Donald Fagen "The Nightfly" digital recording to MFSL 45 RPM One-Step vinyl?*

It only makes sense from a money perspective. It's a cash grab plain and simple.

Ed

 

I preordered The Nightfly on Wednesday. There's been no charge on my card yet...

 

Imagine my anger and disappointment after I found one. Yikes!

 

...every record company want make a lot of $$$. Even better: each of us want make a lot of money...!

Every re-mastering can only add a different flavour: the perception of improvement is totally subjective.
The Nightfly was recorded, mixed and mastered as an audiophile album. So, please, let audiophile record companies re-release this music over and over again.

 

Well, audiophile labels could release titles which were never mastered good. There are many muddy fist press records. But they probably wouldn't sell much. So we get the 99 version of Kind of Blue.... and on and on.....

 

A company is not supposed to make money?

 

The DVDA is out of print, everyone does not have a copy. Audio Fidelity did Eric Claptons Journeyman SACD from a 16/50 file. It was called a perfect candidate for SACD.

 

I don't disagree with you, I'm sure it will sound slightly better. I would just rather see the effort go into bad sounding classic recordings like Surrealistic Pillow. That one needs all the help it can get. To me, paying big bucks for improvements on Nightfly or Dire Straits 1st album isn't worth it. They're already spectacular.

 

There's a lot of assuming going on here.

OK, I'll take a guess.... I don't think that MOFI would be doing this unless they thought it would be a significant improvement over previous versions. And lately, at least, they have a really good track record.

And I hope they make lots of money.

So there.

 

It depends on why it sounded bad to begin with, right? A poorly recorded album is going to be helped less than one that was recorded well to begin with.

 

Why are you see it will sound slightly better. It will only possibly sound slightly DIFFERENT. Everything that Fagen, his producer, and his engineer wanted you to hear is in that digital master and the commercial digital replicates (DVD-A and even CD).

All MoFi can do now is add their own coloration and noise and pops. It could only be slightly better if you think the people who made the record got it wrong in the first place.

 

That's the one I have and it beat my RL.

 

They won't get mine. Still, I wish them well.

Ed

 

I ordered the Fagan One Step. I have an RL vinyl version, and a German Target cd (very digital sound). The DVDA is not easy to find at a decent price.

Regardless if digital provence, I am looking forward to this release. Analog playabck makes music sounder better. I remember in the early 1990''s I purchased some cd compilatons of Charlie Parker''s Dial recordings. I copied the cd''s onto cassette to play in the car. The Charlie Parker music sounded better to me on cassette on a car stereo than on cd on my my main shome stereo.

 

I genuinely hope you're happy. You spent a pretty penny on it so I honestly hope you are rewarded.

Ed

 

Interesting to read all the "this cannot be improved" type of comments. Similar comments were written about the Cowboy Junkies "Trinity Session" re-release on AP. And I believe the consensus is that the 45 release of Trinity is a significant improvement.

 

I mean the MoFi people are not stupid. If it wouldn't be a significant improvement, I don't think they would release it and spoil the reputation gained after the success of the Santana release.

 

I don't have anything to compare it to but the AP Cowboy Junkies Trinity Session release is very good. It also was expensive but I got it for less than 1/2 the price of this Fagan 1 step Ultra. I also have a couple really nice RL original pressings of Nightfly that really sound great. Like others, I find this one to be an odd choice and a tough sell.

 

It may be a tough sell to some, but it will sell out like the other two.

 

With this in mind, I've always wondered if it's Fagen's diction or a mastering error that makes the word 'kerosene' sound like 'kerofeen' on 'Green Flower Street'. No idea what version of the CD I ripped my file from, but it sticks out like a sore thumb every time.

 

From a friend who's involved in this from MoFi.

Licensing!! I've said it in other threads, people don't get it or something. They work with what they can get the license for AND afford. They need to make money on releases to stay in business, so licensing something like Sgt Peppers and trying to make a profit isn't going to work too well. They want to stay in the $100 price range on these. That's their happy medium.

Another thing, the master tapes have to be present and in good shape for them to use. They may be able to get some titles that I see people wanting them to release, but the tape quality might not be good. They want to release excellent sounding releases, not some half butt sq vinyl box.

Diversity! They want to be diverse in the titles they release. Not just all classic rock or jazz. I think they've done a good job so far with something like Santana which was a good classic acid type rock title. Bill Evans is a complete 180 from the Santana release. Fagen is a 90 degree turn from the Bill Evans. The Simon Garfunkel will be a turn from Fagan and anything else they've released. Trying to hit different markets and tastes which I applaud.

They've released 1 title so far and it's fantastic. Bill Evans should be out in a few weeks, and we can digest that then. So far MoFi is batting a 1000 in my book.

Bottom line, buy the Fagen or don't. You either like the title enough to take a chance on it or you don't. The back and forth on who did what or what RL and someone else talked about at a picnic in 1982 and how can the Target CD sound any better is all pointless. I'm betting it sounds awesome, so for $100.00 it's worth that to me.

 

If so then MoFi has perfected a new recipe for snake oil.

 

I was agreeing with the guy I was talking too when he said you'll see improvement going from 33 1/3 to 45. On the albums I've bought at 45 I do hear improvement. Doors, Beck etc.

 

My apologies I thought this was from a 16/50 file. I think it was the Rush Presto SACD