Search - Miles Davis :: Kind of Blue (Legacy Edition)

It's about time!

R. Davis | California | 03/13/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have owned nearly every digital version of this album.

I had the first one from the wrong tape. I then got the Gold 'corrected' version, then I got the mass release of the 're-master'. I bought the SACD.

Now this re-master (by the same folks who did the first re-master).



OK... so here's my take.

Let's forget the first CD. It was a mistake.



The Gold was the right speed, but the two track master used is just dead and the mix is awful, allowing too much echo in some parts, not enough presence, and some passages of horn are just nearly impossible to hear well.



The first re-master was a revelation. The horns were right up front, the balance was greatly improved and you could tell that they remixed it from the original 3-track. I loved the new Alternate Take of Flamenco Sketches. But something was wrong. This was obviously meant for the iPod crowd, and not for audiophiles. The channels had been normalized to HOT and without using any dynamic compression. The loud horn passages were all clipped severely, resulting in a viciously harsh presentation.



The SACD is a joke. They made this a 5.1 disc for some stupid reason, adding echo - reverb - whatever, in the rear channels. Whaaaa? Come on, I just wanted to hear the original 3-track masters as faithfully as possible. Ugh... Even being DSD does not help this mess.



Finally... this last release is done right. The balance is correct. There is NO clipping. It's near perfect in its presence. The middle channel is well represented (phantom), and the soundstage is wonderful. The horns have warmth that the clipped version just couldn't create. This is finally done properly... by the same folks. So how come they got all the others so wrong??



So... even if you have the last releases, this one (the 50th Anniversary) has to be purchased because it is the only one that is correct. It is the only one that actually represents the best possible 2-channel CD-quality mix. Obviously it's not perfect in that it is still only 16bit - 44.1khz, but it's a vast improvement.



Enjoy!

"

Best Jazz Album Ever With Some Extra Goodies

Socrates Stewart | Owings Mills, MD | 01/29/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

""Kind of Blue" is an album that all collectors with even a passing interesting in jazz should own. No need to review the core album as most listeners would be familiar with it by now and there are tons of testimonials for the original.



So why the special "Legacy Edition?"



This is not for everyone to be sure, but for listeners who really love this album, Miles Davis, and jazz of the 1950's and early 60's, "Legacy Edition" will give more insight into the material and help the listener appreciate more of what went into making "Kind of Blue" the great jazz standard that it is.



While it might overkill for some, true jazz lovers and "Kind of Blue" fans will not only get some nice second helpings from the album, they'll also get an idea of how Davis and his all-star cast created this gem.



One other note, those having old CD copies of "Kind of Blue," the ones with the animated profile of Miles on the booklet cover, not the recreation of the original LP cover, should definitely ditch their old CD and get the new remastered release. It is a huge improvement. Instead of sounding washed out and slightly off pitch, the remaster sounds fresh, with very high resolution, warm, and intimate, just the way Miles Davis and his stellar side kicks recorded it."

Phenomenal imaging and soundstage makes this a great buy

T. Newbold | Lago Bertrand, Patagonia, Chile | 05/26/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I won't comment on the music on this CD as that has been covered so many times before, but the unbelievable accuracy and imaging of this recording spurred me to review the recording/remastering quality. With eyes closed, you can hear exactly where Miles Davis is sitting as well as every other instrument's location. I find it nearly impossible to believe that these are recordings from 1959 since the fidelity is so great. It has been a true pleasure rediscovering this album in such crisp detail. I do have to pass along a friend's comment, "Ahh, there's our old friend --- hiss!" Yes, it's there, but I have to agree with him that it's nice to hear it again after digital recording has nearly eliminated it from contemporary recordings. Having recently upgraded my stereo, I have been on a CD buying binge, and this is one of my very favorites to play for myself, friends and family. Two final words: "buy it.""