Every Breath You Take [SACD, Import]

I bought this thinking it was a DVD-Audio disc. IT IS NOT. It is a DTS-encoded CD, which means surround sound but not fantastic quality. I've since noticed there's a SACD of the same album available on Amazon - buy that one instead if you have an SACD player.

Just how SACD should be..great multi-channel mixes (surround sound).

In 5.1, the classic songs on this album do take a bit of getting used to, but I reckon are ultimately an improvement on the original. As a hybrid cd, this CD can also be played on an ordinary cd player in old fashioned stereo.

Great value and a great example of the new(ish) technology and how we will listen to the next generation of albums.

This is a review of the DTS (Digital Theatre Surround) version of 'Every breath you take, The Classics' by the Police. For those who don't know, this is an audio CD of the album, re-mixed for a 5.1 DTS capable surround processor. DTS is the more recent, and far more superior in terms of sound quality, system used in movies for surround sound. This disc is not a DVD with a DTS soundtrack - it has no video content - but is a re-mastered and mixed version of the album first available in 1995.
My original CD compilation of the Police dates from 1986, and my comments on the new version therefore reflect comparisons with that version. First of all, how can you play this new disc? You will need either a CD or DVD player with a digital output linked to a surround amplifier or processor which can decode the DTS soundtrack. If you do not have this capability, it is possible to play it on a DVD player that has an on-board DTS decoder, (not to be confused with a player that can only output a DTS signal) and then you can connect it through your player's analogue output to the line input on a stereo amplifier. This will give you a high quality stereo mix, but not the full 5.1 mix.
Now to the music. My first listen was with the surround effects switched off, giving a stereo image. Compared to my 1986 compilation, the first thing that hit me was the altogether more realistic sound. The comparison would be the difference between listening to the band perform on stage behind the curtain, and then with the curtain raised. Sting's vocals are more focused with greater clarity and you can hear the breath in his voice. Andy Summer's guitar takes on a bell-like quality, his riffs coming through loud and clear. Stewart Copeland's drumming comes across with more attack and his excellent rhythmic patterns are easily picked out. Sting's bass is possibly a little more prominent than on my 1986 album, but it does not take anything away from the other instruments, and gives a livelier feel to the album. 'Don't stand so close to me' is the original version, not the 1986 re-mix, but 'De do do do de da da da' is not a version that I have heard before. Perhaps it comes from the 1986 sessions? It starts with 8 bars of wonderfully clear 'a cappella' singing before the instruments join in. It is a more laid back version and the urgency of Stewart's drumming is no longer there. Whether it is better than the original is a matter of taste, but the sound quality is excellent. Switching on the surround sound has the amazing effect of opening up the sound stage so that you can pinpoint the components parts more precisely than before. The amount of information coming from each channel varies from track to track, but it is a very pleasurable experience. All in all, this is an excellent album in an excellent new mix. Is it worth the extra money? If you really appreciate quality music, and you already have a good quality surround system, then this is for you.
The main difficulty for me in pursuing DTS recordings is their lack of availability. Here Amazon comes to the rescue! I had been trying to obtain another DTS title ('Band on the run') from a couple of mail-order services since March 2001, with no success. I ordered that title, plus 2 more, on the 8th November from Amazon, and received them on 30th November. Amazing!
I listened to the disc through my hi-fi separates system to which I have added a surround processor, surround and centre speakers, and a sub-woofer. If you are not into movies but are following the line of multi-channel audio, provided your processor has a DTS decoder, this album will play on a multi-channel SACD player using the digital output from the CD player.