Genesis 1976-1982

Genesis - Genesis 1976-1982

Genesis 1976-1982
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CD Details

Artist: Genesis
Brand: Genesis
Edition: Music CD
Format: Box set
CD Release Date: 2007-05-15
Music Label: Rhino Records
Soundtracks:
Music CD 1
  1. Dance on a Volcano
  2. Entangled
  3. Squonk
  4. Mad Man Moon
  5. Robbery, Assault and Battery
  6. Ripples...
  7. A Trick of the Tail
  8. Los Endos
Music CD 2
  1. Eleventh Earl of Mar
  2. One for the Vine
  3. Your Own Special Way
  4. Wot Gorilla?
  5. All in a Mouse's Night
  6. Blood on the Rooftops
  7. Unquiet Slumbers for the Sleepers
  8. ...in That Quiet Earth
  9. Afterglow
Music CD 3
  1. Down and Out
  2. Undertow
  3. Ballad of Big
  4. Snowbound
  5. Burning Rope
  6. Deep in the Motherlode
  7. Many Too Many
  8. Scenes from a Night's Dream
  9. Say It's Alright Joe
  10. The Lady Lies
  11. Follow You Follow Me
Music CD 4
  1. Behind the Lines
  2. Duchess
  3. Guide Vocal
  4. Man of Our Times
  5. Misunderstanding
  6. Heathaze
  7. Turn It on Again
  8. Alone Tonight
  9. Cul-De-Sac
  10. Please Don't Ask
  11. Duke's Travels
  12. Duke's End
Music CD 5
  1. Abacab
  2. No Reply at All
  3. Me and Sarah Jane
  4. Keep It Dark
  5. Dodo/Lurker
  6. Who Dunnit?
  7. Man on the Corner
  8. Like It or Not
  9. Another Record
Music CD 6
  1. Paperlate [*]
  2. Evidence of Autumn [*]
  3. Pigeons [*]
  4. You Might Recall [*]
  5. Naminanu [*]
  6. Inside and Out [*]
  7. Vancouver [*]
  8. Me and Virgil [*]
  9. Its Yourself [*]
  10. Match of the Day [*]
  11. Open Door [*]
  12. The Day the Light Went Out [*]
  13. Submarine [*]

Music reviews of Genesis 1976-1982

Music Review: SACD or DVD Surround?
Rating: 4 Stars


There is a great deal of misinformation regarding the key differences between the European imports of these Genesis box sets and those released in the US market. It is true that the imports have SACD hybrid discs with accompanying DVD DTS and Dolby Digital surround tracks. The SACD hybrids also carry the standard Red Book CD layer. But let's settle this once and for all: the SACD tracks sound no different than the DTS 24/96 tracks on the DVD counterparts. Moreover, the only reason to obtain either of the box sets is for the surround sound tracks--not for the stereo down mixes.

I tested both formats on a Denon DVD 3910 with Firewire digital audio connected to a Pioneer VSX 59TXi amplifier with I-Link with Firewire connections. So my tests were strictly in the digital domain for all layers, the stereo and surround tracks for all formats, SACD, Red Book (standard) CD, DD and DTS. I tested the US releases versus the SACD imports. I used Sennheiser 600 headphones. The disc I concentrated on was the Wind and Wuthering CD and DVD from both box sets--import and US. I also compared the Trick of the Tail discs from both boxes. My import set is the European NTSC SACD box, which I believe was made for Japan release, or countries not using PAL. I also own the US version of this box set.

First, the obvious test was to compare the standard Red Book CD (16 bit 44k) stereo tracks on both the standard single CD offering in the US box and the same tracks on the European Hybrid SACD import box. The sound was virtually identical if not for a slight variation in volume--although I had to strain to hear it. Otherwise, the depth and texture of the sound was identical. The comparison of the SACD stereo track with the US standard CD tracks yielded an improvement as expected. SACD, after all, is a superior format with its 24 bit 96 Khz range as compared to a limited 16 bit 44 khz standard CD layer. In the SACD, you simply hear more in the lower and higher frequencies without the distortion one may encounter in Red Book CDs. So, this comparison was silly to say the least--though someone had to do it!

Second, the SACD 5.1 tracks compared very well with the DTS and DD 5.1 tracks on the DVDs of both boxes. Basically, the DVD in both boxes are identical. The only caution I offer is that Dolby Digital produced a slightly limited 16 bit 48 khz rendition, where the DTS 24/96 stereo and 5.1 sound was discernibly clearer and with less distracting artifacts. The SACD sounded excellent performing equally with the DTS tracks. The SACD sounded no "warmer" than the DTS tracks. Bass and midrange were excellent on both formats. However, on the higher range of frequencies (e.g., cymbals, synthesizers, etc.) both the DTS and SACD formats left me with the impression that something went wrong during the high definition remastering of these tracks. But read more below on this issue.

Next, is the question of whether a Genesis enthusiast should obtain the SACD boxes of these collections. The SACD boxes have not been released in the United States. My first impression is that a collecter will not care: they will simply purchase what's offered. Hence, I read reviews by people who own all versions. However, for the consumer who is conscience of quality rather than for the sake of saying, "hey I have that box too," I must question whether the SACD boxes are indeed worth the extra money or effort. The reason is because my tests indicate the same sound quality on both the SACD and DVD high definition tracks. Thus, a person who owns an SACD player, as I do, for example, might twitch to obtain the SACD boxes simply to justify ownership of an SACD player. But, at least in my view, there is no other reason to justify buying the SACD format in this case. Why? Because the sound quality is no better on the SACDs than what you will find on the DVD tracks of the US versions. Ironically, the import versions are almost a redundency in themselves, because they also come with the complementary DTS and DD tracks DVDs. I suppose that one positive difference between the non-SACD US box and the SACD Import is that the import gives you all formats to satisfy anyone's equipment.

As for the reviewer who reported that the SACD layer sounded "warmer" than the sound on the DVD DTS and DD tracks, they also admitted that their SACD rig was connected via 5.1 analogue cables--not digitally. Well, it is true that any CD player sounds "warmer" when playing through analogue connections. In my case, I use a Denon universal DVD player that connects digitally to my Pioneer Elite receiver through the IEEE1394 Firewire connector. This means that the sound, regardless of format, is entirely processed in the digital domain. Hence, my comparison of the SACD vs. the DTS and DD tracks on the DVD counterpart yielded zero discernable differences. It is possible that the compression used in SACDs is somewhat "better" than what's used for DTS and DD (Dolby Digital). But I am not going to get overly technical about this issue, because I want to enjoy the music not criticize one format over another. It is also possibly true that what one individual hears in their sound system can be completely different from what another person hears in yet another sound system. My point is that it all depends on how you listen to your music or a particualr rock group. Personally, my rig is set to a "centered" or "flat" response setting with regard to tone and base control. My Polk Audio Lsi15 speakers and their surround sound compliment require zero tweaking to achieve a balanced and pleasant listening experience without fatigue. Moreover, I even switched off the subwoofer in the system to avoid "cheating" on bass response. So, I can categorically state that the SACD layer sounded no different than what you find on the DVD DTS sound tracks. The only critical objection I was able to discern was that the Dolby Digital 48 Khz tracks appear to loose some frequency response at the edges of the higher and lower ranges. I can only atribute this to the SACD's 96 Khz range difference. Indeed, the DTS tracks sounded no different than the SACD tracks. Again, there was a slight difference in volume, where the DTS was a bit louder albeit with no discernable loss of quality or "warmth" when compared with SACD.

Let's face it, what the human ear can hear is the real test. There are many audiophiles who will swear by their custom tube-output analogue high definition rigs for SACD and even DTS playback through a 5.1 analogue output. They purposefully stay away from digitizing their music for fear of losing that "warmth" or analogue feel to the music. However, there is much expensive gear out there, the likes of Meridian, Sony SCD ES, and so forth, to unjustifiably pronounce digitally processed sound as inferior to analogue processing. But this issue is truly a matter of sheer taste in playback equipment. I have to admit that SACD tends to give me some sort of "darker" improvement on bass response--but I am truly unsure whether this is a format difference or whether it is simply in my head!

Certainly, while the high definition audio does indeed travel through analogue cables, the data processed through the digital domain cannot lie. Your player at that point becomes merely a transport that allows your receiver to do most of the processing. The player serves to keep jitter and other transport and read issues corrected or balanced. Likewise, there are many systems that can reproduce and process sound in the digital domain--the likes of a Denon DVD 3910 or 5910, a Pioneer Elite DV 59Avi or 47Ai, or the untouchable Sony SCD-XA9000ES. Indeed, I tested my own Denon 3910 by outputing sound from both digital and analogue surround and stereo and heard zero differences. So, when I contacted Denon about this rather strange outcome, their response was simply that my test only emphasized their truly superior digital extrapolation and sound imaging. Whatever dude! Hence, we'll never truly resolve the issue of analogue vs. digital. I am quite happy with my rig, and do not plan on dusting off the old turntable any time soon.

With this in mind, I want to turn to a comparison of the Wind and Wuthering stereo CD issued in 1994 to the CD, SACD, and DTS found on the new box sets. This brings me back to my earlier question above regarding whether something went wrong with the track remastering for this box set. Another faithful Genesis fan made this comparison, and I would like to formally agree with that individual. Simply put, the 1994 stereo issue of Wind and Wuthering sounds superior to its rendition on the box set--whether it's the SACD/DVD import or CD/DVD domestic set. All I could do during my listening test was to sit utterly dumb founded. Essentially, the new stereo recording sounds brittle, distorted, and artifitially compressed to the point of ridicule. The older issue of this album on CD simply sounds gentle, clear, the bass is strong and dark, while the percussion was flawlessly preserved to shine Phil's excellent work with symbals. The soft passages in "One for the Vine," for example, are carefully preserved in the 1994 CD. The new CD is simply stupidly pumped by a sickening use of compression.

And, what's this about increasing the volume? The new rendition is so lound, that you wonder if someone was having hearing issues during the stereo remixes. Whatever happened between the older mixes for the 1994 CD and the newer remixes for the box sets is simply beyond my imagination. I refuse to believe that neither the Genesis guys nor their engineer missed such a wide gap between those older mixes and the newer reproductions. This is what I would call "falling asleep at the wheel!" Moreover and sadly, the SACD, DTS, and DD tracks are the same quality tracks found on the standard stereo CDs found in the box set. Yes, you do get 5.1 surround and 24/96 stereo via the SACD and DTS tracks. You even get 16 bit 48 khz on the DD tracks. But you still get the same brittle and obscenely lound and compressed tracks that compare so poorly to the 1994 stereo CD issue. Indeed, it appears as though they simply downmixed the multi-track audio tapes into two channel stereo without as much as a thought to conduct a carefully engineered downmix: one that takes into account how to properly accommodate all the instruments and vocals onto two tracks.

Why? And, why again? Why was this allowed to happen? There truly cannot be a logical explanation to permit such a butchering of this music. All I can say is that I will not be taking my old Lamb Lies Down on Broadway and Wind and Wuthering CDs to the used CD store!

Lastly, I do want to acknowledge that I am truly enjoying the 5.1 surround tracks, even if they are defective when compared to the older stereo CD. If Genesis set out to change the landscape of classic rock listening by unleashing a totally different spectrum within which to hear their music, then this goal, at least, has been achieved. Just listening to the Trick of the Tail disc in DTS will propel you to a different planet. The music is virtually different while still being earily the same stuff you're used to. Somehow, the tunes come out different, like there's a new map that one has to follow to get to the end of each song. Seriously, when was the last time you experienced music such as this for the first time? Thus far, I can only think of one album: Steve Hackett's "To Watch the Storms."

Is surround sound worth the extra effort for classic rock listening? Okay, if you have not yet heard the Dark Side of the Moon in SACD surround sound, then rush out and purchase the $15 SACD version before it disappears and becomes yet another overpriced Pink Floyd collectible. Or, if you don't own an SACD player, get the Moody Blues "Days of Future Passed" in DTS disc, which will play on any DVD player--provided you have it hooked up for surround sound. Try it! These discs is the reason why music in surround sound has a reason to exist. And, yes, Genesis, at least in my view, has entered this domain as well. Don't worry. The older and better sounding stereo recording is not enough of a reason not to purchase any of these box sets--import or domestic. In fact, the only reason for purchaseing these box sets is because you want to reexperience Genesis for the first time. I believe owning and keeping the older CDs will only add a sinister mystique to the Genesis library. A while ago, DVD-Audio had promised greatness in audio quality the likes of 24 bit 192 khz tracks! But Sadly, those days are over, and SACD has won that war--albeit until it is soon replaced by who knows what lower MP3-type format. Run out and purchase an SACD/DVD-Audio universal player and start buying DVD-Audio and SACD before copyright litigation makes what little music has been released in surround sound formats extinct! I guarantee that the SACD or DVD-Audio versions of Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, or the Who's Tommy, will utterly propel you into another land: one of true musical bliss and fantasy.

Enjoy the Sounds!
More Genesis 1976-1982 free music reviews:
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