The term SACD is short for Super Audio Compact Disc. I realize that people often wonder whether such audiophile products are worth the additional expense, or are simply a marketing ploy. After listening to the new SACD edition of Pink Floyd’s classic Wish You Were Here, I can say that without a doubt, there is very noticeable improvement over the sound of my original “regular” copy of the disc. It is really quite remarkable, even on my thoroughly average-priced equipment.
To quickly lay out the basics of what the SACD has to offer, I will quote from the Amazon.com site’s explanation of the format: “The SACD layer of hybrid SACDs offers much higher fidelity than regular compact discs, containing up to four times the musical information. Hybrid SACDs are designed for CD-quality playback on conventional systems, including home and car stereos, portable CD players, computer CD- and DVD-ROM drives, and DVD players.”
Those are obviously the type of officially-sanctioned words that nobody uses in actual conversation. “Is SACD really worth the extra money?” is the significant question. Based on both the sound quality, and the exquisite packaging it is presented in, the answer is a resounding “Yes.” In my opinion, the APO Company, who have licensed the album for this SACD release - have done an outstanding job.
When it comes to superstar bands, few are bigger than Pink Floyd. Both Dark Side of The Moon and The Wall continue to sell in incredible numbers. Between those two blockbusters came the relatively lesser-known Wish You Were Here and Animals. Both of those albums sold quite well also, but there is a reason Pink Floyd is sometimes referred to as “the biggest cult band in the world.” I would argue that for both the subject matter, and for the music itself, Wish You Were Here is the ultimate Pink Floyd “cult“ artifact.
With a band of Floyd’s stature, their history is pretty well-known. By 1975, they were a very different group than the one they began as in 1967. They formed in 1965 around the incredibly charismatic Syd Barrett (1946-2006), and released their debut The Piper at the Gates of Dawn in 1967. Whether due to Barrett’s prodigious LSD intake, or latent mental illness, (most likely a combination of the two), he broke down, and was replaced by David Gilmour in 1968. The specter of their founding “lost genius” haunted Pink Floyd for the rest of their days. In fact, much of The Dark Side of the Moon dealt with madness.
Article comments