MFSL lp's & cd's, are they good?
Posted by: count.d on 06 November 2001
The CDs are different kettle of fish however. The Nirvana CDs are in a different class (like from an harsh recording to superb one) to the normal Geffen ones. Most of the other MFSL CDs I have are less extreme in their differences, however I don't have any where I don't prefer it to the 'normal' CD.
DCC similarly, I much prefer the DCC CD versions of Joni Mitchell and the BEach Boys to the HDCD re-issues from Warner and Capitol respectively. Better sense of rhythm and more natural voices.
In contrast to MFSL's LPs I have no reservations about DCC's vinyl LPs which I have found uniformly excellent (although I could understand how people may find them a little on the 'lush' side').
At around $30 MFSL cd's are well worth the money, but the sort of prices you see on eBay and in some specialty sores for the more popular, Pink Floyd's etc in the $100's range, I really don't think can be justified. They seem to have become some kind of investment commodity rather than simple Compact Discs.
You might like to check:HerE
Just my two bob's worth 
Regards
Andy
quote:
Are they good or is it better to buy modern remastered cd's of classic albums like The Who, Pink Floyd, etc...?
I have two MFSL pressings Very Tall by Milt Jackson and Meddle by Pink Floyd, and I don't really rate them at all. The MFSL sound is very much US valve / dodgy cable, sort of over smooth with no real life. The PRaT sounds softened, and to my ears they are not a patch on good original pressings. I see MFSL as being largely to blame for the bad image that audiophile pressings have amongst many people here. Other labels such as DCC, Classic Records, and the staggeringly good Alto Analogue consistently produce real high quality results.
Here are a few of my favourite audiophile pressings:
Shelly Manne 1234 - Impulse classic from jazz drumming great re-issued on Alto Analogue. One of the best sounding pressings I have heard in my life. Stunningly good sound quality and fabulous quality packaging.
Gill Evans Out of the cool - Another truly fabulous Impulse re-issue from Alto Analogue, as good as the Shelly Manne, and far better than a original US pressing. Absurdly good.
John Lee Hooker The real folk blues - Alto Analogue does it again. Excellent album from the mid 60s with truly excellent sound.
Mingus Ah um - Classic records re-issue, betters the current CD remaster by such a stupidly high margin it is laughable. A classic album that everyone should own that sounds stunning… that sax on Pork pie hat… wow.
The Doors 1st, Strange Days, LA Woman - I've never heard them sound better, excellent quality, plus LA Woman comes in the original rounded off sleeve with the window which is well cool.
Dick Schory Music for bang baroom and harp - Really cheesy early stereo Living Stereo outing re-issued by Classic Records. I find this record hysterical, it’s a classic slab of 1958 space age bachelor pad music, and is regarded by many to be one of the best recordings of all time. I have the Classic Records re-issue, and also a original pressing (car boot for £1!), and the Classic one is better!
Tony.
Which company presses these Doors LP's?
Thanks to Andy, Martin & Tony for the replies.
quote:
Which company presses these Doors LP's?
Sorry, I'll learn to proof read one day... The Doors stuff is on DCC.
Tony.
I also agree that it's hard to beat an original "first" pressing. However, the more popular the artist, the greater the likelyhood that even the first pressings were done in more than one location. Usually this meant using copies somewhere in the chain.
There are also some strange hybrids, particularly from Columbia / CBS. A while back I found good, used copies of a couple of Weather Report albums. They seemed to be reissues -- had the red label with 'Columbia' repeated in yellow round the edge, were standard weight, and sounded marvelous. A few weeks ago I saw two Herbie Hancock albums at 6 quid each, 120g pressings, sealed and unused. These also had the red label, but with 'Columbia' in white capitals, and they're awful -- distorted, buzzy, clearly wrong.
I suppose the HHs may have been part of a batch originally rejected by QA or something, but it just shows that even the reissues by the original label have very little consistency.
Still, I'm lucky. My wife Julie has a remarkable "nose" for s/h vinyl. We went to a record fair recently, and she headed straight for a bargain box on the floor, emerging shortly with "Bitches Brew", "Auras" (Miles D, both doubles) and the first two "Fuse One" albums (Stanley Clark band), all mint "firsts" for 28 quid the lot... can't be bad.
Best;
Mark
(an imperfect
forum environment is
better than none)
Johnn
and.
quote:
Originally posted by Tony Lonorgan:
Mingus Ah um - Classic records re-issue, betters the current CD remaster by such a stupidly high margin it is laughable. A classic album that everyone should own that sounds stunning… that sax on Pork pie hat… wow.
Tony.
Don't know the Classic records LP, but can affirm that the Columbia/Legacy remaster is very good sounding for little money c. 10 Euros.
I have a 70s or 80s reissue on vinyl, it sounds better, but the CD is good place to go for a neophyte to Mingus.
Peter
quote:
The MFSL sound is very much US valve / dodgy cable, sort of over smooth with no real life.
A good description of the Mo-Fi LP sound. The Mo-Fi CDs don't sound like that at all to my ears.
Anyway, yes the Classic vinyl reissues of Led Zep & Hendrix are superb too.
And for Miles Davis fans who prefer vinyl, you need the Mosaic box sets which are superb.