NewsOut This Week / on 27 January 2017
Bob Dylan / The Bootleg Series (5LP vinyl box set)
The first of Bob Dylan‘s Bootleg Series (vol 1-3) remains a classic and is available on vinyl again for the first time in over 25 years. 
Cream / Fresh Cream (super deluxe edition)
Cream‘s 1966 debut is reissued as this 3CD+blu-ray audio super deluxe package with the album in stereo and mono plus plenty of bonus material.
The Move / Magnetic Waves Of Sound: The Best Of (2LP coloured vinyl)
New remastered The Move ‘best of’ features an hour long DVD (NTSC, region free) with UK and German TV appearances and a promotional film.
- • UK Order: Magnetic Waves Of Sound
- • USA Order: Magnetic Waves Of Sound
- • GERMANY Order: Magnetic Waves Of Sound
Bert Jansch / Living In The Shadows (box set)
Four-CD box set that brings together three Bert Jansch albums from the 1990s and a fourth disc of unheard and unreleased material from the same decade. Vinyl box also available.
Various Artists / The Early Motown EPs, Vol 2 (7″ vinyl box)
Seven-inch vinyl box set reproducing rare Motown EPs released in 1965 from artists such as The Contours, The Marvelettes, The Temptations, Kim Weston and Stevie Wonder, Mary Wells and The Supremes.
- • UK Order: The Early Motown EPs, vol 2
- • USA Order: The Early Motown EPs, vol 2
- • GERMANY Order: The Early Motown EPs, vol 2
Chicago II: The Steven Wilson Remix (CD)
Steven Wilson was last year invited by Chicago to remix their classic 1970 album. This new stereo remix is said to bring out a “clearness, punch and definition” that it didn’t have before. A double LP vinyl version of this new mix will follow later this year.
- • UK Order: Chicago II Steven Wilson Remix
- • USA Order: Chicago II Steven Wilson Remix
- • GERMANY Order: Chicago II Steven Wilson Remix
Billy Joel / Greatest Hits Vol 1 & 2 (3LP numbered vinyl)
This triple vinyl numbered edition of the Billy Joel collection from Mobile Fidelity has been mastered from the original master tapes on 180g vinyl at RTI. Not a bad price in the UK for this set, actually (there’s a double SACD version, too).
- • UK Order: Greatest Hits Vol 1 & 2 (3LP vinyl)
- • GERMANY Order: Greatest Hits Vol 1 & 2 (3LP vinyl)
Joe Cocker! (Hybrid SACD)
This hybrid stereo SACD of Joe Cocker‘s second album has been mastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio.
- • UK Order: Joe Cocker! (SACD)
- • USA Order: Joe Cocker! (SACD)
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My tired and thin wallet is loving the fact that the only two things that I have on outstanding order are the Billy Joel MoFi and The Immaculate Madonna.
In all probability I won’t see either for the price I pre-ordered them at and if they both get cancelled it won’t be the end of the world and I can spend £90 on something else….like food and electricity.
Also to answer Andrew’s question about which is best MoFi or Friday. I only have Abandoned Luncheonette on Friday and it is superb, I have all of the other H&O MoFi releases and they are superb also, so it would seem from my trial of one that there doesn’t have to be a winner, both companies have done alright by Daryl and John…..
If I were a perfectionist I would get Luncheonette on MoFi as I have seen copies on eBay and check it out, but as I already have three other copies of AL, I think that will do…..
Sorry – three comments in a row. MoFi have now confirmed that there is NO release date for Billy Joel’s Greatest Hits and there never has been!
They say a release estimate is not available.
How the hell amazon ever won a customer service award I will never know. They are awful!
Just had an email back from MoFi. Not to my second one, about this vinyl specifically, but about European distribution. These are the companies that stock MoFi releases :
http://www.fminor.com/stockists-2/
One of them is in Norwich where I live! :)
@Andrew, Interesting they sent you that link. One of the shops, Jumbo, is in Leeds near where I live and use regularly and I didn’t know. They sent me one link to a US store.
Glad it will help. I spoke to the stockist here and basically they can order in any MoFi products.
I bloody hope I find a job soon lol :D
Also out of interest on the greatest hits vinyl that started this whole thing off – I was researching the Billy Joel MoFi releases on a well know audiophile forum belonging to a well known industry figures (Paul, PLEASE get a forum of your own so I don’t have to keep going there, I’ll moderate it for you! :) ) and the greatest hits vinyl was already years late in 2015. So wonder if we’ll ever see it!
@DaveM Blimey! I didn’t even try that ’cause I didn’t think something so simple would work. Thank you! Apologies for being so dumb.
One final question if it is one you can answer. Extensive googling suggests that some people think that Mobile Fidelity releases are better, some think that Friday music is better. They’ve both had a go at the Billy Joel catalogue. Whether you have had any direct experience of Billy Joel releases or not, do you have any experience of either label?
I have the Friday music releases of The Bridge on coloured vinyl which I think is excellent and The Nylon Curtain which is think is rather poor……..
Right now I have one of the Friday music and one of the MoFi vinyl release of Glass Houses in my basket and can’t decide. MoFi is twice as much though, but it’s my birthday and I want the best. Some seem to think that MoFi used to be great but since they went bust and got bought out their quality has sunk rather……..
Even if you can’t answer this – thanks for your help so far!
@Andrew, I only have experience of Mofi CDs and to me they are a reference point, especially for example the Elton John ones I have which sound the most like the vinyl versions I had back in the late 70’s. I think you should maybe look on the Hoffman forum for advice on their vinyl.
@davem thank you! Have gone with the MoFi vinyl as the best way to really be sure is to try it on my own equipment and compare :)
Really appreciate your help.
I put my money where my mouth is and bought “Abandoned Luncheonette” on MoFi and have today carried out a little experiment with the Friday Music version.
What immediately struck me was how thin the MoFi version felt. It felt like 140g or less although I haven’t weighed it, it was quite flexible. The Friday version is MUCH more substantial.
The sound is remarkably similar on my set-up which has at it’s heart a Rega RP10 with an Apheta 2 MC cartridge. I would give it 9 / 10 for the Friday music version and 9.5 / 10 for the MoFi version. Irrespective of the thinness it just sounds a little clearer and warmer. Maybe it is the bass that ticks along and strikes a better sound. So I can’t imagine anyone would be disappointed with a Friday version, but the MoFi just edges it for me.
What this has shown me is how little difference the weight of the vinyl makes. UNLESS there were a 180g MoFi version that sounds even better. The 200g Gabriels do sound better than their 140g counterparts it has to be said.
This could mean that the MoFi mastering is vastly superior but they lost a bit by sticking it on thin vinyl…..
It should be noted that the MoFi release is from 1982 and if it were re-issued by MoFi today it would undoubtedly be on weightier vinyl and it could sound even better…in theory.
@DaveM – thank you for the response. If it’s not imminent then I might order one of their other Billy Joel’s for my birthday as I’ve been given these funds :)
I have emailed them four days ago but not had a response. It has now disappeared from their website so I am guessing that it has been delayed.
Are there any recommended stockists of their product here in the UK? I don’t think you can search by label on amazon can you?
@Andrew, Mofi recommend a US site but the postage is too high to the UK, especially with the exchange rate at the mo. I use Amazon UK for this type of stuff. You can search Amazon UK by putting Mobile Fidelity in the search and this usually works for me. Try Billy Joel Mobile Fidelity.
Did anyone have any luck getting Billy Joel from amazon uk? My girlfriend decided to break out the credit card and get it for my birthday, but as seems to be the norm with that place these days it’s “out of stock”.
I’m wondering if we were just too late ordering it (yesterday) or whether they didn’t get any in at all.
Any other places we could get it?
@Andrew, I would check that it actually came out by emailing Mofi at cs.mofi.com. The Procol Harum I mentioned above is only on the radar and Mofi don’t know where Amazon got the date from or anyone got the date from. They are very helpful.
The Move link goes to a cd/dvd. Is there a link to the vinyl version?
Where Can you Get The Moves Magnetic Waves Coloured Vinyl from? I can’t find it Listed anywhere and there online shop is Closed!?
Nope £47 is what I ordered it at a couple of days and for what it is that is tremendous value. Everything I have by Mobile Fidelity is the best version there is of that music. It’s the go to album.
They feel quite superior to everything else. For that reason alone I thought you, of all people here, might like it.
“They feel quite superior to everything else. For that reason alone I thought you, of all people here, might like it.”
I’m not a Billy Joel fan. Talking of superiority, I bet the bloke who until very recently crowbarred the fact that he didn’t own a CD player into almost every comment he posted on this site has this on order already…
Did the price go up in the time between this article being published and my reading of it or is almost £50 for a near 30 year old greatest hits collection on triple vinyl considered VFM?
I like Bert Jansch but am unfamiliar with these albums. Are they worth owning? The book and packaging look very good.
I also am unfamiliar with these Bert Jansch albums, the thing is I like to buy albums I haven’t heard, daft? Yes, but that’s me.
I don’t know what I was thinking of with that Billy Joel album, cancelled. I realise I only like one song, ‘We Didn’t Start The Fire’.
Lot`s of vinyl this week, His Bobness and Bert Jansch. I`m not really a Billy Joel fan but the guy did record some classic cuts. Very tempted with the vinyl set. Mobile Fidelity issue high quality vinyl, in fact I`m go on order order before the price goes up, which it will. I can always change my mind.
Also out is Procol Harum’s A Salty Dog on SACD and on vinyl from Mobile Fidelity. One of the greatest albums ever!
Mo-Fi have loads of stuff out actually… too much to list everything!
I guessed as much:)
Hi Paul. The UK Joe Cocker link goes to the Billy Joel SACD.
The Bob Bootleg Box gets me thinking again about how influential the late and much-missed John Bauldie was in keeping Mr D’s fanbase interested, in those dark immediately-pre and immediately-post ‘Oh Mercy’ days, with his marvellous ‘Telegraph’. John supplied the sleeve-notes to this set, from the days when fact and consideration took place over opinion, and I always remember how hard John fought to get ‘Dink’s Song’ on here, after it was reduced from the 4 disc to 3 disc set, but his love of the song was in vain [it finally appeared on Bootleg 7]. The only reason ‘Series Of Dreams’ is on here – in that awful segue – is thanks to John mentioning it to Jeff Rosen. To those in the know – “Stay warm.”
Gutted about that Billy Joel release as my unemployment continues……….those re-releases (though haphazard) have been top notch quality (I’ve got Piano Man, The Nylon Curtain and The Bridge) and are normally ridiculously expensive.
That set is a steal!
I ordered the Billy Joel set last week after seeing how ridiculous the price was at several shops (£70+ postage) and then seeing it at a reasonable price (£47 prime) at amazon I jumped in….
Every Mobile Fidelity album I have is absolutely superb in feel/ look and most importantly sound.