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SACD

Destiny’s Child – Survivor (2001) [SACD / Columbia – CS 61063]

adminOctober 20, 2025 248 Views

Title: Destiny’s Child – Survivor (2001)
Genre: R&B
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Survivor is the third studio album by American girl supergroup Destiny’s Child. n the US, the album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart on May 19, 2001 with first-week sales of 663,000 units and stayed at number one for two consecutive weeks. It earned Destiny’s Child three Grammy nominations for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, Best R&B Song, and Best R&B Album. Survivor was certified quadruple Platinum by the RIAA on January 7, 2002. Billboard magazine ranked Survivor at number 70 on the magazine’s Top 200 Albums of the Decade. The album has sold over 15 million copies worldwide.

Nobody would have predicted that Destiny’s Child would rule over the contemporary R&B scene in the beginning of the new millennium — not after “Bills, Bills, Bills” hit the top of the charts, not even after “Say My Name” became an anthem in 2000. But nobody challenged their position, so they reigned supreme in the early 2000s, eventually inheriting the title of the great girl group of their era. Since they had a couple of pretty good singles, namely the aforementioned pair, most conceded them that position, particularly since they seemed more talented than their peers, but Survivor, their first album as full-fledged superstars — also their first album since most of the group disappeared due to managerial conflicts — is as contrived and calculated as a Mariah Carey record, only without the joy. This is a determined, bullheaded record, intent on proving Destiny’s Child has artistic merit largely because the group survived internal strife. So, whatever pop kitsch references the title may have — and it’s hard not to see it as an attempt to tap into the American public’s insatiable love for CBS’ brilliant reality TV show of the same name — the title is certainly heartfelt, as the members of Destiny’s Child want to illustrate that they are indeed survivors. This doggedness may fit on occasion, as on “Independent Women, Pt. 1,” the theme to Charlie’s Angels, but it usually takes precedence over the music — such as on the title track, a flat-out terrible song and the worst the group has ever recorded. “Survivor” is painfully labored, stuttering over a halting melody that Beyoncé Knowles breathlessly pushes to absolutely nowhere, working it so hard that it’s difficult to listen. Unfortunately, that pattern repeats itself way too often on Survivor, as the group undercuts its seductive mainstream R&B with repellent pandering and naked ambition. This isn’t even the case where you can rely on the label and its cohorts to find the best tunes for the radio, since the moments where Destiny’s Child sound the best are when the group is not vying for airplay. When the group swings for the bleachers, Beyoncé oversells the song, rivaling Christina Aguilera in the diva sweepstakes. There are moments where the group makes it work, but this is a truly uneven record, bouncing between appealing mid-tempo soul numbers and hard-sell feminist anthems, where the ambition of Beyoncé and her cohorts is too naked. You can hear them work on “Nasty Girl,” as they appropriate the theme from Salt-N-Pepa’s “Push It,” then inexplicably borrowing “Tarzan Boy” for the chorus. You can hear them trying to take Andy Gibb’s “Emotion” slow, attempting to give it emotional resonance, yet such heartfelt overtures are toppled by the arrogant “Gospel Medley,” where their secular pyrotechnics sound mannered, not inspired. Each of these are intended to give Destiny’s Child a different level of depth — a pan-cultural, knowing appropriation of pop’s past, balanced by a chart-savvy cover of a pop classic, plus a showy display of prowess. Each of these steps are calculated, as is the album itself. It’s a record that tries to be a bold statement of purpose, but winds up feeling forced and artificial.

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4 min read

SACD

Derek & The Dominos – Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs (1970) [Reissue 2004] [SACD / Polydor – B0003640-36]

adminOctober 20, 2025 411 Views

Title: Derek & The Dominos – Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs (1970) [Reissue 2004]
Genre: Rock
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

The Layla album was successful in the U.S., where “Bell Bottom Blues” and the title song charted as singles in abbreviated versions, but it did not chart in the U.K. The Dominos reconvened to record a second album in May 1971, but split up without completing it. Clapton then retired from the music business, nursing a heroin addiction. Wishing to escape the superstar expectations that sank Blind Faith before it was launched, Eric Clapton retreated with several sidemen from Delaney & Bonnie to record the material that would form Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. From these meager beginnings grew his greatest album. Duane Allman joined the band shortly after recording began, and his spectacular slide guitar pushed Clapton to new heights. Then again, Clapton may have gotten there without him, considering the emotional turmoil he was in during the recording. He was in hopeless, unrequited love with Patti Boyd, the wife of his best friend, George Harrison, and that pain surges throughout Layla, especially on its epic title track. But what really makes Layla such a powerful record is that Clapton, ignoring the traditions that occasionally painted him into a corner, simply tears through these songs with burning, intense emotion. He makes standards like “Have You Ever Loved a Woman” and “Nobody Knows You (When You’re Down and Out)” into his own, while his collaborations with Bobby Whitlock – including “Any Day” and “Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad?” – teem with passion. And, considering what a personal album Layla is, it’s somewhat ironic that the lovely coda “Thorn Tree in the Garden” is a solo performance by Whitlock, and that the song sums up the entire album as well as “Layla” itself.

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3 min read

SACD

Derek Smith Trio – Beautiful Love (2009) [Japan 2017] [SACD / Venus Records – VHCD-1028]

adminOctober 20, 2025 237 Views

Title: Derek Smith Trio – Beautiful Love (2009) [Japan 2017]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

A jazz pianist noted for his versatility and elegance, Derek Smith, from the ’50s was a staple on the U.K. jazz scene, regularly performing with the giants like Kenny Graham, John Dankworth, and Kenny Baker. Smith remains relatively unknown in the U.S. but is strongly admired by fellow musicians and ardent fans. For his debut for Venus Records, Smith – who was 76 years old at the time of the recording – was paired with a very strong rhythm section: Peter Washington on bass and Joe Ascione on drums. In a program of well-known standards, Smith impresses the listener with his swinging, dynamic and even fiery pianism on fast tunes and beautiful touch and harmonic elegance on slow numbers.

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1 min read

SACD

Derek Smith – To Love Again (2009) [Japan 2017] [SACD / Venus Records – VHGD-259]

adminOctober 20, 2025 370 Views

Title: Derek Smith – To Love Again (2009) [Japan 2017]
Genre: Jazz
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

A jazz pianist noted for his versatility and elegance, Derek Smith, originally from London, has been playing professionally in the US since 1957. He remains relatively unknown in the US but is strongly admired by fellow musicians and ardent fans. Following his successful debut Beautiful Love, a trio album, Smith went into the studio by himself this time to record a solo album at the suggestion of Venus producer Tetsuo Hara. A program of well-known touch and harmonic elegance, romantic and even dreamy interpretations and an undeniable sense of jazz and swing.

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1 min read

SACD

Derek & The Dominos – Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs (1970) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2016] [SACD / Polydor – UIGY-15030]

adminOctober 20, 2025 252 Views

Title: Derek & The Dominos – Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs (1970) [Japanese Limited SHM-SACD 2016]
Genre: Blues, Blues Rock
Format: SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Derek & the Dominos was a group formed by guitarist/singer Eric Clapton (born Eric Patrick Clapp, March 30, 1945, Ripley, Surrey, England) with other former members of Delaney & Bonnie & Friends, in the spring of 1970. The rest of the lineup was Bobby Whitlock (b. 1948, Memphis, TN) (keyboards, vocals), Carl Radle (b. 1942, Oklahoma City, OK – d. May 30, 1980) (bass), and Jim Gordon (b. 1945, Los Angeles) (drums). The group debuted at the Lyceum Ballroom in London on June 14 and undertook a summer tour of England. From late August to early October, they recorded the celebrated double album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs (November 1970) with guitarist Duane Allman sitting in. They then returned to touring in England and the U.S., playing their final date on December 6. The Layla album was successful in the U.S., where “Bell Bottom Blues” and the title song charted as singles in abbreviated versions, but it did not chart in the U.K. The Dominos reconvened to record a second album in May 1971, but split up without completing it. Clapton then retired from the music business, nursing a heroin addiction.

Wishing to escape the superstar expectations that sank Blind Faith before it was launched, Eric Clapton retreated with several sidemen from Delaney & Bonnie to record the material that would form Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. From these meager beginnings grew his greatest album. Duane Allman joined the band shortly after recording began, and his spectacular slide guitar pushed Clapton to new heights. Then again, Clapton may have gotten there without him, considering the emotional turmoil he was in during the recording. He was in hopeless, unrequited love with Patti Boyd, the wife of his best friend, George Harrison, and that pain surges throughout Layla, especially on its epic title track. But what really makes Layla such a powerful record is that Clapton, ignoring the traditions that occasionally painted him into a corner, simply tears through these songs with burning, intense emotion. He makes standards like “Have You Ever Loved a Woman” and “Nobody Knows You (When You’re Down and Out)” into his own, while his collaborations with Bobby Whitlock – including “Any Day” and “Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad?” – teem with passion. And, considering what a personal album Layla is, it’s somewhat ironic that the lovely coda “Thorn Tree in the Garden” is a solo performance by Whitlock, and that the song sums up the entire album as well as “Layla” itself.

hraudio | allmusic | discogs

(more…)

3 min read

SACD

Depeche Mode – Playing The Angel (2005) [LCDStumm260 – 2005 Deluxe Edition] [SACD / Mute Records – LCDSTUMM260]

adminOctober 14, 2025 324 Views

Title: Depeche Mode – Playing The Angel (2005) [LCDStumm260 – 2005 Deluxe Edition]
Genre: Synth-pop
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Playing the Angel is the eleventh studio album by the English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released in the United Kingdom on 17 October 2005 by Mute Records and in the United States and Canada on 18 October by Sire Records and Reprise Records. It was supported by the Touring the Angel tour.
When Ultra was declared the best Depeche Mode album since Violator, those who said so must have forgotten about Songs of Faith and Devotion. When Exciter was declared the best Depeche Mode album since Violator, those who said so must have also forgotten about Songs of Faith and Devotion, in addition to having found a roundabout way of saying that it was merely better than Ultra. There’s no doubt this time: Playing the Angel is both the band’s best album since Violator and, more significantly, an album that is near Violator in stature. The biggest clue dropped by the band prior to its release was a quote from Dave Gahan, who said that being in Depeche Mode is better than it has been in 15 years. Some quick math reveals that Gahan was hinting at the Violator era, a time when the band’s creativity and popularity peaked synchronously. It also turns out that this is a time as good as any other to be paying attention to the band. Playing the Angel lacks Songs of Faith and Devotion’s end-to-end chest-beating, Ultra’s grinding murk, and Exciter’s desiccated patches. It takes the best qualities from those releases, combines them with a few subtle allusions to Violator — tiptoeing the border that separates retread from reinvention — and makes for a highly concentrated set of songs that all but demand to be heard in one uninterrupted shot. Gahan, still riding the confidence he gained as a songwriter from Paper Monsters, his 2003 solo debut, contributes three songs co-written with band associates Christian Eigner and Andrew Phillpott. Though none of them vie to be the album’s centerpiece, it’s apparent that the move wasn’t a concession of desperation on anyone’s part. The friendly competition seems to have kicked chief songwriter Martin Gore into high gear; he’s in top form. Musically, a lot of analog gear was used, and it’s apparent that the arrangements and extra sounds were less fussed over than they have been in the recent past. You get the sense that everything fell into place, as opposed to being forced or aimlessly manipulated. Despite the favoring of older gear, there’s no other year in which any of the songs could’ve been made. Like the best Depeche Mode, almost everything on the album will make an initial wowing impact while remaining layered enough in subtle details to surprise and thrill with repeated listens. It is not the kind of album a 25-year-old band is supposed to make. ~~ AllMusic Review by Andy Kellman

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3 min read

SACD

Depeche Mode – Exciter (2001) [DMCD10 – 2007 Remaster] [SACD / Mute Records – DMCD10]

adminOctober 14, 2025 257 Views

Title: Depeche Mode – Exciter (2001) [DMCD10 – 2007 Remaster]
Genre: Synth-pop
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Exciter is the tenth studio album by the English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released in the United Kingdom on 14 May 2001 by Mute Records and in the United States on 15 May by Reprise Records. The album was produced by Mark Bell of Björk and LFO fame. The album also launched the Exciter Tour, one of the band’s most successful tours. Exciter debuted at number nine on the UK Albums Chart and at number eight on the Billboard 200, selling 115,000 copies in its first week in the US.It is the only Depeche Mode album to debut higher in the US than in the UK. As of April 2006, Exciter had sold more than 426,000 copies in the US, and was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album was also certified Gold in Canada for shipments of 50,000 units.The remastered album was released on “deluxe” vinyl 30 March 2007 in Germany and 1 October 2007 internationally. The plant that appears on the cover is the agave attenuata, a species of agave sometimes known as the “lion’s tail”, “swan’s neck,” or “foxtail” for its development of a curved stem, unusual among agaves. It is used to produce tequila.

It’s rare to find bands capable of keeping their own best qualities to the fore while trying something new each time out, but Depeche Mode demonstrate that balance in full on the marvelous Exciter. Arguably the first album made by the group as a cohesive unit since Violator (and bearing some resemblance to that record in overall title and song names — compare “The Sweetest Condition” with “The Sweetest Perfection”), Exciter finds the trio again balancing pop catchiness with experimental depths. As with Ultra, an outside producer helps focus the end results in new, intriguing directions — in this case, said producer is Mark Bell, known for his work with Björk but also as part of Warp Records’ flagship act LFO, which always acknowledged their own debut to Depeche. Bell’s ear for minimal, crisp beats and quick, subtle arrangements and changes suit Martin Gore’s songs beautifully. If there are few storming arena-shaking numbers this time out, the exquisite delicacy throughout is addicting, with Gore’s guitar providing slippery and stinging leads to the smoky, romantic flow of Exciter. “When the Body Speaks” is a particular winner, his gentle work and a backing string section combining just right. David Gahan’s voice, already audibly benefiting from lessons on Ultra, is even more supple and passionate than before, ranging from the fuller delivery on the snaky charm of “Shine” to the haunting album-closer, “Goodnight Lovers,” a romantic lullaby with perfect counterpoint backing vocals. Gore’s own singing remains equally fine, as does his lyrical obsessions on, well, obsession — “Breathe,” which quotes more Bible names per verse than most preachers, makes for a good example on both fronts. When the band fully crank it up, the results work there too — “The Dead of Night” makes for a far superior nod to Gore’s glam roots and Depeche’s own industrial dance descendants than Songs of Faith and Devotion’s “Rush” did. ~~ AllMusic Review by Ned Raggett

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3 min read

SACD

Depeche Mode – Ultra (1997) [DMCD9 – 2007 Remaster] [SACD / Mute Records – DMCD9]

adminOctober 14, 2025 314 Views

Title: Depeche Mode – Ultra (1997) [DMCD9 – 2007 Remaster]
Genre: Synth-pop
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Ultra is the ninth studio album by the English electronic band Depeche Mode, released on 14 April 1997 by Mute Records. The album was the band’s first since the departure of Alan Wilder, who had left the band in 1995 having become disillusioned with life in Depeche Mode. Wilder’s departure and lead singer Dave Gahan’s drug problems, which culminated in a near-fatal overdose, had caused many people to speculate that the band was finished.This is their first album as a trio since 1982’s A Broken Frame, along with it being their first album where the band themselves were not involved with production. Ultra debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and at number five on the Billboard 200. By April 2006, the album had sold 584,000 copies in the United States.The project was initially conceived as an EP. In 1999, Ned Raggett ranked the album at number 50 on his list of “The Top 136 or so Albums of the Nineties”. That same year, the annual Ultra Music Festival in Miami was named after the album by its co-founder Russell Faibisch,and acknowledging its influence on the Polish rock scene, Tylko Rock ranked it at number 71 in its list of “100 Albums That Shook Polish Rock.”

When news surfaced in 1995 that Alan Wilder had departed Depeche Mode to concentrate on his solo project Recoil, the immediate concern among fans was whether the band would be able to hit past heights again. Though Wilder’s profile was always much lesser than that of Martin Gore and David Gahan — and almost even that of Andy Fletcher, whose nonperformance live has always been a running joke in the fan community and who freely admits to generally being around merely to maintain a vibe with his childhood friend Gore — his capability at arranging the songs over the years gave the band its increasingly distinct, unique edge. Combined with Gahan’s near suicide and lengthy recovery from drugs, things looked bleak. Happily, Ultra turned out a winner; hooking up with Tim Simenon, longtime U.K. dance maven and producer of arty fare such as Gavin Friday’s Adam ‘n’ Eve, Depeche delivered a strong album as a rejuvenated band. The most immediate change was Gahan’s singing; for the first time ever, he took singing lessons beforehand, and his new control and projection simply shines, especially on the marvelous “It’s No Good,” a pulsing, tense, yet beautiful song with another deeply romantic Gore lyric. Opener “Barrel of a Gun” continues in the vein of arena-level stompers like “Never Let Me Down Again” and “I Feel You,” with huge drum slams and scratching to boot, but Ultra mostly covers subtler territory, such as the slightly creepy “Sister of Night” and the gentle “The Love Thieves.” Gore sings two winners: the orchestral, slow dance groove “Home” and “The Bottom Line,” featuring steel guitar and Can’s Jaki Liebezeit on drums, distinctly different territory for Depeche. Closing with “Insight,” a quite lovely, building ballad, Ultra showed Depeche wasn’t ready to quit by any means. ~~ AllMusic Review by Ned Raggett

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3 min read

SACD

Depeche Mode – Songs Of Faith And Devotion (1993) [DMCD8 – 2006 Remaster] [SACD / Mute Records – DMCD8]

adminOctober 14, 2025 369 Views

Title: Depeche Mode – Songs Of Faith And Devotion (1993) [DMCD8 – 2006 Remaster]
Genre: Synth-pop
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Songs of Faith and Devotion is the eighth studio album by the English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released in the United Kingdom on 22 March 1993 by Mute Records and in the United States and Canada on 23 March by Sire and Reprise Records. The album incorporated a more aggressive, darker rock-oriented tone than its predecessor, Violator (1990), largely influenced by the emerging alternative rock and grunge scenes in the United States. Upon its release, Songs of Faith and Devotion reached number one in several countries, and became the first Depeche Mode album to debut atop the charts in both the UK and the US. To support the album, Depeche Mode embarked on the fourteen-month-long Devotional Tour, the largest tour the band had ever undertaken to that date. Recording the album and the subsequent tour exacerbated growing tensions and difficulties within the band, prompting Alan Wilder to quit, making this album the final with him as a band member. The ordeal had exhausted their creative output following the enormous success they had enjoyed with Violator, leading to rumours and media speculation that the band would split. Depeche Mode subsequently recovered from the experience, and released Ultra in 1997.

In between Violator and Songs of Faith and Devotion, a lot happened: Nirvana rewrote the ideas of what “alternative” was supposed to be, while Nine Inch Nails hit the airwaves as the most clearly Depeche-influenced new hit band around. In the meantime, the band went through some high-profile arguing as David Gahan turned into a long-haired, leather-clad rocker and pushed for a more guitar-oriented sound. Yet the odd thing about Songs of Faith and Devotion is that it sounds pretty much like a Depeche Mode album, only with some new sonic tricks courtesy of Alan Wilder and co-producer Flood. Perhaps even odder is the fact that it works incredibly well all the same. “I Feel You,” opening with a screech of feedback, works its live drums well, but when the heavy synth bass kicks in with the wailing backing vocals, even most rockers might find it hard to compete. Martin Gore’s lyrical bent, as per the title, ponders relationships through distinctly religious imagery; while the gambit is hardly new, on songs like the centerpiece “In Your Room,” the combination of personal and spiritual love blends perfectly. Outside musicians appear for the first time, including female backing singers on a couple of tracks, most notably the gospel-flavored “Condemnation” and the uilleann pipes on “Judas,” providing a lovely intro to the underrated song (later covered by Tricky). “Rush” is the biggest misstep, a too obvious sign that Nine Inch Nails was a recording-session favorite to unwind to. But with other numbers such as “Walking in My Shoes” and “The Mercy in You” to recommend it, Songs of Faith and Devotion continues the Depeche Mode winning streak. ~~ AllMusic Review by Ned Raggett

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3 min read

SACD

Depeche Mode – Violator (1990) [DMCD7 – 2006 Remaster] [SACD / Mute Records – DMCD7]

adminOctober 14, 2025 343 Views

Title: Depeche Mode – Violator (1990) [DMCD7 – 2006 Remaster]
Genre: Synth-pop
Format: MCH SACD ISO + Hi-Res FLAC

Violator is the seventh studio album by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 19 March 1990 by Mute Records. Preceded by the hit singles “Personal Jesus” and “Enjoy the Silence” (a top-10 hit in both the UK and US), Violator propelled the band into international stardom. The album yielded two further hit singles, “Policy of Truth” and “World in My Eyes”. Violator is the band’s first album to reach the top 10 on the Billboard 200, peaking at number seven. It was supported by the World Violation Tour.

In a word, stunning. Perhaps an odd word to use given that Violator continued in the general vein of the previous two studio efforts by Depeche Mode: Martin Gore’s upfront lyrical emotional extremism and knack for a catchy hook filtered through Alan Wilder’s ear for perfect arrangements, ably assisted by top English producer Flood. Yet the idea that this record would both dominate worldwide charts, while song for song being simply the best, most consistent effort yet from the band could only have been the wildest fantasy before its release. The opening two singles from the album, however, signaled something was up. First was “Personal Jesus,” at once perversely simplistic, with a stiff, arcane funk/hip-hop beat and basic blues guitar chords, and tremendous, thanks to sharp production touches and David Gahan’s echoed, snaky vocals. Then “Enjoy the Silence,” a nothing-else-remains-but-us ballad pumped up into a huge, dramatic romance/dance number, commanding in its mock orchestral/choir scope. Follow-up single “Policy of Truth” did just fine as well, a low-key Motown funk number for the modern day with a sharp love/hate lyric to boot. To top it all off, the album itself scored on song after song, from the shuffling beat of “Sweetest Perfection” (well sung by Gore) and the ethereal “Waiting for the Night” to the guilt-ridden-and-loving-it “Halo” building into a string-swept pounder. “Clean” wraps up Violator on an eerie note, all ominous bass notes and odd atmospherics carrying the song. Goth without ever being stupidly hammy, synth without sounding like the clinical stereotype of synth music, rock without ever sounding like a “rock” band, Depeche here reach astounding heights indeed. ~~ AllMusic Review by Ned Raggett

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2 min read