| Review by Quint September 22, 2011 (4 of 5 found this review helpful)
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Performance: Sonics: |
For my money, “Black Rose” is the best album Thin Lizzy ever cut, surpassing notables like “Jailbreak,” “Bad Reputation,” and “Chinatown” in one of the deepest and richest catalogs in all of hard rock and heavy metal.
When Universal Japan announced they were releasing “Black Rose” as one of their single-layer SACDs, I about wet myself. As a monster Lizzy fan, I always longed for their albums on hi-rez. Most of the redbook remasters are decent enough, but they’re not SACD.
Well, what do I think now that I have it in hand? Let’s just say this: It doesn’t stagger the brain nor does it disappoint. Like every pressing of the album I have, on LP or CD, this SACD lacks bass. I have a feeling that’s just how the master tape is, though—if there’s no water in the well, it ain’t comin’ up no matter how hard you pump.
The good news is that there’s minimal compression—you can really stress the plaster with this one! And there’s a lot of detail; you can clearly hear the complex interplay between Gary Moore’s and Scott Gorham’s guitars, and every inflection and nuance in Phil Lynott’s voice comes through like a bell.
All in all, I think this SACD pressing comes close to doing full justice to the magnificence of “Black Rose.” It’s not perfect, but it’s good enough for me. I look forward to more Lizzy SACDs!
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