Avalon

If there were any album that I thought would be impossible to improve with technology, it would be Roxy Music's Avalon. The sound stage of the original was rich and full, yet the separation and detail were amazingly accurate. Avalon's masterful engineering helped make it Roxy Music's magnum opus and one of the greatest recordings of all time. Improving on it would take more than just a new technology that utilized 3 more channels. In short, this is not an album that could be pimped.That being said, it took less than 30 seconds of hearing track one, More Than This, to convince me of two things. First, Sony not only improved what I thought was impossible to improve-they greatly improved it. Second, all the money I spent upgrading my audio system to utilize SACD was money well spent.SACD recordings often sound untrue to the original; the engineers seem to over exploit the technology and disrupt the feel of the original recording. Maybe it was in effort to avoid this that Sony sought the help of two people who were involved in the original mixing of the album, Rhett Davies and Bob Clearmountain. Two veteran mixers maximized the technology without interfering with the sound or feel of the original. Maybe it is the brilliant job these two did; maybe it is the richness of the music; or maybe it is both, but this new version doesn't seem to add as much as it seems to reveal. This recording of Avalon sounds like it was written to be played on SACD.The original recording of Avalon probably spun more times in my CD player than any other CD, yet it seems brand new. Every song on the album benefits from the new recording, but track 6, The Main Thing, seems to make the most of the 3 extra channels and the increased sound spectrum. The vocals and percussions are so detailed and crisp that they truly fulfill all the audiophile clichés about "perfect clarity" or "being true to life." The title track, Avalon, seems to drop Brian Ferry just a few feet in front of the listener while over the listener's shoulders, Phil Manzanera plays guitar and background singers help fill the room with hauntingly sweet vocals. The experience is amazing. This track was the first SACD recording where I truly felt center-stage.As an added bonus, this recording provides what every fan of the original recording wishes they had- more. The SACD has an additional track added on the end, Always Unknowing. It is definitely "A" quality, however it may have been better suited for RM's previous album, Flesh and Blood. It doesn't quite deliver the lush, ambient sound that the other Avalon tracks deliver. Plus, the original final track, Tara, was the perfect finale.If you are still not sure why you spent money on a SACD player, this version of Avalon will eliminate all uncertainty. Even if you were unfamiliar with the original or not a fan of it, you will not be able to refrain from enjoying the experience provided by this disc. It is remarkable.

I dearly wish I had bought the SACD version of "Avalon" when it first came out. I've always liked Roxy Music, but didn't think I was enough of a fan at the time, given other purchases I really wanted to make. Well, hindsight is 20/20, as they say. "Avalon" on SACD has become one of THE most sought-after multichannel mixes out there. Recently, despite the cost of acquiring a copy, I decided to get a used one through the amazon site.My verdict: "Avalon" ties for first place -- with Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" -- as the best rock release in SACD history. Bob Clearmountain's effort to transform "Avalon" from stereo to multichannel has resulted in one of the "must listen" discs for audiophiles.It helps that the music is so incredibly compelling. At the time of the album's original release in 1982, Roxy was at a creative peak, both in terms of songwriting and performance. "More Than This," the opener, is a beautiful little piece of ear candy, but like the rest of the album, listening to it multiple times reveals a depth you might not perceive at first. "The Space Between" isn't my favorite track on the album, but Bryan Ferry's vocals sound especially lush, and the surround mix puts the listener right in the middle of some tasty guitar and percussion parts.Then comes the title track, "Avalon." This is one of the pieces of music that will live in my memory till I die, and it's a song I return to over and over and over again. Part of the appeal is the song's mystery -- it really doesn't seem to have much to do with Arthurian legend, despite the album's cover, which is highly suggestive of the ever-popular English myth. The lyrics evoke a post-party ennui, though, and the music is incredibly seductive. Thematically, the song seems to open up with each verse, becoming less of a declaration than an exploration. "Yes the picture's changing," Ferry sings, "every moment / and your destination / you don't know it." Gee, sounds pretty much like my life, to be honest.Roxy Music never was a band that wanted to hit you over the head with a 2 by 4, and this album is especially subtle. Clearmountain has used the 5.1 mix to emphasize that aspect of the band. On the title track and elsewhere, Andy Mackay's saxophone is mixed in the right rear channel, and when he plays his usually sparse parts, it's like a soft, cool breath on the back of your neck.Some other great stuff here: "Take a Chance With Me" and "To Turn You On," both of which present a persona who hasn't exactly succeeded at relationships and knows it -- yet can't stop himself from trying to charm. Also of note: The instrumental "India," for which the original multi-track tapes could not be found. Clearmountain and Co. solved the problem by panning the song clockwise around the room for the 5.1 mix; since it's the only song for which only a stereo mix was available, it comes off as a great solution."Avalon" was a great capstone to Roxy's career, and we are fortunate indeed that the powers that be chose it for 5.1 presentation. It's kind of the musical equivalent of a fashion model: It's not afraid to be beautiful -- and, in this case, the beauty is far more than skin deep.