Mostly welcome Peter Gabriel SACD news

From www.thedigitalbits.com:

Also, we've got an update on those Peter Gabriel and Police SACDs. Peter Gabriel's Up stereo/multi-channel SACD has indeed been delayed by Universal Music until later in the first quarter, but the good news is that Peter Gabriel's ENTIRE catalog will be released on stereo SACD this year, including 1, 2, 3, Security, Plays Live, Birdy, Passion, So and Us. And The Police catalog release (tentatively set for 2/25) will include Every Breath You Take: The Classics in stereo/multi-channel SACD, and Outlandos d' Amour, Regatta de Blanc, Zenyatta Mondatta, Ghost in the Machine, Synchronicity and The Police: Live all in stereo SACD. There is some reason to believe that these Police discs will also include a hybrid CD layer, although Universal's press release isn't entirely clear on this point. Look also for the company to announce upcoming SACD releases from Three Doors Down, The Wallflowers and The Roots.

 

I sure hope the Police discs are going to be hybrids (and with remastered redbook layers at that, not just the same as the existing CD's).

I did read in a UK music mag (forget which one) some time last year an article which stated the Police back catalogue was being remastered in preparation for 25th anniversary releases commerorating the band's first A&M release in 1978. No mention of high-res though.

Also, are these titles going to be made available in the US only or can we expect to see UK editions? What interests me about the announced titles is that the "Every Breath You Take - The Classics" compilation was never released in the UK, it's only been available on import from N America.

What will also be interesting is if the EBYT:TC disc includes the same '86 reworking of De Do Do Do, which is currently only available on the DTS disc of EBYT:TC, or whether we'll just get the '80 original. Hmmmm....

I presume from what I am reading here (and your website link) that the Gabriel discs are SACD single-layer only. Now, PG has just recently (a few months agao) re-released his remastered back catalogue in redbook form. Why on Earth did not they not just issue these as hybrid discs? I sure as hell can't afford to pay out for the whole lot again, especially as I don't have SACD hardware to play them on (!), but this is a stupid decision by someone somewhere. Re-release the catalogue on CD and then a few months later re-release it all over again on single-layer SACD? Makes no sense to me!

 

I am really looking forward to The Police on SACD. Hopefully they will be hybrid discs. Regardless, I will be buying these SACDs.

 

So far, all of the really popular UMG SACD's have been single layer (Sea Changes, Love Supreme, etc.) Their web site is also showing the upcoming Who MyGeneration release as single layer.

Unless pressing plant capacity really ramps up, the Police will probably be single layer. UMG may have also decided to reduce copying by only have single layer on their most popular titles (although I noticed tonight that the Diane Krall discs are hybrid)

 

Argh. I got a few of the CD remasters last year, but not all. I stopped when I heard the SACDs were on the way. I was hoping that they'd be hybrids and I could just sell the CDs. Now, I'm not sure.

Guess I'll wait for some reviews and see what the sound is like. If it's a big improvement over the CDs, I'll bite. Otherwise, I might just finish the CD collection (still need Security and Us) and call it a day.

Ryan

 

Even though I really want them, I've held off on the standard CD remasters in anticipation for SACDs (even though I don't have a player yet) and the vinyl. I plan on ordering the first three LPs when 3 (melting face) is finally available. Classic delayed it for some reason.
Dan C

 

cheap SACD players available NOW!!!

Dan, you can get SACD capability for $150 at Best Buy and for $170 at Circuit City,
you really should take the plunge.

I thought I was the audiophile in the office, but I loaned my player to
a musician co-worker (Glenn L.) last week, and he was horrified at the disparity
between the redbook and SACD layers on the Alison Krauss discs.
I just thought the highs sounded 'white' and therefore less musical
than the same high notes sounding more 'golden' on the SACD layer.

Perhaps I've lost enough of my high frequency hearing that by 2015
redbook cd's will sound "normal" to me (laughing)