A brief +quot;review+quot; of Sony Mastersound's _Amused to Death_ CD Date Tue, 12 Jan 93

A brief "review" of Sony Mastersound's _Amused to Death_ CD


Date: Tue, 12 Jan 93 18:00:10 PST
From: bear@tcs.com (h.w. neff)
To: echoes@tcs.com
Subject: atd: 20 bit cd

hi.
atd is now out in sony's "super bit mapped" 20 bit cd format.
(that's sony's answer to mfsl, i guess.)

catalog: ck53196
"limited edition" and "master sound" in gold on a longbox sized
   white cardboard case which opens like a book (generic for the
   series, it seems) and has a self adhesive decal wrapped from
   front to back (which looks just like the artwork one sees when
   examining an unopened standard jewel box version.
once open, one gets a picture of the ape on top of the tv set (the
   same picture as on the ltd. ed. single box) and something very
   like the lyrics sheet from the standard cd (only printed on a
   single large (and once folded) sheet of black paper.)
back cover of the book holds the jewel box.
no front artwork to the jewel box -- one simply sees straight thru
   the clear plastic to a picture of roger on the gold disc which
   rests in the white carrier.
looks to me like the book-esque white case is not going to put up
   with much abuse before looking poorly....
and the sound?
well, it seems to be mastered at a higher volume than the copy of
   atd i got from the uk (but on columbia) which i took along for
   purposes of comparison.
it appears to be a bit "brighter" as well, *maybe* a bit more
   clear.
in the shop i got a chance to crank up three wishes on both discs
   and whatever rog said couldn't be reproduced by the stereo (if
   one doesn't have whatever super-audiophile-vinyl is now being
   peddled) probably still can't be reproduced by the 20 bit cd.
i'm not sure but the preacher's voices before wgw2 seem clearer.
i am sure that the "home shopping club" bit (you know, the on-air
   conversation about the 6mm sized pearls that the lady has just
   bought) is clearer.

down with all the credits, etc. is the following statement:

"each mastersound disc is guaranteed to have been manufactured from
the first generation mastertapes, actual session work tapes, or
other original recording sources available.  where possible,
original producers, mastering engineers, or the artists themselves
have assisted in the production to insure the finest possible
sound.   for a technical paper on sony's revolutionary "super bit
mapping" process, write to "sbm, legacy recordings, radio city
station, p.o. box 1526, new york city, ny 10101-1526."

that's about it....and all for around us$25 at a shop near you.

ttfn,
bear.