Forget About It — Alison Krauss

This is a review I wrote for SA-CD.net and published there on the 9th of April 2003. SA-CD.net has since become hraudio.net and the old review pages went with it, so this is reproduced from the Internet Archive’s capture. It ran as a user review.

The review is reproduced as it stood. Only the site’s own furniture around it — the star graphics, the “was this review helpful?” footer — has been dropped, and the ratings it carried are restated as numbers below.

Rounder · ROUN0465 · hybrid disc · stereo only · PCM recording

Performance 4/5 · Sonics 3/5

If you are a bluegrass fan, you may well be disappointed by this, for this seems to be an album of soft pop ballads with only hints of country and bluegrass every now and then. I have never heard of Alison Krauss till quite recently, when I discovered one of her songs from this album was featured in the film “The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.” Then I saw a copy of this album at the local library and decided to borrow it. After a few listens, I was hooked.

So imagine my pleasure to discover Alison’s last three albums are available on Super Audio CD from Rounder Records. The other two, “New Favourites” and “Live” are much more bluegrass oriented, and are Hybrid Multichannel discs. “Forget About It,” being one of Rounder Records’ first SACD releases is only a Hybrid Stereo disc.

Having listened to the CD version quite a few times, I was surprised that the SACD stereo version is mastered at a lower level (at least -3dB) compared to the CD, and sounds somewhat mellower. The micro-dynamics in Alison’s voice comes through more clearly on SACD than on the CD layer, but the CD layer somehow sounds slightly more dynamic.

Also, Alison’s voice sounds blander and harsher on the CD layer. Altogether, I was somewhat surprised to find that the CD and SACD tracks result in different listening experiences. I’m not sure which version I prefer.

In summary, a worthwhile buy on SACD but you may find you prefer the CD layer instead.