Audio Fidelity still inconsistent but when it is good it's v
E. Hilston | Merrimack, NH USA | 07/12/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The releases from Audio Fidelity have been hit and miss, but the hits recently have been most excellent. Talking Book has been a favorite and this version is fantastic. Listening to it vs the latest domestic remaster (which sounds "ok") shows the difference immediately. The sound is "warm and lush" on the AF gold version when compared. Anyone with a higher end sound system should hear the difference. Yes, these are more expensive but in my mind they are well worth it. Styx' The Grand Illusion was not as good of a transfer. I wish AF would be more consistent but when they get it right they are close to Mobile Fidelity (who seems to be very consistent, regarding high quality). Looking forward to future releases which seem to be coming at a rate of 2 per month. If you are a Stevie fan, get this one!"
Sounds good for hit-and-miss AF label
Nicholas Murphy | Dallas, TX USA | 08/06/2010
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This album sounds pretty good. I have, like others, been unsure about the quality coming from AF these days. I "try before I buy" on most of these discs if you know what I mean. It's a shame that there is a wealth of information on Steve Hoffman's site (the main AF mastering engineer), but any criticism posted about AF gets deleted immediately by his Gestapo.
Oh, and this definitely didn't use the master tapes. Steve won't let anyone. I wouldn't get too excited about that because a good 30 inch per second analog dub can be unnoticeable from the original. However, AF should be up front with customers about the source they used. Would you rather them keep the "From the Original Master Tape" label on there but it not be true? That's what they were doing (see AF Simon & Garfunkel "Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme"). Several times it's been proven to be untrue. For $30 discs, they should tell us what source they used.
I would recommend this disc, but I would say "caveat emptor" for AF discs in general. Wait for others to review them (and don't look on Steve Hoffman's site for that info). The DCC label was before my time (AF is a reincarnation of DCC) but I have downloaded several old DCC discs. The magic that was on those is gone, and AF has been shown to lie and cover up about the sources they used. Too bad."
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1