Review by Audio Ed July 28, 2015 (4 of 5 found this review helpful)
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Performance: Sonics: |
Audio Fidelity has returned to the SACD format for a while now and I was very glad to see that So What from Joe Walsh was released. I have owned the Japanese SHM CD for a while now and that was my go to version until now. A friend of mine, Kevin, and I got together the other night to make the comparison together. It did not take long to find the merits of the SACD. We started with track 8, County Fair. The leading guitar riff sounded fine on the SHM CD as did the drums, yet when we switched over to the SACD, the decay of the guitar riff took on a much more natural sound as did the drums. The bass was crisp and clean, whereas on the SHM it was almost unheard. The vocals on the SACD sounded much clearer and where more forward. We proceeded to listen to most of the SACD and where very impressed with the nuances that we heard. This is not a disk to show your system off with but if you are a fan of Joe Walsh or his style of music, the investment in this disc should not disappoint. I will continue my purchases of Audio Fidelity SACDs even though some of them are not "great" such as Joe Cocker's With a Little Help...., which is fine but not stellar. Keep them coming AF.
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Review by Marpow August 1, 2015 (4 of 7 found this review helpful)
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Performance: Sonics: |
Joe Walsh: So What. Hybrid SACD. Stereo Only.
Quick Facts: Audio Fidelity 2015 release. My disc # 0525. This is considered his 2nd solo album released in 1973. I saw him once opening for CSNY, 1974, Day On The Green, Oakland.
Performance: Really good feel to the disc. Great performance, a little bit of party and a little bit of I would assume Joe's serious side. Joe Walsh has very desticnt vocals that are always easy to tell. Here you can see with his band mates that he is already hanging with some of what is to become his entry into the Eagles. The last song "Song For Emma" is a tributes to his daughter accidentally killed in a car accident the year before. Turn To Stone, the big hit of the disc was actually a song on his previous album that he decided to remake.
Stereo Sonics: Great warm, analogue sound. All parts blend very well. Sound stage is wide and deep. I listened at 72 decibels, 88.2Khz. Vocals nice and center, with lots of little nuances between songs, synths, strings, little bells, drums, cymbals, all resonate well. Never any shrill ear fatigue.
Packaging: Typical AF packaging, plastic jewel case, paper mini booklet with original liner notes, musicians on tracks etc. Small AF reissue notes, as usual. This packaging has a black jewel case spine and is the first AF stereo disc I have that has this. Guaranteed not a multichannel disc.
This release is not from an iconic album, nor from an iconic artist. It makes you wonder how these SACD releases come about, when there is so much that people would like to hear. All this said this is a flat out great reissue, with great songs, great music, and remixed absolutely great. I really love this disc and am glad I own it. County Fair is a great song. I believe this to be one of AF's stereo best release's.
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