outstanding deluxe edition,music sounds ethereal
356760
this is an example of how to do it the right way. 3 CDs.
the Mono mix is my favorite,it seems especially intense.
the mono mix seems far edgier.
and then the live CD.one full show.the Gift live.unbelievable.
and yeah,the sound is awesome all round.
this is worth it,whatever it costs,you need this is if you're an outcast or just a music fan.
3763886
I seem to be a pushover for this album. I liked the CD so much that I also went for this beautiful vinyl edition. The record's surfaces are stunningly quiet and the sound is superb. I like it even better than the CD. Also, this LP features the alternate all-German version of the album released in Europe. As charming as Kaufmann's English is, he, and the songs, come across more effortlessly in their original tongue. Highly recommended!
986435
After the somewhat disappointing deluxe releases of Jailbreak, Johnny the Fox, and Live and Dangerous, I approached this with a bit of hesitation, but I just couldn't resist. It is Thin Lizzy after all. In case you're wondering, all of those deluxe editions did not feature the newly remastered material, but the 1996 remaster. Blame Scott Gorham on that one. Disc 1 features the remastered original Black Rose LP, and it sounds fantastic. Very nice and dynamic, and you can hear a bit more of subtleties that were more or less buried in the original mix. Fine remaster. Disc 2 has an abundance of great material, including an unreleased track entitled Rock Your Love, which has been out on the net for quite some time, but this one is vastly superior as it's cleaned up significantly, sessions from 1978 in Nassau including an unreleased track entitled Cold Black Night plus more, and a different version of Toughest Street In Town. It features different lyrics and an overall different sound. The only real disappointment is in the packaging. We don't get the cool little box to store the CD into anymore. It just comes with a little plastic banner that you have to cut through to get to your CD's that says Deluxe Edition on the front. Come on Universal stop being so damn cheap! Apart from that, it's a fantastic edition, and highly recommended. Track-listing down below.

Disc One

1. Do Anything You Want To
2. Toughest Street In Town
3. S & M
4. Waiting For An Alibi
5. Sarah
6. Got To Give It Up
7. Get Out Of Here
8. With Love
9. A Roisin Dubh (Black Rose) A Rock Legend

Disc Two

1. Just The Two Of Us (Do Anything You Want To B - Side)
2. A Night In The Life Of A Blues Singer (longer version)
3. Rock Your Love (unreleased)
4. Don't Believe A Word (slow version)
5. Toughest Street In Town (different version)

1978 Nassau Session
6. S & M
7. Got To Give It Up
8. Cold Black Night (unreleased)
9. With Love
10. Black Rose
1594335
The quality of the music on this iconic album has been reviewed many times on this site but I wonder how many have heard this in 5.1 surround through a good sound system. I own many SACD and DVD Audio discs and this one is definately in my top five along with Roxy Music - Avalon,Steely Dan- Gaucho,Mark Knopfler - Sailing To Philadelphia and Donald Fagen - The Nightfly Trilogy. Greg Penny has done a superb job in mixing this and the other five Elton John SACD's that are amazingly still available for a bargain price on Amazon considering the Roxy Music is now fetching over a hundred dollars in used condition.

The clarity and detail brought to these songs is stunning. On first listen it is a little disorienting with instruments and vocals placed differently on the soundstage but once heard on 5.1 you will never go back. Even `Candle In The Wind' which has been flogged to death over the years is like a new song to me now. The harmonies of Davey ,Dee and Nigel coming from the rear speakers are gorgeous and each song brings out sounds I have never noticed before in the stereo mix. So all you need to hear this is an SACD capable player. Oppo do a superb Blu Ray with SACD and Sony also include SACD in some of their Blu Ray players for bargain prices which means that even though releases on this format are virtually defunct you will not be wasting money if you are in the market for a Blu Ray anyway.

Buy this and all the other Elton John discs before they become collectors only. They are all superb.
1344919
Very well packaged and sounds amazing. I am happy they kept it all pressed in the EU. After the Stereo fiasco of US pressed editions they sure did learn. I was hesitant in getting the box because of this, yet I wish I did. Oh well I just have to buy them separately now.

To get these from the original master tapes and being an analog process all the way through is a huge plus!
2449465
OK, maybe I'm late to this party, I just came across this Rhino re-release of Tales.  One of my favorite albums of all time, though I understand not all share my enthusiasm - an acquired taste perhaps.  Not only is the Rhino packaging really nice, but the real mind-blower here is THE SOUND!  And that's what's really important, after all, right?  On my first listen to the first track I heard vocal harmonies and subtle guitar parts I have never before heard.  Astonishing!  And certain passages where the music and Jon's singing peak at the same time, all of my previous copies -- vinyl, cassette, CD -- have exhibited marked distortion.  That is gone.  Complete sonic clarity.  At last.  Right on.
4478095
What a great combination of music and sound this is! Nobody has ever made an orchestra sound as colorful as Maurice Ravel, and few engineers have made an orchestral recording sound as rich and powerful as Keith Johnson. The program includes Ravel orchestrations of his own Alborado del gracioso and Shhrazade; a couple of Debussy pieces, Sarabande and Danse; Schumann's Carnaval; Chabrier's Menuet Pompeux; and Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition.

 This CD was recorded using the HDCD process, but I first auditioned it on a non-HDCD deck and it sounded just fine. Suffice it to say that this is a disk that will sound great whether or not you have an HDCD player in your system, and if you are a fan of Ravel, this disk is a must-have: more than 76 glorious minutes of utterly wonderful orchestral sound.
1855142
seems like the ultimate version, nice bonus tracks too. Treat and Fried Neckbones are super nice. Clear sound, though the drums might have a bit too much weight in the remaster according to my dad who has been a fan for a long time though I bet that on well-balance speakers it's ok.
526657
The vinyl pressing of this album is amazing
351876
One of my favorite all-time albums, this new reissue sounds great, if a tad different than the vinyl. I don't much care for digital, but this baby has presence and feel. Nice job. As for the music - every song is classic melodic pop/rock with superb instrumentation. I love the fact John's voice is buried somewhat in the sound. It provides an homogeneous feel that causes me to turn up the volume and surround myself with memorable music. The original collection of songs are quality, only diminished slightly by the new bonus tracks. Like another reviewer stated, this album will last a long, long time. It's a prime candidate for the Repeat button. A no-brainer.
3225004
I'm not going to review this album specifically, if I was going to do that, I would need to take quite a bit of time talking about Washed Out, how his sound has evolved and what kind of result you get with Paracosm as apposed to Life of Leisure or Within Without.  If you're not already a Washed Out fan, all I can say is that if you like either Chillwave or Dream Pop, Washed Out/Ernest Greene is probably one of the best artists in the current scene.  This album is no exception.

However, since this the first review for this particular pressing of Paracosm, I'll just say that I was extremely happy with the package.  Beautiful inserts and packaging, and the clear violet record looks stunning.  I don't have another pressing to compare it to in terms of sound quality, but on its own it sounds amazing.  If you want Paracosm in vinyl, I strongly suggest buying this particular version.  Thank you Amazon for stocking it!
3326649
This CD has moved me to dreamland more times than I can remember.  It is a complex tapestry of sound and voice.  The music is enchanting, otherworldly at times.  Although the meaning behind this albumn remains mysterious until much rersearch is done, there is a meaning underneath it all, somewhere.  But none of that matters.  The music contained on this disc makes up for all seeming lack of cohesion between the tracks.  In the final analysis, who cares what it means?  It sounds terrific!
1354331
This 4-disc `deluxe' collection of Moby's 2011 release `Destroyed' is in essence a 2-CD album plus a DVD, and a bonus CD recording of a live-on-stage concert in London featuring some of Moby's classic numbers from his earlier work.

The 2 studio-recorded CDs offer a mellow collection of music from Moby, more in the overall style of 2009's `Wait for Me' than `Hotel' or `Last Night' though with some upbeat numbers. The music is complex, and develops course by course rather than serving you the whole meal in one go. You could almost describe the style as `progressive' in that several numbers evolve from sparse beginnings to increasing multi-layered complexity and in most cases take the listener on an emotional roller-coaster to a satisfying climax.

Disc 2 continues in the style of disc 1, with 8 new tracks plus variants on 3 of the disc 1 tracks: `the broken places', `lie down in darkness' and `the day', the theme of which is the day Moby lost his mother to cancer.

The DVD includes videos, live-on-stage material, interviews and some odds & sods. There appears to be no `play all' option, so you have to watch the clips one-at-a-time then return to the main menu to make your next selection.

The bonus disc sold only with the `deluxe' edition is a live-on-stage concert recorded in London in June 2011. This is Moby at his most energetic onstage with mojo in high gear. Danceable renditions of 14 numbers including `in my heart', `we are all made of stars' `porcelain' and `lift me up' actually better the originally released studio versions.

The presentation is fine but understated. In a strong hinged box oozing quality, the 4 discs nest in robust numbered sleeves, and a glossy 12-page booklet full or artistic photo-images completes the package. The whole effect is very tasteful, even highbrow.

So, with the deluxe edition of `Destroyed' you get a lot of very fine music for your money.
4814713
I own this recording on vinyl and cd and now as a Deluxe (re-mastered) Edition.  Sound's way better than the original cd.
248382
I dearly wish I had bought the SACD version of "Avalon" when it first came out. I've always liked Roxy Music, but didn't think I was enough of a fan at the time, given other purchases I really wanted to make. Well, hindsight is 20/20, as they say. "Avalon" on SACD has become one of THE most sought-after multichannel mixes out there. Recently, despite the cost of acquiring a copy, I decided to get a used one through the amazon site.

My verdict: "Avalon" ties for first place -- with Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" -- as the best rock release in SACD history. Bob Clearmountain's effort to transform "Avalon" from stereo to multichannel has resulted in one of the "must listen" discs for audiophiles.

It helps that the music is so incredibly compelling. At the time of the album's original release in 1982, Roxy was at a creative peak, both in terms of songwriting and performance. "More Than This," the opener, is a beautiful little piece of ear candy, but like the rest of the album, listening to it multiple times reveals a depth you might not perceive at first. "The Space Between" isn't my favorite track on the album, but Bryan Ferry's vocals sound especially lush, and the surround mix puts the listener right in the middle of some tasty guitar and percussion parts.

Then comes the title track, "Avalon." This is one of the pieces of music that will live in my memory till I die, and it's a song I return to over and over and over again. Part of the appeal is the song's mystery -- it really doesn't seem to have much to do with Arthurian legend, despite the album's cover, which is highly suggestive of the ever-popular English myth. The lyrics evoke a post-party ennui, though, and the music is incredibly seductive. Thematically, the song seems to open up with each verse, becoming less of a declaration than an exploration. "Yes the picture's changing," Ferry sings, "every moment / and your destination / you don't know it." Gee, sounds pretty much like my life, to be honest.

Roxy Music never was a band that wanted to hit you over the head with a 2 by 4, and this album is especially subtle. Clearmountain has used the 5.1 mix to emphasize that aspect of the band. On the title track and elsewhere, Andy Mackay's saxophone is mixed in the right rear channel, and when he plays his usually sparse parts, it's like a soft, cool breath on the back of your neck.

Some other great stuff here: "Take a Chance With Me" and "To Turn You On," both of which present a persona who hasn't exactly succeeded at relationships and knows it -- yet can't stop himself from trying to charm. Also of note: The instrumental "India," for which the original multi-track tapes could not be found. Clearmountain and Co. solved the problem by panning the song clockwise around the room for the 5.1 mix; since it's the only song for which only a stereo mix was available, it comes off as a great solution.

"Avalon" was a great capstone to Roxy's career, and we are fortunate indeed that the powers that be chose it for 5.1 presentation. It's kind of the musical equivalent of a fashion model: It's not afraid to be beautiful -- and, in this case, the beauty is far more than skin deep.
2006217
I did not buy this boxset to claim that Mono is better than Stereo. I bought it because I thought it was the most faithful recreation in packaging and music of the originals, and I wanted to feel like the kids did back in the 60s; as I am 18 and never had the chance to listen to The Beatles in vinyl or live.

If you listen to the record in chronological order it is amazing how obvious the changes are in musical and fashion style (if you look at the LP Replica slips). The audio quality I think is great, although being used to listening to mp3's and recently changing to Lossless formats, I thought the audio was muddy without equalizing. But after noticing less ear fatigue while listening to the music uncompressed and unequalized, I decided to copy this collection to my iTunes in Apple Lossless format (this is in the advanced option of importing).

With a great set of speakers you can notice the backing vocals better and, for example, Ringo's panderetta in some songs, or other subtle notes and instruments, that actually change the music a lot if you are listening to it without any other distractions. When listening with my Bose QC 2 headphones, those subtle changes became major improvements and I got used to the high quality of the music.

Trying to compare Mono to Stereo after reading all the audiophiles ranting on about which one is better, I can only say they are different. I think if you buy the Mono Boxset and read the essay inside by Kevin Howlett, you will know which discs you should also buy in Stereo to add as a complement to the mono set.

My only complaint is that the albums that were not originally pressed in Mono were not included in Stereo outside of the boxset (Yellow Submarine, Abbey Road, Let it Be), considering that you are paying more for this set than the stereo, that is a ripoff, and also that you do not get the DVD's with the mini documentaries.

The actual box is a small white glossy box where the cd's slide out from the side. Each disc is packed inside a plastic slipcase with adhesive, and the disc inside comes with two slipcases, one transparent plastic one and a LP replica slipcase which is beautiful. I can swear the boxset and slipcases have some kind of perfume on them, much like new books have smells these CDs do too. The pictures that come without any digital enhancements (allegedly) look more natural than the over saturated and gamma-filled pictures of the Stereo boxset, and come without the black sidebar with the Apple logo on them.

After listening to the DESS (Dr. Ebbett's) Blue boxset FLAC's and comparing them with the 2009 boxset, I appreciated the lack of stylus hiss in the 2009 set, and the subtle limiting of the audio makes the treble and higher pitches of the voices and the guitars come out a little more, although it makes this boxset still not 100% faithful to the original.

Being my first Beatles boxset, I think I got the best that is out there today and what you get is well worth the cost. For any Beatles diehard fan, or any person who wants to discover them now like I did, I recommend this boxset that is way past an introduction to The Beatles, it is almost everything they did.
2517005
There are lots of reviews that talk about how wonderful this album is, and how excellent the extra music on the second disc is, all of which is absolutely true.  If you wonder whether the remastered version sounds significantly better, the answer is YES.  The original CD sounds really bad - it's murky, the highs are rolled off, and there's essentially no low bass.  All of these problems are successfully addressed on the remaster.  There is even a significant amount of air during the intro to 'Sleeping In'.  Bear in mind that this music was built from CD-Rs so it's never going to be state of the art, but I think this version squeezes out every available drop of sound quality.  Kudos to Sub Pop!