Special Section: Audiophile Discs

Sonny Clark Trio – Sonny Clark Trio (1960) [2003, Audio Fidelity Remastered, Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Sonny Clark Trio - Sonny Clark Trio (1960) [2003, Audio Fidelity Remastered, Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Sonny Clark Trio – Sonny Clark Trio (1960) [2003, Audio Fidelity 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: 3.10 GB (ISO) + 3.06 GB (DSF) + 1.36 GB (FLAC) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Audio Fidelity | US | Cat#: AFZ 006 | Genre: Piano Jazz
Update: DSF Tracks have been added

This lesser-known Sonny Clark session (his only studio album not made for Blue Note) is sometimes issued under drummer Max Roach’s name, too. They are joined by bassist George Duvivier for a set of generally obscure Clark originals including “Minor Meeting,” “Blues Mambo,” and “My Conception” (which is taken as an unaccompanied piano solo). Although not obvious while listening to his recording, Clark’s life was in decline and this would be his penultimate date as a leader. Continue reading “Sonny Clark Trio – Sonny Clark Trio (1960) [2003, Audio Fidelity Remastered, Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

Isaac Hayes – Hot Buttered Soul (1969) [2002, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Isaac Hayes - Hot Buttered Soul (1969) [2002, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Isaac Hayes – Hot Buttered Soul (1969) [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: 1.89 GB (ISO) + 1.86 GB (DSF) + 917 MB (FLAC) + 284 MB (CD-Layer) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab | US | Cat#: UDSACD 2005 | Genre: Soul, R&B
Update: DSF Tracks have been added

Released at the tail end of the ’60s, Hot Buttered Soul set the precedent for how soul would evolve in the early ’70s, simultaneously establishing Isaac Hayes and the Bar-Kays as major forces within black music. Though not quite as definitive as Black Moses or as well-known as Shaft, Hot Buttered Soul remains an undeniably seminal record; it stretched its songs far beyond the traditional three-to-four-minute industry norm, featured long instrumental stretches where the Bar-Kays stole the spotlight, and it introduced a new, iconic persona for soul with Hayes’ tough yet sensual image. Continue reading “Isaac Hayes – Hot Buttered Soul (1969) [2002, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

Kenny Loggins With Jim Messina – Sittin’ In (1971) [2015, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Kenny Loggins With Jim Messina - Sittin’ In (1971) [2015, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Kenny Loggins With Jim Messina – Sittin’ In (1971)
[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
Full Scans Included
Total Size: 1.83 GB (ISO) + 1.86 GB (DSF) + 892 MB (FLAC) + 406 MB (CD-Layer) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Audio Fidelity | Austria | Cat#: AFZ 228 | Genre: Folk Rock
Update: DSF Tracks have been added

Sittin’ In is the first album by singer-songwriters Loggins and Messina, released in 1971. It began as a solo album by Kenny Loggins; Jim Messina was with Columbia Records, serving as an independent producer when he met Loggins. In the course of producing Loggins’ work, Messina provided backing vocals and guitar, leading to the album’s full title, Kenny Loggins with Jim Messina Sittin’ In. Continue reading “Kenny Loggins With Jim Messina – Sittin’ In (1971) [2015, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

The Allman Brothers Band – Brothers And Sisters (1973) [2014, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

The Allman Brothers Band - Brothers And Sisters (1973) [2014, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

The Allman Brothers Band – Brothers And Sisters (1973)
[2014, 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: 1.60 GB (ISO) + 1.57 GB (DSF) + 755 MB (FLAC) + 267 MB (CD-Layer) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab | US | Cat#: UDSACD 2103 | Genre: Blues Rock
Update: CD-Layer & DSF Tracks have been added

Brothers and Sisters is the fourth studio album by American rock band the Allman Brothers Band. Produced by Johnny Sandlin and the band themselves, the album was released in August 1973 in the United States by Capricorn Records. Following the death of group leader Duane Allman in 1971, the Allman Brothers Band released Eat a Peach (1972), a hybrid studio/live album that became their biggest yet. Continue reading “The Allman Brothers Band – Brothers And Sisters (1973) [2014, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

Big Brother & The Holding Company – Cheap Thrills (1968) [2016, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Big Brother & The Holding Company – Cheap Thrills (1968) [2016, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Big Brother & The Holding Company – Cheap Thrills (1968)
[2016, 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: 1.55 GB (ISO) + 1.52 GB (DSF) + 760 MB (FLAC) + 236 MB (CD-Layer) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab | US | Cat#: UDSACD 2172 | Genre: Blues Rock
Update: DSF Tracks have been added

Cheap Thrills is a studio album by American rock band Big Brother and the Holding Company. It was their last album with Janis Joplin as lead singer. For Cheap Thrills, the band and producer John Simon incorporated recordings of crowd noise to give the impression of a live album, which it was subsequently mistaken for by listeners. Only the final song, their cover of “Ball and Chain”, had been recorded live at The Fillmore in San Francisco. Continue reading “Big Brother & The Holding Company – Cheap Thrills (1968) [2016, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

Los Lobos – By The Light Of The Moon (1987) [2012, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Los Lobos - By The Light Of The Moon (1987) [2012, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Los Lobos – By The Light Of The Moon (1987)
[2012, 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: 1.68 GB (ISO) + 1.66 GB (DSF) + 834 MB (FLAC) + 279 MB (CD-Layer)
Label: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab | US | Cat#: UDSACD 2064 | Genre: Latin Rock
Update: DSF Tracks have been added

On How Will the Wolf Survive?, Los Lobos seemed to be feeling out the boundaries of how much they could say about the hard realities of life within the framework of good-time R&B-flavored rock & roll, and on their next album, 1987’s By the Light of the Moon, the group gently shifted their focus to favor their more contemplative side. Continue reading “Los Lobos – By The Light Of The Moon (1987) [2012, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

Weather Report – Heavy Weather (1977) [2017, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Weather Report - Heavy Weather (1977) [2017, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Weather Report – Heavy Weather (1977) [2017, 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: 1.57 GB (ISO) + 1.54 GB (DSF) + 731 MB (FLAC) + 234 MB (CD-Layer) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Audio Fidelity | Austria | Cat#: AFZ 258 | Genre: Jazz Fusion
Update: DSF Tracks have been added

Weather Report’s biggest-selling album is that ideal thing, a popular and artistic success — and for the same reasons. For one thing, Joe Zawinul revealed an unexpectedly potent commercial streak for the first time since his Cannonball Adderley days, contributing what has become a perennial hit, “Birdland.” Indeed, “Birdland” is a remarkable bit of record-making, a unified, ever-developing piece of music that evokes, without in any way imitating, a joyous evening on 52nd St. with a big band. Continue reading “Weather Report – Heavy Weather (1977) [2017, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

Weather Report – Tale Spinnin’ (1975) [2016, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Weather Report - Tale Spinnin' (1975) [2016, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Weather Report – Tale Spinnin’ (1975) [2016, 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: 688 MB (ISO) + 1.77 GB (DSF) + 851 MB (FLAC) + 270 MB (CD-Layer) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Audio Fidelity | Austria | Cat#: AFZ 248 | Genre: Jazz Fusion
Update: DSF Tracks have been added

Tale Spinnin’ is the sixth album by Weather Report, recorded and released in 1975, featuring the addition of Leon “Ndugu” Chancler on the drums. Ndugu was recruited after Josef Zawinul heard him play with Carlos Santana. Weather Report was recording next door to Ndugu in the studio, and Chancler was asked to join them for a recording session. Continue reading “Weather Report – Tale Spinnin’ (1975) [2016, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

Buddy Rich – The Greatest Drummer Who Ever Lived… with “The Best Band I Ever Had” (1977) [2002, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Buddy Rich - The Greatest Drummer Who Ever Lived... with

Buddy Rich – The Greatest Drummer Who Ever Lived… with “The Best Band I Ever Had” (1977) [2002, 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: 1.24 GB (ISO) + 1.21 GB (DSF) + 583 MB (FLAC) + 249 MB (CD-Layer) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Audio Fidelity | US | Cat#: AFZ 003 | Genre: Big Band, Jazz
Update: DSF Tracks have been added

Although the title of this reissue is not necessarily accurate (Buddy Rich’s 1966 big band was a stronger unit), this is a high-quality jazz album. Rich surprisingly does not solo much (just on Chick Corea’s “Fiesta”) but the material is strong, the arrangements (by Mike Abene, Frank Perowsky, Tom Boros, Barry Keiner and Barry Mintzer) are colorful, and the soloists are excellent. Continue reading “Buddy Rich – The Greatest Drummer Who Ever Lived… with “The Best Band I Ever Had” (1977) [2002, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

Bob Marley – Young Mystic (2004) [Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Bob Marley - Young Mystic (2004) [Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Bob Marley – Young Mystic (2004) [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: 1.82 GB (ISO) + 1.79 GB (DSF) + 776 MB (FLAC) + 216 MB (CD-Layer) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Audio Fidelity | USA | Cat#: AFZ 021 | Genre: Reggae
Update: DSF Tracks have been added

Recorded under the auspices of revolutionary reggae producer Lee Perry around 1971-72, this compilation includes early versions of many of the songs that were later to make Bob Marley and the Wailers internationally famous. Previously a fairly run-of-the-mill Jamaican vocal group, the band were molded by Perry into a rootsy, Rasta-centric outfit. Continue reading “Bob Marley – Young Mystic (2004) [Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

Loggins And Messina – Full Sail (1973) [2016, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer & Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Loggins And Messina - Full Sail (1973) [2016, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer & Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Loggins And Messina – Full Sail (1973) [2016, 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: 1.96 GB (ISO) + 6.13 GB (DSF) + 2.42 GB (FLAC) + 389 MB (CD-Layer) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Audio Fidelity | Austria | Cat#: AFZ5 243 | Genre: Pop
Update: DSF Tracks have been added

This is every inch a follow-up to Loggins & Messina, including a ’50s rock & roll pastiche in the style of “Your Mama Don’t Dance” called “My Music” that hit number 16 as a single. Other notable material included Jim Messina’s island-rock anthem “Lahaina” and one of Kenny Loggins’ sensitive but generic ballads, typically called “A Love Song.” Continue reading “Loggins And Messina – Full Sail (1973) [2016, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer & Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

Grateful Dead – From The Mars Hotel (1974) [2019, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Grateful Dead - From The Mars Hotel (1974) [2019, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Grateful Dead – From The Mars Hotel (1974) [2019, 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: 1.55 GB (ISO) + 1.53 GB (DSF) + 748 MB (FLAC) + 414 MB (CD-Layer) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab | US | Cat#: UDSACD 2196 | Genre: Country Rock, Folk Rock
Update: DSF Tracks have been added

Mastered on Mobile Fidelity’s world-renowned mastering system and strictly limited to 2,500 copies, Mobile Fidelity’s hybrid SACD of From the Mars Hotel comes on as both an audiophile delight and Deadhead’s dream. Vastly improving upon the long-out-of-print 1984 MoFi version that currently commands upwards of hundreds of dollars on the aftermarket, the new version takes advantage of enhancements to the cutting system, pressing process, and mastering gear. Continue reading “Grateful Dead – From The Mars Hotel (1974) [2019, MFSL Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

Herbie Hancock – Thrust (1974) [2016, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Herbie Hancock - Thrust (1974) [2016, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Herbie Hancock – Thrust (1974) [2016, 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: 2.91 GB (ISO) + 5.55 GB (DSF) + 2.20 GB (FLAC) + 243 MB (CD-Layer) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Audio Fidelity | Austria | Cat#: AFZ5 223 | Genre: Jazz Fusion
Update: DSF Tracks have been added

The follow-up to the breakthrough Headhunters album was virtually as good as its wildly successful predecessor: an earthy, funky, yet often harmonically and rhythmically sophisticated tour de force. There is only one change in the Headhunters lineup — swapping drummer Harvey Mason for Mike Clark — and the switch results in grooves that are even more complex. Continue reading “Herbie Hancock – Thrust (1974) [2016, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

Loggins And Messina – Loggins And Messina (1972) [2015, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer & Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Loggins And Messina - Loggins And Messina (1972) [2015, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer & Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Loggins And Messina – Loggins And Messina (1972) [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: 2.80 GB (ISO) + 5.31 GB (DSF) + 2.12 GB (FLAC) + 367 MB (CD-Layer) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Audio Fidelity | Austria | Cat#: AFZ5 216 | Genre: Country Rock, Folk Rock
Update: DSF Tracks have been added

The first full-fledged L&M album found the duo in good form as songwriters, with Messina turning in the sparkling “Thinking Of You,” and the two collaborating on the hit single “Your Mama Don’t Dance” and “Angry Eyes.” Their backup band was anchored by multi-instrumentalist Al Garth, and also featured keyboardist Michael Omartian and Poco steel guitarist Rusty Young Continue reading “Loggins And Messina – Loggins And Messina (1972) [2015, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer & Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

America – Hearts (1975) [2016, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

America – Hearts (1975) [2016, 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: 1.58 GB (ISO) + 5.23 GB (DSF) + 1.96 GB (FLAC) + 339 MB (CD-Layer) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Audio Fidelity | Austria | Cat#: AFZ5 231 | Genre: Country Rock, Pop Rock
Update: DSF Tracks have been added

Hearts is the fifth studio album by American folk rock trio America, released by Warner Bros. Records in 1975. The album was produced by longtime Beatles producer George Martin, the second of seven consecutive albums he produced with America. Continue reading “America – Hearts (1975) [2016, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]”