Customer Reviews

Cosmo's Factory

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

My first remastered CCR SACD and it did not disappoint. Do not be afraid of the higher cost of this disc because once you hear
it you will be impressed. Every song is at least good but most are excellent. Analogue Productions did well with this material
and I will buy the remaining CCR discs for certain.

Having written about being an SACD fan, this SACD release is what it's all about. One of my favorite albums finally available in the ultimate digital version. The remastering is great. The SACD presentation is fantastic. Just putting it on to listen is like falling in love with it all over again, almost 40 years later. And without any of the hassle of a record. If the other CCR SACD releases are as good as this, maybe SACD will survive yet.

I don't have an SACD player yet, so I bought this hoping the CD layer was better than the two previous redbook CD versions I already own. Based on those two versions, I was thinking that CCR must have been recorded poorly, but Analogue Productions proved that thinking to be wrong.

AP's CD layer is a HUGE improvement as it sounds much more natural without any of the shrillness or glare that the K2 remaster had, or flat lifelessness of the original Fantasy CD. It's not perfect, by any means, but it's such an improvement that I bought the rest of CCR's catalog from Analogue Productions. So now, not only do I have the best CD version available, I also now have the the SACD version for that day when I pony up the cash to get the SACD player that I want.

It is important to distinguish that this review is about the SACD, not the album in general. Everyone will have their favourite CCR album - this is mine. Not right or wrong, it just is!

What I want to write about is the sound. SACD in concept is superior to 'Redbook' CD - the norm. Even in the various Redbook forms - XRCD, HDCD, Blu Spec, etc., these are variations on the same thing. SACD is, in theory, different. Whether you hear it or not will depend first and most importantly on whether your player can read this layer. If not, it doesn't matter.

If it does, read on.

I don't have a top of the line audio system. But, it is good enough to distinguish a satisfactory SACD from a great one. Cosmo's Factory is satisfactory as an SACD. Not great (see Roxy Music's Avalon or Santana's Abraxas for that). That is why it gets 4 stars though the album is a 5 star one.

Is it worth the upgrade in this case? Not really. So much depends on the original recording - CCR had good recordings but not so much that the benefits of SACD make a big difference. I'm not sorry I have this because it is my favourite. Do I want to get the rest of the collection in SACD? Nope. I have gold copies of both Chronicles, Vol. 1 and 2. They sound just as good, maybe better to my ears.

My recommendation? Get the gold - both Chronicles. They hit the CCR high points with excellent sound.

If you love a CCR album, sure, go ahead and get the SACD. You won't be disappointed. You just won't be amazed.

I hope this helps. If I hadn't tried at least one SACD of Creedence, I wouldn't have known and this was the one for me to try.

This album was their "Abbey Road" you couldn't top this one, not even they could. The packaging is nice, the booklet is informative, but the bonus tracks didn't knock me out making me feel like this version is any better than the version I already have. Whoever compiled the bonus tracks gets an "F"

If you want to listen these CCR SACD in a multichannel sound, forget it!!! I bought these SACD but the sound is in Stereo. A hybrid stereo SACD. A true gimmick!!!

I don't have anything to compare this to as it is my first SACD purchase. I guess I had higher expectations than this could deliver on. It doesn't seem the sound quality is greatly different than other discs.