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Label:
  Analogue Productions - http://www.analogueproductions.com/
Serial:
  CAPP 33453 SA
Title:
  Pink Floyd: Wish You Were Here
Description:
  "Wish You Were Here"

Pink Floyd
Track listing:
  1. Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts 1-5)
2. Welcome to the Machine
3. Have a Cigar
4. Wish You Were Here
5. Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts 6-9)
Genre:
  Pop/Rock
Content:
  Stereo/Multichannel
Media:
  Hybrid
Recording type:
 
Recording info:
  5.1 surround mix by James Guthrie
Assistant engineer Joel Plante
Mastered by James Guthrie and Joel Plante
Mixed and mastered at das boot recording
DSD authoring for SACD by Gus Skinas

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Related titles: 5


 
Reviews: 16 show all

Review by MattMan657 November 9, 2011 (31 of 32 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:  
Just finished listening to it. Unbelievable. Every fan of multichannel audio should have this SACD. The best two tracks in my honest opinion, in terms of how they were mixed, not in song preference, are Welcome To The Machine and Have a Cigar. All the crazy effects in Machine are placed so well and balanced, tons of action in the surrounds but do not take away from the fronts AT all.

The mix honestly feels so natural, unforced, as if it was originally recorded with the purpose of being listened to in multichannel. The front soundstage sounds so full with unbelievable separation.

Now to listen to the original quad! I've never heard it but I really cannot imagine it is better.

The packaging is easily the nicest out of any SACD I own. Hands down. I have a bunch of SHM-SACDs and those have great packaging with the foldouts but they don't compare to this. The artwork is top notch with postcards of the original artwork for the album on it.

The whole thing is unreal. I can't recommend it enough. Any fan of multichannel audio needs to be buy this.

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Review by analogue January 24, 2012 (24 of 40 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:  
I will be in the monority here but I was not impressed nearly as much as the other listeners with this new Pink floyd sacd. Oh yes...its ultra smooth and refined but this does not mean its a great sounding disc. I will try to explain why I feel this is so.

The first hint that something was amiss was that absolutely no tape hiss was heard on this disc. The alarm bells started going off immediately. A perfect example of the deadened sound on this sacd was the introduction to the drum kit on the first track. In all other versions it had far more body and a much deeper bottom end. This time around however.....it attained a certain heaviness but stopped short of full bodied sound. It never reached its full sound density.
Time and again there are so many examples of this negative quality on this disc. Almost as if a veil or soft blanket was placed over the speakers preventing the full saturation of sound.

I have head this album many a time over the years but never this dull or soft bodied. Increasing the volume may help a bit as there is no compression but unlike many sacd's that do pop into focus this one never does. The increase in volume only highlights the negative traits on this disc.
There are times where the bass is very much lacking. Pink Floyd were fantastic studio musicians and they make great recordings. This album should have sounded much better than what we are hearing. There is nothing dull on this album until now.

Each and every time I listened to thids sacd I was struck by how restricted the dynamic range really is on this sacd. There was always something negative that prevented me from connecting emotionally to the music on this disc. In comparison to the Doug Sax mastering cd from the early 90's this new sacd falls short on many levels. Namely a restricted sound stage both from back to front and especially side to side.
Compared to the cd it is limpid in the dynamic range area. Nothing really sticks out in the usual 3d holograghic sense. And as I said previously this is the first time I have heard this album dulled down as it is. A very unfortunate happening. I hate to say it but the cd is the preferred listening experience. While the cd is not as smooth as the sacd..even though it lacks the focus of the high rez counterpart.........it has the better dynamic range and 3d character of the tapes. When hearing the regular cd this dsic captures more of the effects that Floyd were after and it offers the better emotional connection and feel. And believe me..it hurts to say this about a cd bettering an sacd.

Whatever instrument is heard on this sacd sounds ever so slightly muffled and restricted in sound. Instruments never bloom and there is no air around them. On the cd they spring forth in a more believable way. Even the sax on certain tracks is very flat and dull sounding on the sacd wheres the cd offers a more covincing sax sound..

Welcome to the machine was a tragic example of what Im talking about. Throughout the years..whenever I heard this track..the sound effects were extremely palpable. The layered syths breathed with organic life.......the acoustic guitars.... the laser beam sounds....vocals were so lifelike. The song had mystery and a scary detachment....but now its just plain boring. Nothing grabs the listener. This song used to be a force of nature...it used to build up into almost frightening cresendos but now it had been reduced to a flat...very emotionally reduced mess. Whenever I expect to be uplifted I am simply unmoved by the content.

Another great example is WISH YOU WERE HERE. This song always had a very poignant and sad feel to it but not now. In previous versions the acoustic guitar sounded so lifelike and had so much air around it...and the vocals were so much more rich and full. But now they have been flattened and the song is yet again....lacking in the real feeling it once had. Even when the drums kick in.....the bass drum is almost non existant. The cresendo on this song flat lines.

Where is the air and the upper octaves that I know exists on this disc???? This sacd is so dry. Even the vocals are flat and two dimensional. I hate to say it but if the listener is honest with themselves they will admit a few things. Namely this...that this disc really doesnt do anything extremely well. The mid range is average.....the low end not really low or deep...and the 3d imaging is so lacking that we need to admit such things.

So what if this classic album has finally been relaesed........it is a great disappointment to me.

In summation I have to admit that this new sacd is by no means a great success. Something happened in the transfer process. The dynamics have been spripped away. There is no air and tape hiss to be heard. Some of us remember back in the day when we would press the Dolby noise reduction button on our stereos. Suddenly the objectionable tape hiss would be removed. But with that removal....the music suddenly died and any semblance of musicality was removed. While this disc isnt nearly that bad.......it still sort of sounds like that example. Its very subtle but its there.

To some listeners this sacd might SOUND like the album they have always loved but to me it sure doesnt FEEL like the great album I always loved. This disc doesnt sound bad. Not at all. But it certainly doesnt sound very good either. Its been tamed to death. It could have.....should have been a killer.
Its so damn polite..so smooth and refined......and so damn boring.
Treble anyone????

Recommended only for a much lower price.

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Review by Blu Falcon November 11, 2011 (23 of 24 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:    
I would have to agree with the first reviewer on all accounts. I also splurged on the Immersion set which includes both the 5.1 and 4.0 (quad) mix. This multichannel mix on this release can be both subtle and aggressive at times, but the balance is just right and not overbearing to either extreme. Some of the more interesting moments occur during Welcome to the Machine where the sound effects in the song's intro really come to life in a way I've never experienced. Simply phenomenal surround effects! The transition between Have a Cigar and Wish You Were here is equally compelling. If possible, I recommend playing this above standard listening levels in order to become completely immersed in the sound and get the most out of the surround effects. The music is not harsh or strident in the least, but rather a nice organic sound with plenty of depth and a well extended low end. The music just seems to come to life like never before and I can't imagine a better way to experience one of the greatest albums of all time. Sonic euphoria. Highly recommended.

After listening to the redbook layer I feel I should add my impressions on it as well (initially posted on SHMF). Up until today the Mastersound was my go-to redbook. I compared it to the redbook layer of the AP SACD and came away preferring the SACD mastering overall. It just seemed more natural to me. Very smooth sounding and easy on the ears. I was never displeased with the Columbia 5 track or any other redbook CD I have of this album (Shine On, OBTW box, 2011 remaster), but this SACD essentially negates the need to own multiple versions of this album. You get an incredible MC mix, 2 ch stero mix, and a first class redbook layer. I could sell every other incarnation I have of this album and be plenty satisfied with just this SACD alone. This release is a winner on all levels. $35 today will seem like chump change when this limited edition release is out of print and demanding ridiculous prices in the used market. Better grab it while you can.

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