thanks to
my friendsJoni Mitchell - 1971 Blue1997 DCC Gold GZS-1132 mastered by Steve Hoffmanby
server_alliancePersonnel * Joni Mitchell - Appalacian Dulcimer, Guitar, Piano, Vocals
* Stephen Stills - Bass & Guitar on "Carey"
* James Taylor - Guitar on "California", "All I Want", "A Case of You"
* Sneaky Pete Kleinow - Pedal Steel on "California", "This Flight Tonight"
* Russ Kunkel - Drums on "California", "Carey", "A Case of You"
ReviewAmazon.com
This is not a review of Joni Mitchell's BLUE album, an acknowledged five-star-plus masterpiece. Rather, since I own three versions of this CD, including this expensive DCC version, I thought I'd write a helpful review for those considering this gold disk purchase.
The three versions of Blue I own are: 1) Reprise 2038-2, 2) Reprise 2038-2/HDCD 3) DCC GZS-1132 (gold disk). I played each CD back through a very expensive high-end stereo system. The digital front end included a dedicated transport and Audio Alchemy DTI PRO 32 in 20-bit mode and a AA DDE 3.0 DAC. The 20-bit enhancement was turned off during HDCD playback (which it has to be for HDCD to work). Associated playback equipment: Plinius 8150 amp and Dynaudio 1.8MkII speakers.
First, let me say that most normal human beings with average stereos will be perfectly happy with the generic BLUE disk. You can hear the famous sustain pedal lift on the song "Blue" better, in fact, on the Reprise non-HDCD version (maybe some compression?). The HDCD version sounds somewhat better (smoother). I was mainly listening to the quality of Joni's vocals during the listening sessions, however.
That said, the DCC gold CD produces superior vocals. Joni's vocals have a round, three dimensional "tubey" sound that floats in front of you and never sounds the least bit shrill (which the vocals on the Reprise non-HDCD do, but only in comparison). The vocals take on a beautiful luster. It's hard to describe why the DCC disk sounds better. The sound is more LP-like, without losing resolution or dynamics.
Is is worth the extra money for the DCC version? If you have a high-end stereo and can appreciate the fine job that Steve Hoffman of DCC did on the remastering, then by all means: This is the only CD version you should own. Otherwise, the other CD versions should sound perfectly acceptable on less persnickety equipment.