I'd love to hear Dire Straits get the "Steve" treatment on SACD. As much as 'Love Over Gold' hace been praised over the years for its great sonics, I enjoy all of their LPs. Sultans Of Swing has always made me tap my foot and sing along!
I've been thinking the same thing. I recently got some decent pressings of Dire Straits and Communique', and thought a good SACD treatment would be something to look forward to. But someone make sure it's done right. We need LESS crappy SACDs on the market!!
Sckott, What label are your pressings. I have a german import on Dire Straits - very quiet with great sound. Simply Vinyl for Communique and Makin Movies - SV definitely got these right, quiet pressings with fat analogue sound, and a promo copy of Alchemy on Quiex II. I can definitely recommend the SV pressings of Dire Straits.
In my area, I can find quite a few Dire Straits records, mostly the originals, and in mint condition for about $3, sometimes less, US WB issues, and they sound quite good, even suprisingly awesome! Now you're wondering why I didn't bother with the SV issues at $27.99 a pop? Yes, the SV are decent AFA the Dire Straits issues, but IMHO, the perfect sound came more from the earlier non-remastered CDs released by WB. The sound on the WB Lps were sweet, but different, but not drastically. Dire Straits, like Genesis, Pink Floyd and Roxy Music, quietly strove to make well engineered recordings, and always demanded the best from mastering through every release. Now, of course, it's a different story. Try a $3 original pressing of Dire Straits or even better, Commmunique'. They should be frequently found where you are? Try it. You MIGHT like it too.
I used to have the non-remastered CDs (not WB - European Vertigo/Phonogram issues), and the remasters by Bob Ludwig sound much better IMO. DS self-titled, Communique and Making Movies are very good on cheap Vertigo LPs (black ocean floor label with seaweed and some fish on it). I am less impressed with the WB pressing of Love Over Gold that I have, and I haven't heard the Simply Vinyl reissues. On Every Street CD sounds great as it was issued originally.
I actually have original WB vinyl of Dire Straits - great sound but not as quiet as the german import, Brothers in Arms, Alchemy and Makin Movies. My original Alchemy had sonic problems on the guitar solo of Sultans, not so the Quiex, which soundds great. The others for which I have duplicates were simply wearing out, I purchased at release date.
Although I had them at one time, I do not own vinyl of Making Movies or Love Over Gold. I haven't heard an amazing pressing of Borhters In Arms after owning the original CD since 1986 or so. Not like one doesn't exist out there, but just his year, there has been 9-10 vinyl copies of Brothers I've seen, and from memory, have different matrixes. Right now I have a CRC pressing, and although it's clean as a baby's bum, it sounds horrible. That'll possibly change one week soon though.
I'll second that. LOVE OVER GOLD is one of my favorite albums, and I was pleased with the Ludwig remaster. (If Steve Hoffman can't remaster my favorite albums, I want Bob Ludwig or Vic Anesini). I believe the current Vertigo and Warner Brothers issues of the Dire Straits catalog are identical Ludwig remasters.
When it came out, a few friends and I would play air guitar to the riff in the fadeout 'til our fingers bled.
