Mobile Fidelity - MFSL 1-357 - 180 Gram Virgin Vinyl
Numbered Limited Edition - Pressed at RTI
Mastered by Kreig Wunderlich
1/2" / 15 IPS / Dolby SR to DSD 64 to analog console to lathe
The Absolute Sound Super Disc List TAS Harry Pearson Super LP List
It just showcases the stretch of the material and track by track the recorded sound remains timeless as if it could have been recorded yesterday. Sound 11/10 Trackingangle
Gorgeous Vocal Inflections, Astonishing Acoustic Guitar Lines Possess Incredible Detail!
Self-Titled Major-Label Debut a Folk-Blues Classic! Pure Blues: National Steel Guitar Playing, Raw Harmonica Solos, Soulful Strumming Infuse Originals and Pair of Covers! In an age where most contemporary bluesmen strive to mimic the past and pattern their music after the greats, Keb' Mo' is content to be himself. Original, charismatic, and immensely gifted, the guitarist/vocalist (born Kevin Moore) brings country blues in the late 20th century on his stunning self-titled Epic debut, which quickly climbed the charts and turned the former backing instrumentalist into a household name.
Replete with gritty textures, close-up vocals, and resplendent acoustics, Mobile Fidelity’s scintillating analog version of this 1994 set finally possesses the fidelity that brings Mo’s Delta strains out of the backwoods and onto a lively back porch. Half-speed mastered from the original tapes, this numbered limited-edition 180g LP represents the very first time that Mo’s watershed album has been given a much-needed sonic facelift. Gone are the hazes that obscured his singing, artificial ceilings that blunted the highs, and digital fog that interfered with the multitude of illuminating tones, details, and notes. What’s revealed is startling intimacy and soothing emotion, Mo’s gorgeous vocal timbres and inflections given equal space with his guitar, harmonica, and pace.
Finally, a great-sounding contemporary blues record that doesn’t resort to derivative recycling and bland revivalism. The son of Southern parents, Mo' channels his heritage via a batch of superb folksy songs that relax, refresh, and regale. While he’s since traveled in a more commercialized pop-oriented direction, Mo’s initial salvo is nothing but raw, pure blues played with unbridled passion, tremendous conviction, and what is best deemed the essence of heart and soul. Keb' Mo' engages with a compelling mix of tradition and modernity, the headliner refraining from any attempt at assuming an artificial personality and instead basing his reputation on quality songs. As such, Mo’s material resonates with deep, mellow vibes and extraordinary National steel guitar work, which complements his fluid, acoustic finger-picking and soulful strumming. Mo' occasionally teams with an ensemble, but this record is mostly all about the basics: guitar, voice, and harmonica. Tunes such as “Victims of Comfort” and “Angelina” testify on behalf of his phenomenal country-blues songwriting; his covers of Robert Johnson’s “Come On In My Kitchen” and “Kindhearted Woman Blues” speak to his reverence for the past.
Shuffles, ballads, dance songs—Mo nails them all. You owe it to yourself to hear this master musician in the finest possible sound. Every movement on the guitar fretboard, every breath Mo' takes before exhaling words, every crisp and gutsy pluck of the strings—they have never possessed more dynamics, detail, or life. Imaging and soundstaging are incredible. Keb' Mo' remains one of the finest blues albums made in the post-Stevie Ray Vaughan era. Don’t miss this American gem that so many have since tried to copy.
:
• 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
Musicians:
Keb' Mo', vocals, guitars, harmonia, banjo
Tommy Eyre, keyboards
James "Hutch" Hutchinson, bass
Lavel Belle, drums
Quentin Dennard, drums (On "Angelina")
Tony Draunagel, percussion (On "Come On In My Kitchen")
Selections:
Side A:
1. Every Morning
2. Tell Everybody I Know
3. Love Blues
4. Victims of Comfort
5. Angelina
6. Anybody Seen My Girl?
7. She Just Wants to Dance
Side B:
1. Am I Wrong?
2. Come on in My Kitchen
3. Dirty, Low Down and Bad
4. Don't Try to Explain
5. Kindhearted Woman Blues
6. City Boy
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.