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2 min read

SACD

Journey – Greatest Hits (1988/2001) [SACD / Columbia – CS 44493]

adminMarch 31, 2026 12 Views

Title: Journey – Greatest Hits (1988/2001)
Genre: Rock
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Journey’s Greatest Hits contains 16 track including the hits, “Don t Stop Believin’” and “Lights”. The Late ’70s saw Journey become one of the most successful recording and touring acts in the U.S. Evolution and Departure were instant classics,each going instantly Platinum and yielding hits like “Lovin’, Touchin’,Squeezin” and “Any Way You Want it”. The group also recorded it s classic Escape, which has sold over 9 million copies. The ’80s were dominated by Journey albums Frontiers, Raised On Radio, and today Greatest Hits is constantly in the top of catalog album charts.

Greatest Hits is an excellent, thorough 14-track collection containing all of Journey’s big hits, from 1978’s “Wheel in the Sky” to 1986’s “I’ll Be Alright Without You.” Although the songs aren’t presented in chronological order and a handful of minor hits (“Suzanne,” “Walks Like a Lady”) aren’t included, it doesn’t matter, since every essential Journey single — “Only the Young,” “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Any Way You Want It,” “Separate Ways,” “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin’,” “Open Arms,” “Send Her My Love” — is here, which means that it’s all most casual fans will ever need.

2 min read

SACD

Journey – Escape (1981) [Reissue 1999] [SACD / Columbia – CS 67722]

adminMarch 31, 2026 11 Views

Title: Journey – Escape (1981) [Reissue 1999]
Genre: Rock
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

They hit #1 with this 1981 smash, one of the definitive ’80s rock albums. This plays like a greatest-hits collection, with Who’s Crying Now; Don’t Stop Believin’; Open Arms, and Still They Ride. Escape was a groundbreaking album for San Francisco’s Journey, charting three singles inside Billboard’s Top Ten, with “Don’t Stop Believing” reaching number nine, “Who’s Crying Now” number four, and “Open Arms” peaking at number two and holding there for six weeks. Escape flung Journey steadfastly into the AOR arena, combining Neal Schon’s grand yet palatable guitar playing with Jonathan Cain’s blatant keyboards. All this was topped off by the passionate, wide-ranged vocals of Steve Perry, who is the true lifeblood of this album, and this band. The songs on Escape are more rock-flavored, with more hooks and a harder cadence compared to their former sound. “Who’s Crying Now” spotlights the sweeping fervor of Perry’s voice, whose theme about the ups and downs of a relationship was plentiful in Journey’s repertoire. With “Don’t Stop Believing,” the whisper of Perry’s ardor is crept up to with Schon’s searing electric guitar work, making for a perfect rock song. One of rock’s most beautiful ballads, “Open Arms,” gleams with an honesty and feel only Steve Perry could muster. Outside of the singles, there is a certain electricity that circulates through the rest of the album. The songs are timeless, and as a whole, they have a way of rekindling the innocence of youthful romance and the rebelliousness of growing up, built from heartfelt songwriting and sturdy musicianship.

2 min read

SACD

Joseph Kelemen – Heinrich Scheidemann: Organ Works (2011) [SACD / Oehms Classics – OC 682]

adminMarch 31, 2026 12 Views

Title: Joseph Kelemen – Heinrich Scheidemann: Organ Works (2011)
Genre: Classical
Format: SACD ISO

1 min read

SACD

Joseph Calleja, Orchestra Sinfonica e Coro di Milano Giuseppe Verdi, Riccardo Chailly – Tenor Arias (2004) [SACD / Decca – 470 648-2]

adminMarch 31, 2026 9 Views

Title: Joseph Calleja, Orchestra Sinfonica e Coro di Milano Giuseppe Verdi, Riccardo Chailly – Tenor Arias (2004)
Genre: Classical
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Review by Allen Schrott On this introductory recording, the young maltese tenor Joseph Calleja displays the elegant, self-possessed singing that has made him a hot prospect on European stages. With the likes of conductor Riccardo Chailly weighing in behind him, Calleja is clearly on the fast track to success. That kind of backing doesn’t come easily for a young singer. But Calleja clearly has some growing to do, and this recording is best viewed as a glimpse of an emerging talent. The main strength of Calleja’s voice is its youthful quality. It’s a lively sound that never lapses into the labored muscling that you often hear from operatic tenors in pursuit of loudness above all else. That will never be in the cards for Calleja, who has one of the lightest tenor voices to come along in a long time. As a result, he explores a much softer range of dynamics than listeners might be accustomed to in this music, often with charming results. He never seems to go for more than is available to him, which is a refreshing quality. But he also often lapses into nasality on certain vowels, disrupting the easy flow of his sound. His musical inexperience shows in the shaping of many phrases, some of which seem clipped, rushed, or inadequately motivated. The most appealing tracks are his “Questa o quella” from Verdi’s Rigoletto, which is by far the most stylish offering on the album, and, somewhat surprisingly, his “Tombe degli avi miei…Fra poco a me ricovero” from Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor. The “only try this on recordings” awards go to “Addio fiorito asil” from Puccini’s Madama Butterfly and “Lamento di Federico” from Cilea’s L’arlesiana, both of which are too heavy for Calleja. Chailly and the Giuseppe Verdi Orchestra Milan are outstanding throughout — no singer could ask for better. ~allmusicguide

2 min read

SACD

BBC Symphony Orchestra, Jiri Belohlavek – Josef Suk: Prague – A Summer’s Tale (2012) [SACD / Chandos – CHSA 5109]

adminMarch 31, 2026 17 Views

Title: BBC Symphony Orchestra, Jiri Belohlavek – Josef Suk: Prague – A Summer’s Tale (2012)
Genre: Classical
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

In my review of the excellent Chandos disc of Josef Suk’s orchestral music Suk: Ripening, Symphony in E major – Belohlavek in September 2010 I expressed the hope that there would be a follow-up disc – well here it is. Once again the performers are the BBC Symphony Orchestra under Jiri Belohlavek – now at the end of his tenure as the orchestra’s chief conductor – and like the earlier release this new one has been recorded in the spacious acoustic of Watford Colosseum in January this year by the capable team of Brian Pidgeon (producer) and Ralph Couzens (sound engineer).

The longer of the two works on this SACD is the symphonic poem ‘A Summer’s Tale’ (1907-1909). It succeeded the powerful ‘Asrael’ Symphony, a work that encapsulated the composer’s outpouring of grief following the tragic deaths of Dvorak (his father-in-law) and his wife Otilka within three months of each other. In this five-movement work the composer turns to nature for consolation and hope, though echoes of the ‘death motive’ from the ‘Asrael Symphony’ appear both in the opening movement ‘Voices of Light and Consolation’ and the phantasmagorical scherzo ‘In the Power of Phantoms’. On disc a work such as this, scored for a large late-romantic orchestra that here includes triple woodwind, six horns, three trumpets and percussion and organ part, demands the exceptional sound quality that SACD can deliver. Thanks to Belohlavek’s careful balancing of the orchestra and the excellent Chandos recording the full impact of the huge climaxes is never diminished. However, Suk also uses his forces with delicate subtlety in, for example, the work’s third movement ‘Intermezzo: Blind Musicians.’ The scoring here is for just two harps, two cors anglais, solo violin solo viola and strings and in Belohlavek’s hands the music achieves a magical transparency and haunting atmosphere in the ample Watford venue. The symphonic poem ‘Prague’ depicts the city through its history in both peaceful and troubled times using two main themes. The emphatic first theme is based on the melody of the Hussite chorale ‘Ye warriors of God’ while the beautiful second is taken from the incidental music that Suk wrote for Zeyer’s play ‘Radúz and Mahulena’. ‘Prague’ has had a number of fine recordings including two by Libor Pešek. The first from 1982 was with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra (23’23”) and the second, ten years later, with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic (25’22”). The earlier performance is thrillingly impetuous, the latter much less so, though it has richer sound and an undeniable grandeur. This new Belohlavek version (24’52”) gives us the best of both worlds by combining nobility of utterance and a passionate advocacy of this stirring music in glorious 5.0 multi-channel sound. The committed playing of the BBC Symphony Orchestra in both works exemplifies their respect both for Belohlavek as arguably the finest interpreter of Czech music alive today and their enthusiasm for the composer’s regrettably still neglected output. This SACD is a mandatory purchase for lovers of Suk’s opulent scores and audiophiles alike. Copyright © 2012 Graham Williams and SA-CD.net

3 min read

SACD

Jose Feliciano – Super Audio Best (2014) [SACD / Top Music International Ltd. – TMSACD7021.2]

adminMarch 31, 2026 13 Views

Title: Jose Feliciano – Super Audio Best (2014)
Genre: Folk, Jazz, Latin, Pop, Soft Rock, Vocal
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

FELICIANO: A Name That is Synonymous with music. It is synonymous with an international presence that has influenced popular music for more than two generations. It is synonymous with a presence that has bridged musical styles in a way that has never been equaled. Jose Feliciano is recognized as the first Latin Artist to cross over into the English music market, opening the doors for other artists who now play an important role in the American music industry. As importantly, Feliciano has been acclaimed by critics around the world as “The greatest living guitarist”. Referred to as “The Picasso of his Realm,” Jose Feliciano’s accomplishments are highly celebrated. He’s been awarded over forty-five Gold and Platinum records; he has won nineteen Grammy nominations, earning nine Grammy Awards, including the “LARAS Award for Lifetime Achievement. Being constantly in demand, Jose has performed for and with some of the most important people on Earth. He’s enjoyed playing with many of the top symphonic orchestras including the London Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Vienna Symphony Orchestra. He’s appeared on major television shows worldwide; he has done a number of his own specials and his music has been featured on television, in films and on the stage.

2 min read

SACD

Jory Vinikour – Bach: Goldberg Variations (2001) [SACD / Delos – DS 3279]

adminMarch 31, 2026 13 Views

Title: Jory Vinikour – Bach: Goldberg Variations (2001)
Genre: Classical
Format: MCH SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

With a plethora of available recordings of J.S. Bach’s Goldberg Variations, some of near legendary status, one approaches yet another addition to the discography of this masterwork with trepidation. In few other instances does the weight of a recorded legacy make the challenge of offering a fresh, individual voice (and of overcoming the danger of being deemed inconsequential) so daunting. All the more reason then to admire Jory Vinikour’s magisterial new account, which convincingly dispels the listener’s fears that this is ‘just another’ version. By turns ruminative, lyrical, brilliant, and regal, this release warrants the following recommendation: even if you already own several outstanding recordings of the Goldberg Variations, do not fail to check out this one.
Jory Vinikour’s unique and non-abridged recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations. Vinikour and Delos’ beautiful new recording of this timeless classic features a performance of supreme elegance and an instrument built in 1998 by Kevin Fryer (inspired by the 1624 Ioannes Ruckers Colmar harpsichord) of unusual beauty and tone. The Goldberg Variations appeal on every possible level, transporting the listener to the incredible heights made possible by Bach’s masterful ingenuity. We offer this exciting complete recording on two discs for the price of one. Versatile harpsichordist Jory Vinikour has developed a strong reputation as a recitalist and concerto soloist and is increasingly known as an accompanist. Appearing Internationally in these capacities, Vinikour has performed with conductors including William Christie, Mark Minkowski, and Rene Jacobs. Recent performances have brought him to many of the world’s famous festivals and concert halls. A First Prize winner at the International Harpsichord Competition of Warsaw, and at the Prague Spring Festival, Vinikour has devoted himself almost exclusively to the harpsichord and its repertoire after early piano training.

2 min read

SACD

Jordi Savall, Hesperion XX – Dowland: Lachrimae Or Seaven Teare (1988) [Reissue 2013] [SACD / Alia Vox Heritage – AVSA9901]

adminMarch 31, 2026 14 Views

Title: Jordi Savall, Hesperion XX – Dowland: Lachrimae Or Seaven Teare (1988) [Reissue 2013]
Genre: Classical
Format: MCH SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

Published in 1604, Dowland’s Lachrimae was composed for an ensemble of five viols and a lute. The collection contains seven Pavans based on the air Flow My Tears (which explains the work’s subtitle, Seaven Teares Figured in Seaven Passionate Pavans). These variations are alternated with Galiards and Almands for contrast. Jordi Savall’s 1987 recording with Hesperion XX is still a cornerstone of any Dowland discography. This critically acclaimed album is now available for the first time in a vivid multichannel remastering.

Although there has never been a lack of composers willing to plumb the depths of despair, among the composers found deepest in the depths is the always doleful John Dowland. But while so many of his songs seem to have the last word in desolation, his deepest, darkest, and most desolate music is no doubt his collection called Lachrimae or Seaven Teares figured in Seaven Passionate Pauans…set forth for the Lute, Viols, or Violons…. Taking the Lachrimae Antuquae as his theme, Dowland alternates between the gloom of variations on the Lachrimae and the doom of the transcriptions of the galiards, pagans, and almands as he traces his way to death. Although there has never been a lack of performers willing to plumb the depths of Dowland’s despair, among the performers deepest in the depths is Jordi Savall. With his history of exploring the despair of composers from Sainte-Colombe to Bach, Savall and his fellow members of Hesperion XX, the crackerjack violists of Spain who have found new depths of meaning for the word doleful. In this magnificently melancholy recording from 1988, Savall and Hesperion XX perform with a concentration and an intensity that burn Dowland’s despair deep into the hearts and souls of listeners, making overwhelming music of Dowland’s melancholy art.

2 min read

SACD

Jordi Savall – François Couperin: Pièces de Viole, 1728 (1976) [Reissue 2012] [SACD / Alia Vox – AVSA9893]

adminMarch 31, 2026 12 Views

Title: Jordi Savall – François Couperin: Pièces de Viole, 1728 (1976) [Reissue 2012]
Genre: Classical
Format: MCH SACD ISO + DSF DSD64 + Hi-Res FLAC

Possibly written as a homage to Marin Marais, the great master of the basse de viol who had recently passed away at the age of seventy-two, François Couperin’s Pièces de Violes, published in 1728, are today considered as one of the finest masterpieces of baroque chamber music and one of the absolute pinnacles of the viola da gamba repertoire, comparable in rank to J.S. Bach’s 3 Sonatas for Viola da Gamba and Harpsichord.

This is reissue of a 1975 recording on the Astrée label. Jordi Savall’s interpretations of the two suites, which comprise Couperin’s Pièces de Viole, are free, spontaneous and sensible to the elusive nuances of what Couperin called ‘le bon goût’. Using a seven-string instrument, he plays the two elegiac preludes in supple, improvisatory vein, controls the pacing of the hypnotic ‘Passacaille ou Chaconne’ of Suite no. 1 with structural insight, realises the sombre ‘Pompe funèbre’ of no. 2 with conviction and adds an endearing vivacity and elegance to ‘La Chemise blanche’. Some of the first suite’s dances lose their vital characteristics – notably the gavotte and the somewhat laboured gigue – such is the ease and freedom with which Savall dispatches them, but his account of the ‘Sarabande grave’ has all the requisite poetry and melancholy. Ton Koopman and Ariane Maurette provide discreet continuo accompaniments.