NewsYes / High Vibration 16 SACD box set from Warner Music Japan
Okay, brace yourselves… Warner Music Japan are about to release one of the most expensive music box sets ever featured on SuperDeluxeEdition.
High Vibration is a limited edition 16 SACD (Super Audio CD) box set, featuring the 13 albums released by English prog rock supergroup Yes, between 1968 and 1987, including live album Yessongs. A unique 12-track bonus SACD features rare selections such Owner of a Lonely Heart (Move Yourself Mix) from 1991 and 1972’s Total Mass Retain (single version) is also included.
Everything has been newly remastered in Japan by Isao Kikuchi, and these SACDs are packaged as mini-LP CDs (a.k.a. paper sleeves / vinyl replica). If you own The Beatles in Mono box set, you will know how good these are.
The SACDs are all hybrid discs [compatible with all CD players] with the SACD layer offering hi-res 96khz/24bit and the CD layer delivering the usual 44.1kHz/16bit.
The good news is this also comes with a 200-page book. The bad news is that it’s in Japanese.
At the time of writing High Vibration is available on various non-Japanese amazon sites as an expensive import – it’s over $500 in the USA and Canada and £488 in the UK. In Germany the current price is around £450. Those high prices are likely to drop at some point, given that at just under 40,000 Yen locally, the equivalent pound sterling figure is around £260. That probably equates to nearer £350 when you factor in shipping, UK import duties and ‘handling fees’, so at the moment it’s just over a £100 premium for the convenience of shopping via Amazon in your local territory.
Whether it is ‘worth’ paying the much money for this set, is up to the individual. The presentation will undoubtedly be excellent, and being a Japanese release offers appeal and exclusivity. The Robert Palmer Island Years paper sleeve box from 2007 has some similarities – unique mastering, only available in Japan – and that is now worth a small fortune.
High Vibration is released on 4 September 2013.
- • UK Pre-order: High Vibration
- • USA Pre-order: High Vibration
- • CANADA Pre-order: High Vibration
- • GERMANY Pre-order: High Vibration
High Vibration full track listing:
BONUS SACD
- 1. Something’s Coming (single version) (1969) from YES (Expanded & Remastered 2003)
- 2. Dear Father (1970) from TIME AND A WORD (Expanded & Remastered 2003)
- 3. Roundabout (single version) (1972) from the single ‘Roundabout’
- 4. America (1972) from FRAGILE (Expanded & Remastered 2003)
- 5. Total Mass Retain (single version) (1972) from CLOSE TO THE EDGE (Expanded & Remastered 2003)
- 6. Soon (single version) (1975) from RELAYER (Expanded & Remastered 2003)
- 7. Abilene (1978) from TORMATO (Expanded & Remastered 2004)
- 8. Run Through the Light (Single Version) (1980) from DRAMA (Expanded & Remastered 2004)
- 9. Run with the Fox (1981) from YESYEARS
- 10. Owner of a Lonely Heart (Move Yourself Mix) (1991) from 12″ single ‘Owner of a Lonely Heart’
- 11. Leave It (remix) (1983) from 90125 (Expanded & Remastered 2004)
- 12. Big Generator (remix) (1987) from ‘Ultimate YES:The 35th Anniversary’
YES
- 1. Beyond And Before
- 2. I See You
- 3. Yesterday And Today
- 4. Looking Around
- 5. Harold Land
- 6. Every Little Thing
- 7. Sweetness
- 8. Survival
TIME AND A WORD
- 1. No Opportunity Necessary, No Experience Needed
- 2. Then
- 3. Everydays
- 4. Sweet Dreams
- 5. The Prophet
- 6. Clear Days
- 7. Astral Traveller
- 8. Time And A Word
THE YES ALBUM
- 1. Yours Is No Disgrace
- 2. Clap
- 3. Starship Trooper
- 4. I’ve Seen All Good People
- 5. A Venture
- 6. Perpetual Change
FRAGILE
- 1. Roundabout
- 2. Cans And Brahms
- 3. We Have Heaven
- 4. South Side Of The Sky
- 5. Five Per Cent For Nothing
- 6. Long Distance Runaround
- 7. The Fish(Schindleria Praematurus)
- 8. Mood For A Day
- 9. Heart Of The Sunrise
CLOSE TO THE EDGE
- 1. Close To The Edge
- i. The Solid Time Of Change
- ii. Total Mass Retain
- iii. I Get Up I Get Down
- iv. Seasons Of Man
- 2. And You And I
- i. Cord Of Life
- ii. Eclipse
- iii. The Preacher The Teacher
- iv. Apocalypse
- 3. Siberian Khatru
YESSONGS DISC 1
- 1. Opening (Except From “Firebird Suite”)
- 2. Siberian Khatru
- 3. Heart Of The Sunrise
- 4. Perpetual Change
- 5. And You And I
- 6. Mood For A Day
- 7. Excepts From “The Six Wives Of Henry VIII”
- 8. Roundabout
YESSONGS DISC 2
- 1. I’ve Seen All Good People
- 2. Long Distance Runaround / The Fish (Schindleria Praemeturus)
- 3. Close To The Edge
- 4. Yours I No Disgrace
- 5. Starship Trooper
TALES FROM TOPOGRAPHIC OCEANS DISC 1
- 1. The Revealing Science Of God / Dance Of The Dawn
- 2. The Remembering / High The Memory
TALES FROM TOPOGRAPHIC OCEANS DISC 2
- 1. The Ancient / Giants Under The Sun
- 2. Ritual / Nous Sommes Du Soleil
RELAYER
- 1. The Gates Of Delirium
- 2. Sound Chaser
- 3. To Be Over
GOING FOR THE ONE
- 1. Going For The One
- 2. Turn Of The Century
- 3. Parallels
- 4. Wonderous Stories
- 5. Awaken
TORMATO
- 1. Future Times
- 2. Don’t Kill The Whale
- 3. Madrigal
- 4. Release, Release
- 5. Arriving Ufo
- 6. Circus Of Heaven
- 7. Onward
- 8. On The Silent Wings Of Freedom
DRAMA
- 1. Machine Messiah
- 2. White Car
- 3. Does It Really Happen?
- 4. Into The Lens
- 5. Run Through The Light
- 6. Tempus Fugit
90125
- 1. Owner Of A Lonely Heart
- 2. Hold On
- 3. It Can Happen
- 4. Changes
- 5. Cinema
- 6. Leave It
- 7. Our Song
- 8. City Of Love
- 9. Hearts
BIG GENERATOR
- 1. Rhythm Of Love
- 2. Big Generator
- 3. Shoot High Aim Low
- 4. Almost Like Love
- 5. Love Will Find A Way
- 6. Final Eyes
- 7. I’m Running
- 8. Holy Lamb
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[…] High Vibration is a limited edition 16 SACD box set, featuring the 13 albums released by English prog rock supergroup Yes, between 1968 and 1987, including live album “Yessongs”. A unique 12-track bonus SACD features rare selections such “Owner of a Lonely Heart (Move Yourself Mix)” from 1991 and 1972′s “Total Mass Retain (Single version)” is also included. Everything has been newly remastered in Japan by Isao Kikuchi, and comes with a 200-page book. Albums includes: “Yes (1969)”, “Time and a Word (1970)”, “The Yes Album (1971)”, “Fragile (1971)”, “Close to the Edge (1972)”, “Yessongs (1973)”, “Tales from Topographic Oceans (1973)”, “Relayer (1974)”, “Going for the One (1977)”, “Tormato (1978)”, “Drama (1980)”, “90125 (1983)”, and… […]
Received my HV set today. No MLPS, but standard jewel cases. the artwork is nicely reproduced. The booklet shows the cover, the vinyl label and inner sleeves of the original LPs. All lyrics are printed. The rest is all Japanese to me :)
Now as to sound, I have not yet made comparisons. I will take out my AF (CTTE, GFTO, 90125), MOFI (TYA, F), as well as the DVD-A (F) and start listening …. A brief scan has not been unpleasant, but the straight comparison between CTTE places the AF SACD ahead in terms of smoothness. I do not rally like brick walled editions and the HV certainly sounds loud (and clearer). The GFTO HV edition also sounds less warm than the AF Hoffman master. In contrast, there is more brightness, slightly more definition, especially where the bass is concerned. I do not regret buying this set, but for select titles, I recommend waiting for the SW remixes. 90125 HV edition simply sounds like it should, but then the Hoffman AF was controversially revisionist (a different reason to hang on to it).
These are not MLPS’s. They are in STANDARD Jewel Boxes.
According to CDJapan, the release date has been changed to September 18th.
[…] remastering. Next month, the lavish (and expensive) High Vibration 16 SACD Japanese box set is due for release. Again, stereo only, but this box collects all of Yes’s solo albums, including Close To The […]
I know this is from Warner Japan and its unavailability elsewhere all adds to the excitement, but it would be nice to be able to buy these separately. Can anyone shed more light on the Steven Wilson remasters? After the job he did on the KC albums, these sounds like they will be reissues from heaven.
Steven Wilson remixes, he does not remaster. I believe the work he will do on the Yes catalogue will be flat transfers. He is not a fan of mastering.
5.1 surround ?
Not such a thing ! GO Figure – we are in XXI st century when we are able to preserve all the recorded music in 352/32 resolution from baked tapes and WMJ offerring us such a crap damn thang……no I wont buy that due to Isao Kikuchi is involved in the process…..I rather give all my money to Steve Wilson :-)
If I was a massive Yes fan, I’d buy this no problem.
I bought the 4 Genesis boxes (3 autographed by Steve Hackett), which would probably add up to about the same amount. They of course included SACD/DVD-A discs with 5.1 mixes (no SACD’s in Live Box), which these don’t by the looks.
As for the Japanese ‘exclusivity’…. Warner and the other remaining majors obviously enjoy this reason for rorting. I’d love to know how many of these things are actually bought by the Japanese, I’d guess in a single figure percentage.
As Mychael pointed out above, I’ll be plumping for some of the SW mixes when they come.
It is up on Amazon.jp:
http://www.amazon.co.jp/YES-HIGH-VIBRATION-SACD-BOX【完全生産限定盤】/dp/B00DP4M6FK/ref=ntt_mus_ep_dpi_2
Also, on HMV and CDJapan (somewhat cheaper)
Marko – brilliant
Maybe the Windsors can buy this thing as it would be sure to put the Prince of Cambridge to sleep.
A technical point – SACD is not ” hi-res 96khz/24bit”. SACD uses DSD, a completely different method of encoding digital audio from PCM (which is the encoding scheme used on every other format – CD, DVD-A, BD etc).
SACD is actually a 2.8 MHz 1-bit encoding; due to the different way the encoding works, it is impossible to “convert” this number to an exact PCM equivalent, but it is roughly (in terms of frequency response, dynamic range etc) equivalent to 96kHz sampling with 20-bit resolution.
The Wikipedia page for DSD (Direct Stream Digital) goes into a lot more detail about the encoding used on SACD, but you do need to have a good understanding of digital audio technology for it to make sense!
Warner Japan are using that language. It may not be technically correct, but for marketing and general consumer understanding, one can understand why.
Here’s the full technical details of the box
SACDs Mastered at 96khz/24bit.
DAW: SADiE PCM2, SADiE PCM8, Avid Protools 9
D/A Converter: dCS952
Analog Compressor Limiter: Neve 33609
Analog Equalizer: Sontec MES-432
A/D Converter : Pacific Microsonic HDCD Model 2
Digital Effector : T.C. Electronic System 6000
PCM/DSD Converter : KORG AudioGate
DSD Editor : SADiE DSD
Hmmm – if these are being mastered at 96/24 and then converted from PCM to DSD, they are throwing away most of the supposed advantage of using SACD/DSD in the first place. The whole point of DSD is that it provides a more accurate (or at least more euphonic) representation of an analogue signal than PCM does; to master an SACD, you should work in analogue and convert the analogue master to DSD, or record in DSD and use a DSD mixing / mastering setup. If you are going to work in PCM at any point in the chain, you have already lost the advantage that DSD gives you, because you have added the distortion that PCM produces.
In other words, these are SACDs purely for marketing purposes; they aren’t SACDs for sound quality purposes. They’d have been better off releasing them as DVD-As or BDs – there’d have been fewer conversions involved in the process.
JFC, they use Audiogate to convert PCM to DSD?
I hope Korg software sound better than Saracom from Weiss!!!
At least SOME of the albums included in this box will be superseded by the coming Steven Wilson remasters (especially as SW always makes sure that the DVD-A content includes the original LP/CD mixes).
I don’t know who will pay 563$ for this collection. Maybe Ronaldo, Messi or some sheikh.