Mo-Fi Releasing Surrealistic Pillow In Mono on 45RPM Vinyl

Me too, and I'm of the same opinion.

 

I'm gonna start using the Trabant/ Yugo/ Camaro/ Corvette/ Maserati automobile metaphor grading scale to describe the sound quality and dynamic range of records (along with other products and aspects of life itself.)

 

Indeed, I have the MOFI and I'm very happy with it. I also have a mint mono original. Not a HUGE improvement, but it does show off some of the dynamics (plus it's dead quiet vinyl). My only gripe is having to flip sides more often!

As for Sundazed, I avoid them like the plague! Their CD's in the 90's were great (i.e. Chocolate Watchband). Their vinyl is crap.

 

Are the Sundazed mono Surrealistic Pillow and Baxter's cut directly from the tapes or digitized? Both sound AAA to me, as do the few other reissues I have on the label (e.g. Simon & Garfunkel's Parsley Sage and Bookends). I don't recall hearing an original mono of SP, but the Sundazed is superb. If the 2x45 is even better, then wow...

 

Really appreciate the detailed description, I can almost hear it through your post . I wonder if I'd prefer the 2x45 over the original, I probably would due to the attributes you describe. Yet--I wasn't bowled over, for example, by any of the MoFi Elvis Costello reissues, despite their quality and greater detail. The 2x45 Get Happy! is superb, but it's missing the punch of the F-Beat original despite that being a single LP.

I've been struggling lately to describe my preference for original vinyl over sometimes even admittedly better sounding reissues; I don't want to sound like an anti-180g curmudgeon. I'm buying many of these records for the second time, having given away a large LP collection 25 years ago when I went all in for CDs. To compensate for my stupidly at the time, I find myself recreating a more idealized version of my old collection, and clean pressings of Porkys, GPs, RLs, Artisans, Monarchs, etc. are more satisfying acquisitions.

 

I felt the way you did with the AP Strange Days (The Doors). While I appreciated the richness and beauty, I felt the record needed that punched up sound of the original. But songs like "Moonlight Drive" are far superior on the AP because they're mid-tempo rockers that need the bandwidth and don't get it on the original (closing the side, as it does). It sounds wonderful on the AP. I ended up selling the AP to someone. But I feel that the preponderance of the material on Rumours really is benefited overall by the 45 treatment.

 

I felt the way you did with the AP Strange Days (The Doors). While I appreciated the richness and beauty, I felt the record needed that punched up sound of the original. But songs like "Moonlight Drive" are far superior on the AP because they're mid-tempo rockers that need the bandwidth and don't get it on the original (closing the side, as it does). It sounds wonderful on the AP. I ended up selling the AP to someone. But I feel that the preponderance of the material on Rumours really is benefited overall by the 45 treatment.

 

But if you wanted to show how good SP sounds in mono you would use the MFSL 45 rpm.

 

I agree with you-- the Trabbie was the ultimate…..

 

I felt the way you did with the AP Strange Days (The Doors). While I appreciated the richness and beauty, I felt the record needed that punched up sound of the original. But songs like "Moonlight Drive" are far superior on the AP because they're mid-tempo rockers that need the bandwidth and don't get it on the original (closing the side, as it does). It sounds wonderful on the AP. I ended up selling the AP to someone. But I feel that the preponderance of the material on Rumours really is benefited overall by the 45 treatment.

 

I couldn't agree more. The true proof is in the fact that they actually have Trabbie clubs, just like they have Corvair clubs here in the USA.

 

C'mon Maserati? Yes, they build beautiful cars for the service.

 

What's was

What went wrong with Safe As Milk? I don't own the Sundazd, having an original mono promo.

 

Captain Beefheart Safe As Milk from the MONO master on Sundazed!! »

 

Ha!

...and the mono Blue Cheer.
...and the mono Mamas & Papas 2nd.
...and the mono 13th Floor Elevators.
...and the Plain Brown Wrapper LP.

95% of the effort spent went into the artwork and false advertising.

 

The 45rpm Rumours so completely surpasses even the best early pressing of Rumours it just isn't funny.
I have owned several and eventually tagged one "best". And then the 45rpm simply blew it away.

 

The 45 is very good. But its also very different than the *best* sounding originals of Rumours. Both are very very good in their own way. Depends on which original one has as far as sound quality.

 

I think it would be helpful to elaborate on how you think it's better. I agree it is better in many ways compared to my original. But my original, with its greater compression, has a bit more snap to it, which results in it occasionally being to rock more. I'm thinking songs at the beginning of the sides which benefit from the fidelity of being at the outer edge such as "Second Hand News".

 

Exactly. You Make Lovin Fun rocks on the original and kinda lays there on the 45 remaster. Sometimes better fidelity isn't everything.

 

The hair on my neck stood up during the shrieks at the end of "GDW".

It was like hearing for the first time.

I had my girlfriend and some of her friends over, and they wanted to hear "Rumours".

So being the showoff that I am, I ripped the perforation on the sealed copy of the 45rpm.

"You guys wanna hear RUMOURS"?

 

Air, dynamics, lifelike tone, attack and decay more natural, each instrument has a stronger sense of individual space. The vocalists sound like they are in the room with you. Guitars that were all treble before now have real body. You can hear the floor under the piano. The electric keyboard on "You Make Loving Fun" has a ridiculous midrange richness I never suspected.

I took this record with me to the Atlanta 2011 AXPONA (same weekend as the Rumours 45rpm release) and the dealers all thanked me for bringing the record. On only one system (set up badly) did the sound not impress the dealers as well as me. As for the lack of compression: you have to turn it UP. That record was meant to be played LOUD.

I actually can't think of a single other reissue in any format that startled me this much.

 

Agree 100%

I've probably listened to the record over 500 times on various formats - original LPs, white/cream label RLs, Nautilus Super Discs, every CD pressing I could get my hands on, the WB "2fer" cassette, the standard WB cassette, the red and white label COLUMBIA HOUSE cassette...hell, I even had the 8track when I was little.

The 45rpm blows them all away, no question.

 

Been listening to the MOFI 2LP and the Sundazed. It has been interesting for me because the Sundazed I just acquired was cut by Kevin Gray, so I think my comparisons are probably a little different to others in this thread who had earlier Sundazed versions.

I really like both of these and if Kevin Gray did his from digital, all I can say is I'm beyond impressed.

The MFSL has quite a bit more bass. Kevin Gray's cut has a midrange that I think it more magical. I really like the MFSL but the bottom end, well, I'm not 100% sure about just yet. The thing is on my system the bass on Gray's cut is amazingly clear but doesn't sound so boomy.

Not sure I'd want to choose between them just yet. I could post samples from both if anyone is interested.

Such a great record!

 

The MFSL "boomy"? Did you try raising your VTA, if possible? The bass is not boomy in my system.

 

I think the difference is more about mastering.

I'm not saying the MFSL is boomy as a general statement, but in comparison to Kevin Gray's work.

Here's a sample of "Somebody To Love". It starts with the Sundazed done by Gray and switches to the Mofi at 38 seconds into the song...

JA "Somebody Love" Kevin Gray/Krieg Wunderlich - Clyp