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Reviews: Bob Dylan: Blood on the Tracks

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Reviews: 11

Review by FivePointOne September 19, 2003 (5 of 5 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:
This SACD (whoops, I mean "SA-CD") sounds great. As with most of the other Dylan MCHs I've heard, don't expect the same degree of sound in your surrounds as you get in Beck's "Sea Change" or "DSOTM." The sound on the surrounds is more...ambient. It's there, but it isn't obtrusive. On a few cuts, however, it is more pronounced. Sorry, but I was paying too much attention to the sound to write down each song that got that little extra surround treatment, but I can tell you "Meet Me In the Morning" has it--slide in the front w/rhythm electric on the right--as well as a couple of others.

All the instruments are clearly heard. There are guitar parts now I can't recall hearing before (see "You're a Big Girl Now"). Dylan's voice is squarely in the middle, and sounds very real, not "tinny."

The main thing, as it should be, is "does it sound better." Abso-freakin'-lutely yes. Now, I don't have special mono LPs or a special LP system to compare it to, but I've owned the LP, owned the CD, obtained bootleg CDs of the original tapes, and I can say there is a warmth and depth to this disc that is incredible. Strangely, "Idiot Wind" isn't as angry as it sounds on regular CD. Must be the warmth. The SACD sound makes these songs sound so damn personal.

I highly recommend it.

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Review by Tom October 10, 2003 (0 of 4 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:
After buying 5 Dylan SA-CDs, this is my favorate. I like listening to this one.

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Review by tentimestwenty February 3, 2004 (1 of 4 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:
I have only heard the CD version of this disc. I'm buying hybrids for when I eventually get a good SACD player. The CD layer is quite bright even by the standards of the original which was quite tinny. It seems there is also a lot of distortion in the upper midrange which doesn't exist in the original LP. The kick drums are a bit deeper and tighter, as is the bass but overall I find this to be a rather lifeless disc. Not to mention that all the covers have a distinct pink colour cast which is very far off from the originals. I think they could have put some more care into the Dylan catalogue.

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Review by eesau October 18, 2004 (2 of 6 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:
This record is very good. It can be considered as equal to his mid 60'es master pieces. He never could do anything better after this one .... The sonics are not good, however. The sound on the SACD is the same as on the CD i.e. there is no improvement at all and the LP sound was bad, too. He never made any hifi recordings and its not possible to do anything later. I just don't know the point of releasing them in SACD. The multi-channel versions sound maybe a bit better ... but there is no reason to celebration.

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Review by Whitehall July 19, 2006
Performance:   Sonics:  
I will sometimes put on a recording to serve as background music while I read. With this album, I couldn't do that - it gripped my attention so that I had to put the book down and listen.

In this album, Dylan shows a maturity that is quite becoming and communicates as an adult. His performance and his song writing are both very touching. The backup band is nothing special though. The content is definitely 5 stars.

I only listened to the SACD stereo and CD stereo versions and haven't a "sonic" memory of hearing previous releases. That said, this one sure sounded good to me! While it may not be as "audiophilic" as other albums like "Gaucho" by Steely Dan, it is definitely a pleasure to listen to both for the music and the recording quality. I'd give the sound 4 stars easily.

OF the six or seven Dylan SACD re-releases I own so far, this is my favorite.

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Review by hcmcb April 22, 2008 (5 of 5 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:    
This mostly acoustic album is one of Dylan's very best and exemplifies, in a subtle way, the audio improvement made possible by SACD. When Blood on the Tracks was released, it was a bolt from the blue that showed Dylan was still a major artist at the top of his game. It has aged very and his singing has seldom been better. I'm not an expert on the technical aspects of SACD, but I find the mix to be very revealing of the musicianship. This isn't a "wow your friends with SACD" kind of mix, but it suggests to me what it might be like to be in the same room with the musicians at the recording sessions.

If you don't have Blood on the Tracks, you need it. If you have it, the SACD version will enhance your appreciation of it. What more can you ask?

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Review by dax44 February 3, 2009 (0 of 4 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:    
Well I am currently on a 'burn your CDs' vote '24/96 or better' mission and that inevitably includes SACDs. However .. this SACD disappoints. It failed the 'volume up or volume down?' test - I switched it off after 30 seconds. It sounds cold and sterile , devoid of harmonics just like a CD. Shame. These record companies really work their marketing - I am sure they are 'saving' the masters for the future and just released slight increases in digital quality little by little - hoping that one day all the vinyl will crumble too.

Back to my DSD recording of the vinyl ..

UPDATE: after lying in bed wondering how they squeeze DSD stereo and 5.1 and redbook layer all on to one DVD size disc I began to wonder if there are not some compromises made along the way. Maybe the 5.1 mix resolution, maybe the sacd stereo? So I switched to the stereo mix and it really seems to be maybe higher res. than the 5.1 - more harmonics and depth. OK I could be 'willing' this - and unless we find out the signal path from master tapes to SACD we will never know for sure what we really have on the SACD - but I think it sounds better. More musical and pleasant. Anyone care to compare the two and add an opinion?

I will try some elton john and see if i get the same 'feeling' :)

cheers.

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Review by analogue February 25, 2009
Performance:   Sonics:  
This is a very excellent Bob Dylan album from the mid 70's. Most of the songs are pretty amazing and the lyrics are top notch.
The sound is warm, accurate and focused. Dylan's voice comes through very well even if you are not a fan of his voice.

I found at least tracks to be great songs on this album and everyone knows "shelter from the storm", right???

In my opinion one of the best sounding Bob Dylan sacd's.

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Review by progboy November 13, 2012
Performance:   Sonics:  
Blood on the tracks is an excellent album and an excellent SACD conversion ! Like most of the Dylan albums the music is contagious ..the lyrics magical...the songs excellent all limited by his nasal singing!

No matter how much I love the music of Bob Dylan I never got to love his vocals ....just passable IMHO.....except for Nashville Skyline where I really dig his voice.

But blood on the tracks really is an exceptional album with some of my favourite Dylan moments.
This may be one of the best sounding Dylan SACD transfers of the lot! His voice is nice and clear and dead centre in the mix with his guitar nice and close but spaced out.

"Your a big girl now" sounds Iike Dylan is right in your living room !

A times I get a Van Morrison allusion in the delivery of this album .

An excellent album and a truly great SACD mix

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Review by tdunster December 1, 2012
Performance:   Sonics:  
This is probably the best sounding disc of this Dylan SACD series. It has a very smooth characted and yet is in no way missing any detail as a result.

The only gripe with this or indeed any of these Dylan SACD's os that they are probably a little louder than they need to be.

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Review by p59teitel September 11, 2014
Performance:   Sonics:  
I have both this version and the newer MoFi. This version is punchier and faster paced than the MoFi SACD, which sounds more like a mid-hall perspective.

My preference is for this version: more drive, weight, immediacy and guitar detail. It draws me in and holds my attention much more than the overly-refined flow of the MoFi effort does.

I gave the MoFi a 4 for sonics. This one gets the 5. Great job.

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