Vinyl Me Please Classics

Anyone else already own a copy of Sahara?

I am asking because I am listening to my copy right now which is a 2011 OJC-Milestone pressing and I have questions.
1. I have read reviews that this version may be a 1987 master, and to some sounds "compressed." Anyone have any thoughts here?
2. Near the end of "Ebony Queen," the first track on side one, all of the audio seems to, for a few seconds, shift to one side. Is this just my copy? Is this just the master? Is this a universal problem between issuings?

Please, any thoughts or experience on this would be helpful. I am trying to figure out if I need a second copy of this in my collection.
I own the MoFi. I can't remember on the Ebony Queen. The MoFi is bright -- though I've heard that the original is also bright. It feels like the sort of music that should go on forever in a room but instead it is a tighter wall of sound. (caveat, my system, etc). The MoFi is very very clear -- again, almost aggressively so as so much of the album lives in the upper registers. I've always liked the MoFI pressing as the music is amazing and I think that the mastering reflects the original.

I currently am getting it the VMP, but I'm pretty torn (and with time running out) as I've always found RKS to lean toward a more narrow bright sound and doubling down on that tone could be rough on this record.

I've now realized that this reply may deliver you absolutely no value and reflects only my own anxiety about getting a second copy....
 
I own the MoFi. I can't remember on the Ebony Queen. The MoFi is bright -- though I've heard that the original is also bright. It feels like the sort of music that should go on forever in a room but instead it is a tighter wall of sound. (caveat, my system, etc). The MoFi is very very clear -- again, almost aggressively so as so much of the album lives in the upper registers. I've always liked the MoFI pressing as the music is amazing and I think that the mastering reflects the original.

I currently am getting it the VMP, but I'm pretty torn (and with time running out) as I've always found RKS to lean toward a more narrow bright sound and doubling down on that tone could be rough on this record.

I've now realized that this reply may deliver you absolutely no value and reflects only my own anxiety about getting a second copy....
I have the MoFi too and while I like the album, it's not one that I find myself spinning regularly so I didn't feel the need to double dip.
 
I own the MoFi. I can't remember on the Ebony Queen. The MoFi is bright -- though I've heard that the original is also bright. It feels like the sort of music that should go on forever in a room but instead it is a tighter wall of sound. (caveat, my system, etc). The MoFi is very very clear -- again, almost aggressively so as so much of the album lives in the upper registers. I've always liked the MoFI pressing as the music is amazing and I think that the mastering reflects the original.

I currently am getting it the VMP, but I'm pretty torn (and with time running out) as I've always found RKS to lean toward a more narrow bright sound and doubling down on that tone could be rough on this record.

I've now realized that this reply may deliver you absolutely no value and reflects only my own anxiety about getting a second copy....
I listened to it again the other day and it definitely has shift in volume so I expect that’s on the tape. Not sure what happened. But yes the recording touch bright but not ear splitting so. It works for the music and gives it an edge I think. Also, I cannot imagine that piano after McCoy got done with the recording. That thing will never be the same again :LOL:
 
Side note on MoFi, does anyone here have Miles Smiles? I’ve been playing some of his MoFi’s lately. I think it’s just the clarity picking it up, but is anyone else super annoyed with Miles’ trumpet sound? It’s almost out of phase on the top end. It’s kind of hard to explain but it’s especially evident on Orbits. It sounds like they had a simultaneous recording and tried to match up sound. I’m thinking it’s just different mics picking up the trumpet. Also, I think Wayne Shorter’s keys are sticky or something. They make a squeaky sound that just hurts my head. I think it sounds great and I’m sure those things are in the recording, I’ve just never noticed it before and now I can’t stop noticing it. Also, the stereo image is probably the widest I’ve ever heard on record. Herbie sounds like he’s two rooms over :LOL: Tony’s cymbals sound amazing though. I foolishly sold off my original stereo copy to buy the MoFi. I do have a mono copy but that’s a totally different animal.

Also, I kind of hate the MoFi Kind of Blue. The bass is too loud and boomy and my pressing is atrocious and I never noticed it before. Way off center on So What and riddled with pops and static even after cleaning :(. I won’t listen to it much since I have four other copies, but the packaging is so nice and I paid a lot for it so that is quite disappointing.
 
Side note on MoFi, does anyone here have Miles Smiles? I’ve been playing some of his MoFi’s lately. I think it’s just the clarity picking it up, but is anyone else super annoyed with Miles’ trumpet sound? It’s almost out of phase on the top end. It’s kind of hard to explain but it’s especially evident on Orbits. It sounds like they had a simultaneous recording and tried to match up sound. I’m thinking it’s just different mics picking up the trumpet. Also, I think Wayne Shorter’s keys are sticky or something. They make a squeaky sound that just hurts my head. I think it sounds great and I’m sure those things are in the recording, I’ve just never noticed it before and now I can’t stop noticing it. Also, the stereo image is probably the widest I’ve ever heard on record. Herbie sounds like he’s two rooms over :LOL: Tony’s cymbals sound amazing though. I foolishly sold off my original stereo copy to buy the MoFi. I do have a mono copy but that’s a totally different animal.

Also, I kind of hate the MoFi Kind of Blue. The bass is too loud and boomy and my pressing is atrocious and I never noticed it before. Way off center on So What and riddled with pops and static even after cleaning :(. I won’t listen to it much since I have four other copies, but the packaging is so nice and I paid a lot for it so that is quite disappointing.

I have Miles Smiles, I didn't notice the same things but could be the difference in our systems.

My mofi KOB also has random surface noise, disappointing since the disc surfaces look pristine.
 
I have Miles Smiles, I didn't notice the same things but could be the difference in our systems.

My mofi KOB also has random surface noise, disappointing since the disc surfaces look pristine.

The Mofi KoB definitely had some QC issues, because my first copy had some non fill during Blue in Green that was obnoxious.

Thankfully I was able to return and get another one, which is perfect. Hopefully they press more so you guys can get a good one!

I know many are critical of the Mofi version, but the biggest selling point for me is Bill Evans. For some reason I feel like their mastering job really brought out the best in his piano on that recording.
 
I know many are critical of the Mofi version, but the biggest selling point for me is Bill Evans. For some reason I feel like their mastering job really brought out the best in his piano on that recording.
Ohhhhhh yes! The MoFi 2LP 45RPM pressing of Bill Evans’ Portrait in Jazz is one of the best sounding records I have! That one is an absolute delight to listen to! 😊
 
Also, I kind of hate the MoFi Kind of Blue. The bass is too loud and boomy and my pressing is atrocious and I never noticed it before. Way off center on So What and riddled with pops and static even after cleaning :(. I won’t listen to it much since I have four other copies, but the packaging is so nice and I paid a lot for it so that is quite disappointing.

So here is my experience with the MoFi Kind of Blue pressing. Anyways, I ordered a copy from Music Direct a while ago. When it arrived, it was on translucent vinyl. It looked black, but when held up to the light, it was clear. Anyways, the records had some distortion and surface noise I just couldn't get rid of by wet-washing. I ended up sending that copy back to Music Direct for a replacement. The replacement was your standard black copy.

Before I returned the translucent copy, I made a handful of comments on discogs about it. No one had any information. I asked Music Direct and they didn't know why the copy was not just black vinyl. I come to find out later, via discussions with some folks on Discogs, that the original copy I received was a MoFi "Super Vinyl" test run they did for Kind of Blue. It really hasn't been acknowledged by MoFI, and Music Direct wasn't aware of it, but there's a few folks that have a copy of this pressing. I uploaded a picture of the translucent records and multiple comments on Discogs regarding the Supervinyl KOB, but they have all since been deleted and removed from Discogs. Not sure who did that or why. Strange though. Anyways, if you see a KOB boxset in the wild with a serial number between 12,700 and 13,500, it just may be on MoFi's Supervinyl. For those that are aware of their existence, they are sought after. One sold for $400 on discogs.

Still trying to track down my original photo of the translucent KOB, but I cannot find it on any of my external harddrives.


Here is the listing on Discogs:

 
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