Universal Music Adds Moody Blues and Al Di Meola to SACD Release List for September

Super Audio CDs from the Moody Blues and Al Di Meola headline a series of Surround Sound SACDs scheduled for release by Universal Music Group and the record labels they distribute in September. The new entries bring to 12 the number of new Super Audio CDs that Universal Music and the labels it distributes will be bringing to the market in the months of August through October. Here’s a run down of the announced releases for the next two months.

3 Moody Blues SACDs Come to the U.S. Market
In April, Universal Music’s Polydor label released 5 “Special Edition” Super Audio CDs – 4 in Surround Sound SACD and 1 in Stereo SACD – by the Moody Blues. These albums featured the original album tracks plus bonus cuts and were released in Europe and also appeared in the U.S. as imports. This was followed in June by the release of the two Moody Blues Surround Sound SACDs – A Question of Balance and On The Threshold of a Dream – in the U.S. market.

There was some speculation that the remaining three titles in this Super Audio CD Series – Days of Future Passed (Surround Sound SACD), In Search of the Lost Chord (Stereo SACD) and To Our Children’s Children’s Children (Surround Sound SACD) – would remain European SACD releases only. However, Universal Music in the U.S. has now confirmed that these three SACDs will be coming to the U.S. market on September 12.

Polydor Surround Sound SACDs Releases – September 12, 2006

  • Moody Blues – Days Of Future Passed (Deluxe Edition) (Deram/Polydor 9832150)
  • Moody Blues – To Our Children’s Children’s Children (Deluxe Edition) (Threshold/Polydor 9832156)

    Polydor Stereo SACD Release – September 12, 2006

  • Moody Blues – In Search Of The Lost Chord (Deluxe Edition) (Deram/Polydor 9832147)

    New Super Audio CDs from Telarc in September
    Also joining the release list in September will be two more Surround Sound Super Audio CDs from Telarc. They include the latest album by guitarist Al Di Meola entitled Consequence of Chaos and a previously planned Classical Music release by Paavo Jarvi and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra featuring Britten’s Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra and the Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes and Elgar’s Enigma.

    Telarc Surround Sound SACDs Releases – September 26, 2006

  • Paavo Jarvi, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra – Britten: Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra & Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes, Elgar: Enigma (Telarc SACD-60660)
  • Al Di Meola – Consequence of Chaos (Telarc SACD-63649)

    Universal Music SACD Release List
    With these additions and the previously announced Super Audio CDs from Universal Music and the labels they distribute – Telarc and Chesky, here is how their Super Audio CD Release List is shaping up these days:

    Surround Sound SACD Releases – August 15, 2006

  • David Hazeltine, George Mraz and Billy Drummond – Manhattan (Chesky SACD 310)
  • John Abercrombie, Eddie Gomez and Gene Jackson – Structures (Chesky SACD 317)
  • Donald Runnicles, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra – Strauss: Four Last Songs and Death & Transfiguration (Telarc SACD-60661)

    Surround Sound SACD Release – August 22, 2006

  • Ann Hampton Callaway – Blues In The Night (Telarc SACD-63641)

    Surround Sound SACD Releases – September 12, 2006

  • Moody Blues – Days Of Future Passed (Deluxe Edition) (Deram/Polydor 9832150)
  • Moody Blues – To Our Children’s Children’s Children (Deluxe Edition) (Threshold/Polydor 9832156)

    Stereo SACD Release – September 12, 2006

  • Moody Blues – In Search Of The Lost Chord (Deluxe Edition) (Deram/Polydor 9832147)

    Surround Sound SACD Releases – September 26, 2006

  • Larry Coryell, Lenny White and Victor Bailey – Traffic (Chesky SACD 322)
  • Various Artists – The World’s Greatest Audiophile Vocal Recordings (Chesky SACD 323)
  • Paavo Jarvi, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra – Britten: Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra & Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes, Elgar: Enigma (Telarc SACD-60660)
  • Al Di Meola – Consequence of Chaos (Telarc SACD-63649)

    Surround Sound SACD Release – October 10, 2006

  • Esa-Pekka Salonen, Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra – Stravinsky: The Rite of Spring; Mussorgsky: Night On A Bare Mountain; Bartok: Miraculous Mandarin (Deutsche Grammophon B0007182-36)

    Availability
    All five of the Moody Blues SACDs are available in the U.S. – either in music stores (the first two as domestic releases) or via the web sites that carry Super Audio CD discs as imports (all five SACDs). In general, you’ll find that the single disc Moody Blues SACDs will be cheaper to purchase as domestic discs while the 2 disc sets will be a toss up price wise.

    The four Telarc Surround Sound SACDs shown above are now available for pre-order at the Telarc International web site. The remaining SACDs are either available, or soon will be available, for pre-order from a variety of web sites that carry Super Audio CDs including Acoustic Sounds, Elusive Disc, Music Direct, CD Universe and Amazon.Com.