Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Abacab
2. No Reply At All
3. Me And Sarah Jane
4. Keep It Dark
5. Dodo/Lurker
6. Who Dunnit
7. Man On The Corner
8. Like It Or Not
9. Another Record
10. Abacab
11. No Reply At All
12. Me And Sarah Jane
13. Keep It Dark
14. Dodo/Lurker
15. Who Dunnit
16. Man On The Corner
17. Like It Or Not
18. Another Record

Disc 2:

1. Abacab
2. No Reply At All
3. Me And Sarah Jane
4. Keep It Dark
5. Dodo/Lurker
6. Who Dunnit
7. Man On The Corner
8. Like It Or Not
9. Another Record
10. Abacab
11. No Reply At All
12. Me And Sarah Jane
13. Keep It Dark
14. Dodo/Lurker
15. Who Dunnit
16. Man On The Corner
17. Like It Or Not
18. Another Record
19. Abacab
20. No Reply At All
21. Keep It Dark
22. Man On The Corner
23. Abacab Reissues

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #223645 in Music
• Released on: 2008-06-02
• Number of discs: 2
• Formats: Colour, Enhanced, Hybrid SACD
• Dimensions: .18 pounds

Customer Reviews

Excellent surround mixes.
I've not listened to the stereo mixes of these, as i've been waiting for the surround mixes for ages and generally love the surround treatment being applied as well as this to my favourite albums.

This is the first of the Genesis SACD / DVD re releases i've bought, and I am so impressed i'm ordering the other 4 right now. The SACD 5.1 mix is absolutely superb; Abacab and Dodo/Lurker sound absolutely massive and crystal clear. My system is probably not good enough to discriminate between formats, but the DTS version sounds identical (bar sounding louder for a given volume setting) too, so I wouldn't have imagined that DVD users with surround systems are being short changed.

There is a small group of very nicely remastered for 5.1 surround classic albums around; Dark Side of the Moon and Tommy remain my two favourites, and this release is well up to the same standard. I am looking forward to giving Trick of the Tail a spin, and am REALLY looking forward to hearing Foxtrot and Nursery Cryme when they get round to releasing them.

There's A Crack In The Mirror
Anyone who has read my individual reviews for the other four re-releases will see that I have been largely favourable to the new stereo mixes (I have not heard the 5.1 mixes), if critical of the zealous use of mastering-compression. Unfortunately, with this album there was always little to be gained over the brilliantly produced original.

IT IS SO DARNED COMPRESSED! The original mix by co-producer/engineer Hugh Padgham (and doubtlessly supervised by the band members) was so dynamic and punchy it blew you away. But that energy has been totally destroyed on this new mix. Collins's drums no longer jump out of the speakers as originally achieved by Padgham, but now the sound is squashed and suffocated, as is the whole mix in general.

A key change in the sound of Genesis on Abacab was the use of 'space' in its sound; the whole 'less is more' approach. This left room for background ambient sounds and atmospherics.

Not now though. No subtle ambience here. Rather than 'less is more' we have 'everything louder than everything else', and it's just a sonic mess. If I was just a bit less emotionally stable, I think I would have cried the first time I heard this mix. As it happens, I managed to get through the new sounding album with a heavy heart, consoled myself by listening to the much-improved 'Wind' and '...Three', then went back to 'Abacab' to re-assess my original findings. And it was no better. Listening again to the original mix only re-affirms what a disaster the new version is.

What is it with mastering engineers' desire to compress everything to the max in order to crank the overall volume up? This just removes all the subtleties applied by the mixing engineer, and results in everything sounding like it is being broadcast on FM/DAB radio, ie. flat.

Turning to the DVD extras, there's the usual 15-minute segment of the band interview (very enjoyable as usual, with Banks and co speaking fondly of the new sound and the album's artwork), and pop videos of the period (all already available on 'The Video Show' DVD with better sound).

If you're a real fan then despite this review you'll buy it anyway. But be warned, as far as the stereo mix is concerned, this is a disaster - a cryme!

SACD sound not compressed
Contrary to what a previous reviewer mentioned regarding compression, it must be said that this may well apply to the CD layer but on the SACD Stereo layer the sound is absolutely crystal clear and sharp with the drums literally banging you in the face. This is a great 'drum' album and the SACD format really does it justice. This version is by far the best that has ever been available and leaves behind the previous remaster. Having not listened to the CD layer I cannot comment on the compression issues but for anyone with SACD capabilities this (and the other Genesis SACD releases) come very highly recommended.