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.
A1: Early In The Mornin’
A2: Hard Time (No One Knows Better Than I)
A3: The Midnight Hour
A4: (Night Time Is) The Right Time
A5: Feelin’ Sad
A6: Ray’s Blues
B1: I’m Movin’ On
B2: I Believe To My Soul
B3: Nobody Cares
B4: Mr. Charles’ Blues
B5: Some Day Baby (Worried Life Blues)
B6: I Wonder Who
The Genius Sings the Blues began as a simple compilation. Comprised of a dozen songs Ray Charles made between 1952 and 1960, the collection was released in 1961 by Atlantic Records to counter the singer's migration to rival ABC Paramount. What Atlantic originally underestimated is that the album contained many of Charles' greatest works, all unified by their bluesy emotions and stirring arrangements. A classic of the soul and R&B canon, The Genius Sings the Blues is a snapshot of the evolution of timeless American music captured by the pianist's indelible rhythmic pace, gospel roots, jazz backgrounds, and Southern-styled accents.
From the iconic cover art to the distinguished music within, everything about the thematic record is iconic. Now, nearly 50 years later, it can be heard in pristine fidelity sourced from the original master tapes. Mobile Fidelity's engineers have taken great pains to ensure that every clink of the piano keys, ache of Charles' rolling voice, and rush of the backing arrangements sounds better than they have since first being recorded in the studio. This Mono LP simply lays waste to the competition.
Previous editions of The Genius Sings the Blues, including a remastered digital edition from Rhino, suffered from varying levels, distracting static and noise, and inconsistent vocal balances. Mobile Fidelity has gone back to the original mono master tapes to correct these problems, giving music lovers what is now unquestionably the best-sounding Charles album to stem from his peak era. A must.
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.
Half-Speed Production and Mastering by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab
Mastered from the Original Master Tapes by Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab on the GAIN 2 ULTRA ANALOG SYSTEM.
Label: Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab, MFSL 1-337
Series: Original Master Recording, Gain 2™ Ultra Analog, Mono 180g Series
Format: 2 x Vinyl LP, MONO, Limited Edition, Numbered, Reissue, Remastered
Country: US
Released: 2010
Genre: Blues
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!
| Model Number | LMF337M |
|---|---|
| RRP | 90.00 |
