Customer Reviews

Ritchie Valens - Greatest Hits

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

 

 

This is THE set to buy if you want Ritchie Valens. The disc was mastered directly from the original master tapes and the sound of the disc is the sound of the tapes. No compression, no crappy noise reduction, no inflated EQ. It's certainly the most impressive sounding Valens collections.

It was done with the help of Ritchie's original producer. The word 'Definitive' should be used in describing this set.

If you have any interest in Ritchie Valen's music at all, this is the disc to get. The sound is phenomenal. Since this disc has two layers of music, the regular CD layer as well as the SACD layer, this disc will be forward compatible with all of tommorows stereos. But there is more to this disc than just two layers of music. This disc was remastered straight from the original vault tapes using the most modern DSD (direct stream digital) technology by Steve Hoffman. DSD technology closely mathces the high quality analog equipment that this music was originally recorded on. This ultra-high tech DSD technology gives Ritchie Valen's music a real warm feeling, a realistic feel that this 50's music really utilizes to it's fullest potential. Buy this disc before they are all gone, you won't be disappointed.

There's been a number of Ritchie Valens re-issues over the years, but for most, one solid disc should do the trick. THIS is the disc. Valens only had three, maybe four hits, the best being "La Bamba," "Donna," and "Come On Let's Go," and you get all that here plus every good studio recording he cut during his short career.

As everyone says, this is a hybrid SACD so it'll play on all CD players, and those with SACD players are treated to a hi-resolution DSD mastering with even better sound. BUT, I've got to warn you, these are NOT hi-fidelity recordings. Still, these were taken from the best tapes, and this is the best they will ever sound.

As for the complaints regarding 'bad' sound, first of all, these were originally recorded in MONO. No true stereo mixes will ever exist from these recordings.

Some recommended the soundtrack to the 1980's "La Bamba" movie, or recalled that the music sounded better on that soundtrack. It's not a bad CD, but those are RE-RECORDINGS. The great L.A. band Los Lobos were asked to re-record Ritchie Valens's recordings for that film, and their new recordings were used for the soundtrack. Los Lobos's re-recordings were recorded on better studio equipment in stereo, thirty years after the fact. THAT is why they sound a lot better. In other words, they are not the originals, so if you want to hear the original versions done by Ritchie himself, THIS disc by Audio Fidelity is the one to get.

Yesman is right that this is THE Ritchie Valens disc to buy as it contains within its 20 tracks right from the master tape with no unnecessary noise reduction, no excess compression and no EQ boosting. This is a hybrid SACD which means that you can either listen to it in high resolution on an SACD player or in "standard CD" sound but still excellent sound in your existing CD player. The only key track missing is "Little Girl" but I have this song in excellent sound on the budget 2 CD "Original Jukebox Hits" on the EMI UK budget subsidiary label Disky, which is available right here at Amazon and has lots of hard to find oldies making it a must have along with this disc. On another note, the original producer did supervise the remastering that Steve Hoffman did.

Can't say enough good things about this CD! The late Ritchie Valens was an up and coming super star whose life tragically ended at age 17 in the plane crash, along with Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper.

His guitar playing is unlike anything I've ever heard. He could really make that guitar talk, especially on songs like "Ooh, My Head" and the instrumental piece "Fast Freight". His adaptation of the classic folk song "La Bamba" is a timless piece that will never lose it's appeal. The love ballad, "Donna", that he wrote for his girlfriend is just precious and the always uplifting "Come On, Let's Go" is a favorite. The two demos at the end, of "That's My Little Suzie" and "In A Turkish Town" are a great addition. Speaking of the song "In A Turkish Town"....it is so beautiful and exquisite that upon reading the liner notes, I saw that Ritchie wrote the song. All I could say was "Wow."

And that voice! Such a strong, tenor he was. I'd have to say he had one of the most unique voices in rock music. Right up there with the likes of Robert Plant or Freddie Mercury.

It is so tragic to have lost such a gifted young man but I can imagine, he's up in Heaven jammin' away!

Rest in peace Ritchie. Thank you for sharing your talent with the world.

First off, I hate that this went out of print and that the prices are so high for it. This is supposedly the only time the actual masters themselves were used for a cd, and for that reason alone, this should be *the* Valens disc on the market.
Between that, and Steve Hoffman's mastering, I don't believe it is possible to get Ritchie's music to sound any better.

(By the way, I wrote Audio Fidelity after hearing this disc for the first time. It was the second SACD I bought. They said they are not issuing any more SACD's due to lack of interest. I think the prices this disc commands indicates some "interest". )

I have never heard these songs sound any better, and I doubt you will either.
The problem for me is that there is quite a bit of filler here. No insult to Ritchie--I think all 50's acts recorded some lackluster tracks to fill out an album. I am a huge Buddy Holly fan, but there is a reason I play "Greatest Hits" and not the album re-issues.

The bottom line is La Bamba, Come On Let's Go, & Donna are essential to any music collection, and there is no better way to hear them then this Super Audio CD. I have played these tracks from this disc over and over. But I only play a couple of the other tracks here and there.
It's a somewhat expensive way to get three songs, but it's still worth it, still a must own, to have the definitive edition of those three.

This CD is a great copy of the original LP Record, that was released in the late 50's.
Being an anvid fan of Ritchie Valens, I find this to be a relic to my Valens collection. You won't find a better release than this one.
Long Live the music of Ritchie Valens,
Julian

The album is great for the song content. Valens did a great job on these, especially if you are a fifties music affectionato.

The plastic outer case was broken on the album I received.

I grew up hearing these tunes and I was surprised how terrible this CD sounded. The music was flabby and full of tape hiss and worst of all nothing is in stereo. I have the soundtrack to La Bamba and that sounds so much better and I brought that over 10 years ago!! I should have known better about buying this CD. The cover looks very chessy to like the CD's sold in a drug store for $3. Never again.

Thinking this was a freshly re-mastered collection of Valens' greatest, I was heartily disappointed with the muddy sound. Don't waste you money on this, try "The Ritchie Valens Story" cd on the Del-Phi label or better yet, listen to Los Lobos' take on Valens hits on the digitally recorded La Bamba Soundtrack.