Great MOFI CDs that everyone should buy, Part II

[Humorem]

Three absolute killers: sound and music.

524 Jethro Tull/ Stand Up
554 Stevie Wonder/ Innervisions
569 Blood, Sweat and Tears/ Blood, Sweat and Tears

These sound like they were made by Steve they are so good. (It may be a freelance job for all we know.)

Get them now off ebay; the prices ain't comin' down anytime soon.

TP

[jligon]

How available is 554? Is it one of those in ultra-high demand? I just sold my "remastered" copy and was looking for something better.

[Michael]

I couldn't agree with you more, except for Stevie...Just love "I Was Made To Love Her" great song! Love to hear Steve do a number on It...Just way toooo HARSH now.

[Humorem]

Originally posted by jligon
How available is 554? Is it one of those in ultra-high demand? I just sold my "remastered" copy and was looking for something better.
They go for maybe $30-40, not bad. You see them from time to time. Nobody really knows how good it is on ebay. I would say it's my #1 pick. Amazing ambience. Stevie is sitting on a creaking piano stool; listen for it. Plain as day.

TP

[RicP]

Tom,

What's your take on MoFi's "Double Fantasy" CD?

I'll reserve my opinion until I hear yours. :)

[Rob LoVerde]

Hi RicP,

Not that you asked me, but I must say that the first time I heard "(Just Like) Starting Over" on the MFSL CD, I came THIS CLOSE to tears. I LOVE that song, and I felt like John was standing just behind my stereo...

Amazing...

[Steve Hoffman]

Rob, right on the money. Even though that album is way too painful for me to listen to, the MoFi sounds just like the analog tapes!

[RicP]

Well, my opinion mirrors yours, but I wanted to see what Tom had to say without benefit of other opinions in the thread. ;)

Thanks though, I feel exactly the same way.

[Ronflugelguy]

Hey Tom, what does a BS&T MOFI go for these days? Thanks, Ron

[Sckott]

I have to agree with Mr. Port up and down for those 3 titles. Was listening to BST MFSL last night on the tubes. Absolutely makes you wanna lay in front of the speakers at the level of the cones, and hear the sound coming right into you! The stereo picture in that record is also quite subtle, interesting and a LOT of shivers in the spine!

Someone raised a "flag" in the ol' forum when they saw "Double Fantasy" going on half.com for $20. Thanks for that. My copy only had a cracked jewel. That was a very important purchase. Wow.

[Dan]

I bought the Blood Sweat & Tears in a thrift shop for $2.00 without the artwork. It startled me at first because it has a good deal of tape hiss, but what a GREAT sounding CD. Nice stereo imaging. Sounds like they're right in the room at times.

[Humorem]

Originally posted by Sckott
Was listening to BST MFSL last night on the tubes. Absolutely makes you wanna lay in front of the speakers at the level of the cones, and hear the sound coming right into you! The stereo picture in that record is also quite subtle, interesting and a LOT of shivers in the spine!


One of the world's most obvious edits is on that album. Do you know where it is? Play it again. Once you spot it you will be amazed how you may have ignored it in the past.

TP

[Ben]

Originally posted by Steve Hoffman
Rob, right on the money. Even though that album is way too painful for me to listen to, the MoFi sounds just like the analog tapes!

Steve:

Is the subject of John's death the "pain" factor you refer to, or is it the Yoko-screech that dominates side two?

Respectfully,

Ben

[Steve Hoffman]

Sorry if I wasn't clear.

If John hadn't made that album, he might be alive today. Ya see?

It just reminds me of that time. I can remember walking around MCA Records the day after and seeing everyone crying, old and young. It was really terrible. So, the album brings that feeling back again, every time. I think if John hadn't wanted to start recording so much again, the fans wouldn't have gathered outside the Dakota like they did, and, well, maybe the "bad moment" would have passed.

[Matt]

I never thought of that way, but the man who killed him was a sick bastard, so it's hard to say. I try not to pay attention to that guy; I feel like it's letting him win whenever the media lavishes him with attention.

[Sam]

I had the mofi cd. Not bad but in no way could it touch the Direct Disc Labs half speed version of it. ( I never heard the anadisc.) Now I know Tom Port used to love this pressing too. But who knows, he may have changed his mind and found a better pressing. I can hear him now "That was yesterday."

[TommyTunes]

Originally posted by Sam
I had the mofi cd. Not bad but in no way could it touch the Direct Disc Labs half speed version of it. ( I never heard the anadisc.) Now I know Tom Port used to love this pressing too. But who knows, he may have changed his mind and found a better pressing. I can hear him now "That was yesterday."

Are you referring to the Nautilus pressing. I don't think Direct Disc issued Double Fantasy and I know there was not a Anadisc version.

[Ronald]

Tommy,

I think the BS&T is what they are talking about. I have the Direct Disk SuperDisk pressing of that and it's okay. I admit after listening to it, I didn't get the feeling of rapture after reading all the press clippings praising it to the sky. TP is not the only one who loves the sound. TAS and Stereo Review (!?) or Audio have chimed in on the SuperDisk as well. The vinyl is very quiet; the range sounds full. The price is other worldly.

I can't quite pinpoint why I don't get off from it. The Hammond B-3 doesn't have the bite I expect. The horns aren't as room filling as I would like.

Before I get flamed, here is an explanation:

When I was a young child of a career military man, the Marine Corps band used to play a lot of BS&T to show how brass was incorporated into popular music. I used to watch these performances and they were just fantastic. I realized then you didn't have to be a smoker of the hippy lettuce to be a good musician.

(As a disclaimer, I have never ever touched, smoked or had hippy lettuce enter my metabolic pathways, other than the second hand smoke ever present at Southern Rock concerts. Lynyrd Skynyrd and Outlaw shows were the worst offenders. This topic alone could create another thread.)

The closest I ever came to recreating that brass band sound was with "Child is Father to the Man" Columbia 1/2-speed. Is it accurate? No idea whatsoever. SuperDisk BS&T? Leaves me unfilled. Sort of like tartar sauce made with Kraft mayo instead of Hellmanns mayo. The difference is probably something in the ingredients. The MoFi UDCD sounds good too and it is probably more readily available.

As for MFSL-251? Good luck finding it. Only 1000 were made and probably only 27 have been played. The last copy I ever laid hands on was 2/97 at a record shop in Ventura CA off the 101 at the top of a hill. Dude wanted $40.00. Maybe TP knows the name of the store. The store also had an original Casino Royale for $75.00.