AAA 100% Analogue This LP was Remastered using Pure Analogue Components Only from the Master Tapes through to the Cutting Head

Mobile Fidelity - MFSL 1-349 - 180 Gram Virgin  Vinyl

AAA 100% Analogue -Numbered Limited Edition -  Pressed at RTI  

Mastered by Rob LoVerde from the Original Master  tape

Half Speed Mastered on the Mobile Fidelity The Gain 2 Ultra Analog System

If you’re looking for an ideal example of the wealth of information available in a record’s grooves versus a high-resolution digital file, this is it. I favorably reviewed the SACD of this set several issues ago, yet the LP uncovers far more sonic treasures.The additional layers of texture, echo, and spaciousness in the oft-played title track are revelatory. It feels as if MoFi even captures the smokiness conveyed in the tune; such is the degree of piano texture available on this analog version.- Toneaudio

Joel’s Breakthrough 1973 Album Filled With Memorable Character Sketches Mastered from the Original Master Tapes for the First Time: Intimate Sonics Sing a Song for the Piano Man: Joel’s Pathos Impacts Everyman In All of Us Billy Joel’s Piano Man established a legend via two elements that became a trademark of his career: simple, yet disarmingly effective lyrics that speak to universal truths and instilled feelings of pathos.

With the classic title track, Joel captures the emotions and expectations all of us—consciously or not—attach to our favorite musicians: “Sing us a song you're the piano man/Sing us a song tonight/Well we're all in the mood for a melody/And you've got us feeling alright,” he croons. Indeed, Joel has everyone feeling good on this breakout set. Never before properly remastered, Mobile Fidelity secured the original master tapes to present this 1973 singer-songwriter masterwork in unparalleled fidelity. The cavity of Joel’s piano, tension of the strings, and reach of his voice are astounding on this numbered limited-edition LP pressing. The New York native finally seems as if he’s playing in your room rather than down the hall.

After the commercial failure of his debut, and resulting legal disputes with his label, a determined Joel took up a six-month residency as a lounge singer in Los Angeles. The vocalist continued to pen songs, including his signature track, “Piano Man,” a fictional narrative motivated by the real-life stories and actions of the patrons he witnessed during his cocktail club residency. Joel also drew inspiration from a fellow peer with whom he’d ultimately collaborate on a series of highly successful tours that continue to this day: Elton John. The Englishman’s Tumbleweed Connection fueled a creative spurt in Joel, who extends the record’s Western imagery and bluesy themes. Ignoring introspection in favor of rich character sketches, Joel utilizes his knack for melodic flair, filling out the songs with comprehensive arrangements and a swift sense of purpose. His tales — “The Ballad of Billy the Kid,” “Captain Jack,” “Ain’t No Crime” — are supported with phenomenal harmonies and thematic flavors that arrive courtesy of instrumental accents from first-rate players that include guitarist Larry Carlton, banjoist Fred Heilbrun, and drummer Ron Tutt.

Joel supplies the requisite emotions, and Piano Man oozes with life. Mobile Fidelity’s 180g LP possesses a warmth that, until now, none of Joel’s records possess. Soundstaging, imaging, and immediacy are refined and mannered, and the enthusiasm and completeness of Joel’s craft come into supreme focus. No fan of '70s rock or pop should be without this stellar pressing! "Joel grew up playing in rock bands, but a California hiatus as a lounge pianist (under the name Bill Martin) saw him pecking out standards for lost souls. 'It was all right,' he said. 'I got free drinks and union scale, which was the first steady money I'd made in a long time.'"

If you’re looking for an ideal example of the wealth of information available in a record’s grooves versus a high-resolution digital file, this is it. I favorably reviewed the SACD of this set several issues ago, yet the LP uncovers far more sonic treasures. The additional layers of texture, echo, and spaciousness in the oft-played title track are revelatory. It feels as if MoFi even captures the smokiness conveyed in the tune; such is the degree of piano texture available on this analog version." - Jeff Dorgay, TONEAudio Magazine,  January 2013

• Numbered, Limited Edition
• Half-Speed Production and Mastering by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab
• Specially Plated and Pressed on 180 grams of High Definition Vinyl
• Special Static Free - Dust Free Inner Sleeve
• Heavy Duty Protective Packaging
• Mastered from the Original Master Tapes
• Gatefold jacket

Selections:
1. Travelin' Prayer
2. Piano Man
3. Ain't No Crime
4. You're My Home
5. The Ballad of Billy the Kid
6. Worse Comes to Worst
7. Stop in Nevada
8. If I Only Had the Words (To Tell You)
9. Somewhere Along the Line
10. Captain Jack

 

GAIN 2 Ultra Analog™ is a proprietary cutting system built and designed by legendary design genius Tim De Paravicini, with consultation from one of MFSL’s founding fathers – Stan Ricker, an audio engineer responsible for many of MFSL’s most heralded past releases.

The GAIN 2 Ultra Analog™ system is comprised of a Studer™ tape machine with customized reproduction electronics* and handcrafted cutting amps that drive an Ortofon cutting head on a restored Neumann VMS-70 lathe. (*It is worth noting that independent studies have confirmed that the GAIN 2 Ultra Analog™ system can unveil sonic information all the way up to 122kHz!)

First and foremost, we only utilize first generation original master recordings as source material for our releases. We then play back master tapes at half speed enabling the GAIN 2 Ultra Analog™ system to fully extract the master’s sonic information. Our lacquers are then plated in a specialized process that protects transients in the musical signal. (Due to this process, there may be occasional pops or ticks inherent in initial play back, but as the disc is played more, a high quality stylus will actually polish the grooves and improve the sound). We further ensure optimum sound quality by strictly limiting the number of pressings printed for each release. These limited editions, in addition to being collectors’ items, ensure that the quality of the last pressing matches the quality of the first.

As you can imagine, all these efforts involve a tremendous amount of time, technology, cost and effort. The introduction of GAIN 2 Ultra Analog™ maintains Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab’s position as the world’s leading audiophile record label, where a passion for music with extraordinary sound quality matters most.

 

 RTI 180 HQ Vinyl

Record Technology is a world class record pressing plant located in Camarillo, California. We have been operating since 1974, pressing for most audiophile record labels and for many quality minded independent and major record labels from around the world.

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