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T. Rex - Electric Warrior MoFi 2LP 45RPM Limited Edition LMF490

SKU
POS-136760
In stock
$140

Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs believes that mastering systems should be neutral and transparent. The essential idea is to unveil all the detailed musical information on the original master recording without adding deterioration, coloration or other sonic artefacts.

With proprietary innovations such as GAIN 2™, general music enthusiasts and audiophiles alike have reaped the benefit of a higher consumer audio standard without investing in costly new hardware.

 "The Motivator"

" As you'd expect from this label, it's done to the company's usual sublime standards in terms of mastering, pressing and packaging. Spread over two 45RPM 180g twelve-inch discs, it plays dramatically better than other versions I've heard. Mobile Fidelity's version of Electric Warrior is a fitting tribute to one of the most important Rock albums of the nineteen seventies, and beyond."

Read the full review by David Price on StereoNET



Track Listing

A1: Mambo Sun
A2: Cosmic Dancer

B1: Jeepster
B2: Monolith
B3: Lean Woman Blues

C1: Bang a Gong (Get It On)
C2: Planet Queen
C3: Girl

D1: The Motivator
D2: Life's a Gas
D3: Rip Off



Mastered on Mobile Fidelity's State-of-the-Art Mastering System: Presents Reverb, Colors, Tones, and String Arrangements in Full-Tilt Glory

Bang a gong and get it on. At once sardonic, flamboyant, and trashy, T. Rex's uncommonly unique Electric Warrior catapulted leader Marc Bolan to stardom, triggered an ongoing fascination with glam rock, and launched a movement that soon involved David Bowie, Roxy Music, Mott the Hoople, and more. Yet none of those namesake artists ever released a record that out-glammed, out-innuendoed, out-thrusted, or out-camped Electric Warrior – named the 160th Greatest Album of All Time by Rolling Stone and included in the celebrated book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

Mastered on Mobile Fidelity's state-of-the-art mastering system, pressed on dead-quiet vinyl at RTI, and housed in a gatefold sleeve, the label's numbered-edition 180g 45RPM 2LP set gives the 1971 landmark the widescreen sound quality it has always deserved. Tony Visconti's warm, reverb-soaked production and Roy Thomas Baker's ace engineering remain two of the work's most famous and revered elements. Here, the production and music can be experienced in all its full-tilt glory, from the subtle albeit elegant classical touches to the instantly identifiable Les Paul guitar licks to Bolan's sensual, wispy, are-they-or-aren't-they-serious vocals.

As Sean Egan wrote in the liner notes of a long-out-of-print reissue: "The sound is recognizably rock, yet a previously unheard exotic variant, almost as if concocted by inhabitants of one of the Tolkien-esque worlds common in Bolan's lyrics. The strings are overt but discreet in shape and tone, injecting just the right amount of class." All these aspects and more come to life with a realism, vibrancy, detail, and textural palpability that surpass the presentation on any prior analog edition. If you can hear colors, this audiophile version of Electric Warrior will stimulate your inner synesthesia.

At the time of the album's creation, such cosmic-related phenomenon were well within Bolan's orbit. But the differences between Electric Warrior and the singer/guitarist's earlier works are as vast as those that divide high art and low-brow culture. Chief among them: Bolan's decision to channel his acoustic hippie-inspired visions into hyper-sexualized, metaphor-rich statements that benefit from amplified foundations. And still, part of the songs' charm relates to how they tread a fine line between rock and pop.

Save for the lashing out of "Rip Off," Electric Warrior retains a mellow core underlined by a gauzy tint, gossamer temperament, and crushed-velvet feel. The perception that he record contains blustery heaviness is furthered – and initiated – by the now-iconic album cover, which depicts a giant-sized Bolan standing in front of an equally giant amplifier stack, striking a rock-star pose and giving the impression everything within is designed to go to the proverbial 11 on the volume knob. Akin to a majority of the songs themselves, the visual functions as clever illusion, absurd humor, ostentatious simplicity, and playful pretense.

Bursting with excessive fun and unchecked libido, T. Rex's catchy boogies, shuffles, and vamps scoot by on a seemingly impossible blend of concise hooks, non-sequitur fantasies, and theatrical swagger. From the chart-topping "Bang a Gong (Get It On)" to the beautiful "Life's a Gas," the R&B-stoked hit "Jeepster" to the pout of "Motivator" and galactic soul of "Planet Queen," Bolan, percussionist Mickey Finn, and boards manipulator Visconti craft a rewardingly strange, parallel universe of sound, style, and sex that still has no equal.

 

 Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs: T. Rex, Electric Warrior Vinyl LP Review

"Played nearly half a century on, Electric Warrior still sounds crisp, fresh and self-assured. Recording quality is light years behind today's state-of-the-art, but this Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs version does a great job of letting its basic warmth and charm flood out. To my ears, T. Rex always sounded better on vinyl than CD, and this sumptuous reissue really drives the point home. The rich timbre of the instruments – largely lost on digital transfers – is here vibrant and glowing, while Bolan's voice sounds wonderfully intimate, expressive and earthy."

Read the full review by David Price on StereoNET



GAIN 2™ Ultra Analog™ System for Vinyl

GAIN 2 Ultra Analog™ is a proprietary cutting system built and designed by legendary design genius Tim De Paravicini, with consultation from one of Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab's founding fathers - Stan Ricker, an audio engineer responsible for many of MFSL's most heralded past releases.

The GAIN 2 Ultra Analog™ system is comprised of a Studer™ tape machine with customised reproduction electronics* and handcrafted cutting amps that drive an Ortofon cutting head on a restored Neumann VMS-70 lathe. (*It is worth noting that independent studies have confirmed that the GAIN 2 Ultra Analog™ system can unveil sonic information all the way up to 122kHz!)

First and foremost, Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs only utilise first generation original master recordings as source material for their releases. MFSL then play back master tapes at half speed enabling the GAIN 2 Ultra Analog™ system to fully extract the master's sonic information. The lacquers are then plated in a specialised process that protects transients in the musical signal. (Due to this process, there may be occasional pops or ticks inherent in initial play back, but as the disc is played more, a high quality stylus will actually polish the grooves and improve the sound). MFSL further ensure optimum sound quality by strictly limiting the number of pressings printed for each release. These limited editions, in addition to being collectors' items, ensure that the quality of the last pressing matches the quality of the first.

Album Credits

Produced by Tony Visconti

Mastered by Krieg Wunderlich at Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab on the GAIN 2 ULTRA ANALOG SYSTEM.

Release Information

Label: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, LMF490

Series: Original Master Recording, Gain 2™ Ultra Analog 45RPM 180g Series

Format: Vinyl LP, Limited Edition, Numbered, Remastered, Reissue

Country: US

Released: 2020

Genre: Rock

Packaging Disclaimer

Mobile Fidelity records are typically supplied in a thin plastic wrap with a perforated edge. Unfortunately, during normal handling, it's very easy for this perforated edge to pop open. Rather than ship your record exposed to the elements, if this outer wrap pops open, we carefully replace it with a proper sealable outer record sleeve in order to keep your record safe. Trust us, it's for the better! Have no doubt that your record is brand new and ready to add to your collection!

More Information
Model Number LMF490
RRP 140.00
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