What are your 10 favorite Quad LP's and/or Tapes?

[Quad Linda]

It's my 100th post and I've been on QQ for a month. Being the SQueaky wheel, it's time for an argument starter. Although many of these titles have been discussed in individual threads, it would be fun to hear about everyone's faves. I'm not even sure that these are my definitive list. I've only had 35-40 years to audition them. LOL!! So, would you kindly post your faves, with or with out reviews? Thanks, Linda

1- Sundown-Gordon Lightfoot CD-4/Q8/Q4 The singles "Sundown" and "Carefree Highway" are fantastic. Seven Island Suite is wonderful. "Lovers will desert you when you're down and S*O*L*." Nice Quad mix, good fidelity for the time. CD-4 was my first copy. The Mofi 2-ch LP is pretty hot, too. I had heard some of his stuff, but this one made me a fan. Have seen him live at the Desert Inn (RIP) and Ravinia 3X.

2- Birds of Fire-Mahavishnu Orchestra SQ/Q8 John McLaughlin and Billy Cobham are amazing. Chicago's own Jerry Goodman knows how to fiddle. How do you engineer a five-piece jazz-fusion band with no vocals for Quad? Give everyone their own channel, plus one across the back. The cover artwork is gorgeous, too. Miles Ahead, indeed.

3- Sly & the Family Stone's Greatest SQ/Q8 Take an integrated band with men, women and horns. Add an album that was an abortion of engineering in stereo, and you have a natural for Quad. Columbia knew mono rechanneled for Quad wouldn't cut it. So, back to the masters to create a Quad masterpiece. Our hi-fi store sold software, too. One day a girl came in looking for a 2ch Sly's Greatest. I persuaded her to buy the Quad. She came back and loved it though her 2ch. It was better than her girlfriend's "non-2ch" stereo copy. If ya gotta pick one Quad title anyone can dig, this is it!

4- Blood, Sweat & Tears (2) SQ/Q8 I bought BS&T "Child" w/Al Kooper. When he left, I didn't see how they could top that with some unknown vocalist. But they did! What a potent brew: nine guys (shoulda done 8.1), powerful vocals, horns, Kooper's ghost & Guercio. A natural for Quad. Even in stereo, it ranks in my top 10. I've owned 8 copies of this, including SQ & Q8. Great Quad mix. Great writing: Satie, Winwood, Holiday, Nyro, and great originals from Katz and Clayton-Thomas. Hits: Spinning Wheel, God Bless the Child, And When I Die and You've Made Me So Very Happy. Prior to this album, Laura Nyro was the vocalist w/BS&T. She was dating Jim Fielder, the bassist. Nothing was ever released with her & BS&T. Hey, Sony, comb those vaults. I love to hear that, even in mono with "bathtub fidelity." "Bar mitzvah soul?" I don't think so.

5- Chicago X SQ/Q8 Another nine guys made for Quad. There are a couple better albums of theirs in SQ, but I'll save those for my modern multi list. Great mix, great tunes. If You Leave Me Now went to #1. There are a lot of better tunes than that here. You Get it Up sounds like War. Funky. Mama Mama is seductive. Scrapbook is autobiographical cool. Another Rainy Day in NYC. Been there when it rained for days. NYC is in my heart, so is Chicago.

6- Santana III SQ/Q8 I ain't got NOBODY, that I can depend on. A smokin' jam firing sequentially through four speakers. Get the sound around you. Santana w/horns IS Everybody's Everything in Quad. Two guitarists that can KILL: Santana & Neil Schon. A cover evoking 2001:Space Odyssey. Sorry, no gatefold in SQ, just a single Gold bordered sleeve. Coke Escovedo added his own fire. WOW!

7- Message from a Drum-Redbone SQ/Q8 "Still, it hurts to find some people unkind." So, the message begins. Another Louisiana swamp filled Bay area band that percolates. Marie, the vodoo, Laveaux lives. A Witch Queen Never Dies! Got a Q8 of this the day I got my Akai CR80-DSS. I sat and listened in awe. Two years later, Come and Get Your Love stormed the charts. In the midst of Quad, we anticipated an SQ of Wovoka w/ the hit. It never came. That album smoked, but this one is better. Great mix, eschewing pan pots in favor of getting intimate with a small rock band. Alumni of the Shindogs and Niki Hoeky. Can you dig zombie voodoo gris-gris? It's Fate!

8- Nilsson Schmilsson CD-4/Q8/Q4 "On a fence with bits of crap around the bottom," sung so sweetly that it didn't sound like crap. Got this one soon after my Q8 deck. Later got a promo CD-4. Thanks, RCA! Without You and Coconut are great, but there's lots more incredible stuff here. Nilsson rocks out on Jump Into the Fire. There are lots of different edits/mixes of this song. The Mofi Gold CD features a false start. The Quad mix/edit is the bomb! Makes a great case for Nilsson and CD-4.

9- Red Octopus-Jefferson Starship CD-4/Q8 Miracles, my #2 song of all time is here. Isn't that enough? My #1 song isn't on this top 10 list, but it's on my modern multi list, though I have an SQ and Quadio of it. Listen closely to the background vocals on Miracles. They're beautiful. Fast Buck Freddie kicks off the festivities. Think fast! Creach fiddles around. Imagine bring this home as a new release on CD-4. Life was good.

10- Azteca SQ/Q8 16-piece band in Quad. No need for panning. Four to a channel, no pushing, It's not exactly like that, but you get the idea. Five lead vocalists and some cooking jams. Pete & Coke Escovedo, and Paul Jackson, pre-Head Hunters. Some great writing, though nothing you ever heard on radio. Once again, a gold border, but no gatefold sleeve for the extra buck. After 40 years, they've reunited and have a live CD & DVD-V out. Get it, once you become familiar with the songs, you won't forget it! "I'm in love, with lovely feelings, and they come from everywhere."

OK, many of my faves are missing here, and I'll bet many of yours are, too. There are six Quad titles which belong here, but that I deliberately left off. It's because they're out in 5.1 and I'll review those on my moden multi Top 10. Stay tuned.

:51banana:

 

[DennisMabry]

Fun Thread!


Blue Oyster Cult - Secret Treaties Q8, SQ
The Temptations - All Directions CD-4
Aerosmith - Get Your Wings Q8, SQ
Black Sabbath - Paranoid Q8, CD-4
Frank Zappa - Apostrophe' Q8, CD-4
Jethro Tull - War Child Q4, Q8, CD-4
Nilsson - Schmilsson Q4, Q8, CD-4
Kraftwerk - Autobahn Q8
Sly And The Family Stone - Greatest Hits Q8, SQ
Deep Purple - Machine Head Q4, Q8, CD-4

Dennis

 

[Q-Eight]

I have to narrow it down to 10?? Well, allright - I'll try! There are so many that are so good for a myriad of reasons but I'll try and narrow down top 10. All mine will be Q8 or CD-4 choices as I think SQ is plain rubbish.

(In no particular order):

#1 - The Guess Who Best of Volume 2: Much better mix than on Volume 1, though admittedly the songs on #1 were much stronger being of the Bachman/Cummings era. Curt Winter was no slouch, but there is a definite different feel of the band by #2. Still, great mix other than "Running back to Saskatoon" which has odd drum placement. Enjoy some of the playful ping-ponging on this one. Shame "Live @ the Paramount" never made it to Quad.

#2 - The Raiders Indian Reservation: Title track is a must have for ANY Quaddie. This song was HUGE back in the day. I would also say this is one of the top most common Quad tapes I've ever seen. Great mix, very active but doesn't rely on too many panning tricks. Love the split vocals on "Res".

#3 - Santana Abraxas : Don't think I need to go into detail on this one. Killer album. Fantastic, active mix; good songs.

#4 - Grass Roots 16 Greatest : Yeah, I mention it. What it lacks in Quadness, it does make up for being on of the top selling albums of all time. The mixes do suffer on the four-track songs obviously but the 8 and 16 track songs are good. Not great, but good. Both versions of this album differ greatly so it's hard to pick a favorite.

#5 - Simon & Garfunkel Bridge over Troubled Water : Classic Album. Made for great Quad.

#6 - From Elvis in Memphis : I swear to god, this Q8 has a swapped channel. Corrected, it sounds amazing. "I'm Movin' On", "Gentle on my Mind", "Power of my Love".... some of the strongest songs Elvis ever recorded and nicely mixed in Quad - Especially Movin' On and Gentle. This is another album you can listen to splice to splice and enjoy every track.

#7 - Any of the Jerry Reed Q8's. All good mixes, some great songs. They really should have done a Best of or Greatest Hits for Jerry in Quad.

#8 - Either Eagles Q8's. Solid Mixes, Good tunes.

#9 - Billy Preston Music is my Life : Will it go 'round in Circles? In Quad? Yes.

#10 - Ike & Tina Turner Live @ Carnegie : I like it. You're THERE. Ground-pounding tunes, too.

 

[JonUrban]

Accessing..............................

 

[Doug G.]

Shu'n't this maybe be in Quad Corner since it's not format specific?

I don't mean to be a niggler.

Anyway, I'll pick out my 10 favorites and be back later.

Doug

 

[Doug G.]

OK, I'm back with my 10.

1. The Best of The Doors - Elektra CD-4 - The Doors have always been in my top 5 groups so this is without question for me. The whispers in the back channels. The unconventional guitar solo left back in "Moonlight Drive". The incredible presence of Morrison's voice in CD-4. What else do you need to show off quad?

2. Santana Abraxas - Columbia SQ - Although it could almost be any of their albums (especially III), Abraxas has always been my favorite. It just burns. Oye Como Va is my all-time favorite Santana piece.

3. Tomita, Snowflakes Are Dancing - RCA CD-4 - These electronic interpretations of DeBussey's most famous works are incredible to begin with in regular stereo and in quad are just out of this world and put you in a soundfield from which there is no escape until the record is over. This is another example of where it could almost be any of Tomita's quad output.

4. Gordon Lightfoot, Sundown - Reprise CD-4 - As I have said elsewhere in this forum, a perfectly executed CD-4 record and if all CD-4 records would've had the same production results as this one, there would have been no contest as to the format winner. What Linda said above and I also like "High and Dry" with Catherine Smith's back channel harmony. Actually, at any one time, this could be anywhere in the top four, including #1.

5. Joni Mitchell, Court and Spark - Asylum CD-4 - OK, so I have always been in love with Joni too as well as with Carly so what's a guy to do? Besides, Court and Spark is a wonderful album and extra wonderful in CD-4. Stuff comes out of those back channels almost startingly sometimes. About the only flub was neglecting to maintain the continuity between "People's Parties" and "Same Situation". They are supposed to flow one into the next and they dorked it up on the quad version.

6. Joni Mitchell - "The Hissing of Summer Lawns" - Asylum CD-4 - Joni gets two in here because the two are equally wonderful. You just can't quit this album until it's over.

7. The Best of Carly Simon - Elektra CD-4 - The collection of all her best and the discrete quad adds so much to these songs. Especially the guitar and Jagger's voice out of the right back in "You're So Vain" which aren't near as noticeable in the regular version. One of the exceptions to negative reactions of "Best of" albums. I even loved the regular stereo version before I had the CD-4.

8. Switched On Bach, Walter Carlos - Columbia SQ - I know he/she says it doesn't work. I say it does.

9. Chopin, All the Works for Piano and Orchestra - Vox three record "Vox Box" QS - Chopin happens to be my favorite composer and this production of his orchestral works is incredible. QS adds to the feeling of witnessing live performances. My favorites here are "Andante Spianato and Grande Polonaise" and "Krakowiak".

10. Ravel, All the Works for Orchestra - Vox four record "Vox Box" QS - Ravel is right up there too and the esotericness of his works is accentuated in quad. Incredible spaciousness recorded in Orcestra Hall in Minneapolis.

As Linda indicated, it's difficult to select 10 favorites but there you have it.

Doug

 

[Quad Linda]

Best of the Doors and Abraxas would be in my top 10, but they're on my forthcoming "resurrected Quad titles on modern multi" list. OK, it's Perception on that list, not "Best of."

Back in the day, the Doors were a "go to" title for demoing Quad. The CD-4 title that refused to die! We demoed the CD-4 and sold lots of Q8 car decks by demoing the Doors. And the orange cartridge looked cool. "Stronger than dirt," indeed!

Guess Who's Live at the Paramount is available on Buddha/RCA CD 74465 99753 2 with 6 bonus tracks. I found this one new at Borders. It was $3.60 after 40% off on my rewards plus card. The bonus tracks are:
1-Rain Dance
2-These Eyes
3-Sour Suite
4-Hand Me Down World
5-Share the Land
6-No Time

It was a good album made better with the addition of four more hits.

Linda
21st Century Fox

 

[Doug G.]

Yeah, "stronger than dirt" was a surprise when I first heard it because it wasn't on the original single.

And it's a lot easier to hear in quad than in regular stereo.

I had another thought about "People's Parties" and "Same Situation" on Court and Spark too.

What if Joni was involved in the quad production and what if she said, "Ya know, I never liked the way we joined those two songs in the regular stereo version. How's about we separate them."

That would throw a whole different light on it now, wouldn't it?

Doug

 

[Quad Linda]

Doug, the next time you run into Joni Mitchell, you can get the real story. Hah!

Morrison was, of course, lampooning the Ajax white night with that "stronger than dirt" line.

Linda
Stronger than Stereo

Yeah, "stronger than dirt" was a surprise when I first heard it because it wasn't on the original single.

And it's a lot easier to hear in quad than in regular stereo.

I had another thought about "People's Parties" and "Same Situation" on Court and Spark too.

What if Joni was involved in the quad production and what if she said, "Ya know, I never liked the way we joined those two songs in the regular stereo version. How's about we separate them."

That would throw a whole different light on it now, wouldn't it?

Doug

 

[steelydave]

So, this is my first post on QQ in years...but a good way to start I think.

Linda, I wanted to reply to a couple of yours, if you don't mind:

2- Birds of Fire-Mahavishnu Orchestra SQ/Q8 John McLaughlin and Billy Cobham are amazing. Chicago's own Jerry Goodman knows how to fiddle. How do you engineer a five-piece jazz-fusion band with no vocals for Quad? Give everyone their own channel, plus one across the back. The cover artwork is gorgeous, too. Miles Ahead, indeed.

One of my favourite albums, but I think this quad mix is a real missed opportunity. It sounds like they just took the stereo mix and threw the drums in the rear speakers, aside from that one acoustic song at the end. As much as I love listening to Cobham unaccompanied (dig the wide stereo panned double bass drums!) I much prefer the mix on Between Nothingness and Eternity, the live album recorded in Chicago a couple of years later, which has Goodman's violin in one rear speaker and Hammer's keyboards in the other rear speaker, and the guitar and rhythm section up front. It's especially effective when they trade off solos.

3- Sly & the Family Stone's Greatest SQ/Q8 Take an integrated band with men, women and horns. Add an album that was an abortion of engineering in stereo, and you have a natural for Quad. Columbia knew mono rechanneled for Quad wouldn't cut it. So, back to the masters to create a Quad masterpiece. Our hi-fi store sold software, too. One day a girl came in looking for a 2ch Sly's Greatest. I persuaded her to buy the Quad. She came back and loved it though her 2ch. It was better than her girlfriend's "non-2ch" stereo copy. If ya gotta pick one Quad title anyone can dig, this is it!

Completely agree, for material that was surely all recorded on 8 tracks, it's excellent. I never thought drums isolated in one speaker could sound so good!

4- Blood, Sweat & Tears (2) SQ/Q8 I bought BS&T "Child" w/Al Kooper. When he left, I didn't see how they could top that with some unknown vocalist. But they did! What a potent brew: nine guys (shoulda done 8.1), powerful vocals, horns, Kooper's ghost & Guercio. A natural for Quad. Even in stereo, it ranks in my top 10. I've owned 8 copies of this, including SQ & Q8. Great Quad mix. Great writing: Satie, Winwood, Holiday, Nyro, and great originals from Katz and Clayton-Thomas. Hits: Spinning Wheel, God Bless the Child, And When I Die and You've Made Me So Very Happy. Prior to this album, Laura Nyro was the vocalist w/BS&T. She was dating Jim Fielder, the bassist. Nothing was ever released with her & BS&T. Hey, Sony, comb those vaults. I love to hear that, even in mono with "bathtub fidelity." "Bar mitzvah soul?" I don't think so.

Agreed this is an excellent mix, especially for an album recorded in 1969, a testament to the prowess of James William Guercio as are all the Chicago quad mixes. For BS&T quads I actually prefer the album 'New City' which seems to get terrible reviews by critics, but which I think is excellent - their cover of Ride Captain Ride just kills and the quad mix is excellent, as are most of the latter-era Columbia mixes. I guess having been released in 1975 they were probably working with way more in terms of multitracks as opposed to the 2nd album, which was surely done on 8 or 16 tracks.

5- Chicago X SQ/Q8 Another nine guys made for Quad. There are a couple better albums of theirs in SQ, but I'll save those for my modern multi list. Great mix, great tunes. If You Leave Me Now went to #1. There are a lot of better tunes than that here. You Get it Up sounds like War. Funky. Mama Mama is seductive. Scrapbook is autobiographical cool. Another Rainy Day in NYC. Been there when it rained for days. NYC is in my heart, so is Chicago.

Again, completely agree, but I have a different favourite Chicago quad album, which I'll talk about below. I think the Chicago quad mixes really set the bar for consistency and quality.

6- Santana III SQ/Q8 I ain't got NOBODY, that I can depend on. A smokin' jam firing sequentially through four speakers. Get the sound around you. Santana w/horns IS Everybody's Everything in Quad. Two guitarists that can KILL: Santana & Neil Schon. A cover evoking 2001:Space Odyssey. Sorry, no gatefold in SQ, just a single Gold bordered sleeve. Coke Escovedo added his own fire. WOW!

If Chicago were #1 for consistency and quality in Columbia mixes, then Santana surely weren't far behind. Again I like III, but I have another favourite that I'll talk about later. What I wouldn't do for a lossless box set of the Santana quad mixes!

10- Azteca SQ/Q8 16-piece band in Quad. No need for panning. Four to a channel, no pushing, It's not exactly like that, but you get the idea. Five lead vocalists and some cooking jams. Pete & Coke Escovedo, and Paul Jackson, pre-Head Hunters. Some great writing, though nothing you ever heard on radio. Once again, a gold border, but no gatefold sleeve for the extra buck. After 40 years, they've reunited and have a live CD & DVD-V out. Get it, once you become familiar with the songs, you won't forget it! "I'm in love, with lovely feelings, and they come from everywhere."

This is one of those hidden gems I would never have heard of if it weren't for quad. The mix is excellent and you can tell they took some time with it to get it right, because there are little touches like plate reverbs in the rear speakers on the handclaps that occur in the front speakers. Quad or not, this is a really good album - I discovered they did a second album which is really good as well, but alas there was no quad mix.


Now for mine - I'm not sure if these will be a 'top 10 favourite' per se, but more a list of quad mixes that were a revelation compared to the stereo version, or somehow special to me.

(and in no particular order)

1. Chicago VIII - probably the least 'famous' of the original lineup albums, but it does include the hits Old Days and Harry Truman. Chicago was my first love musically, so I know the stereo mix inside out, and I never loved it. With the stereo mix it sounds like they were trying to mix in the style of some of the old R&B and soul records, with the horns and rhythm section mixed in mono (center-panned in the stereo spectrum that is) and then the voices spread in stereo. I always felt the horns were way too low in the mix on this album as well, and the quad mix seems to right all these wrongs. Instrument balances and stereo imaging are way better, and the drums seem to have way more oomph (for lack of a better word) than the stereo version. There also seems to be way less reverb applied to the whole thing than the stereo version, which is a blessing. For me, easily the definitive version of the album.

2. Santana 'Caravanserai' - a pretty challenging album with hardly any vocals, this must've been hard for fans to digest coming off of the 3rd album in 1972. It's hard to explain exactly why this quad mix is so good, but this is a really atmospheric album and the mix suits it perfectly, from the sounds of crickets chirping around you, to the congas and bongos each isolated in their own rear speaker, for me it's all perfect. When I listen to this album in stereo I feel like I'm looking at a picture of something or watching it on TV; when I listen to it in quad it's like being there. Honourable mention to the Santana and Buddy Miles live album, which is also a revelation compared to the stereo version.

3. Doobie Brothers 'Stampede' - 'Take You In My Arms' was the hit off this album, and while it may seem like they were running out of steam as pop/rock songwriters, I think the songs on this album are some of their best even if they're not that commercially oriented. It's the kind of album I can put on and listen to from end to end without even noticing that the whole thing has slipped by. The quad mix is outstanding (as it is with all the Doobies quad albums) and it's great to hear the tandem drummer thing with each drummer getting 2 speakers. I think the standout track for me on this one is 'I Cheat The Hangman' which features a huge orchestra and starts out sounding like the Doobies, but by the end it sounds like The Beach Boys on a bad acid trip...and I mean that in the best way possible!

4. Aerosmith 'Rocks' - I never liked Aerosmith until I heard the quad mix of this album. Like a lot of the Columbia quads, a) it's a good mix and b) features bits and pieces that didn't appear in the stereo mixes. Highly reccomended, especially if all you know of Aerosmith is their 90's MTV music video music.

5. Jeff Beck 'Wired' - musically and mix-wise a better album than Blow By Blow in my opinion, it's a shame this was never put out on SACD as a followup to Blow By Blow. Fresh out of Mahavishnu Orchestra, Narada Michael Walden contributes some great songs and some even better drumming, assisted by another Mahavishnu alum, Jan Hammer, who is a great foil for Beck when they trade off solos. The mix on this is far superior to the stereo version, and features a bunch of alternate solos and instrumental bits left out of the stereo release.

6. Earth Wind & Fire - take your pick, they're all great. To steal a line from Linda, talk about a band built for quad.

7. Graham Central Station 'Ain't No Bout A Doubt It' - this is one of those albums where the quad mix is so good you'd suspect it was recorded with quad in mind and the stereo was an afterthought. The quad mix is adventurous, discrete, and well thought out. When I listen to tracks from this album on my mp3 player in stereo, it's always frustrating becaus I'm thinking to myself 'that part was better in the quad mix'.

8. Herbie Hancock 'Thrust' - not as critically acclaimed as Headhunters, but a better album in my opinion. The mix is excellent and very discrete (as you'd expect from Columbia) and the playing is off the chart...you can tell these guys had been touring for a year solid before this album came out.

9. Dave Mason 'Self-Titled' and 'Its Like You Never Left' - a couple more albums I never would've come across if it weren't for quad (and buying multiple tape lots of Q8s on eBay). Great songwriting and excellent playing from the former Traffic member - the mixes are again superb; the 'Its Like You Never Left' album features Crosby and Nash on backing vocals isolated in the rear speakers. I remember listening to the Self-Titled album with Neil Wilkes and him remarking that it was one of the best quad mixes he'd ever heard, so that should count for something!

10. Rufus 'Rags To Rufus' - just a killer R&B/Funk album, and like the Azteca album, you can tell they took their time with the mix - there's one song that starts off as a weird spacy jam in stereo only, and then right on a loud cymbal hit, the whole thing explodes in to immersive quad, and the jam takes off. One of those albums you probably won't know, but if you like Chaka Khan's voice and some really tight funky playing on top of some great songwriting it's well worth picking up.

Honourable mention to Steely Dan's Countdown To Ecstacy and can't buy a thrill, but there's something not quite perfect about them. They are definitely great, but things like The Boston Rag missing the vocal improvs over the chorus bug me.


Does anyone have the Isley Brothers quads (aside from 3+3)? I'd be curious to know if the mixes are as good as I hope/imagine they would be..

 

[Led9]

My SQ copy of Santana III always sounds wonky, like most of the bass is missing, especially on the first track. Anyone else have that problem? No issues with any other Santana SQ's. Caravanserai sounds fantastic. I have a Japanese SQ copy with the cool silver foil background cover.

Rick

 

[Quad Linda]

Believe it or not I never did have a B,S&T New City in Quad, something I intend to rectify. I own 2 copies and it's a KILLER! Ride is hot. Got to Get You Into My Life is its' best cover. I Was a Witness to a War charted low, but deserved better. I need this SQ.

I had a stereo Azteca before the Quad came out. Have both SQ & Q8, 4 copies total. Hated it on the first listen. The second album, Pyramid.. is nearly as good. It was hard to find on LP, even as a new release. Big $$ on Ebay. No CD yet. Azteca wasn't selling. SQueeze them out of the Quad equasion. They have a recent live DVD & CD. It's surpisingly good.

When I bought Caravanserai, I brought it to a friend's dorm room. He cracked, when are they going to play something? It's good, but takes some getting used to. Another gatefold stereo LP that came in a single sleeve in SQ. I've owned 7 copies. I'm used to it and love it. The 2ch SACD from Japan sounds good. The next two, Love, Devotion... & Welcome are wonderful.

I still like the Quad mix on Birds of Fire. With guys who can play like that, even mono would be OK. Well, maybe not.

Rufus is a hometown band, that morphed from the American Breed. Bend me, shape me, but tell me something good.

Linda

 

[Quad Linda]

A photo of that SQ Japan Caravanserai would be cool.

I first got Santana III in SQ. Where the hell is the bass? It's been a while since I played the Q8, but don't think the bottom is awful. I honestly don't recall the amount of bass on the 2ch LP. It's been 30 years since I had one. The low end on all the CD's seem adequate.

Another title that always seemed lacking on the low end was Buddy Miles' Chapter VII. I have an SQ, Q8, CD & 2 chLP. All but the CD lack lows. CD hit in late '09. For grins, I just put that CD on again. The bass is better on CD, but not great. Fake Quad of this is hot on my B&K! Chapter VII & Booger Bear are hidden Quad gems. What Chapter VII lacks in lows, it makes up for in performace & mix.

Linda

My SQ copy of Santana III always sounds wonky, like most of the bass is missing, especially on the first track. Anyone else have that problem? No issues with any other Santana SQ's. Caravanserai sounds fantastic. I have a Japanese SQ copy with the cool silver foil background cover.

Rick

 

[kap'n krunch]

Yes , Great Thread!
I agree with a lot of the titles here...and since I'm basically an SQ Head, I'll list my SQ favorites;

1-Deep Purple-Machine Head ...DP in real quad...just crank that sucka!!

2-Herbie Hancock-Sextant...far out stuff coming from all around ya....

3-Miles Davis- Bitches Brew-way ahead of its time!

4-Aerosmith- Rocks...all 3 of their quads are awesome, but this one is the best...TITA a close second

5- Edgar Winter group with Rick Derringer (1975)- a hidden gem- great songs, great mix, great cover

6-Santana-Caravanserai- a real trip...from the crickets to the percussion..and a long LP too...

7-Wings-Venus and Mars (OK, it's not SQ..)BOTR always gets the best rep, and it's a better mix, but this is one of the 1st LPs I ever bought and can't wait for a real good Q8 transfer (are you listening , Winopener? ;=) )

8-Pink Floyd- Wish you were here...yes, DSOTM is the better mix, but his one has a certain charm to it, plus the extra stuff that is not n the Stereo mix-great fidelity too...

9- Synergy- Electronic realizations for Rock Orchestra (another non SQ)...I hope Larry Fast gets this released properly, as he told me...it is a masterpiece of electronic music

10-Santana III- Yes, my favorite Santana LP ever. I have a DTS CD with a transfer from one of those elusive Quad Master tapes (I posted a few weeks ago a thread about seeing if anyone had it and could do a 96/24 DVDA) which has more bass than
the SQ or Q8 version. I consider this the zenith of the original Santana group.

 

[Led9]

Here's a pic of the Japanese SQ cover. Might be hard to tell but the inks are printed on a silver foil stock. It is a gatefold.

 

[sjcorne]

Fun old thread! I feel like I've posted to a "Top 10" thread before, but I guess it wasn't this one which refers to strictly quad mixes. Shoutout to @steelydave for that excellent old post upthread! I'm inspired to do my own in a similar fashion (and I guess I'm just in the mood to ramble on about old quads tonight ).

1. Deep Purple- "Machine Head" (UK Quad Mix). One of my favorite albums ever and possibly the best hard rock surround mix out there. I like every song, and the quad mix reveals all kinds of new layers of guitar and keyboard. I love the guitar part in the left rear channel during "Pictures Of Home"- the other two MCH mixes of this album bury that part almost entirely. This mix is four-corner discrete, with plenty of trading of solos in the rears, but it also has this nice slight front-to-back bleed on the vocals and drums that gives it a more natural sound compared to the stark isolation of instruments on a Columbia Q8. I usually play the SACD nowadays, but I still have the UK SQ LP and it still sounds really good. Most of my EMI UK SQs seem to be pressed on a heavier vinyl than CBS used for their SQ LPs here.

2. Paul Simon- "There Goes Rhymin' Simon". I like all 3 of Simon's quads (very different mix approaches on each as they were done by different engineers), but this one takes the cake for me as it has the best tunes and the best mix IMO. I think the Q8 is must for this one- the rear channel placements on songs like "Kodachrome" and "Was A Sunny Day" are so uber-discrete and subtle that the intended effect is completely lost even if you have the best decoder. I love every song and the quad mix reveals all kinds of interesting buried parts. It also helps that the Q8 is the best-sounding tape in my collection so far!

3. Jackson Browne- "Late For The Sky". One of the few non-Columbia mixes on my list. Definitely wouldn't have found this one without the forum. At first I found this album to be a bit somber and repetitive aside from the two rockers "The Road And The Sky" and "Walking Slow" (which are still my favorites), but it really grabbed me on repeated listens and now I usually end up playing the whole thing through. The quad mix is really discrete and well thought-out, like most of the Asylum/Elektra mixes I've heard, and I love that it puts a real spotlight on whatever instrument David Lindley's playing in the right rear channel (guitar on some tunes, fiddle on others).

4. Aerosmith- "Rocks". This one has been mentioned a couple times throughout the thread, so I don't have to try as hard to sell it. "Toys In The Attic" was my favorite album by them until I heard the quad mix of this one. Right from the beginning of "Back In The Saddle" where you hear the horses galloping around the room you know you're in for a wild ride. A lot of the Columbia rock quads have rather static instrument placement, which works well in some cases, but it seems they put a bit more thought into this one at it has all kinds of motion and panning effects throughout the album.

5. Edgar Winter Group- "They Only Come Out At Night". All the Edgar/Johnny Winter quads are superb, but I think this is the best collection of tunes out of all of them (not to mention the two big hits) and the best mix. This album is just good old trashy fun, and the mix is basically your standard Columbia rock layout (rhythm guitars and backing vocals split between the rears) with a couple of really inventive moments, like the panning drums in "Frankenstein". That track alone is worth seeking this tape out - it's a real quad masterpiece.

6. Chicago- "Chicago VII". Another one I wouldn't have thought to check out without the forum. I used to only really like Chicago's hits before I got the Quadio set (still have only "V" and "Greatest Hits" as SQ LPs), but I think this is really the best disc in the whole set. I love how the trippy opener "Prelude To Aire" adds each channel before it explodes into full-on quad. The rest of the album, aside from a few less challenging tracks like "Happy Man" or "Call On Me", is some surprisingly far out prog-esque stuff for Chicago that works really well quad. Like many Columbia mixes, it has the typical trading of instrumental solos between the rear channels that is very effective.

7. Poco- "Seven". I'll never get tired of rambling on about this one. I think this album is maybe one of the best kept secrets of quad- it's relatively obscure, but if you like the early Eagles LPs or really any 70's country-rock type acts you'll enjoy at least a few of the tunes. The quad mix really showcases the amazing harmonies of the group and has all kinds of cool trading of solos, panning effects (the ending of "Just Call My Name" is a real blast in quad), etc. I'm really amazed it got an SACD reissue and seriously glad more people can hear it now.

8. Doobie Brothers- "What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits". All the Doobies quads are great (though I think Elliot Scheiner's 5.1 mix of The Captain and Me is stronger than the quad mix), but I think the mix on this one is just a bit more active/experimental than the others and there are lots of great lesser-known tunes here. "Black Water" is one of those amazing quad showcase tracks (like "Frankenstein"), and "Road Angel" does that cool trick of adding instruments channel by channel during the breakdown. Can't wait for the Doobies Quadio set!

9. Santana- "Santana" (First Album). I have a hard time picking between this one and the same-titled third album (I like the Abraxas quad as well but it's not as strong as these two IMO). I'm gonna go with this one because I think it's a ultimately a stronger set of tunes and since the quad mix was done later on (despite the album coming out first), so it has less of that panning gimmickry meant to showcase early SQ decoding. This is the album that put Santana on the map, and it's got all kinds of layers of percussion and guitars that makes for an amazing quad experience.

10. Ten Years After- "A Space In Time". Probably my favorite from the early series of "gold border" Columbia SQ discs. It's got one of my all-time favorite tracks "I'd Love To Change The World", which sounds pretty awesome in quad with drums and guitar solos completely through the rear channels. The DVD out there with the swapped channels sounds excellent and is easily correctable- without a doubt the best way to hear this mix for now.

Honorable Mentions: The Loggins & Messinas, The Jim Croces, and the two BoCs. All quite discrete and excellent, but I'm limited to 10 here.

 

[skherbeck]

Fun old thread! I feel like I've posted to a "Top 10" thread before, but I guess it wasn't this one which refers to strictly quad mixes. Shoutout to @steelydave for that excellent old post upthread! I'm inspired to do my own in a similar fashion (and I guess I'm just in the mood to ramble on about old quads tonight ).

1. Deep Purple- "Machine Head" (UK Quad Mix). One of my favorite albums ever and possibly the best hard rock surround mix out there. I like every song, and the quad mix reveals all kinds of new layers of guitar and keyboard. I love the guitar part in the left rear channel during "Pictures Of Home"- the other two MCH mixes of this album bury that part almost entirely. This mix is four-corner discrete, with plenty of trading of solos in the rears, but it also has this nice slight front-to-back bleed on the vocals and drums that gives it a more natural sound compared to the stark isolation of instruments on a Columbia Q8. I usually play the SACD nowadays, but I still have the UK SQ LP and it still sounds really good. Most of my EMI UK SQs seem to be pressed on a heavier vinyl than CBS used for their SQ LPs here.

2. Paul Simon- "There Goes Rhymin' Simon". I like all 3 of Simon's quads (very different mix approaches on each as they were done by different engineers), but this one takes the cake for me as it has the best tunes and the best mix IMO. I think the Q8 is must for this one- the rear channel placements on songs like "Kodachrome" and "Was A Sunny Day" are so uber-discrete and subtle that the intended effect is completely lost even if you have the best decoder. I love every song and the quad mix reveals all kinds of interesting buried parts. It also helps that the Q8 is the best-sounding tape in my collection so far!

3. Jackson Browne- "Late For The Sky". One of the few non-Columbia mixes on my list. Definitely wouldn't have found this one without the forum. At first I found this album to be a bit somber and repetitive aside from the two rockers "The Road And The Sky" and "Walking Slow" (which are still my favorites), but it really grabbed me on repeated listens and now I usually end up playing the whole thing through. The quad mix is really discrete and well thought-out, like most of the Asylum/Elektra mixes I've heard, and I love that it puts a real spotlight on whatever instrument David Lindley's playing in the right rear channel (guitar on some tunes, fiddle on others).

4. Aerosmith- "Rocks". This one has been mentioned a couple times throughout the thread, so I don't have to try as hard to sell it. "Toys In The Attic" was my favorite album by them until I heard the quad mix of this one. Right from the beginning of "Back In The Saddle" where you hear the horses galloping around the room you know you're in for a wild ride. A lot of the Columbia rock quads have rather static instrument placement, which works well in some cases, but it seems they put a bit more thought into this one at it has all kinds of motion and panning effects throughout the album.

5. Edgar Winter Group- "They Only Come Out At Night". All the Edgar/Johnny Winter quads are superb, but I think this is the best collection of tunes out of all of them (not to mention the two big hits) and the best mix. This album is just good old trashy fun, and the mix is basically your standard Columbia rock layout (rhythm guitars and backing vocals split between the rears) with a couple of really inventive moments, like the panning drums in "Frankenstein". That track alone is worth seeking this tape out - it's a real quad masterpiece.

6. Chicago- "Chicago VII". Another one I wouldn't have thought to check out without the forum. I used to only really like Chicago's hits before I got the Quadio set (still have only "V" and "Greatest Hits" as SQ LPs), but I think this is really the best disc in the whole set. I love how the trippy opener "Prelude To Aire" adds each channel before it explodes into full-on quad. The rest of the album, aside from a few less challenging tracks like "Happy Man" or "Call On Me", is some surprisingly far out prog-esque stuff for Chicago that works really well quad. Like many Columbia mixes, it has the typical trading of instrumental solos between the rear channels that is very effective.

7. Poco- "Seven". I'll never get tired of rambling on about this one. I think this album is maybe one of the best kept secrets of quad- it's relatively obscure, but if you like the early Eagles LPs or really any 70's country-rock type acts you'll enjoy at least a few of the tunes. The quad mix really showcases the amazing harmonies of the group and has all kinds of cool trading of solos, panning effects (the ending of "Just Call My Name" is a real blast in quad), etc. I'm really amazed it got an SACD reissue and seriously glad more people can hear it now.

8. Doobie Brothers- "What Were Once Vices Are Now Habits". All the Doobies quads are great (though I think Elliot Scheiner's 5.1 mix of The Captain and Me is stronger than the quad mix), but I think the mix on this one is just a bit more active/experimental than the others and there are lots of great lesser-known tunes here. "Black Water" is one of those amazing quad showcase tracks (like "Frankenstein"), and "Road Angel" does that cool trick of adding instruments channel by channel during the breakdown. Can't wait for the Doobies Quadio set!

9. Santana- "Santana" (First Album). I have a hard time picking between this one and the same-titled third album (I like the Abraxas quad as well but it's not as strong as these two IMO). I'm gonna go with this one because I think it's a ultimately a stronger set of tunes and since the quad mix was done later on (despite the album coming out first), so it has less of that panning gimmickry meant to showcase early SQ decoding. This is the album that put Santana on the map, and it's got all kinds of layers of percussion and guitars that makes for an amazing quad experience.

10. Ten Years After- "A Space In Time". Probably my favorite from the early series of "gold border" Columbia SQ discs. It's got one of my all-time favorite tracks "I'd Love To Change The World", which sounds pretty awesome in quad with drums and guitar solos completely through the rear channels. The DVD out there with the swapped channels sounds excellent and is easily correctable- without a doubt the best way to hear this mix for now.

Honorable Mentions: The Loggins & Messinas, The Jim Croces, and the two BoCs. All quite discrete and excellent, but I'm limited to 10 here.

Wow... great choices!