I grew up listening to this album (and the rest of the early Genesis catalogue) on vinyl and tape and know it inside out. I was completely blown away by just how good this surround re-mix/re-master sounds on SACD. But even more than that I'm incredibly impressed with how Nick Davis has managed to freshen and clean up the sound, transferring it perfectly to the 5.1 soundscape whilst staying true to the spirit and vibe of the original album. No mean feat, given that it must have been recorded on, what, 16 tracks back in the day? The SACD sounds like it's been re-recorded specially on modern kit just a few years ago rather than forty years ago (boy, that makes me feel old!) The use of the surround field is superb, in fact incredible considering the limitations of the source material. Gabriel's vocals are up front and clear, but retain the vulnerability that's key to the feel of the album. The layering and harmonies are tastefully positioned and mixed. The percussion deserves special mention; I have no idea how many tracks the drum parts were recorded on but I'm pretty sure that it must have been less than the number of drums/cymbals that now seem to have their own position and separation in the mix. Not sure how Nick has achieved this but it's *very* effective. The clarity and separation of the parts reveal the odd miss timed or strangled note here and there as well as the odd fret "squeek" but these certainly don't detract from the listening experience. All in all; very impressive and a must have for any early Genesis fan.
Oh, nearly forgot (again) - it's a sure fire 10.