Search - Ritchie Valens :: Ritchie Valens - Greatest Hits

Amazing Sounding CD!!

Jamie | Franklin, Tunisia | 06/25/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is THE set to buy if you want Ritchie Valens. The disc was mastered directly from the original master tapes and the sound of the disc is the sound of the tapes. No compression, no crappy noise reduction, no inflated EQ. It's certainly the most impressive sounding Valens collections.



It was done with the help of Ritchie's original producer. The word 'Definitive' should be used in describing this set."

BUY THIS DISC NOW!!!!

David B. Bennett | The Land of Enchantment, New Mexico, USA | 10/10/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you have any interest in Ritchie Valen's music at all, this is the disc to get. The sound is phenomenal. Since this disc has two layers of music, the regular CD layer as well as the SACD layer, this disc will be forward compatible with all of tommorows stereos. But there is more to this disc than just two layers of music. This disc was remastered straight from the original vault tapes using the most modern DSD (direct stream digital) technology by Steve Hoffman. DSD technology closely mathces the high quality analog equipment that this music was originally recorded on. This ultra-high tech DSD technology gives Ritchie Valen's music a real warm feeling, a realistic feel that this 50's music really utilizes to it's fullest potential. Buy this disc before they are all gone, you won't be disappointed."

The best single-disc Ritchie Valens collection

M. McM | Los Angeles, CA | 03/05/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"There's been a number of Ritchie Valens re-issues over the years, but for most, one solid disc should do the trick. THIS is the disc. Valens only had three, maybe four hits, the best being "La Bamba," "Donna," and "Come On Let's Go," and you get all that here plus every good studio recording he cut during his short career.



As everyone says, this is a hybrid SACD so it'll play on all CD players, and those with SACD players are treated to a hi-resolution DSD mastering with even better sound. BUT, I've got to warn you, these are NOT hi-fidelity recordings. Still, these were taken from the best tapes, and this is the best they will ever sound.



As for the complaints regarding 'bad' sound, first of all, these were originally recorded in MONO. No true stereo mixes will ever exist from these recordings.



Some recommended the soundtrack to the 1980's "La Bamba" movie, or recalled that the music sounded better on that soundtrack. It's not a bad CD, but those are RE-RECORDINGS. The great L.A. band Los Lobos were asked to re-record Ritchie Valens's recordings for that film, and their new recordings were used for the soundtrack. Los Lobos's re-recordings were recorded on better studio equipment in stereo, thirty years after the fact. THAT is why they sound a lot better. In other words, they are not the originals, so if you want to hear the original versions done by Ritchie himself, THIS disc by Audio Fidelity is the one to get."