This Super Audio Compact Disc (SACD) recording offers high-resolution sound and is playable on both standard CD players and SACD-compatible devices. Album Description
Their hits were too few. Unless you really like the group I would suggest other music. It was a disappointment for me.
June 23, 2008 |  | What gives? Digital Download Question |  |
Amazon MP3 is supposed to be this DRM-Free Mp3 downloading paradise. And it is, but its content is now limited. So sure, I was a little bummed that the Zombies have no downloadable content on Amazon. I figure their label isn't keen on DRM free yet. So imagine my SHOCK to see that 'Time of the Season' in DRM-free form is availible from iTunes! You guys need to get on that! Don't let iTunes have some DRM free content that you don't have!
I am no fan of AAC, even if it is DRM free now in some cases... so please, pretty please, get stuff like The Zombies available as a DRM free MP3!
October 31, 2007I was very impressed by both the sound quality and the music. I knew a couple of Zombies songs from a while back, but the sound from LP's and tapes was never good. The sound on this SACD remix is vastly superior. It's not perfect, with still a little hiss, but there is much less distortion than the original mix. Also most of the recordings were apparently done with excellent recorders (for the time) because the high-end frequencies are all there! The sound is nearly transparent, like you're actually there in the studio. Back to the music itself, I discovered several great songs that I didn't expect to find. It's quite a blast from the past, and well worth the money.
November 10, 2006For several years, I had a CD of Zombies greatest hits and was content to enjoy listening to some great old songs from a very talented group. But someone recently gave me this new CD and I can hardly believe the difference! The quality of each track is amazing, revealing subleties not even hinted at in my old CD or, of course, in the original vinyl recording. The CD has all of the Zombie hits and the best of the rest. It avoids the later acid recordings that never caught on with fans on either side of the Atlantic.
September 23, 2006This, along with "Reggae in High-Fi" was my first purchase of an Audio Fidelity disc. I was very much looking forward to hearing the Zombies (without question one of the greatest Sixties bands) in the SACD format. I have the fantastic 4-disc "Zombie Heaven" box set (Big Beat Records, UK import) which, though it's Redbook and uses the original mono mixes for most of the material, sounds really, really good, and I thought, "well now, the Zombies in stereo, and in Super Audio! It'll be fantastic, even though I've already got all the songs."
Well, unfortunately I confess to some disappointment. The first thing I thought when opening up the package was how cheesy the artwork was. I mean, SUPER AUDIO CD in big alyoominium-type shiny caps across the top, a fuzzy out-of-focus band photo, and some swirly stuff in the background. It looks like the artwork for a Spinal Tap bootleg. Let's put it on and see how it sounds, that's what matters, I thought, so I did. While it is nice to hear these songs in stereo, the mixes seem a bit off (the drums sound muffled to my ears, and the guitars a little tinny) compared to a couple of other Zombies discs I've got (OK, besides the ZH box I've got "The Zombies Collection" from Castle which is in stereo) and the vocals seem to suffer from some sort of compression, EQ, I don't know what. But they're rather flat (as in lifeless) sounding somehow compared to the ZH box. In fact after another couple of listens there's not much doubt in my mind that the ZH box set is much superior to this Audio Fidelity release, sound-wise. Which is somewhat surprising, given that ZH is "only" Redbook audio. (For that matter, it's vastly superior packaging-wise as well.)
Just goes to show that just because it's SACD doesn't mean it's going to blow your mind with it's sonic quality. And all the raves I've read about the genius of audiophile remastering engineer Steve Hoffman now seem somewhat suspect. So I guess the cheese-flavoured amateur-style artwork suits the product within perfectly, after all. Put the cash you were thinking of spending on Audio Fidelity's "Greatest Hits" toward a copy of the Big Beat "Zombie Heaven" box instead (if you can find it). Sorry Steve.
September 13, 2006More reviews at Amazon.com ...
(13 reviews)
