MoFi's Kind of Blue - BORING!

[david k]

A friend sent me MoFi's Kind of Blue box set a few days ago and while I had no expectations I'm surprised how bad it actually is. They've gone in and filtered the life out of it, typical of almost every MoFi re-issue I have, then level matched and compressed all the instruments so the music is now droll, horns have no bite or brilliance and sound more like you're letting air out of a balloon than anyone playing an actual instrument! Of course they had to boost the bass too so its omnipresent over everything else. I hate to say it but even my CD version is a thousand times better than this sponge!

[JCOConnell]

this is not the first bad review I've read for this reissue. I'll stick with my original wlp 6 eye Columbia LP, thank you very much.

[1morerecord2clean]

Tough to beat the original 6 eyes particularly in mono. Jeff Catalano owns more than his fair share of these treasures.

[MylesBAstor]

This site has grown so fast that I can't find where we discussed the MOFI KOB before. As I said then, I really, really wanted this release to sound better than it does and perhaps the 45 rpm is a victim of such high expectations. After all, 45 rpm Kind of Blue?

I totally agree with David. The 45 rpm release is lifeless, washed out sounding and lacks upper octave extension. Most of all as David mentioned, the 45 rpm release is boring.

But as I pointed earlier, this release was cut from the backup tape from the session, not the original master tape used for the original or Classic release (remember Classic gave us the original and speed corrected). So it would probably be near impossible for the MOFI and earlier releases to sound the same. Why didn't MOFI hear this or was this the best job they could do with the tape supplied by Mark Wilder at Sony?

From Stereophile piece about the SACD:
"It was not until 1992 that Wilder discovered that the prime three-channel deck had been running slightly slowly during the first session, with the result that on the LPs and CDs made from it, the numbers on side A (the first three tracks) played slightly sharp in musical pitch. By the time of the second recording session, seven weeks later, the prime three-track deck had received some maintenance, so the numbers on the LP's side B were recorded at the proper speed. To get the proper pitch without adjusting the playback deck's speed, and knowing that the backup tapes had never been played, Wilder used them for the 1992 Columbia Mastersound SBM Gold CD remastering. Those tapes have been used ever since, including for the SACD releases."

Read more at http://www.stereophile.com/thefifthe...t7gFobdFijQ.99

Has anyone heard the SACD release? I am curious if it has the same sound characteristics?

[rockitman]

The 15ips tape sounds best. I need to hear the MoFi 45 again. I didn't think it was so awful at the time. As is the case with most jazz from that era...I prefer the original and classic records mono versions.

[david k]

Haven't heard the tapes but nothing's like the original Monos.

david

[david k]

This site has grown so fast that I can't find where we discussed the MOFI KOB before. As I said then, I really, really wanted this release to sound better than it does and perhaps the 45 rpm is a victim of such high expectations. After all, 45 rpm Kind of Blue?

I totally agree with David. The 45 rpm release is lifeless, washed out sounding and lacks upper octave extension. Most of all as David mentioned, the 45 rpm release is boring.

But as I pointed earlier, this release was cut from the backup tape from the session, not the original master tape used for the original or Classic release (remember Classic gave us the original and speed corrected). So it would probably be near impossible for the MOFI and earlier releases to sound the same. Why didn't MOFI hear this or was this the best job they could do with the tape supplied by Mark Wilder at Sony?

From Stereophile piece about the SACD:
"It was not until 1992 that Wilder discovered that the prime three-channel deck had been running slightly slowly during the first session, with the result that on the LPs and CDs made from it, the numbers on side A (the first three tracks) played slightly sharp in musical pitch. By the time of the second recording session, seven weeks later, the prime three-track deck had received some maintenance, so the numbers on the LP's side B were recorded at the proper speed. To get the proper pitch without adjusting the playback deck's speed, and knowing that the backup tapes had never been played, Wilder used them for the 1992 Columbia Mastersound SBM Gold CD remastering. Those tapes have been used ever since, including for the SACD releases."

Read more at http://www.stereophile.com/thefifthe...t7gFobdFijQ.99

Has anyone heard the SACD release? I am curious if it has the same sound characteristics?

Not sure if its just the tapes, this release has the same signature on some of the other MoFi re-issues I have. Same friend also send me Garcia/Griman LP and I made the same comments to him about the homogenized sound. I think its either their mastering, pressing or both.

david

[MylesBAstor]

Not sure if its just the tapes, this release has the same signature on some of the other MoFi re-issues I have. Same friend also send me Garcia/Griman LP and I made the same comments to him about the homogenized sound. I think its either their mastering, pressing or both.

david

My comments on the Garcia-Grisman tape vs. LP. Remember the album never was ever released on LP until MOFI did it.

http://positive-feedback.com/reviews/music-reviews/the-reel-deal-dealing-with-tape-overload-2/

[rockitman]

Not sure if its just the tapes, this release has the same signature on some of the other MoFi re-issues I have. Same friend also send me Garcia/Griman LP and I made the same comments to him about the homogenized sound. I think its either their mastering, pressing or both.

david

Maybe mofi's general issue is the gain2 mastering system they use ? Perhaps it enhances the sound on lesser, average quality record spinners ?

[david k]

My comments on the Garcia-Grisman tape vs. LP. Remember the album never was ever released on LP until MOFI did it.

http://positive-feedback.com/reviews...pe-overload-2/

"Regardless, the LP reissue is a very faithful transfer from the tape and I can't see anyone purchasing this record being disappointed!"

You found one !

david

[MylesBAstor]

You're a tough grader!

[JCOConnell]

whats the general opinion on the KOB mono reissue LP that came out a couple of years ago on record store day?

[Tunes]

I like the RSD mono reissue. Not crazy bout the 45 mofi as others have also noted.

[mep]

"Regardless, the LP reissue is a very faithful transfer from the tape and I can't see anyone purchasing this record being disappointed!"

You found one !

david

David-I happen to have this LP and I have no other version of this album to compare it to. What I can compare it to is the sound of other LPs in my collection and I don't consider the Garcia/Grisman LP to sound homogenized. There is dynamic range on this disc and I think overall the LP sounds pretty damn good. I love the cut "Devil is a Friend of Mine" and I took the LP to RMAF last year as part of the records I bring to demo systems with.

[david k]

Its just too polite! My friends in college were all Dead heads and dragged me to GD concerts all the time, I remember a thin and even slightly out of tune voice, its full bodied in this lp and lost the nasal, course annoying edge that I remember.

[mep]

You're a tough grader!

Way too tough on the Garcia/Grisman LP. It sounds nothing like he has described to my ears.