Special Section: Audiophile Discs

Ry Cooder – Chicken Skin Music (1976) [2018, MFSL Remastered, Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Ry Cooder - Chicken Skin Music (1976) [2018, MFSL Remastered, Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Ry Cooder – Chicken Skin Music (1976) [2018, 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: 969 MB (DSF) + 737 MB (FLAC) + 1.63 GB (ISO)
Label: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab | US | Cat#: UDSACD 2161 | Genre: Country Rock, Folk Rock
Update: DSF Tracks have been added

Ry Cooder has always believed in the “mutuality in music,” and this may be no more evident in his career than with his fifth album, Chicken Skin Music (a Hawaiian colloquialism, synonymous with goosebumps). Even more than usual, Cooder refuses to recognize borders — geographical or musical — presenting “Stand By Me” as a gospel song with a norteño arrangement, or giving the Jim Reeves country-pop classic, “He’ll Have to Go,” a bolero rhythm, featuring the interplay of Flaco Jimenez’s accordion and Pat Rizzo’s alto sax. Continue reading “Ry Cooder – Chicken Skin Music (1976) [2018, MFSL Remastered, Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

Blue Öyster Cult – Secret Treaties (1974) [2016, Audio Fidelity Remastered, Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Blue Öyster Cult - Secret Treaties (1974) [2016, Audio Fidelity Remastered, Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Blue Öyster Cult – Secret Treaties (1974) [2016, Audio Fidelity Remastered, Hi-Res SACD Rip]
SACD-ISO / DSD / 1bit / 2.8224MHz
DSF-Tracks / DSD / 1bit / 2.8224MHz
FLAC Tracks / 24bit / 88.2kHz
Stereo & Multichannel | Full Scans Included
Total Size: 2.86 GB (DSF) + 2.22 GB (FLAC) + 1.82 GB (ISO)
Label: Audio Fidelity | US | Cat#: AFZ5 246 | Genre: Hard Rock, Heavy Metal
Update: DSF Tracks have been added

While the speed-freak adrenaline heaviness and shrouded occult mystery of Tyranny and Mutation is the watermark for Blue Öyster Cult’s creative invention, it is Secret Treaties that is widely and critically regarded as the band’s classic. Issued in 1974, Secret Treaties is the purest distillation of all of BÖC’s strengths. Here the songs are expansive, and lush in their textures. Continue reading “Blue Öyster Cult – Secret Treaties (1974) [2016, Audio Fidelity Remastered, Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

Alice Cooper – Muscle of Love (1973) [2015, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Alice Cooper - Muscle of Love (1973) [2015, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Alice Cooper – Muscle of Love (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: 372 MB (CD-Layer) + 2.88 GB (DSF) + 2.28 GB (FLAC) + 2.02 GB (ISO)
Label: Audio Fidelity | US | Cat#: AFZ5 229 | Genre: Glam Rock
Update: DSF Tracks have been added

Coming off such conceptual, theatrical, sleazy hard rock records as the massively successful School’s Out (1972) and Billion Dollar Babies (1973), the Alice Cooper group decided that their next release would be more along the lines of their earlier, more straightforward work (à la Love It to Death). While Muscle of Love was a gold-certified Top Ten success, it performed below expectations (their previous two albums peaked at number two and number one, respectively) and would unfortunately prove to be the original Alice Cooper band’s last studio album together. Continue reading “Alice Cooper – Muscle of Love (1973) [2015, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

Eagles – The Long Run (1979) [2023, MFSL Remastered, Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Eagles - The Long Run (1979) [2023, MFSL Remastered, Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Eagles – The Long Run (1979) [2023, 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: 1.78 GB (DSF) + 901 MB (FLAC) + 1.81 GB (ISO) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab | US | Cat#: UDSACD 2234 | Genre: Country Rock

Akin to the audiophile label’s other Eagles SACDs, this collectible edition plays with organic richness, spectacular dynamics, and microscopic levels of detail. Songs come across with an epic sweep and feature front-to-back soundstages that give the music desirable air, roominess, and separation. Continue reading “Eagles – The Long Run (1979) [2023, MFSL Remastered, Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

The Zombies – Greatest Hits (2002) [Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

The Zombies - Greatest Hits (2002) [Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

The Zombies – Greatest Hits (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 Tracks + Cue + Log
Full Scans Included
Total Size: 261 MB (CD-Layer) + 1.96 GB (DSF) + 919 MB (FLAC) + 2.03 GB (ISO) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Audio Fidelity | US | Cat#: AFZ 001 | Genre: Classic Rock
Update: DSF Tracks have been added

This collection, remastered for SACD, covers the Zombies’ short and tasteful career, spanning their 1964-1967 years for Decca Records, and their single album, the classic Odessey & Oracle, for Epic Records in 1968. Two versions of “She’s Not There” are included here, one the so-called “stereo underdub” version that lacks the snappy drum overdub that gives the superior single version its crisp, edgy feel. There are also two mixes of “Time of the Season,” the familiar version and an alternate mix that features a little more organ in the verse sections. Continue reading “The Zombies – Greatest Hits (2002) [Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

Eagles – Hotel California (1976) [2023, MFSL Remastered, Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Eagles - Hotel California (1976) [2023, MFSL Remastered, Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Eagles – Hotel California (1976) [2023, 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: 1.82 GB (DSF) + 884 MB (FLAC) + 1.85 GB (ISO) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab | US | Cat#: UDSACD 2233 | Genre: Country Rock

Recognizing the importance of presenting this oft-reissued longtime audiophile favorite in spectacular sound, this numbered-edition disc plays with alluring clarity, organic richness, tube-like warmth, massive dynamics, and copious detail. You’ll be able to almost smell the colitas and feel the breeze in your hair. Songs feature front-to-back soundstages that allow the music incredible air, roominess, and separation. Continue reading “Eagles – Hotel California (1976) [2023, MFSL Remastered, Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

Warren Zevon – Excitable Boy (1978) [2013, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Warren Zevon - Excitable Boy (1978) [2013, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Warren Zevon – Excitable Boy (1978) [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: 233 MB (CD-Layer) + 1.29 GB (DSF) + 617 MB (FLAC) + 1.33 GB (ISO) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Audio Fidelity | US | Cat#: AFZ 166 | Genre: Pop Rock
Update: DSF Tracks have been added

Warren Zevon’s self-titled 1976 album announced he was one of the most striking talents to emerge from the Los Angeles soft rock singer/songwriter community, and Linda Ronstadt (a shrewd judge of talent if a sometimes questionable interpreter) recorded three of its songs on two of her biggest-selling albums, which doubtlessly earned Zevon bigger royalty checks than the album itself ever did. But if Warren Zevon was an impressive calling card, the follow-up, Excitable Boy, was Continue reading “Warren Zevon – Excitable Boy (1978) [2013, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

Jeff Beck – Truth (1968) [2017, Audio Fidelity Remastered, Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Jeff Beck - Truth (1968) [2017, Audio Fidelity Remastered, Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Jeff Beck – Truth (1968) [2017, 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: 1.66 GB (DSF) + 849 MB (FLAC) + 1.69 GB (ISO) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Audio Fidelity | US | Cat#: AFZ 269 | Genre: Blues Rock, Hard Rock
Update: DSF Tracks have been added

Despite being the premiere of heavy metal, Jeff Beck’s Truth has never quite carried its reputation the way the early albums by Led Zeppelin did, or even Cream’s two most popular LPs, mostly as a result of the erratic nature of the guitarist’s subsequent work. Time has muted some of its daring, radical nature, elements of which were appropriated by practically every metal band (and most arena rock bands) that followed. Continue reading “Jeff Beck – Truth (1968) [2017, Audio Fidelity Remastered, Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

Jeff Beck Group – Jeff Beck Group (1972) [2015, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Jeff Beck Group - Jeff Beck Group (1972) [2015, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]

Jeff Beck Group – Jeff Beck Group (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: 339 MB (CD-Layer) + 5.83 GB (DSF) + 2.32 GB (FLAC) + 3.17 GB (ISO) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Audio Fidelity | US | Cat#: AFZ5 219 | Genre: Blues Rock
Update: DSF Tracks have been added

Continuing with the same group lineup as on Rough & Ready, Jeff Beck Group was slagged off by critics for Steve Cropper’s admittedly lazy production. However, several of the songs hold up masterfully, including the skronky “Ice Cream Cakes,” the superlative redo of Don Nix’s “Going Down,” and the beautifully sad and wistful instrumental, “Definitely Maybe.” Continue reading “Jeff Beck Group – Jeff Beck Group (1972) [2015, Audio Fidelity Remastered, CD-Layer + Hi-Res SACD Rip]”

Crosby, Stills & Nash – Crosby, Stills & Nash (1969) [2022, MFSL Remastered, CD-Quality + Hi-Res Vinyl Rip]

Crosby, Stills & Nash - Crosby, Stills & Nash (1969) [2022, MFSL Remastered, CD-Quality + Hi-Res Vinyl Rip]

Crosby, Stills & Nash – Crosby, Stills & Nash (1969)
[2022, MFSL Remastered, CD-Quality + Hi-Res Vinyl Rip]
2x Vinyl Rip | Hi-Res / FLAC Tracks / 24bit / 96kHz & 192kHz | CD-Quality / FLAC Tracks / 16bit / 44.1kHz
Full Scans Included
Total Size: 3.40 GB (Hi-Res) + 840 MB (CD-Quality) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab | US | Cat#: UD1S 2-021 | Genre: Folk Rock, Country Rock
UltraDisc One-Step

The enduring charm, contemporary relevance, and harmonic convergence of Crosby, Stills & Nash’s fabled self-titled debut owe not only to impeccably played songs and resonant lyrics, but to career-defining performances by music’s first genuine supergroup. Crosby, Stills & Nash lingers as an example of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts. Factor in phenomenal studio production and acoustic-based architecture that served as guideposts for myriad albums that followed, and popular music would never be the same. Continue reading “Crosby, Stills & Nash – Crosby, Stills & Nash (1969) [2022, MFSL Remastered, CD-Quality + Hi-Res Vinyl Rip]”

The Modern Jazz Quartet Guest Artist: Sonny Rollins – The Modern Jazz Quartet At Music Inn Volume 2 (1958) [1995, MFSL Remastered, CD-Quality + Hi-Res Vinyl Rip]

The Modern Jazz Quartet Guest Artist: Sonny Rollins - The Modern Jazz Quartet At Music Inn Volume 2 (1958) [1995, MFSL Remastered, CD-Quality + Hi-Res Vinyl Rip]

The Modern Jazz Quartet Guest Artist: Sonny Rollins – The Modern Jazz Quartet At Music Inn Volume 2 (1958)
[1995, MFSL Remastered, CD-Quality + Hi-Res Vinyl Rip]
Vinyl Rip | Hi-Res / FLAC Tracks / 24bit / 96kHz | CD-Quality / FLAC Tracks / 16bit / 44.1kHz
Full Scans Included
Total Size: 912 MB (Hi-Res) + 261 MB (CD-Quality) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab | US | Cat#: MFSL 1-228 | Genre: Cool Jazz
Half-Speed Mastered

The second volume of the Modern Jazz Quartet at the Music Inn was released in 1959, a year after its historic first volume with guest Jimmy Giuffre. The format on this set is similar, with pianist John Lewis, vibraphonist Milt Jackson, bassist Percy Heath, and drummer Connie Kay moving through a gorgeous medley of standards to open including “Stardust,” “I Can’t Get Started,” and “Lover Man,” with beautiful and clever counterpoint between Lewis and Jackson on the melody lines. Continue reading “The Modern Jazz Quartet Guest Artist: Sonny Rollins – The Modern Jazz Quartet At Music Inn Volume 2 (1958) [1995, MFSL Remastered, CD-Quality + Hi-Res Vinyl Rip]”

Gerry Mulligan & Paul Desmond Quartet – Blues In Time (1957) [1995, MFSL Remastered, CD-Quality + Hi-Res Vinyl Rip]

Gerry Mulligan & Paul Desmond Quartet - Blues In Time (1957) [1995, MFSL Remastered, CD-Quality + Hi-Res Vinyl Rip]

Gerry Mulligan & Paul Desmond Quartet – Blues In Time (1957)
[1995, MFSL Remastered, CD-Quality + Hi-Res Vinyl Rip]
Vinyl Rip | Hi-Res / FLAC Tracks / 24bit / 96kHz | CD-Quality / FLAC Tracks / 16bit / 44.1kHz
Full Scans Included
Total Size: 522 MB (Hi-Res) + 184 MB (CD-Quality) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab | US | Cat#: MFSL 1-241 | Genre: Hard Bop, Cool Jazz
Half-Speed Mastered

Three years after Gerry Mulligan initially sat in with the Dave Brubeck Quartet, the baritone saxophonist arrived at a point where he could perform alongside Brubeck’s alto saxophonist, Paul Desmond, for this much anticipated session. Continue reading “Gerry Mulligan & Paul Desmond Quartet – Blues In Time (1957) [1995, MFSL Remastered, CD-Quality + Hi-Res Vinyl Rip]”

The Modern Jazz Quartet – The Modern Jazz Quartet (1957) [1994, MFSL Remastered, CD-Quality + Hi-Res Vinyl Rip]

The Modern Jazz Quartet - The Modern Jazz Quartet (1957) [1994, MFSL Remastered, CD-Quality + Hi-Res Vinyl Rip]

The Modern Jazz Quartet – The Modern Jazz Quartet (1957)
[1994, MFSL Remastered, CD-Quality + Hi-Res Vinyl Rip]
Vinyl Rip | Hi-Res / FLAC Tracks / 24bit / 96kHz | CD-Quality / FLAC Tracks / 16bit / 44.1kHz
Full Scans Included
Total Size: 903 MB (Hi-Res) + 250 MB (CD-Quality) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab | US | Cat#: MFSL 1-205 | Genre: Cool Jazz
Half-Speed Mastered

The Modern Jazz Quartet is an album by American jazz group the Modern Jazz Quartet featuring performances recorded in 1957.
Continue reading “The Modern Jazz Quartet – The Modern Jazz Quartet (1957) [1994, MFSL Remastered, CD-Quality + Hi-Res Vinyl Rip]”

The Manhattan Transfer – Extensions (1979) [1994, MFSL Remastered, CD-Quality + Hi-Res Vinyl Rip]

The Manhattan Transfer - Extensions (1979) [1994, MFSL Remastered, CD-Quality + Hi-Res Vinyl Rip]

The Manhattan Transfer – Extensions (1979) [1994, MFSL Remastered, CD-Quality + Hi-Res Vinyl Rip]
Vinyl Rip | Hi-Res / FLAC Tracks / 24bit / 96kHz | CD-Quality / FLAC Tracks / 16bit / 44.1kHz
Full Scans Included
Total Size: 777 MB (Hi-Res) + 228 MB (CD-Quality) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab | US | Cat#: MFSL 1-199 | Genre: Contemporary Jazz, Vocal, Swing
Half-Speed Mastered

This fourth album from Manhattan Transfer was the first for Cheryl Bentyne, who replaced Laurel Masse after the original singer’s auto accident and subsequent decision to leave the group. Though replacing Masse was difficult, Bentyne’s energy and style proved to be the perfect complement to the group’s already dynamic performance. Hits from Extensions include “Twilight Zone” and “Birdland,” which earned the group their first Grammy for Best Jazz Performance, Vocal or Instrumental. Continue reading “The Manhattan Transfer – Extensions (1979) [1994, MFSL Remastered, CD-Quality + Hi-Res Vinyl Rip]”

Derek & The Dominos – In Concert (1973) [1996, MFSL Remastered, CD-Quality + Hi-Res Vinyl Rip]

Derek & The Dominos - In Concert (1973) [1996, MFSL Remastered, CD-Quality + Hi-Res Vinyl Rip]

Derek & The Dominos – In Concert (1973) [1996, MFSL Remastered, CD-Quality + Hi-Res Vinyl Rip]
2x Vinyl Rip | Hi-Res / FLAC Tracks / 24bit / 96kHz | CD-Quality / FLAC Tracks / 16bit / 44.1kHz
Full Scans Included
Total Size: 1.94 GB (Hi-Res) + 607 MB (CD-Quality) | 3% RAR Recovery
Label: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab | US | Cat#: MFSL 2-239 | Genre: Blues Rock
Half-Speed Mastered

The original nine-song double-LP In Concert was the first “new” Eric Clapton release in well over a year, and the first to show up in the wake of The History of Eric Clapton compilation (which, in turn, had helped transform the earlier Dominos album Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs into a belated hit). Continue reading “Derek & The Dominos – In Concert (1973) [1996, MFSL Remastered, CD-Quality + Hi-Res Vinyl Rip]”