Mobile Fidelity - MFSL 1-413 - 180 Gram Virgin Vinyl e

Mastered by Kreig Wunderlich 

Numbered Limited Edition -  - Pressed at RTI  -

1/2" / 30 IPS analog master to DSD 64 to analog console to lathe

1982 Multi-Platinum Smash Both Creatively Ambitious and Commercially Successful

Includes "Maneater," "One on One," and "Family Man"

Third and Final Set of Duo's 80s-Defining Series of Masterful Albums

Mastered from the Original Master Tapes: Sound Cuts to the Heart of Tandem's Balanced, Melodic, Smooth Sound

Freeing themselves from soulful folk, Hall & Oates developed into household names on 1980’s sleek, stylish, and pop-sophisticated Voices—a blockbuster Rolling Stone perfectly described as teaching the group “the way to make rock girls, disco girls, and new-wave girls scream together.

” Anchored by the smashes “Kiss On My List” and “You Make My Dreams,” it signifies the beginning of the all-time best-selling boy-boy duo’s chart dominance that continued with Private Eyes and H20, multi-platinum affairs that strike a keen equilibrium between polish, melody, muscle, and craft. 1980s pop doesn’t come more vetted.

Hall and Oates' biggest-selling album also stands as their most ambitious. Recorded in 1982, when the duo practically owned the pop market, H20 strikes a keen equilibrium between polish, melody, muscle, and craft. The vocalists expand the emotional reach of their songwriting, and shepherd meticulous production and measured arrangements toward thrilling intersections of blue-eyed soul, edge new wave, soft rock, and dance. Staked to two giant singles, the double-platinum affair lingers as the group's last masterwork.

Mastered from the original master tapes and pressed on 180g LP at RTI, Mobile Fidelity's reissue of H20 falls in line with the label's other two definitive Hall and Oates restorations. Fans that think they know the set backwards and forwards will even be stunned at how much sharper vocal harmonies sound, how much richer the dynamics have become, and how broad and deep the soundstage now spans. One listen, and you'll know why this record marks the tandem's creative pinnacle.

Oh-oh, here she comes! Yes, you know the refrain. In their number-one smash and album-opening "Maneater," Hall and Oates distill all the trademark traits that made their music irresistible. Swinging verse structures; call-and-responses choruses; catchy, stick-in-your-head hooks; smooth synthesizer layers; doo-wop vocal fills; and here, even a reggae-nodding rhythm and cool saxophone lines to stir up the mood and atmosphere. The blend of seemingly disparate styles would seem disastrous in nearly any other artists' hands, yet here, it's euphoria. All of H20 follows suit. 

Simply look to the other Top Ten hit, "One on One," an elegantly seductive jam sent up with witty metaphors, mellow balladic foundations, syncopated singing, falsetto stretches, and percolating drum-machine beats that add to the soulful feel. Or to the attractive power-pop of "Delayed Reaction," slinky and sensual "Open All Night," mechanized synthpop statement "Crime Pays," fun-loving spirit of "Italian Girls," and horn-laden "Art of Heartbreak." Again claiming an advantage lost on most of their contemporary pop peers, Hall and Oates cut the album with their superb touring band in support, buttressing the fare with genuine instruments and full-bodied tones.

After the release of H20, Hall and Oates soon became history's all-time biggest-selling male duo. This early 80s benchmark has much to do with their achievement, and deserves to be heard in the best-possible fidelity. Look no further.

Features:
• 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

Co-producer – Neil Kernon
Mixed By – Hugh Padgham
Producer – Daryl Hall, John Oates

Selections:
1. Maneater
2. Crime Pays
3. Art of Heartbreak
4. One on One
5. Open All Night
6. Family Man
7. Italian Girls
8. Guessing Games
9. Delayed Reaction
10. At Tension
11. Go Solo

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 HQ-180 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.