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Review by peteyspambucket November 17, 2004 (12 of 12 found this review helpful)
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Performance: Sonics: |
YOUR SONG - Elton's voice is so lovely back in his 2nd album. It receives a gorgeous focus on the center channel. The guitars and harps are so clear that you can hear that they weren't perfectly in tune with each other. :-) The strings are in the rear channels and are very clear, and sound GREAT in the last note. Bass and percussion sound very lifelike.
I NEED YOU TO TURN TO - Harpsichord is isolated in the left channel, Elton in the center. The small string orchestra in mainly from the rear channels. The winding violin figures are clearer than ever.
TAKE ME TO THE PILOT - The bassline will vibrate your living room, and show you how progressive and soulful his writing always was. The various piano riffs move around in position. The guitar solo is clearer than ever.
NO SHOE STRINGS ON LOUISE - the funny background vocals are very clear, and you can finally hear that they are trying to "ham it up". Acoustic guitars are really clear, and come from the rear channels. The enhanced sound really captures the mood of the song much better than before.
FIRST EPISODE AT HIENTON - This song receives a great emotional boost from the clarity of the harp and guitar and the synthesizer being separated in the soundstage.
SIXTY YEARS ON - The harp solo is so clear! The string orchestra is very, very well isolated. The subtley of the instruments around the solo voice is the perfect balance.
BORDER SONG - HOLY MOSES, this sounds great. :-)
THE GREATEST DISCOVERY - The strings sound so gorgeous here, and it's recorded very close to the instruments. Elton's voice here highlights his great storytelling vocals. The bass drum is more prominent than before and changes the mood of the song a little. I wish the final calls from the brass were more prominent as they were in RBCD.
THE CAGE - Guitar solos and brass?? I didn't even notice them before! The synthesizer solo with rock your house.
THE KING MUST DIE - The percussion entrance is amazingly lifelike! The song builds to an exciting climax with layer upon layer of instrumentation adding up to make a stunning ending to the original content of this album.
The bonus tracks are great, and they have never ever sounded better. The original version of Grey Seal is SO different, and I have always liked this version better.
Like the others in this set of six Elton John SACDs that were released 11/9/04, the standard is very high. If you love the songs on this album, you must have this SACD.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.
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