chris, i meant a couple of songs i think are duff, quality of production is good accross the whole CD.

David

woops , what happened there???