HiRez Poll Main Ingredient, The - EUPHRATES RIVER [SACD]

QuadraphonicQuad

Help Support QuadraphonicQuad:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Rate the SACD of The Main Ingredient - EUPHRATES RIVER

  • 7

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 6

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 5

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 4

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 3

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 2

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • 1: Poor Content, Surround Mix, and Fidelity

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    23

rtbluray

Hi-Res Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
QQ Supporter
Joined
Oct 31, 2008
Messages
9,422
Location
Middle TN
Please post your thoughts and comments on this 2016 SACD release from Dutton Vocalion of the classic 1970s album "Euphrates River", recorded by The Main Ingredient.
This Multichannel SACD release contains the original 1970s Quadraphonic mix, which has been officially unavailable since its original release over 40 years ago! :yikes
It is available to order through the official Dutton Vocalion store: http://www.duttonvocalion.co.uk/proddetail.php?prod=CDSML8524
The Quadraphonic mix is also available to stream in Dolby Audio via Apple Music:
https://music.apple.com/us/album/euphrates-river-bonus-track-version/1056384911(n) :) (y)

81yVy4TmhFL._SL1417_.jpg

71-5Okcl4uL._SL1200_.jpg
 
Last edited:
Music.....super performances, quad mix.....super, 1970s but not too far out (did I say that phrase?) fidelity......pretty darn super, DV does a great job wiping off the dust. I give this disc a 9+. Enthralled to have it in the coollection. Hope Sir Michael continues the program of bringing such discs to the masses.
 
Great information have never even heard of this album or Dutton Vocalion!
Just ordered a copy of the Main Ingredient album and there is a Tower of Power album on the site, which I bought also described as a quad mix.
 
Short take: an active mix - 70s quad goodness - of light funk.

This is one of the discs from the 2nd round of quad SACD releases from Dutton Vocalion in 2016. I was unfamiliar with the group, or so I thought until reading the excellent liner notes (as penned by our own QQ member steelydave).

https://www.quadraphonicquad.com/fo...-SACD-release!&p=317603&viewfull=1#post317603

I did not know any of these versions on this disc, although two tracks from other artists were familiar to me in other recorded versions: Summer Breeze by Seals & Crofts and Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing by Stevie Wonder. The version here of the latter track makes me sorely want to hear the Stevie version mixed in surround!

Another familiar marker is the voice of lead vocalist Cuba Gooding Sr., father of actor Cuba Gooding Jr.! Having learned this as I listened, I can hear the relation of the character of their voices, and I bet that junior would be able to perform these tracks very much in the style of his father.

So what of the music? I called it "light funk" above, and indeed it enjoyed crossover success in the easy listening charts in the 70s. This comes as no suprise as one listens to the string arrangements. The record holds three songs which charted in 1974: Just Don't Want To Be Lonely, Happiness Is Just Around The Bend, & California My Way. This said, easy listening is not my personal favorite style of music. Still, it is an enjoyable listen drawing from several styles: funk, R & B, soul, and easy listening.

And the mix: plenty of active use of all channels! As I said, 70s quad goodness, complete with the occasional (dreaded for some) rotary panning, such as on track 5 where a xylophone riff takes a leisurely spin around the room, later followed in similar fashion by a relaxed saxophone fill.

This is a disc which for me would come out for a certain mood or as a demo for a visitor who was appreciative of the Shaft/Foxy Brown film music genre. Although it is unlikely to be a frequent flyer in my player, I welcome the release of this rare recording in perfect quality, and I welcome the addition to my collection.

I'm a gonna give this an 8, as it is great in mix and sound quality, but short of my favorite musical style.

Oh, PS: I love the artwork on the CD front and inner covers!
 
I've probably said enough about how much I like the songs on this album in the liner notes, but what I did want to touch on here is just how good this disc sounds. I hadn't heard it before I wrote the liner notes - my stereo reference was a CD from 2005, and for the quad was a conversion of the CD-4 vinyl. This new release blows them both away - the 2005 CD is really compressed (DR8 vs. the new D-V release which is DR13) and has the upper mids jacked up which makes the lead vocal bury almost everything else. The D-V stereo version sounds way more relaxed with a much more natural EQ and a really wide, deep soundstage.

This is one of those albums where the quad mix is significantly better than the stereo mix - possibly because the quad mix was done a year after the stereo mix, they had time to think about what worked and didn't work etc. Everything just fares better...if you listen to the stereo mix, they'll have (for example) the whole string section panned hard left or hard right, whereas in the quad it's often in stereo or even all four speakers, allowing it to breathe. The same is true with a lot of the other instruments, there's just so much going on in the arrangements (strings, horns, keyboard, guitar, vibes, etc.) that it almost needs the extra speakers to achieve its fullest potential. The CD-4 conversion I had of this album I thought sounded really good, but from the master tape (and via Mike Dutton's beautiful remastering) it's really knocked out of the park.
 
I voted an 8. I suppose to some degree, I thought the sound was a little flat. Flat? I mean, the individual instruments didn't pop out at me....you know, like heavy on the midrange?

Regardless, great disc, good music and a nice job. :)
 
After one full listen, I can confidently give this wonderful Multichannel SACD a '9', breaking down my vote this way:

Music: 3/3
Surround Mix: 3/3
Fidelity: 2/3
High-Res Disc: 1/1

This Mulitchannel SACD is a Quadraphonic (Inter)national treasure!
I had never heard of this artist until Dutton Vocalion's latest line of Multichannel SACDs was announced at the end of last year, but I thoroughly enjoy the music found on this disc.
The group performs amazing renditions of some great Seals/Crofts songs (especially since the Seals/Crofts Quad mixes have yet to be reissued in the optical age) but there's also a great cover of Stevie Wonder's "Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing".
There's also nothing that could make the Quadraphonic mix any better! This is a very discrete mix that's not overly gimmicky, and everything falls into its right place.
I just give this SACD one point off when it comes to fidelity, as I felt that there wasn't as much higher frequency upper extension as I would like, but that's definitely due to the sound of the times.

Anyway, if you have yet to buy any Dutton Vocalion SACDs, this would be a great one to start with, and I give this SACD a very high recommendation!

:)
 
After one full listen, I can confidently give this wonderful Multichannel SACD a '9', breaking down my vote this way:

Music: 3/3
Surround Mix: 3/3
Fidelity: 2/3
High-Res Disc: 1/1

This Mulitchannel SACD is a Quadraphonic (Inter)national treasure!
I had never heard of this artist until Dutton Vocalion's latest line of Multichannel SACDs was announced at the end of last year, but I thoroughly enjoy the music found on this disc.
The group performs amazing renditions of some great Seals/Crofts songs (especially since the Seals/Crofts Quad mixes have yet to be reissued in the optical age) but there's also a great cover of Stevie Wonder's "Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing".
There's also nothing that could make the Quadraphonic mix any better! This is a very discrete mix that's not overly gimmicky, and everything falls into its right place.
I just give this SACD one point off when it comes to fidelity, as I felt that there wasn't as much higher frequency upper extension as I would like, but that's definitely due to the sound of the times.

Anyway, if you have yet to buy any Dutton Vocalion SACDs, this would be a great one to start with, and I give this SACD a very high recommendation!

:)

I agree on all your points, but gave it 2 points off, one for fidelity and one for music but don't let this hold you off from buying this disc since that last is a personal thing. Great sounding disc overall. Gave it an 8.
 
I have a few others discs in this genre like 3 + 3 (Isley Bros), Collection (Marvin Gaye), That's the Way of the World (Earth, Wind, and Fire), and Greatest Hits (Sly and the Family Stone) - I know I'm being fairly broad in my definition of genre - but I never play them that much because they don't quite get to me for whatever reasons; although Collection is pretty good - I should probably revisit that one.

I've been listening to this disc over and over for the last week and it definitely pushes all the right buttons. The mix, the content, the arrangements, and the fidelity all work very well for me. A solid 9. Just gotta say I love the vocals. Groovy baby.:D
 
When I think of The Main Ingredient the hit "Everybody Plays The fool" (not on this disc) comes to mind. I really have no recollection of any of their other hits. This disc is quite good musically, 70's soul. I like "Summer Breeze" better than the Seals & Crofts version. Very good Quad mix as well. I give an 8.
 
Hmmm - recent post made me fire up this disc. It does sound nice. I voted an 8 a few weeks ago. I'd say I feel like an 8.5 right now. But anyway. What a nice Quad release. :)
 
LOVE IT! One of my favorite Main Ingredient Lps. The content is fantastic. Worth it for "Just Don't Want To Be Lonely" alone, but the whole album shines, and Cuba is in his best voice throughout.

On the audio side, the mix is good and the channels are nicely discrete, with the overall quality of the sound being right up there with the best Quad DTS discs Brad Miller authored. I highly recommend it - gave it a "9".
 
This was a band that I didn't know that much of prior to this release, but reading up on reviews and the positive feeling I had from the great Tower Of Power disc, I bougt this without much hesitation. I am glad I did, very nice sound album, almost like a feel good kind of album. Nice mix between funk, R'n'B, soul etc. Good songwriting, very good arrangements, very discrete mix and fidelity is super.

This is a 9 for me.
 
My first, and definitely not my last purchase, from that incredible company Dutton Vocalion.
I had never heard of the company before and 'wow' am I one happy trooper now that I have.

This release is right up there in its production
Everything is just right
All the other reviewers, in the main, have heaped praise on this release.
And rightly so.
Just got to give it a funk me 9
 
Back
Top