AAA 100% Analogue This LP was Remastered using Pure Analogue Components Only from the Master Tapes through to the Cutting Head
Pure Pleasure / Columbia PPAN CS9698 - 180 Gram Virin Vinyl - AAA 100% Analogue
Pure Analogue Mastering - Pressed at Pallas Germany - Limited Edition
Mastered by Ray Staff at Air London - Three Bonus Tracks - Columbia CS 9698
"The upbeat performances are crisp and infectious, the backing band rocks and the recording quality is high. Producer David Rubinson rarely disappointed during this era." - Michael Fremer, .musicangle. Music 8/10, Sound 8/10
The analogue stereo sound is flawless. The separation of the instrumentation (especially between the electric and steel guitars) is exact. With reduced distortion, a clearer tone on the electric instruments and the harmonica is achieved. Audiophile or not, this album is an idiomatic excursion into great blues music. – Sound 5/5 Robbie Gerson AudiophileAudition
Taj Mahal's second album, recorded in the spring and autumn of the year 1968 begins, much like his first, with a entschlacktem Blues in the Mississippi Delta style, but is slightly more powerful (partly thanks to Al Kooper on organ) before it is clearly a fuller sound developed with songs like "She Caught The Katy And Left Me A Mule To Ride" and "The Cuckoo". The latter in particular provides crisp electric and acoustic guitars in the foreground, while Gary Gilmore the bass plays almost like a lead instrument - the answer to a blues musician on John Entwistle. But particularly noteworthy are perhaps the two self-written final pieces "You Do not Miss Your Water ('Til Your Well Runs Dry)" and "Is not That A Lot Of Love" when Taj Mahal in the area of Souls, the territory of Otis Redding enters.
This is especially noticeable in "You Do not Miss Your Water", which reached a gospel-like intensity, a horn arrangement by Jesse Ed Davis in the Stax / Volt-style included, that sounds more real than real. "Is not That A Lot Of Love "by contrast, is driven by a hard electric guitar sound and relentless bass, more like a more urgent version of the bass line in" Gimme Some Lovin '"sounds of the Spencer Davis Group. This new edition of" The Natch'l Blues " contains a trio of bonus tracks: an interpretation of "The Cuckoo" at a faster pace with a distinctive lead guitar, the electric slow complaining "New Stranger Blues" with a great guitar, played like a mandolin, and the rocking instrumental "Things Are Gonna Work Out Fine ", which is a dazzling example of Davis' electric lead guitar and Taj Mahal virtuosity on the harmonica.
Taj Mahal (formerly Henry Saint Clair Frederick) literally was born to play the blues. Growing up in a musical household, his musical pedigree would be defined by the gospel music of his mother and the West Indian jazz arrangements of his father. Classical piano lessons resulted, plus mastering the harmonica and acoustic guitar. His organic comprehension of music was reflected in academic pursuits of farming, a passion he maintained in addition to his music.
Taj moved to California and formed a blues group with Ry Cooder that failed to generate commercial success. Subsequently, he started working with iconic blues players, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Buddy Guy and Lightnin’ Hopkins, developing his distinctive singing and playing. He recorded with the Rolling Stones (appearing in the groundbreaking Rock and Roll Circus), and release a self-titled debut album for Columbia Records. His career over the next four decades elevated his status to legendary.
Natch’l Blues, originally released in 1968, is a transformative album. It combines traditional blues with modern sound production. “Good Morning Miss Brown” sets a rhythmic tone with a jazzy acoustic steel guitar, walking piano bass line, and soulful vocal. There are numerous hooks that make the songs vibrant. “The Cuckoo”, a medium-paced number has an infectious electric guitar groove that works in tandem with Taj’s discerning harp work. The harp playing has a natural, understated quality, that is displayed on the instrumental, “Things Are Gonna Work Out Fine” (one of three bonus tracks on the album), as he and Jesse Ed Davis exchange urgent leads, fixed in counterpoint. On the frequently covered, “Corinna”, a country aesthetic is rendered with the harp licks, blending seamlessly with the song’s tempo. A colorful rhythm and blues theme is developed on “You Don’t Miss Your Water (‘Till Your Well Runs Dry)”, punctuated by Memphis-Stax/Volt horn chorus and lead vocals reminiscent of Otis Redding or Sam Cooke.
Even in a traditional blues format (“Goin’ Up To the Country, Paint My Mailbox Blue”), the mystique of this modern bluesman is proprietary. It is inconceivable that he recorded an album this commanding in his twenties. The supporting band (Davis, Gary Gilmore, Chuck Blackwell, Al Kooper and Earl Palmer) is cohesive, led by the musical acuity of Davis.
Musicians:
Taj Mahal, harmonica, guitar, vocals
Jesse Edwin Davis, guitar, piano, brass arrangements
Gary Gilmore, bass
Chuck Blackwell, drums
Al Kooper, piano
Earl Palmer, drums
Selections:
1. Good Morning Miss Brown
2. Corrina
3. I Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Steal My Jellyroll
4. Going Up The Country, Paint My Mailbox Blue
5. Done Changed My Way Of Living
6. The Cuckoo (alternate version)
7. She Caught The Katy and Left Me A Mule To Ride
8. The Cuckoo
9. You Don’t Miss Your Water
10. Ain’t That A Lot of Love
11. New Stranger Blues
12. Things Are Gonna Work Out Fine
Recording May & October 1968
Production: David Rubinson
ORIGINAL MASTER TAPES
AAA 100% ANALOGUE
We use the Original Tapes and work with only the Best Mastering Studios
PALLAS
Plated and Pressed at Pallas in Germany on 180 gram Virgin Vinyl
Highest Quality Jackets and Inner Sleeves
LIMITED EDITION
Low Numbers per Stamper Released in Limited Quantities
Pure Pleasure Records
The Restoration of the Art of Sound
180g Vinyl Mastered From The Best Available Sources
At the beginning of the 90s, in the early days of audiophile vinyl re-releases, the situation was fairly straightforward. Companies such as DCC, Mobile Fidelity, Classic Records and, of course, Pure Pleasure all maintained a mutual, unwritten ethical code: we would only use analogue tapes to manufacture records. During the course of the present vinyl hype, many others have jumped on the bandwagon in the hope of securing a corner of the market. Very often they are not so ethical and use every imaginable source to master from: CDs, LPs, digital files, MP3s – or employed existent tools from the 80s and 90s for manufacturing.
A digital delay is gladly used when cutting a lacquer disc because tape machines with an analogue delay have become quite rare and are therefore expensive. When cutting the lacquer, the audio signal is delayed by one LP revolution against the signal, which controls the cutter head, and for this a digital delay is very often employed. Of course, the resultant sound signal is completely digital and thus only as good as this delay.
We should like to emphasize that Pure Pleasure Records on principle only uses the original master tape as the basis for the entirely analogue cutting of lacquer discs. In addition, the pressing tool is newly manufactured as a matter of principle. We only employ existing tools for manufacturing if an improved result is not forthcoming, e.g. the title Elvis Is Back, which was mastered by Steve Hoffman and Kevin Gray, or several titles from our Philips Classics series, which in any case Willem Makkee cut from the original masters at the Emil Berliner Studios in the 90s. It goes without saying that we only used the mother and that new tools were made for our production. To put it in a nutshell: we can ensure you that our releases are free from any kind of digital effects and that the lacquer discs are newly cut.
There really is nothing quite like it. It’s the touch, the feel, you have to stop and stare, the cover, the real thing, even the smell.
Its tangible, you can feel it, see it, study it, muse/dream over it, it’s real, someone has spent hours and hours over its construction and presentation. Pure Pleasure Records is just that, Pure Pleasure and that is what it has set out to be. The music and the physical record. Something to keep, treasure, admire and above all enjoy.Of course with vinyl it’s not just a record, it’s the cover, the sleeve notes, you are holding a unique package, produced by craftsmen.
60 Years Pallas
Audiophile Vinyl - Made in Germany For over 60 years the family business in the third generation of the special personal service and quality "Made by Pallas" is known worldwide. Our custom PVC formulation produces consistently high pressing quality with the lowest surface noise in the industry. Our PVC complies with 2015 European environmental standards and does not contain toxic materials such as Lead, Cadmium or Toluene. Our vinyl is both audiophile and eco-grade!
