MFSL SACD American Beauty shipping now

As with a lot of releases, different strokes....
I thought it was an improvement over my Japan CD but Learning To Crawl was a bigger improvement. A snowstorm prevented me from picking up my Pretender S/T and American Beauty today.

I hate lake effect snow.

 

I know...whenever I play it they flood back...such wonderful times.

 

Those times were easier, more free and far less complicated... Anything seemed possible!

 

I got into the band through Anthem, Aoxomoxoa, Live Dead and the classic combo of AB & WD. Never heard a boot of them until months later.
We used to spin the records over and over while partying to them at my friend's house. His dad was never there, and he had a huge record collection he used to make music tapes for strippers along with a great stereo.

 

i never knew this album was re-mixed, can you explain?

 

that sounded like a blast...

 

without a doubt...you hadda be there man!

 

Some years ago Mickey Hart did 5.1 & new stereo mixes of both American Beauty (Reality) and Workingman's Dead from the original 16 tracks master tapes. Mickey made some different mixing choices, including bringing out some instrumental and vocal tracks that were buried/not used in the original mixes. Additionally, he used some spatial processing techniques he's used on his own releases in both mixes. They are more modern-sounding mixes for sure, but they provide a fascinating insight into what was recorded, and how things can sound in another times forgotten space.

The HDTracks hi rez release of American Beauty (Reality) was processed through the Plangent Processes "Clarity" system, and mastered by David Glasser at Airshow Mastering in Boulder. It is a magnificent presentation of the original master tapes.

 

Is it correct to say we will now have 3 hi rez versions of this album? 1) Mickey Hart remix on DVD-A and HDTracks; 2) original mix as mastered by Glasser for HDTracks; and 3) original mix on the new MFSL SACD?

 

Think that this was on Dual Disc, as well, but that was probably the same surround mix as the DVD-A.

 

So the original CD would be the original mix, since there was no 5.1 when that came out? What about the HDCD?

 

The original CD is the original mix. The remastered and expanded version of American Beauty (Reality) released as part of The Golden Road box set is HDCD encoded, this was then released as a CD outside of the box set. It originates from a different transfer of the master tapes than the HDTracks hit res version, which was a fresh transfer done specifically for the hi res version. Mickey Hart's newer mix has never been available on CD, to the best of my knowledge.

 

True...along with the countless imaginative uses the record sleeve was used for while said rekkid was spinning.

 

This mofi sacd is stereo only, right?

 

Yes. It is Audio Fidelity that is moving towards including surround tracks on their SACDs, not MFSL.

 

I didn't think it could be done, but the MFSL SACD is a nice improvement over the HDTracks version. Tighter bass and better sound stage. What a pleasant surprise.

 

This SACD sounds magnificent. Never knew this album could sound like this. Very satisfying.

 

Didn't you have the original US issued CD (Warner 1988 or '89 vintage)? It's quite good in that same way that many early WEA titles are. That said, I'd expect a proper modern mastering effort to be a knock-out.

 

For anyone who has heard both... do you feel the SACD is trumping the vinyl on this release?

 

Yes, but this is clearly a step ahead in sound reproduction. I'm less a fan of older cds than many here. . . but no contest to my ears. If you are a fan of "American Beauty" get this one while it's still at list price.

 

Holy crap. It is ridiculous. Must own for audiophiles.

 

Workingman's Dead shipping now boys and girls. http://www.musicdirect.com/p-140486...d-edition-hybrid-sacd.aspx?source=igodigital&

 

Why's the list price so high? $30?!

 

I think we have been paying $29.99 for MFSL SACDs for a while now right? I cannot remember when it was lower than that but I am sure I will be corrected.

 

That has been the price for years. They are usually a little cheaper on places like Amazon.