Dire Straits - Dire Straits - SUPER-AUDIO CD [Super Audio CD (SACD)]

Chicago Chicago II on Numbered Edition Hybrid SACD. Mastered from the Original Master Tapes Longtime Audiophile Favorite Now Possesses Reference-Caliber Separation, Tonalities, Balance. Chicago shortened it's name on it's second album but altered little else. Improving upon the creative synthesis shown on it's debut, the ensemble ups the ante for pop, rock, and jazz fusion on it's 1970 sophomore set, introducing classical signatures as well as a penchant to delve even deeper into unchartered waters. Ambitious arrangements and brazen interplay remain, yet further addition of multifaceted melodies and seamless syncopation finds the group stepping up it's songwriting. Witness '25 Or 6 To 4' and 'Make Me Smile,' smashes that resonated with the mainstream. Pulling back the curtain on the recordings, this collector's version exponentially expands the soundstaging dimensions, imaging proportions, and dynamic information, allowing the songs to breathe and enjoy a roominess that enhances the stellar performances and interwoven structures. In particular, the harmonic vocals naturally carry and possess lifelike decay, never in competition with but always in sympathy with the telepathic instrumentation. As reflected by the 7-part, 13-minute 'Ballet for a Girl in Buchanan' suite, Chicago II draws from classical as well as traditional rock and jazz influences in presenting an experience that eviscerates 'disparate' when pertaining to musical styles. Paired amidst progressive rhythms, a surfeit of driving horns and gritty R&B vocals again affords the band the privilege of rocking as hard as any of their contemporaries. And yet, due to the collective's diversity and prowess, Chicago also lends poignant sensitivity to ballads such as the prom favorite 'Colour My World.' The septet's command of switching between aggressiveness and intensity, softness and sensuality, defines Chicago II

Billy Joel 52nd Street on Numbered Edition Hybrid SACDMainstream Perfection Melodic Devices, Passionate Singing, Sophisticated Arrangements, Jazzy Backdrop Walk Down 52nd StreetSome artists embrace their success by repeating the steps that originally granted them fame. Billy Joel did the opposite, refusing to be contained by prescribed approaches or constrained by a given tag. The follow-up to the breakthrough The Stranger, 52nd Street further expands on it's predecessor's bold production techniques and inventive arrangements, incorporating more sophisticated textures as well as reflecting a jazz edge gleaned from New York City's thriving club scene.52nd Street is mastered from the original master tapes and made available on transparent hybrid SACD. The wider and deeper grooves - as well as the meticulous mastering process - yield resplendent dynamics, broad soundstages, three-dimensional perspectives, and tonal balances absent from prior editions. Indeed, Joel wouldn't sound more realistic if were playing ten rows away from you onstage. This is how you want to experience the 1978 LP that captured the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.Teaming again with producer Phil Ramone, Joel capitalizes on his momentum, churning out another direct-sounding affair replete with captivating melodic devices, showmanship accents, and penetrating lyrics. The singer's concision and focus is evident via the tune's lengths, with only 'Until the Night' breaking the six-minute mark. Hit singles 'Big Shot' and 'My Life' rattle forth with an urgency and intensity that Joel had not previously demonstrated, the combination of passionate deliveries, snide overtones, and insistent grooves setting the table for what follows.Broadening his palette, and drawing from New York's thriving jazz club scene and the city's late-70s grit, Joel splashes Latin and jazz colors on several pieces - even employ

Limited vinyl LP repressing in gatefold jacket. Off the Wall is the fifth solo studio album by Michael Jackson. It was released on August 10, 1979, following Jackson's critically well-received film performance in The Wiz. While working on that project, Jackson and Quincy Jones had become friends, and Jones agreed to work with Jackson on his next studio album. Recording sessions took place between December 1978 and June 1979 at Allen Zentz Recording, Westlake Recording Studios, and Cherokee Studios in Los Angeles, California. Jackson collaborated with a number of other writers and performers such as Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder and Rod Temperton. Five singles were released from the album. It was his first solo under Epic Records, the tag he would record on until his death roughly 30 years later. Album Tracks 1. Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough 2. Rock with You 3. Workin' Day and Night 4. Get on the Floor 1. Off the Wall 2. Girlfriend 3. She's Out of My Life 4. I Can't Help It 5. It's the Falling in Love 6. Burn This Disco Out