jphalter@ihuxb.UUCP (n) (10/19/83)
I thought I'd get this newsgroup started with some reviews of the CD's I've heard. I could use advice on well recorded classical and pop/jazz CD's if there are any volunteers out there. One of the better CD ideas coming from CBS is a repackaging of Simon & Garfunkel standards into a CD called "The Simon & Garfunkel Collection." This CD contains all of the cuts from the old Greatest Hits album and includes some additional cuts from Bridge Over Troubled Water and Bookends. CBS has put a total of 17 songs (51 minutes) onto this CD, rather than just one album. Applause, applause. The sound quality of this CD can never be as good as the medium is capable of. Most of these songs were recorded in the mid-late 60's and the background tape hiss advertises this fact. Still, many of the songs have dynamics and overall instrument clarity unheard of on the LP version. Mrs. Robinson and At The Zoo stick out in my memory. A few songs suffer from excessively close-miking and/or horrible mixing. The ending of Bridge Over Troubled Water contains some especially raucous sounding strings, but then the LP version wasn't much better. Nonetheless, I pleased to see the CD manufacturers issuing what are effectively copies of their master recordings on the CD format. My old LP's have seen better days and I appreciate having the opportunity to replace them on CD. That's all.