Special Section: Audiophile Discs

Foreigner – Head Games (1979) [2013, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Foreigner - Head Games (1979) [2013, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Foreigner – Head Games (1979) [2013, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]
SACD-ISO / DSD / 1bit / 2.8224MHz
DSF Tracks / DSD / 1bit / 2.8224MHz
FLAC Tracks / 24bit / 88.2kHz
CD-Layer / EAC Rip / FLAC Image + Cue + Log
Full Scans Included
Total Size: 305 MB (CD-Layer) + 1.57 GB (DSF) + 816 MB (FLAC) + 1.59 GB (ISO) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab | US | Cat#: UDSACD 2052 | Genre: AOR, Classic Rock
Update: CD-Layer & DSF Tracks have been added

Foreigner continued its platinum winning streak on Head Games, the band’s third album. By the time Head Games was released, FM radio had fully embraced bands like Foreigner, Journey, and Boston, whose slick hard rock was tough enough to appeal to suburban teens, but smooth enough to be non-threatening to their parents. Tailor-made for the airwaves, “Dirty White Boy” and “Head Games” kept Foreigner at the top of the arena rock heap as the decade came to a close; and the supergroup’s successes would continue well into the ’80s. Continue reading “Foreigner – Head Games (1979) [2013, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

Foreigner – Double Vision (1978) [2011, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Foreigner - Double Vision (1978) [2011, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Foreigner – Double Vision (1978) [2011, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]
SACD-ISO / DSD / 1bit / 2.8224MHz
DSF Tracks / DSD / 1bit / 2.8224MHz
FLAC Tracks / 24bit / 88.2kHz
CD-Layer / EAC Rip / FLAC Image + Cue + Log
Full Scans Included
Total Size: 1.58 GB (ISO) + 1.56 GB (DSF) + 785 MB (FLAC) + 270 MB (CD-Layer) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab | US | Cat#: UDSACD 2051 | Genre: AOR, Classic Rock
Update: CD-Layer & DSF Tracks have been added

Foreigner promptly followed up its blockbuster debut with the equally successful Double Vision LP in 1978, which featured the FM mega-hits “Hot Blooded” and the driving title track. Opting not to mess with a good formula, the band wisely sticks to the polished hard rock sound that made its first record such a hit. Aside from the big singles, other highlights include the swaggering “Love Has Taken Its Toll” and the more restrained “Blue Morning, Blue Day.” As always, Lou Gramm’s impeccable rock vocals lead the way, supported by Mick Jones’ tasteful, arena-sized guitar riffs. Continue reading “Foreigner – Double Vision (1978) [2011, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

The Searchers – The Collection (2003) [Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

The Searchers - The Collection (2003) [Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

The Searchers – The Collection (2003) [Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]
SACD-ISO / DSD / 1bit / 2.8224MHz
DSF Tracks / DSD / 1bit / 2.8224MHz
FLAC Tracks / 24bit / 88.2kHz
CD-Layer / EAC Rip / FLAC Image + Cue + Log
Full Scans Included
Total Size: 1.83 GB (ISO) + 1.80 GB (DSF) + 977 MB (FLAC) + 404 MB (CD-Layer) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Audio Fidelity | US | Cat#: AFZ 018 | Genre: Pop Rock
Update: DSF Tracks have been added

Although at 17 tracks totaling a mere 41 minutes, there is enough room to almost double the material, this is a well-chosen selection of Pye-era (1963-’66) music from the British Invasion band many ranked just behind the Beatles for melodic invention. Sure, there are plenty of Searchers’ compilations on the market with more songs at a cheaper price, but there aren’t any that sound this spectacular. The Audio Fidelity label is known for the pristine care they take sonically on their reissues and this is a perfect example of how the extra time, money and effort in mastering makes an enormous difference. Continue reading “The Searchers – The Collection (2003) [Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

Ritchie Valens – Greatest Hits (2003) [Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Ritchie Valens - Greatest Hits (2003) [Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Ritchie Valens – Greatest Hits (2003) [Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]
SACD-ISO / DSD / 1bit / 2.8224MHz
DSF Tracks / DSD / 1bit / 2.8224MHz
FLAC Tracks / 24bit / 88.2kHz
CD-Layer / EAC Rip / FLAC Tracks + Cue + Log
Full Scans Included
Total Size: 1.62 GB (ISO) + 1.56 GB (DSF) + 460 MB (FLAC) + 148 MB (CD-Layer) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Audio Fidelity | US | Cat#: AFZ 008 | Genre: Rock & Roll
Update: DSF Tracks have been added

Ritchie Valens was only 17 when he died in 1959. His musical legacy rests on about an album-and-a-half of completed studio material, a poorly recorded high school concert, and a handful of demos and rehearsal tapes, all of which present a problem for collections of this sort. If you include a full disc’s worth of music, you need to dip into unfinished or badly recorded material, which is a quality issue. Continue reading “Ritchie Valens – Greatest Hits (2003) [Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

Grover Washington, Jr. – Winelight (1980) [2015, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Grover Washington, Jr. - Winelight (1980) [2015, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Grover Washington, Jr. – Winelight (1980)
[2015, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]
SACD-ISO / DSD / 1bit / 2.8224MHz
DSF Tracks / DSD / 1bit / 2.8224MHz
FLAC Tracks / 24bit / 88.2kHz
CD-Layer / EAC Rip / FLAC Image + Cue + Log
Stereo & Multichannel | Full Scans Included
Total Size: 3.55 GB (ISO) + 6.35 GB (DSF) + 2.89 GB (FLAC) + 319 MB (CD-Layer) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Audio Fidelity | US | Cat#: AFZ5 203 | Genre: Smooth Jazz
Update: DSF Tracks have been added

Grover Washington, Jr., has long been one of the leaders in what could be called rhythm & jazz, essentially R&B-influenced jazz. Winelight is one of his finest albums, and not primarily because of the Bill Withers hit “Just the Two of Us.” It is the five instrumentals that find Washington (on soprano, alto, and tenor) really stretching out. If he had been only interested in sales, Washington’s solos could have been half as long and he would have stuck closely to the melody. Instead he really pushes himself on some of these selections, particularly the title cut Continue reading “Grover Washington, Jr. – Winelight (1980) [2015, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

Heart – Magazine (1977) [2014, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Heart - Magazine (1977) [2014, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Heart – Magazine (1977) [2014, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]
SACD-ISO / DSD / 1bit / 2.8224MHz
DSF Tracks / DSD / 1bit / 2.8224MHz
FLAC Tracks / 24bit / 88.2kHz
CD-Layer / EAC Rip / FLAC Image + Cue + Log
Full Scans Included
Total Size: 1.63 GB (ISO) + 1.60 GB (DSF) + 780 MB (FLAC) + 247 MB (CD-Layer) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Audio Fidelity | US | Cat#: AFZ 171 | Genre: Hard Rock
Update: DSF Tracks have been added

Problems with the Mushroom label delayed the release of Magazine, which eventually went platinum and peaked at number 17 on the album charts. Only the hard-rocking “Heartless” made it into the Top 40, and the album didn’t really live up to Heart’s last few efforts Continue reading “Heart – Magazine (1977) [2014, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

The Doors – The Best Of The Doors (1973) [2015, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

The Doors - The Best Of The Doors (1973) [2015, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

The Doors – The Best Of The Doors (1973)
[2015, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]
SACD-ISO / DSD / 1bit / 2.8224MHz
DSF Tracks / DSD / 1bit / 2.8224MHz
FLAC Tracks / 24bit / 88.2kHz
CD-Layer / EAC Rip / FLAC Image + Cue + Log
Stereo & Multichannel | Full Scans Included
Total Size: 3.21 GB (ISO) + 6.28 GB (DSF) + 2.54 GB (FLAC) + 385 MB (CD-Layer) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Audio Fidelity | US | Cat#: AFZ5 206 | Genre: Classic Rock
Update: DSF Tracks have been added

The Best of The Doors is a compilation album by The Doors released in 1973. It is the first of three compilation albums to be released by the group since the death of lead singer Jim Morrison. The album was originally released in the CD-4 QuadraDisc format, on an exclusive basis, but was later reissued in 1980 in standard Stereo mostly Continue reading “The Doors – The Best Of The Doors (1973) [2015, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

Patricia Barber – Smash (2013) [MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Patricia Barber - Smash (2013) [MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Patricia Barber – Smash (2013) [MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]
SACD-ISO / DSD / 1bit / 2.8224MHz
DSF Tracks / DSD / 1bit / 2.8224MHz
FLAC Tracks / 24bit / 88.2kHz
CD-Layer / EAC Rip / FLAC Tracks + Cue + Log
Full Scans Included
Total Size: 2.29 GB (ISO) + 2.25 GB (DSF) + 1.01 GB (FLAC) + 255 MB (CD-Layer) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab | US | Cat#: UDSACD 2136 | Genre: Vocal Jazz
Update: CD-Layer & DSF Tracks have been added

Patricia Barber is a crack jazz pianist, an innovative composer, a singular vocal stylist, and among the most original lyricists/song-poets to come down the pipe in 40 years. Her use of metaphor and metonymy is woven inextricably into her trademark melodies, which create mental and sonic images that evoke insight and emotion. Smash, Barber’s debut for Concord, is comprised of original material performed by an excellent band that includes guitarist John Kregor, bassist Larry Kohut, and drummer Jon Deitemyer. Continue reading “Patricia Barber – Smash (2013) [MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

Patricia Barber – Verse (2002) [2005, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Patricia Barber - Verse (2002) [2005, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Patricia Barber – Verse (2002) [2005, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]
SACD-ISO / DSD / 1bit / 2.8224MHz
DSF Tracks / DSD / 1bit / 2.8224MHz
FLAC Tracks / 24bit / 88.2kHz
CD-Layer / EAC Rip / FLAC Tracks + Cue + Log
Full Scans Included
Total Size: 2.15 GB (ISO) + 2.11 GB (DSF) + 1010 MB (FLAC) + 330 MB (CD-Layer) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab | US | Cat#: UDSACD 2027 | Genre: Vocal Jazz
Update: CD-Layer & DSF Tracks have been added

Pianist/vocalist Patricia Barber is the Alanis Morissette of the jazz world. Her serpentine, poetic songs teeter between deftly witty and awkwardly Latinate. Each album is more ambitious than the last, taking her deeper into avant-garde territory both lyrically and instrumentally. Continue reading “Patricia Barber – Verse (2002) [2005, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

Patricia Barber – Nightclub (2000) [2002, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Patricia Barber - Nightclub (2000) [2002, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Patricia Barber – Nightclub (2000) [2002, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]
SACD-ISO / DSD / 1bit / 2.8224MHz
DSF Tracks / DSD / 1bit / 2.8224MHz
FLAC Tracks / 24bit / 88.2kHz
CD-Layer / EAC Rip / FLAC Tracks + Cue + Log
Full Scans Included
Total Size: 2.40 GB (ISO) + 2.36 GB (DSF) + 1.1 GB (FLAC) + 321 MB (CD-Layer) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab | US | Cat#: UDSACD 2004 | Genre: Vocal Jazz
Update: CD-Layer & DSF Tracks have been added

Chicago native and classically trained pianist Patricia Barber’s sixth album is a collection of downtempo standards, perfect for a rainy day. Taking on classics like “Autumn Leaves,” “I Fall in Love Too Easily,” “Bye Bye Blackbird,” or even “Alfie” is always a risk, but her confident vocals and interpretations eradicate any doubt that she is a master. Continue reading “Patricia Barber – Nightclub (2000) [2002, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

Patricia Barber – A Distortion Of Love (1992) [2013, MFSL Remastered, Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Patricia Barber - A Distortion Of Love (1992) [2013, MFSL Remastered, Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Patricia Barber – A Distortion Of Love (1992) [2013, MFSL Remastered, Hi-Res SACD Rip]
SACD-ISO / DSD / 1bit / 2.8224MHz
DSF-Tracks / DSD / 1bit / 2.8224MHz
FLAC Tracks / 24bit / 88.2kHz
Full Scans Included
Total Size: 2.46 GB (ISO) + 2.42 GB (DSF) + 1.09 GB (FLAC) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab | US | Cat#: UDSACD 2100 | Genre: Contemporary Jazz
Update: DSF Tracks have been added

Pianist and singer Patricia Barber’s second album (and major-label debut) is a consistently interesting, but not always completely rewarding, array of original instrumentals, vocal standards, and surprise cover versions. Continue reading “Patricia Barber – A Distortion Of Love (1992) [2013, MFSL Remastered, Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

Patricia Barber – Companion (1999) [2003, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Patricia Barber - Companion (1999) [2003, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Patricia Barber – Companion (1999) [2003, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]
SACD-ISO / DSD / 1bit / 2.8224MHz
DSF Tracks / DSD / 1bit / 2.8224MHz
FLAC Tracks / 24bit / 88.2kHz
CD-Layer / EAC Rip / FLAC Image + Cue + Log
Full Scans Included
Total Size: 2.19 GB (ISO) + 2.14 GB (DSF) + 1012 MB (FLAC) + 340 MB (CD-Layer) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab | US | Cat#: UDSACD 2023 | Genre: Contemporary Jazz, Vocal
Update: CD-Layer & DSF Tracks have been added

Companion was recorded in a special three-night series of shows in July, 1999 at Chicago’s famed Green Mill jazz club — an unusually short amount of time to produce a live album. To mine as much material as possible from those nights the performances were run more like recording sessions than live shows, with the crowd reverently hushed. Continue reading “Patricia Barber – Companion (1999) [2003, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

Patricia Barber – Modern Cool (1998) [2002, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Patricia Barber - Modern Cool (1998) [2002, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Patricia Barber – Modern Cool (1998) [2002, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]
SACD-ISO / DSD / 1bit / 2.8224MHz
DSF Tracks / DSD / 1bit / 2.8224MHz
FLAC Tracks / 24bit / 88.2kHz
CD-Layer / EAC Rip / FLAC Image + Cue + Log
Full Scans Included
Total Size: 3.03 GB (ISO) + 2.98 GB (DSF) + 1.4 GB (FLAC) + 405 MB (CD-Layer) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab | US | Cat#: UDSACD 2003 | Genre: Vocal Jazz
Update: CD-Layer & DSF Tracks have been added

The dark, smoky voice of Patricia Barber is quite haunting. On Modern Cool, she mostly sings downbeat songs at slow tempos. All but three songs are her own originals, and they deal with such subject matter as a “homage to beauty” that seems to connect painting one’s face with prostitution, loneliness, mindless conformity, the “postmodern blues” and other depressing topics. Continue reading “Patricia Barber – Modern Cool (1998) [2002, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

Patricia Barber – Café Blue (1994) [2002, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Patricia Barber - Café Blue (1994) [2002, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Patricia Barber – Café Blue (1994) [2002, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]
SACD-ISO / DSD / 1bit / 2.8224MHz
DSF Tracks / DSD / 1bit / 2.8224MHz
FLAC Tracks / 24bit / 88.2kHz
CD-Layer / EAC Rip / FLAC Image + Cue + Log
Full Scans Included
Total Size: 3.0 GB (ISO) + 2.58 GB (DSF) + 1.18 GB (FLAC) + 368 MB (CD-Layer) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab | US | Cat#: UDSACD 2002 | Genre: Contemporary Jazz, Vocal
Update: CD-Layer & DSF Tracks have been added

Patricia Barber, who is both a fine keyboardist and an atmospheric singer, contributes roughly half of the material to her Premonition debut. Her dark voice and the generally esoteric program takes awhile to get used to (listeners will have to be patient), but after two or three listens, this thought-provoking and rather moody set becomes more accessible. Continue reading “Patricia Barber – Café Blue (1994) [2002, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

YES – Going For The One (1977) [2013, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

YES - Going For The One (1977) [2013, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

YES – Going For The One (1977) [2013, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]
SACD-ISO / DSD / 1bit / 2.8224MHz
DSF Tracks / DSD / 1bit / 2.8224MHz
FLAC Tracks / 24bit / 88.2kHz
CD-Layer / EAC Rip / FLAC Image + Cue + Log
Full Scans Included
Total Size: 1.61 GB (ISO) + 1.58 GB (DSF) + 769 MB (FLAC) + 402 MB (CD-Layer) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Audio Fidelity | US | Cat#: AFZ 157 | Genre: Progressive Rock
Update: DSF Tracks have been added

Going for the One is perhaps the most overlooked item in the Yes catalog. It marked Rick Wakeman’s return to the band after a three-year absence, and also a return to shorter song forms after the experimentalism of Close to the Edge, Tales from Topographic Oceans, and Relayer. In many ways, this disc could be seen as the follow-up to Fragile. Continue reading “YES – Going For The One (1977) [2013, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]”