Mobile Fidelity - UDSACD 2165 - SACD Hybrid Stereo - 

Mastered by Rob LoVerde  from the Original Master Tape at MFSL

Numbered Limited  Edition - Plays On All CD Players

Mastered on the Mobile Fidelity GAIN 2™  Ultradisc UHR™ Hybrid SACD 

 

1971 Debut Won Grammy Award for Best New Artist: Understated Record Finds Carly Simon Poignantly Chronicling Transition from Carefree Youth to Adulthood 

 

Mastered from the Original Master Tapes: Warm, Intimate SACD of Carly Simon Boasts Stellar Microdynamics, Vocal Intricacies, and Lifelike Imaging

 

Includes the Top Ten Hit “That’s the Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be”

 

 

Carly Simon’s exceptional debut remains one for the books. Immediately recognizing her potential, Elektra Records founder Jac Holzman signed and paired her with legendary producer Eddie Kramer. The pair’s chemistry resulted in a remarkable record that birthed an instant Top Ten hit, “That’s the Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be,” a potent statement about marriage that, in the era, doubled as a feminist statement. Simon’s star-making self-titled album went on to garner critical acclaim and two Grammy nominations, including an award for Best New Artist. Now, more than four decades later, the album receives the sonic treatment it’s long deserved.

 

Mastered from the original master tapes, Mobile Fidelity’s numbered limited edition hybrid SACD brings audiophile-caliber warmth, closeness, and realism to the exquisitely crafted music. Simon’s even-keeled voice assumes a clearer, more intimate quality. Instruments come into view via well-defined imaging and accurate tonalities. Balances are sharper than on prior editions, and the emotionalism enhanced. Soundstages, too, are broader and deeper, benefitting from a meticulous mastering process that opens up the dynamics and lets everything breathe. 

 

For the first time, Kramer’s production gets the opportunity to truly shine. Boasting stellar sonics and gorgeous subtleties, this SACD is tailor-made for relaxing listening sessions with a glass of wine at arm’s reach. It also places Simon’s lyrical arc about moving from living a carefree youth to entering adulthood—and the doubts, curiosities, heartbreaks, vulnerabilities, and anticipations that accompany the transition—in greater relief. Melodic counterpoints provided by the scored orchestrations, steel guitar accents, and hybrid pop-jazz progressions further amplify Simon’s emotional reach. 

 

While Simon achieved greater commercial success with successive releases, rarely did she again sing with the kind of nuanced character, understated poignancy, and outstanding control present here. Before evolving into one of rock’s premier singer-songwriters, Simon used her eponymous debut as a standout platform to showcase the art of vocal intricacies and phrasing. Coupled with the record’s nimble arrangements and narrative palette, the performances elevate Carly Simon to a level on par with the artist’s breakout No Secrets and Hotcakes albums.

 

Simon’s instinct for introspection can’t be denied. She approaches the material in strikingly personal fashion. A majority of songs concern a young woman’s reflections on development, expectations, disappointment, individuality, and romance. Chronicling human changes and growth, the singer explores the peaks and valleys between highs and lows with candid eloquence and bittersweet beauty that foreshadow what’s to come. Whether on the balladic “The Best Thing,” folk-laden “Reunions,” or harmony-drenched “The Love’s Still Growing,” Simon touches hearts and reaches into souls with her expressive feeling and aching melodies. If only every debut had such resonance. 

 

• Super Audio CD  • SACD Stereo SACD Layer
• This Hybrid SACD contains a 'Red Book' Stereo CD Layer which is playable on most conventional CD Players!
• Numbered, Limited Edition
• Mastered From Original Master Tapes

 

Carly Simon Carly Simon Track Listing:

 

1. That’s the Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be

2. Alone

3. One More Time

4. The Best Thing

5. Just a Sinner

6. Dan, My Fling

7. Another Door

8. Reunions

9. Rolling Down the Hills

10. The Love’s Still Growing

 

 

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.