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Analogue Productions - CAPP 824 SA - Hybrid SACD Multichannel - 753088082467

Mastered By Steve Hoffman & Kevin Gray at AcousTech - Capitol SW824

Limited Edition - Plays on All CD Players 

"...not just any SACD: its layers are set up so you can enjoy it in mono, stereo, three-channel and, if your processor has worthy rear-channel extraction, in surround. However you choose to play it, the sound is so silky and natural that you'll use this as a demo disc." Sound Quality = 95% out of 100% - Ken Kessler, HiFi News, November 2010 

"...Cole's voice is closely-miked, producing the sensation of a giant, solid, three-dimensional apparition between the speakers. Playing the opener, 'When I Fall in Love,' for a visitor inevitably results in bulging eyes of disbelief and involuntary sighs and 'wow!'s. It never fails... I wouldn't go through life without a copy of Love is the Thing and this one is easily the best yet and probably the best you'll ever hear or be able to buy unless the master tape ends up on the auction block." Music = 10/11; Sound = 10/11 - Michael Fremer

Love is indeed the thing on the appropriately titled 1957 album which finds the incomparable Nat King Cole backed by heavenly strings on a fine 12-song set that marked the first collaboration between the singer (now skewing toward ballad work and away from jazz) and superb arranger Gordon Jenkins.

Featuring such legendary classics as "Stardust" and "When I Fall In Love," Love Is The Thing topped the charts upon its release and continues to enchant listeners to this day.

Never before has this record sounded so sumptuous, with every detail and nuance restored in a manner that places you in the recording studio with Cole. Mastered from the original three-track analog master tapes at Acoustech by Steve Hoffman and Kevin Gray for an unparalleled sonic experience!

“This means you will be able to hear the real deal plus a surround and stereo mix of these legendary albums. By real deal I mean the close-miked mono creation, done live in Capitol Tower Studios A & B along with the "upstairs" control room creation, the stereo versions with a different set of microphones and parameters. This is very exciting to me. These mono versions have been out of print since the 1960's and we will use the original mono reels, mastered flat to DSD via the awesome Grimm A/DSD converter." - Steve Hoffman, describing the mastering process

This has been a totally no-expenses-spared project. Using the original three-track work tapes from Capitol's vaults, mastering engineers Kevin Gray and Steve Hoffman along with DSD specialist Gus Skinas bring you an entirely incomparable SACD experience. In addition to the stereo mixes, this SACD includes a three-track transfer for multichannel playback and the original mono mix taken from separate microphone feeds, mixing consoles and tape machines at the original sessions. In order to master from the three-track masters, AcousTech had to be outfitted for three-channel playback. That meant Kevin Gray had to find a third identical monitoring channel chain (including mixing board, amplifier and speaker) as well as a three-track playback headstack and also a three-track preview head for the vinyl cutting system.  It was a massive assignment. We've spent a fortune to include these extra bells and whistles and to make this a truly historic reissue.

Love is the theme for twelve ballads of heavenly strings orchestrated by the distinctive Gordon Jenkins, sympathetically backing the intimately expressive and supremely musical voice of the incomparable Nat "King" Cole. Featuring such legendary classics as "Stardust" and "When I Fall In Love," this album topped the charts upon its release, is among its era's finest, most stylistically defining recordings of popular music and continues to enchant listeners to this day.

Love Is The Thing was recorded in finely polished monaural and more minimalistic 3-channel stereophonic versions, each with dedicated microphones, console, mix and recorders. Each offers a different sonic perspective. The monaural recording was heard on the original hit records while the stereophonic recording offers the potential for a stunning wide-range realism. Using the original first generation full-track mono and 3-track session tapes from Capitol's vaults and custom headstacks, console and monitoring chain installed at AcousTech specially for these releases, mastering engineers Kevin Gray and Steve Hoffman along with DSD specialist Gus Skinas bring you an entirely incomparable SACD experience.

For this deluxe hybrid SACD, both mono and stereo versions are available in standard resolution on the CD layer and high resolution on the DSD stereo layer, while the stereo versions are also available in 3-channel high resolution on the DSD multi-channel layer. In addition a 2,800-word essay by Chris Hall about the album is included. No expense was spared to make this the ultimate digital version of this album and a truly historic reissue.

Nat King Cole Love Is The Thing 

1.  When I Fall In Love
2.  Stardust
3.  Stay As Sweet As You Are
4.  Where Can I Go Without You?
5.  Maybe It’s Because I Love You Too Much
6.  Love Letters
7.  Ain’t Misbehavin’
8.  I Thought About Marie
9.  At Last
10. It’s All In The Game
11. When Sunny Gets Blue
12. Love Is The Thing