Billy Joel - Piano Man - SACD

Product no.: UDSACD2062

Usually 7-21 Days

Billy Joel - Piano Man - SACD
£39.95
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Available delivery methods: UK Tracked with Signature, Airmail Standard, UK Express, Airmail Tracked with Signature, UK Standard, Airmail Small

Mobile Fidelity - UDSACD 2062 - SACD Hybrid Stereo 

Numbered Limited  Edition - Plays On All CD Players 

Half Speed Mastered by Rob LoVerde from the Original Master Tape

Mastered on the Mobile Fidelity GAIN 2™ Mastering Technology for Ultradisc UHR™  SACD

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  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

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 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 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,  

 Accordion – Michael Omartian
Banjo – Eric Weissberg, Fred Heilbrun
Bass – Emory Gordy, Wilton Felder
Drums – Ron Tutt
Fiddle – Billy Armstrong
Guitar – Dean Parks, Larry Carlton, Richard Bennet
Keyboards – Billy Joel
 

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

Billy Joel - Piano Man - 180g LP

 

Image result for mofi mobile fidelity sound lab

Mobile Fidelity believes that mastering systems should be neutral and transparent. The essential idea is to unveil all the detailed musical information on the original master recording without adding deterioration, coloration or other sonic artifacts. 

It is worth noting that Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab stands out as one of few record labels that independently invests in research and development of audio technology. With proprietary innovations such as GAIN 2™, general music enthusiasts and audiophiles alike have reaped the benefit of a higher consumer audio standard without investing in costly new hardware. Mobile Fidelity is pleased to work with a variety of engineering legends and companies including Tim de Paravicini, Ed Meitner, Pass Labs, Theta Digital and Sony Electronics. 

Our joint efforts to seek out the ultimate audio experience, has resulted in significant advances for the technology of music reproduction. 

GAIN 2™ Mastering Technology for Ultradisc UHR™ Hybrid SACD and Ultradisc II™ 24kt Gold CDs 

For over twenty years, Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab has continually searched for the ultimate audio experience. During this search MFSL engineers and associates created The GAIN™ System, a proprietary mastering technology which brought warmth and ambience to the compact disc format. A few years ago - with higher resolution formats on the horizon - the vision of GAIN 2™ began. As it stands today, GAIN 2™ is one of the greatest technical advancements in analogue and digital technology in the last ten years. It consists of a series of critical modifications and new components to Mobile Fidelity's proprietary mastering chain. 

We feel that GAIN 2™ has come extremely close to meeting this goal. The key accomplishments of GAIN 2™ System are 1) the ability to extract all the musical information as possible through the Ultra High bandwidth analogue tape playback system with proprietary custom tape playback heads, reproducer electronics and 2) transparently capturing and storing that information with the Direct Stream Digital recording system. 

 

 

 

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