Search - Neil Young :: Greatest Hits (CD/DVD)

The DVD is super... superflous that is!

H. M Rivera | Carolina, Puerto Rico Puerto Rico | 11/25/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"It is not worth springing for the CD+DVD version. The CD is already a HDCD and playing the DVD side to side (A-B testing) to the CD in a HDCD-able player, shows that:



A) The so-called master mixes are the same for both.



B) The HDCD beats the DVD easily in fidelity and bass response (I know it should'nt be like this). I used a Denon HDCD compatible player and a SONY SE DVD/SACD player (their top of the line), so both were played in good players.



C) The 2 videos are pretty easy to ignore (buyer beware: the TV ad makes it look that the "Rocking in the Free World" video is the live Crazy Horse version from "Weld". It isn't. It is a lip-synch video to the "Freedom" version).



Mind you, the DVD version IS NOT a DVD-Audio version, just a Dolby Digital version (there is a difference), but it should have sounded better than the HDCD (properly decoded).



As for the song selection, ho-hum. Maybe the DVD could have had alternate or live versions to make it worthwhile."

An Audiophile & Newbie Treat. A hint of the future for fans.

Harris Fogel | PA, USA | 12/12/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Neil Young - Greatest Hits



Most of the reviewers feel the same way that I do, great choices, but some truly great songs missing. So much for the first one-disc compilation of this astonishingly prolific musician. As any fan of Neil Young knows, the only constant in Young's work is to expect sudden shifts in current and a sharp turn of the rudder. Still though, I think that there are reasons to buy this disk. First of all, Greatest Hits might be ideal for the fan who doesn't know where to start. But, even then I'd probably steer them toward "Decade", which makes both musical and chronological sense and offers a more cohesive flow, even if it ends much earlier then this CD. There isn't much on the DVD-Video in terms of content. There are only two tracks with videos, "Rockin' in the Free World" and "Harvest Moon". Each track has the option for viewing the lyrics, a still photo, & the orginal album track listing or title, but not a whole lot more! So don't buy the DVD version if you are expecting a lot of different content.



There is another reason for even the most ardent fan to consider buying this collection. Sound. The sound quality of this CD easily surpasses every version of these songs that you have ever heard. Painstakingly remastered, for both conventional Audio CD, and available with a companion DVD-Video version of each track, this set hints at what is to be a complete remastering of the entire Young catalog. For notes on the precise equipment used for the process, just visit Young's (www.neilyoung.com) website, which will force you to figure out how to find the proper link.. hint, think license plate.



What is interesting about this remastering is what they didn't do. Namely they didn't try too hard to clean up noise and other artifacts. This isn't Pro-Tools on parade. While these versions offer that sense of sitting in the studio without anything between you and the musicians, this isn't a sterile, or overly noise-reduced remastering. The first several tracks have a ton of noise, some of which I imagine to be old-fashioned, pre-Dolby tape noise, and some of the noise seems to be just the noise of the amplifiers, pickups, and other bits. So.. this is a really accurate restoration, not a scrubbed clean and modernized version. So, while I might have enjoyed a version with a bit less noise, and a bit of extra punch added to the dynamic range, it is a damn wonderful job, even if a bit odd in the modern climate of making 30 year old recordings sound like they were recorded yesterday. But on this, it's as if someone pulled the cotton out of your ears. The audio stage is beautiful, warm, and transparent. The bass is solid and the guitar solos cut through the air with tact sharp precision.



The DVD-Video version is another thing altogether. From reading various reviews on Amazon, it seems that most folks don't seem to understand exactly what DVD-Audio (or SACD for that matter!) is, and what type of equipment is required to play it back. Simply put, those two formats are an attempt to create an "audiophile" digital music format, utilizing different technologies and approaches, for pretty much the same aural experience, which is a recording and mastering at a much higher bit rate, and resolution. In order to actually hear this, you need a player that is equipped for DVD-Audio playback, which only a handful of players can actually do. Although there are some low cost models that are surprisingly good, starting with the Pioneer DV-578-A, which is the lowest cost "universal" player that I know of. "Universal" players are capable of playing all the normal formats, but also DVD-Audio and SACD. However, all high bit players require you to use their 6 analog outputs to your "Multi-Channel" inputs on your receiver, and every model I've seen use varying, and mostly lousy approaches to how the Bass signal is managed, hence the term "bass management" used in their specs.



Ok, so is it worth it spend the extra bucks for the DVD-Video version? If you have a DVD compatible player, I think it is. The difference is subtle, and you must have some seriously good equipment to really hear the difference, but if you do, then the sense of time-travel these tracks offer is wonderful and enlightening. And of course there are the visuals. However, for a real Neil Young fan, at least for this one, the track selections are a bit maddening. And I think that to really experience Young's work in high-resolution sound, try out the amazing 5.1 DVD-Audio and Surround Sound version of "Harvest", which is simply breathtaking. And the interview with Young on the disc is great. It will play on any DVD player, and with a player capable of DVD-A, you can hear the high-resolution version. Even though this unfortunately isn't a DVD-Audio release, which in itself is a strange decision, at least on my system it has a different sound quality then the CD version. Probably due in part to the difference in using the analog Multi-Channel outputs vs. the digital coax output on my player.



As for me, I'm looking forward to "Decade" and some of the earlier catalog releases to be reissued with the new remastering. Ironically, one thing that the new releases point out, is that the original CD releases of Young's work were very respectably mastered in the first place! Remember that the choices made here, are incredibly cognizant. Just as Young's recent Greendale movie was low tech in feel and technology (8mm movie film!) to get it's story across, the soundtrack was recorded with among the highest audio resolution quality technology available anywhere on the planet! So, even the decision to release this CD, with it's somewhat strange track listing, it's painstakingly remastered audio, and a normal DVD-Video is as much a technological choice, as it is an artistic choice. Young, obviously, is in control, and letting us know it. So, until the rest of his catalog is released, pick this up, make sure you have something decent to listen to it on, and crank it up!"

The CD/DVD Combo is a Great Deal

David B. Bennett | The Land of Enchantment, New Mexico, USA | 11/29/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The only reason that I am writeing this review is to correct a couple of mistakes in a couple of other reviews. One of the other reviewers mentioned that this is available as an SACD. This is not true, Neil Young does not support the SACD format. Another reviewer mentioned that the DVD only has a Dolby Digital track of the music. This is not true. The DVD disc has a very high resolution 24 bit 96 khz version of the music. This super high resolution version of the music is far superior to any HDCD version simply because HDCD is a 16 bit 44.1 khz soundtrack. This set is worth getting simply for the super high resolution of the music. Most DVD-Audio discs cost $20 by themselfs and here you are able to get one for just a couple of dollars. Buy this set, you will love it."