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Reviews: Dire Straits: Brothers in Arms

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Reviews: 33

Review by Vladimir May 28, 2005 (9 of 10 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:  
Excellent! I can't imagine this album getting any better than this. I already had the Cd version and even though it was a very good sounding cd it's not even close to the amazing sound of this sacd. And the surruond mix really makes this album come alive, it's a very good surround mix with a lot of use of the rear channels, it fits percectly with the music. This album will be one of my first choices for surround music demonstration. It's not as good as Dark side of the moon, but not far behind.

My favrite track is money for nothing (surprice?). The intro of this song is spectacular, it always has been but the new 5.1 really makes me smile, even after several times of just listening to the intro... (My neighbour probably thinks I'm retarded after listening to the same two minuits of money for nothing over and over again, on very high volume).
But of course there are more nive tracks on this album, So far away, Why worry and Brothers in arms are all beautiful songs, and they all have very good surround mixes. These four song I've mentioned are excellent, the rest are "ok". I would like to have at least one more rock song like money for nothing, maybe instead of Walk of life. I used to think Walk of life was a pretty nice song but I guess my taste has changed. now it just feels wrong.

Summary: Very good sound, transparent and clear, I can't think of anything to complain about. There might be few albums in my collection that sounds even better, but this is more than I expected from this album. The samething with the surround mix, very good! It fits perfectly with the music. (I only give it 4½ stars because there are one or two albums that are even better,)

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Review by kentucky May 30, 2005 (1 of 3 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:    
Really great sacd.Outstanding sound.I have listened to it stereo and multichannel and I liked the multichannel better.I hope they will bring 'Love over gold'and'On every street'out on sacd.

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Review by DeSelby June 1, 2005 (2 of 6 found this review helpful)
Sonics:  
very good sound ( and i would like the first album and Communique too)

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Review by JW June 4, 2005 (17 of 18 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:  
I can make a comparison between the SA-CD and the 1985 RBCD (1), the 2000 Remaster (2) and the 1985 Vinyl version of this album (3).

(1) sounds flat and veiled in comparison with (2) which sounds bolder with more body and definition and air. On (3) the drums stand out more, there seems to be more air around the bass drum, and the tic on the rim is dryer on the record. The voice is less defined (less resolution perhaps). (3) sounds better in my system than (2). It has a warmer, more expansive sound with more body. Massive difference it ain't, but it's there. I am glad this hobby is not a science ...

The interesting thing is that the SA-CD sounds almost more analog than my vinyl. There is a roundness to the sound, especially the voice, which has a softer edge that is more akin to records than discs. At the same time I also think the SA-CD is more transparent than the LP - not sure that is the right way to describe it, but you can see through the music more if you know what I mean. Not a big difference, subtle.

The CD layer of the SA-CD sounds more expansive to me than (2). The intro to track 4 is a good example in my view. On Track 7 (The Man's Too Strong) the guitar is recorded dryer and sounds more articulate than on (2). And the main instrumental theme of the song is spread wider between my speakers. On its own the remaster is a nice sounding CD. The SA-CD improves upon it though. And my judgement about the orginal RBCD - recorded at a much lower level btw - still stands. It's left in the dust.

Jw

PS: I am gaining more experience with this disc, listening to it on higher resolution systems than my own, and it must be said that the PCM origins form this recording are clearly distinguishable. IT's the best BIA I have ever heard, so SA-CD has done its job, but compare it to modern DSD recordings and you'll find that BIA cant match the extension and musicality of those discs. It's all relative.

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Review by FivePointOne June 5, 2005 (3 of 6 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:  
An early all digital rock album, it's got a lot of really good songs that open up nicely on this 5.1 multichannel release, which makes the disc essential. The sound may not be as good as The Who's "Tommy" or Steely Dan's "Gaucho" or Beck's "Sea Changes" or Roxy Music's "Avalon" or...(you get the picture), but that's just the way it's going to be with the source tapes.

So why is everyone up in arms about this release? It is, finally, one of those rare rock and roll SACDs that most people liked "back in the day" and really would like to hear in the hi-rez format. I know, strange concept. Don't come into this expecting organs that sound like they are in the same room with you, or guitars tastefully positioned and so clear you can hear the pick striking the string. Nah. Not this one. But you know, it sounds really nice regardless. A whole lot better than the regular CD version. There's much more space between the instruments, and the guitar and vocals sound much smoother. And that, really, is the focal point of this CD--Mark Knopfler's wonderful songs, sung by him while he plays his guitar.

Until the record company sees fit to release "Dire Straits" and "Making Movies" this is all we'll have whether this would be our initial preference from the group or not--much like the situation with Steely Dan, Pink Floyd, etc. But you know what? This one is out on SA-CD now and it has never sounded better, so that ought to be worth something.

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Review by racerguy June 6, 2005 (6 of 6 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:  
I'm not sure where FivePointOne got the idea that BIA was the first all-digital rock album (and I see that he has edited that statement out of his review). That honor is held by Ry Cooder's "Bop Til You Drop" album that was released 6 years earlier, and there were a whole bunch of all-digital rock/pop albums released in between the Cooder album and BIA.

But anyway - BIA was a landmark rock release in 1985, catching the rise of both the Compact Disc and MTV, and catapulting Dire Straits to stardom, a position from which the band never recovered.

In a sea of obscure SACD releases, there are a few well-known standouts, and this is one of them. This means that expectations for this release ran extremely high, probably higher than could be realistically achieved from an early '80s digital source. This seems to be true for most rock/pop releases.

Nevertheless, there are some benefits from the transfer to SACD. All the hallmarks of SACD are represented here - less "edginess," more depth to the soundstage, better separation of instruments, etc. SACD isn't going to fix the heavily-processed sound of electronic instruments that was the norm for pop/rock in the 1980s, but it does make this album much more listenable. Upon first listen I found myself sitting through the whole album, with absolutely no desire to skip songs, not even the played-to-death songs.

I compared the SACD to my original 1980s CD, and to the XRCD. The SACD is a keeper. The CD is going to the donation bins, and the XRCD is going up for sale. In short, this is a good SACD, and makes this old chestnut enjoyable all over again.

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Review by StyleAndEntertainmen June 8, 2005 (4 of 4 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:    
An intelligently mixed release this disc sounds great in mc and stereo in either redbook or SACD. The sound envelops (even in stero :) and I am playing it a lot at volume without fatigue - physical or mental. The money song, "Money for Nothing," still grooves as well as it ever did but now you will hear every nuance clearly. The stun guitar startles on "The Man's To Strong." Does it sound better than this disc or that LP? Don't know, but I do know it sounds damn good: good enough to be called hi-rez in anyone's book. Personally, I don't see the comparisons to DSOTM as this is much more of a conservative rendering musically and mix-wise. May I suggest you don't get caught up in such nonsense. If you like Dire Straights, go buy this album (is there anything better than eBay and PayPal for fast international transacitons?). It will be worth it if you enjoy it only half much as I do. Highly recommended.

StyleAndEntertainment

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Review by listenup August 9, 2005 (4 of 8 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:    
Overall, a pleasurable experience! I waited with heightened anticipation to review this SACD, it was one of my favorite CD's. Knowing this music so well, it's very easy to hear sonic differences in the different formats. I have gotten beyond the "wow" factor of multi-channel recordings and will comment on the engineering/musicality of this SACD.

The whole CD sounds great. However, the shining stars of this disc are the SACD 2-channel(stereo) and CD Layer(stereo). I compared the SACD to the original 1985 RBCD recording (I believe this creates a more objective review than judging re-mastered releases. This was the first experience you had other than those that like or "swear by" vinyl)! The SACD CD Layer is a noticeable improvement from the original CD and the SACD 2-channel sounds better than the SACD CD Layer. Truly, a win-win situation!

I apologize, in advance, for what some may consider to be a rant: Multi-channel is my number one reason for purchasing SACDs', followed very closely by the enhanced sound quality. The promise delivered is Pink Floyd's-DSOTM! Engineers/Artists have lots of options when creating multi-channel music where none existed. When creating a MC-SACD, the enhanced quality is usually a given, unless the source is inferior. The challenge is how and where to place musical parts; in the rear (surround), panning left and right, adding effects, etc... I understand that this is a matter of taste for the listener, too. My preference is to hear creative use of this new space (Maybe, this comes from looking and listening to too many 5.1 DVDs')! :) If, in stereo, an instrument was exclusively in the right channel, it doesn't have to stay there! You can't use the "artistic integrity" routine because, the nature of re-mastering usually results in a new artistic interpretation, anyway! Rant over!

The multi-channel portion of this SACD was only a slight dissapointment. While I don't consider myself to be an audiophile, I do think I know music pretty well. I love this CD and the following are more observations than criticisms. Listen and see if you agree (Multi-channel only):

(1.) So Far Away: Neutral opinion, decent even mix, most skippable

(2.) Money For Nothing: Slightly Left Channel heavy, faint "I Want My MTV" near end of song :(

(3.) Walk of Life: Fun, sonically busy, skippable

(4.) Your Latest Trick: Most sonically pleasing, slightly Right Channel heavy, good rear channel use

(5.) Why Worry: Best mix, 2nd most skippable, excellent instrument spacing

(6.) Ride Across The River: Slightly Left Channel heavy, Horns too faint in rear, begs for surround effects

(7.) The Man's Too Strong: Neutral opinion

(8.) One World: Good use of rears, Bass guitar tamed in comparison to other format versions

(9.) Brothers In Arms: Slightly Left Front/Right Rear heavy, haunting solo, like David Gilmour in "Another Brick In The Wall, Pt. 2" :)

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Review by PureAudio August 22, 2005 (4 of 6 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:  
When I got this one by mail I could not wait a minute longer so I dropped everything I was doing and rushed into the livingroom. After turning on the system and tossing in the disc I installed myself in the sweetspot.
From that moment on the music just caught me and took me on a journey when I was 16 years old.
I have not heard most of the songs ever since but it all came back. This is great!
These musicians did a superb job in those days and made the music to be a perfect fit. Very complete.
The new SACD-MC mix is exactly what this music deserves. I'm really impressed by what the engineers did and also by my homesystem. It really comes to life!

PRO: Mix, Music leaves speakers and can be 'touched', Very clear.
CON: -

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Review by Truestorys December 3, 2005 (1 of 2 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:    
This is a GREAT SA-CD.

I don't think I can add anything to the Previous comments...except...BUY this CD.

I bought it for the track "Money for Nothing" but fell in love with ALL the rest of the songs.

The recording is so Clear, you can hear the vocalist's strachey throat as he makes his best effort to sing.

AND the Gutiar sounds are.... awesome.

The 5.1 Mix is so sweet. I sit in my lazy boy, drink some Bombay Blue Gin and let the Music swirl around me.

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Review by W_Michael December 4, 2005 (1 of 4 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:    
This is easily the best sounding recording I've ever heard. I've loved Brothers in Arms ever since I first heard it years ago, and I'm sure it's the best rock album.

I can't find anything wrong with it. If you're a Straits fan then make sure you get it because they're not being made anymore.

DS.

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Review by tentimestwenty December 10, 2005 (4 of 9 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:    
I was rather disappointed with this reissue. Yes, the bass drum is louder and lower and the effects pan around wildly in surround but overall I found the whole thing to be completely disjointed and distracting. It was like listening to a technicolor rendition of the 1812 overture. I found the original to be well balanced and had plenty of energy. This version just takes it way too far. Unlike other great SACD reissues such as the Bob Dylan and Rolling Stones catalog, the engineers went past retrieving the maximum information on the master tape into making this an entirely different experience. I'll stick with my LP or original CD.

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Review by boguspomp December 10, 2005 (12 of 26 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:  
I'm reading the reviews here for a while and mostly they really helped me a lot to decide whether to buy or not to buy a certain SA-CD.

As almost everybody on this forum praised this SA-CD I went along and got it for the higher inport prize it costs here in the US.

The sound is certainly much better than the RBCD was but the M-ch mix is just not what I had expected after all these 5 star reviews.

And how can some of the reviews refer to this SA-CD as "the best sounding CD ever " ? Mind you that it was recorded in pure 1985 44.1 kHz 16 bit and you can hear that. The sound is sharp, sterile and no comparison to some 1980's analog recordings that were remixed for SA-CD/DVD-A ( Steely Dan comes into mind)

Songs like "Money for nothing" are so outdated that after listening to this version twice I will trade it in and hopefully get something more staisfactory than this over-sterile canned music.
2 stars for the music and 3 for the sound ( to give 5 stars to a 44.1 kHz/16 bit recording makes this forum obsolete, don't you think ?)

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Review by gtj1 December 18, 2005 (1 of 6 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:  
I have around 75 hi-rez multi-channel discs, and Brothers In Arms is one of the most amazing sounding discs I own. Chuck Ainley did an incredible job mixing it. I actually prefer several songs I hadn't heard on the radio... for instance, YOUR LATEST TRICK (perhaps it was on the radio and I missed it) has jaw-dropping fidelity. The instruments / musicians are simply in the room with you on essentially every song. There are only a couple of songs on the album that I skip on past (tracks 7 and 8, I can't even remember the names of them).

Simply put, this is how multi-channel should be done! Kudos Chuck Ainley!

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Review by ynot April 22, 2006 (1 of 13 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:  
I am 2 channel only.
I have 15 SACD in my collection to date.
I have not tried to analise why, but this recording ia THE BEST i have!

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Review by sacd1 April 30, 2006 (1 of 16 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:    
good SACD..........

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Review by Tom April 20, 2007 (3 of 4 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:    
I've always liked this album and have the RBCD which I've always thought as one of my best recorded CDs.

I am amazed by the SACD version. The drums sound real. They have impact and definition. The trebble is almost as good--just not perfect. It lacks a little definition and extension. I appreciate the defintion of some guitar chords and realistic, crisp sounds, e.g. sound of drum sticks hiting a solid object, that occurs at times. The vocals are very good.

There's a couple cuts that seem to lack definition, e.g. Walk of Life.

I generally like the surround sound. It's noticable and makes a difference, but not a large difference. At times instruments come from the back speakers, which I like in some cuts, e.g. Ride Across the River, but I'll need to get used to in others.

When playing very loud, there is a slightly audible low level noise. It's probably tape noise that they tried to supress. Don't notice it at normal and slightly above normal listening levels.

I highly recommend this SACD, and kick myself for not buying it earlier.

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Review by Cornan September 8, 2007 (4 of 6 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:  
Hmmmmm. I finally gave in to buying this SACD after seeing it consistently at the top of the "best sellers" lists for SACDs. I didn't have any prior knowledge of this album.

The sound is in fact quite good, and it sounds good in the car, but the emotional tone of the album is so downbeat that I didn't really enjoy the music.

This SACD is still a great choice for fans of the music, but if you're like me and new to the music, check out the tunes first.

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Review by lutefisk69 November 16, 2007 (2 of 4 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:    
WOW. I bought this on cassette tape way back when it came out. I thought it was great then, little did I know that that tape was just the begining of my Knofler journey. This SACD was good right up until the Why Worry Track. with why worry this album really takes off. The sound comes from all around and the feelings that come out of the album are really put out by the mix.

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Review by musicavenger July 14, 2009 (2 of 5 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:    
Another Rock music Masterpiece deserves to be edited on SACD. Good quality music, sound & mix.

Highly recommended

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Review by 3altoids October 14, 2009 (2 of 10 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:  
move ah move ah

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Review by hearit February 27, 2010 (4 of 10 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:  
I recently bougth my first SACD`s and because of the first very impressive sounds I decided to buy some albums I own already as a CD.
This is one of those.
The sound is clearly improved to the older CD but I do not know if it`s the remastering or the SACD.
I think this is due to the remastering, because that`s what I saw on other CD`s.
So far it´s nice music and a relatively to todays mainstream pop albums good sound but:

It is clearly the worst sounding SACD I own. The sound seems very compressed and loud and harsh.
Crystal clear is nice, but in this case it means "digital sounding".
I think problem is that they recorded it to have the "stylish" DDD on the CD, to follow the "digital is best" fashion of that age.
Nowadays the equipment for that is very good, but in the 80`s it was not as good as 20 years older analog equipment.
So most recordings from the late 60`s are sound better on SACD.

Together wih this I bougth the Hugh Masekela SACD "Hope" and played it on the same afternoon. Wow, what a difference. Pure dynamics and natural an live feeling on one side and digital compressed sound on the other. I had to turn the volume knob to 30%! less on the Dire Straits because it`s so loud and compressed! ... Still nerving after 5min of listening at that volume.
I own not the extremest HighEnd equipment but really fine sounding and capable of reproduce extreme dynamics.
These dynamics are not on that SACD. What a pity for that very good music!

My recommendation: Buy the CD instead of the SACD and save the Money for something that is worth.

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Review by Oakland March 25, 2010 (6 of 7 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:    
Damn! I just noticed that this is the 23rd review of this disc, a disc that I had not even heard of a few short weeks ago! I estimate that 80% of my listening is to classical music with most other being straight up jazz. Certainly only a smidgen of my listening is to rock. (This will stick out like a sore thumb long before you finish my comments). But I must also add that while I listen primarily listen to classical music, that is not what defines my musical tastes. I still own and listen to many of the hundreds of R&B recordings purchased during my youth. And I have attended live concerts of many genre, including rock.

For those of you (us) that may have misplaced stereotypes about "rock", you would do well to introduce yourself to Dire Straits SACD "Brother In Arms". This is “rock” to be sure, but it’s not raucous rock. It is rock and sane and seemingly draws from some influences that extend beyond the genre. I am still learning about this disc so I will give largely general comments.

The sound quality is very good and may be excellent, although not "demonstration quality". This is not a bunch of over modulated noise that I sometimes read about (most often from rock devotees) in some rock releases. The crispness and dynamics are apparent throughout. And the musicianship is truly first rate. The guitar work is superb by any measure, any genre. The drum work, too, is of very high quality and the recording quality of the drum kit is quite good (especially for a non-jazz recording). As it turns out, one of my favorite jazz drummers, Omar Hakim (see my comments at for “The great Jazz Trio: July 6” /showreviews/4969#5318) actually replaced the permanent band drummer, Terry Williams for all but a small bit of this entire recording. The vocals are actually pretty inventive and always of high quality.

Some highlights include (in no particular order): 1) Michael Brecker’s sax “crooning” in “Your Latest Trick”, although a bit “Kenny Geeish”, is completely trans genre in that almost all music lovers can appreciate the musicianship, 2) Hakim “kicks” throughout, but I especially like his work on ‘Why Worry”., 3) The fabulous and powerful guitar work in the “The Man’s Too Strong”, 4) The vocal harmony and impressively sonorous voices throughout with Knopfler leading the way, 5) a sort of “foreign exotica” heard in “Ride Across the River” 6) At sufficient volume (louder than I typically listen) the powerful and rhythmic chest thumps on several cuts.

With respect to recording quality, the spatial left-to-right qualities of this recording are outstanding. And I’m talking about the two-channel content. There were a couple of times that I actually paid a visit to my rear speakers to make sure that they were silent, so convincing is the stereo. It was when, that you actually make the switch for an on-the-fly two-channel/multi-channel comparison that you appreciate the differences. So two-channel listeners who may be desirous of a multi-channel audition should consider themselves very lucky with this two-channel rendition and should not fret (too much).

But at the same time I found the multi-channel mix to be a technical triumph. First, lets be clear that the multi-channel mix is not some third hand product of engineers taking uncontrolled license. On the contrary, Mark Knopfler, himself, led the production team of this multi-channel mix. And it is clear that he was able to more effectively implement the effects or spatial feel that, while actually quite good in the two-channel was nevertheless limited and could only be taken to a creatively artistic level with multi-channel. So, I believe that those listeners who have only heard the two-channel version can (will) find the multi-channel revelatory and additive.

I must point out that the second track “”Money for Nothing” contains some lyrics that no matter how you slice them are nothing short of homophobic. And they seem to jump out in a non-sequitur manner out of the blue. They add *nothing* and begs the question “what’s the point?” I have read of some speculation of the point Knopfler was trying to make but these speculations were vague and theoretically unconvincing at best.

One last comment on recording quality, while excellent overall, especially sound stage width, there is very limited “depth”, back to front presentation, to the sound stage. There is not much information behind the speakers that can be indicative that in addition to multi-microphone placement, musicians were recorded at different times (as opposed to the band and support musicians as a group being recorded in real time). For example, Omar Hakim performed his drum work over just two days in the studio while the album took weeks to produce. This limitation in depth actually gives added significance to the multi-channel mix.

This is a “5.1” mix that plays perfectly on my “5.0” system. I mention this only because it has been mentioned that there may be some disconnect in the bass where the “5.1” would direct the low bass to a subwoofer that would be non-existent in a 5.0 system. Rock SACD multi-channel recordings have been cited as more likely to exhibit these issues and may not play “as intended" in a “5.0” system. Well, with this recording (as with every other “5.1” recording in my collection) plays perfectly. True, the two channel mix is a smidgen (and I do mean smidgen) more “punchier”, but with the exception of the first track, “So Far Away”, there are no low bass anomalies when switching between the two-channel and multi-channel content. On this track the upper bass is a bit more tightly focused (thus superior), on the two-channel content.

Note that there are two SACDs of this recording, the “20th Anniversary Edition” and “Ltd Edition Digipak”. I have the former.


Robert C. Lang

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Review by Discspinner December 5, 2010 (0 of 3 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:  
Having lived in the 80s I am a little ashamed at myself for not buying this when it first came out. Better late than never I suppose as this sacd is superb. I don't have a 5.1 setup, but I can tell you that the stereo version has plenty of dimensionality to it. Interestingly, knopfler is somewhat restrained, but the performances are all top notch and the guitars in places are layered beautifully. lots of hits on this, but every song is good. I wish every reissue received the care in production that this one has received.

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Review by Renegade December 14, 2010 (0 of 4 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:  
Excellent CD. My favourites Money for Nothing and Brothers in Arms are reason enough to buy this CD. After listening over and over again it still sounds great!

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Review by jrsanfilippo September 29, 2011 (1 of 2 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:    
The first song So Far Away does not sound quite right ... but after that it is unbelievable. The balance in the mixing sounds fantastic. I would claim that "Your Latest Trick" is the perfect Surround Sound Song. I highly recommend this album. I still do not quite understand how SACD did not take-off with the general public with albums like this ... I believe the format still has a long life.

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Review by progboy September 30, 2011 (0 of 2 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:  
I actually picked this album up on XRCD and I have it as well on SACD.....

I actually for some reason prefer the XRCD version.......this it sounds a bit warmer and richer.....

but the SACD is good too......

anyone else agree with me on this one ?

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Review by tdunster December 1, 2012 (0 of 2 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:  
This is one of the first SACD's I owned and is probably the disc that got me hooked on SACD. Seven of so years later I can still say this a good recording - but it is not a great one.
Firstly, it's rather bright / digial sounding, and it is also a rather loud / compressed recording.

It never sounds shrill, nor does it lack dynamics - However, it doesn't have that wonderful analog quality of more recent DSD recordings that I have come accustomed to.

Think of a really good sounding CD thats slightly loud and you have this one in a nutshell.

Considering the low price and it's wide availability its easy to recommend this one.

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Review by pvcmusiclover January 16, 2013 (2 of 6 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:  
As verified on a spectrogram, this is indeed an up conversion of the original 44.1/16 PCM. Everything has that early digital PCM "edge" and lack of air to it. This version is also fairly brickwalled. If you want the full dynamic range, etc just go with an original 1985 CD. The SACD is a downgrade.

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Review by KoOkaburra February 4, 2013 (0 of 4 found this review helpful)
Can anybody explain to me what's a RBCD?? (1985 RBCD)

Thank you.

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Review by FullRangeMan February 5, 2013 (1 of 3 found this review helpful)
The 1980 Red Book CD is the first version of the CD working tech parameters book carved in stone by Sony/Philips, and named Red Book why it had a red cover apparently:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Book_%28CD_standard%29

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Review by Techno-Crit January 21, 2014 (4 of 5 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:  
After owning this album in all its past versions, I really thought I had gone way past buying it again.
SURPRISE...I become the proud father of a 67lb. SA-CD player . And of course after getting one of these music makers you have to have something to feed it. And while walking down the aisle looking at all the different choices in chow for the growing SA-CD player I discovered not 1 but 2 different versions of BIA. The less expensive anniversary version and the MFSL extortionary exercise.
Being the cheap charlie I am I purchased for the 4th time Dire straits Bros in Arms.
Ok I am smiling while I type this ...I am so pleased with this version of Brothers in Arms that I am not even tempted to pay Mobile Fidelity's blood money for their copy. I mean....how much better could it possibly be ? I don't speak to the sound around version but the stero rendition is almost like listening to a completely new performance . I am going to wear this bad boy out !

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Review by audiogirl April 8, 2014 (8 of 21 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:  
This original SACD is arguably the worst digital version of this album. Squashed dynamics and pointless digital tweaks. Get the original CD or the Mobile Fidelity SACD.

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