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Reviews: The Who: Quadrophenia

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Reviews: 11

Review by analogue June 7, 2012 (12 of 12 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:
A great new shm sacd release of Pete Townsend's and the Who's most ambitious album. And it sounds amazing.

For those familiar with this album from 1973 you must know thats its a true classic. Filled with teenage angst and anger it tells a sad and bitter journey of the main character but with powerful rock and roll music to express this.

This disc ...as with all great shm sacd's must be played loud but be forewarned. This disc starts with the thunderous ocean battering the coastline of England and if the volume is set too high damage can occur to your speakers...I kid you not. This sound effect is simply overwhelming. I was caught unawares and almost paid the price for my eagerness.

As "the Real Me" starts the proceedings its obvious from the get go that Keith Moon.s drumming is the star ON THIS PARTICULAR SACD. track AFTER TRACK SHOWCASES HIS AMAZING AND BOMBASTIC DRUM FILLS AND Cymbal ACCENTS. I am wowed by how good the sound quality of this recording is and Moons drums are a true audio spectacle to hear. Every single drum can be heard as a separate entity and with Moon this aint easy.

This shm sacd reminds me very much of the original vinyl record I still have in my collection. The warmth that the remastered cd lacked but the record has is intact with this shm sacd. And thats a great thing.Also compared to the remastered 90's cd the sound is less analytical and far more organic and natural.

Upon my first few listens I felt that perhaps some additional EQ;ing was needed but since then after repeated pays the sound has opened up considerably. I find that the vocals are at times a bit receded in the mix bit not always.

There are numerous highlights on this sacd. The piano chords that commence Love Reign over me are unbelievable in the power and realism. The piano is simply in the room with you and MOONS PERCUSSION fill WITH THE GONG SWIPE IS BEAUTIFUL AND EMOTIONAL. And its the added warmth that really impresses itself upon me.

If you want to know what made Moon such a great drummer......this is one record where the sound of his kit was captured perfectly. It gets really down in the sound field..to the deepest bass drums.

Again..Jon Astley has done a remarkable job on this release. Kudo's to him.

Highly recommended...................a standout classic rock shm sacd. Perfect in every regard.

PLay it loud but watch out for the waves and water.

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Review by pabu June 9, 2012 (4 of 4 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:
What a crasy version. SHM SACD is the third I've just bought. First was a cd before remastering, second after remastering. But neither can be compared with this SACDs.
Because the sound is excellent: the consistency of John Entwistle's bass, the real sensation of drumsticks' impact on toms, the cymbals' clarity.
Did you know at the very beginning of the song 'RealMe' you should clearly hear the rain fallen in the background of John's solo?
So nothing be compared with that exhilarating version.
Take off mp3 compressed sounds (mud?) from your ears and now listen to great music.

Warning : it is not an hybrid, so it does not work on a standard cd player

Only one cd. No artwork in, digipack.

A MUST HAVE IN YOUR COLLECTION

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Review by Whistlerskibum June 12, 2012 (2 of 2 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:
This album has been one of my of desert island album for 30+ years. This SACD is now my go to digital copy and comparable to my classic records 200g vinyl. Since I have the booklet in my vinyl version wasn't too bummed about the booklet not being included with SACD.

Highly recommended.

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Review by Bill Sykes June 26, 2012 (1 of 2 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:
Beautiful, sumptuous, warm instruments (you can hear Keith's snare and feel Roger's sneer) the presentation of this masterpiece is wonderful. I waited to love The Who, knowing the hits, hearing the odd album track here and there. I picked up the deluxe SACD edition of Tommy because Pete mixed it and I was impressed. I read the reviews here of Quadrophenia and couldn't resist.

Good decision.

As other reviewers of SHM SACD's have said, the sound improves with play. The vocals have grown more husky and breathy, the drums more distinct and overall there is a warmth to this presentation that I have not witnessed before. Now don't get me wrong, I adore my Depeche Mode SACD's but for a contrast this is simply sumptuous. Stereo never sounded so . . . warm.

Just ordered Who's Next and Tommy on SHM SACD based on my own experience with this SACD and the other reviews here.

What's not to like!

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Review by tdunster November 2, 2012 (1 of 1 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:
All I ever wanted was a version of Quadrophenia void of the hard sounding sonics of past cd releases such as the Polydor 1996 remix and the later Polydor Deluxe Edition.

The SACD version is the smoothest / cleanest sounding recording of Quadrophenia I have ever heard.

Unfortunately, I think the record suffers for it. The power and angst of earlier versions is gone and tracks like "The Real Me", "The Punk and the Godfather", and "5:15" simply lose their impact by becoming polite rather than angst ridden.

In particular, on the Remix and deluxe version "I am the sea" is very soft and laid back. Then, when the track ends we hear Daltrey sing the line " Can you see the real me.... can ya" - followed by the entire band absolutely exploding into the "Real Me". The level of excitement is unrivalled and for me, this is perhaps the highlight of the album.

With the SACD "I am the sea" is louder than "The real me. Hence, when the "Real Me" commences the volume / impact lessens rather than increases - and the excitement factor falls away as well.

I liked the earlier CD versions , but I really had to be in the mood as I always found Quadrohenia very in your face and tough going. Rarely could I make it through the entire program in one sitting.

The SACD, is an easy ride and far less taxing on the senses than previous versions. The lack of compression and overall smoothness does at least make the album more accesible. Indeed, I listened to this four times in a row today - something I could never have imagined doing on previous versions.

If " I am the Sea" was recorded softer than the main program then I think this release would be bordering on perfection.

Highly Recommended but it's not going to be the last version of Quadrophenia I ever purchase.

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Review by Sergey June 6, 2013
Performance:   Sonics:
The disc was recorded perfectly. All the benefits of SHM-SACD noticeable more than enough. Delicate and crisp treble, air, openness and warmth of the sound without any signs of stiffness .............. completely analog, attractive sound.

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Review by Audioflea August 9, 2013 (2 of 2 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:
Analogue’s June 7th review is spot on, and I can’t add much to it except for this:
This Japanese SACD release of Quadrophina has never sounded better and is sure to sound great on any stereo system. But be warned, this disc will make you want to mortgage you house and step up to some high-wattage amplification high-end speakers that can capture all of the sonic range that this disc can provide. I haven’t heard the 5.1 box set version for comparison, but this is magnificent and completely immerses you in sound; especially the opening track. In fact, “I am the Sea/The Real me” is worth the $60 price of admission. Highly Recommended and guaranteed to make Who fans of any who give it a listen.

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Review by james_joyce August 18, 2013
Performance:   Sonics:
This disc ROCKS! Pretty much every item on the audiophile checklist applies: present, spacious, detailed, dynamic. This is a fantastic sounding SACD of an iconic album and highly recommended.

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Review by gellie August 23, 2013 (0 of 1 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:
Great improvement over original CD from the 80's. Every track is a great improvement. This is what Quadrophenia is suppose to sound like!

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Review by scotty January 1, 2014 (3 of 3 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:
I must start by saying I am new to this remarkable format and now own five titles. I do already own a lot of Japanese mini sleeves, SHM, and SA-CD discs in my collection. I own three different Japanese versions and the original Mobile Fid. title of Quadrophenia already. So I was very skeptical about spending more money on this one as I have never been that happy with the sound, always a little too muddy for my ears. I also want to say that this is hands down my favorite rock album ever (an no the Who are not my favorite band). After reading the killer review by Analogue, I knew I had to take a chance. WOW! I am so blown away by what I am hearing I almost can't believe it. Finally the true separation this title needed to let the instrumentation just roar out of your system. I have already listened five times through and yes they truly break in. As Analogue says, the louder the better and that is a must to really experience this masterpiece. Keith's drums have never sounded so pounding good and John's bass simply thumps with an awesome bite. Pete's guitar work sizzles like never before and Roger's vocals are off the chart! I had tears of happiness and screamed with excitement like I was at one of their early 70s concert. I know these titles are pricey, but lets be honest, anyone on this site surely has invested heavily in to their sound system, so in my opinion these discs are well worth it and will compliment your system. I have been fortunate to have gotten my first five titles pretty much what they cost at their release. It is also cool to have Quadrophenia on one disc, not two as not to interrupt the listening experience. For what it is worth I plan on reviewing every title that I buy to keep driving this incredible format home. I spent over 30 years in the music business, so I eat, sleep, and LIVE for incredible sounding music. I think the SA-CD.Net site offers valuable information on these releases and would highly recommend spending time here before making a purchase, this is a big help. I also want to thank all of the great reviews that people are posting on this site! I also realize some of these titles are going to sound better than others, so do your homework here first.

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Review by LooseLeaf March 1, 2014 (0 of 5 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:
This Japanese re-issue is excellent!

One of my all time favourites***** play it load

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