Notable here is the incredible album cover that can't really be captured in a picture (and I don't know how to take pictures anyway).  Gold lettering, textured surface - WOW.  This is from CBS/Sony in Japan, and has tracks from the "Crystal Sound Orchestra" (not very good) as well as tracks from HATTORI MELODIES - but this time, in stereo, instead of the SQ "Quad" format, the only way Hattori Melodies was initially released, as far as I could tell.  The push for SQ with CBS/Sony was quite strong.  It didn't last and yielded little in the 4-channel quest; after all, it was basically a stereo cutter now burdened with a lot of out-of-phase (to varying degrees) tracks (tracks as in the master tape).  I recall many manufacturers attempting to jump on the quadraphonic bandwagon.  Sansui had it's own "vario matrix" - Electro Voice had it's own variation - RCA-JVC made the only attempt to put out a true 4-channel record, not just a "matrixed" mix that was assisted with wave-matching logic on better receivers - RCA put a true four channel record out, with a subcarrier very similar to FM radio.  Sadly, it didn't succeed either, as it required super-great tracking and a wide-band stylus assembly, but it couldn't hold the tiny wiggles on the super-sonic differential signal and subcarrier AND allow for good tracking (or allowance of...) BASS at the other end of the spectrum.  So if you played one of these records, you got true 4-channel sound - but a big bass note could knock the stylus out of the track... on a perfectly good expensive system and record wear of Quadradiscs wasn't good (highs and separation degraded with subsequent plays).  The whole 4-channel push seemed to come and go in the years of 1972, fizzling after the late 70's.  After this there seemed to be a bit of rededication to great reproduction of 2-channel records.  My stereo dealer loaned me a SQ-based system over a weekend, rather high-end, and I had a half dozen records (all CBS SQ) to try on it, and a receiver equipped with wave-matching logic to enhance the experience (as I understand it, the chip would detect more sound coming from a particular direction and "steer" the sound toward that direction.  I was unimpressed as I could be and found that the SQ mixes were messed up - some musicians recorded in isolation booths (not just isolation baffles) and recorded with intentional varying degrees of out-of-phase material that was to drive the rear channels.  It gave us the world of multitracked, isolated, poor mixes that did NOTHING for the Percy Faith sound.  I will admit that I heard a few demos of true 4-channel on discrete 4-channel tapes; much better.  So the Lp record just wasn't meant for more than 2 channels... open reel tape was, but it was a very expensive way to go.  Still I remember a LOT of true 4-channel tape recording decks being around for a few years.  Matrix seemed barely capable of separation in some channel-to-channel directions, and did a little better than others.  I seem to recall that separation of LB and RB speakers themselves was mostly wishful thinking.

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Music Of Christmas, Continental Music, Romantic Music, Music Until Midnight, Kismet, Music from Hollywood, My Fair Lady, The Sound of Music, Hattori Melodies