Hourglass (Sl) [Super Audio CD - DSD]

James Taylor | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 31, 2001)
• Please Note: Requires SACD-compatible hardware
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Super Audio CD - DSD
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00005MJXR
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #215,902 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Line 'Em Up

2. Enough to Be on Your Way

3. Little More Time With You

4. Gaia

5. Ananas

6. Jump up Behind Me

7. Another Day

8. Up Er Mei

9. Up from Your Life

10. Yellow and Rose

11. Boatman

12. Walking My Baby Back Home

Editorial Reviews

The simplicity of this Hourglass (2003) begins with whats not there, namely a wooden holder. In addition to nothing hiding the black sand from view, the hand-blown glass is wonderfully clear and the pinched center maximizes the contrast between empty and full as the sand slowly slips through. Its an elegant solution for timing any activity that lasts for 45 minutes, especially where a ticking clock or stopwatch would be disruptive.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 4 stars for the music, and an extra for the luscious sound, May 6, 2005

By 

Jason P. Gold (Long Beach, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hourglass (Sl) (Audio CD)

It is amazing to me that the balladeers of the late `60s and early `70s don't get any airplay on the classic rock stations. JT was, and remains, one of the best. He has one of the easiest to listen to voices I can recall hearing. Whether backed by only a six string guitar or the entire band, you can just sit back, close your eyes and relax. The songs on this album are classic JT, with no throw-away material. With the SACD version, you get very high quality sound reproduction. This recording is wonderfully warm, clean and open. You can hear the air around JT's voice. My breathing slows down listening to this SACD. This was the first SACD I purchased several years ago, and it still gets listened to more than many of the more recently purchased SACDs simply because of its sheer aural beauty.

Why buy the SACD? After listening to DVD-A and SACD for some time, I really have gotten to dislike listening to CDs because CDs sound harsh and brittle. CDs produce listening fatigue in minutes. It is hard to explain the subjective difference between the sound produced by SACD and DVD-Audio and the sound produced by a CD. Essentially, it is like trying to reproduce cool seaside air with the dry brittle air blowing out of an airconditioning nozzle in a jet airplane. In a very literal sense, the CD format is like playing a violin with a hack saw -- there is simply no way to smooth out the saw teeth sufficiently to make it sound correct. SACD and DVD-Audio fix the problem by giving you enough data to filter out the audible errors created by digitizing analog sound.

Enjoy!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm not even a JT Fan, December 26, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Hourglass (Sl) (Audio CD)

But this SACD is an awesome sound experience. I originally purchased this SACD for my wife, but when I listened to it, I was absolutely blown away with the sound quality. JT was in my living room, and the neighbors thought so too. My 7.1 system using Monitor Audio S10 mains powered by Denon Amps show the system off right. The track "Gaia," about 4 minutes in shows the tighest, cleanest low end of any SACD I have. I listen to this CD often and am waiting for another JT SACD in hopes that it is as fine a production as this one certainly is.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite cd, September 28, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Hourglass (Sl) (Audio CD)

James Taylor is only getting better. Most singers lose something along the way after as many years of singing and songwriting as JT has done, but not him. I love every single one of the songs on this album (except maybe "Yellow and Rose"), and would highly recommend it to all JT fans and new listeners. Almost all of the lyrics are interesting, especially those of "Line 'Em Up" and "Enough To Be On Your Way". My absolute favorite is "Another Day" which is classic JT: beautiful and moving. Buy this cd; it's the best.