There is a big void left behind by the loss of Mobile Fidelity and Audio Fidelity in the full analog music reproduction space. Rhino is helping fill that void. Best of luck to them! I'll be a customer...
Apparently there are four more Rhino Quadio titles coming… given how good the Chicago and Doobie Brothers Quadio box sets were, I’m rather keen to find out what they are…
A total assumption on my part, but given what Rhino is doing (and I wonder what took so long) I would bet the Warner family of labels may not be so keen on licensing out their music to audiophile labels going forward. I thought we would see in house audiophile divisions sooner than this. Will be interesting to see if Sony etc tightens up licenses. I know Sony is now issuing very impressive audiophile premium pressings in Japan, starting about a year ago. Would love to get the Bob Scaggs as my Japanese import from the 80’s is just okay and I haven’t heard a decent US. And of course the Friday Music isn’t even passable imo. I would be very nervous if I were Friday Music, MFSL etc.
Sounds like I went for the wrong title. I was not impressed with the Still Crazy One Step so I passed on this. It was pretty much the same as a good pressing I already had. Is this one better, for those that got both?
I have a few Silvers. All are outstanding. Wouldn’t know they are a “step down” had it not been indicated as such.
I’m exactly where you are! And have found typically the right original is better. Not always, but enough that that is how I roll. A bit expensive to figure it out, but I finally did.
As someone once sang, "Tell me more, tell me more". Have you got any more details on these? I've been buying a few items from Japan recently (mainly vintage releases) but would be interested in searching these out.
Jrr, the best Boz Scaggs - Silk Degrees that I have found, believe it or not, is the CBS Mastersound Super Bit Mapped Gold CD. They did a great job on it, warm, balanced, frequency extension, dynamic, kicks butt, and is natural sounding. I have the MFSL Gold CD on this too and it is not in the same league. Maybe a future vinyl edition could grant additional ambiance, space and microcontrast to this title, but the Mastersound CD is so good, I doubt I would seek an upgrade
It looks like HHV (Germany) have a MoFi copy of Trompe Le Monde in stock at RRP: https://www.hhv.de/shop/en/item/pixies-trompe-le-monde-329026 I have my doubts even though they ‘confirmed’ it was a MoFi pressing via email. Guess I’ll find out once it arrives.
The Zevon is available again at Music Direct, if anyone is still looking: Warren Zevon - Excitable Boy (Numbered 180g 45rpm Vinyl 2LP) - Music Direct
I don't have the Still Crazy 1-step so can't comment. My best 1-steps that are demos are: Abraxas Fragile BS&T Rhymin' Simon Excellent but outdone by the 2011 Bellman, IMO which is much cheaper: Clapton Unplugged Not great but good enough to keep IMO. Some songs sound very good, others, not-s0-much: CS&N Sell pile: Texas Flood (partially because I've never really been a SRV guy, but gave it another shot. That said, I remember exactly where I was when I heard the news about the helicopter crash) Pearl - too bright
for me, demos: Blood Sweat & Tears Eagles Blood on the Tracks Mingus Ah Um excellent but there are better versions out there: Tapestry disappointing: CSN Pearl
Pearl was too clinical compared to the regular 45rpm release imo, it loses its character as a result.
I know this one has hiss issues but is it still worth grabbing? I’ve heard the pure pleasure version isn’t great either and I’d like a copy of this in my collection for reasonable price
Ok, ok, you all convinced me to pull the trigger on the There Goes Rhymin' Simon 1-Step. Elusive Disk has it on sale for $114.99 with free shipping. This is my all time favorite Paul Simon album and I have a pretty clean original Lee Hulko pressing, but multiple people have mentioned that the 1-Step is demo quality. So, I could no longer resist.
Despite the hiss I really enjoy it. I don’t think it’s a bad buy at $30 but haven’t looked into other versions in awhile.
My very clean original Lee Hulko Sterling is far inferior to the One Step. The Hulko sounded compressed to me even before I received the One Step. My original Hulko Hotel California is not as good as the original MFSL 33, either. Guess I just don't care for Hulko's work.
Mine arrived today - it was not the MoFi version. Appears to be the 2017 standard version? I'm not opening it, so I can't verify exactly.
That sucks. Mine has just been posted since it had a preorder in the same order. I wonder how they let that slip through even on Discogs? Oh well, thanks for the heads up, at least I won't be surprised (albeit disappointed). Have you reached out to them yet? I'm a bit disappointed that their 'confirmation' was more or less looking at the product page and seeing it listed as MoFi.
Yeah, I paid a few bucks more to have FedEx ship it. It surprisingly made it overseas unharmed in a cheap mailer and no tape. I've reached out via Discogs, but no response yet.
For what it's worth, they have always honoured any defect/wrong pressing I might have received. A couple of times they have actually refunded me without asking for the record back (and I live in Italy, so probably cheaper return shipping than from the US).
