Allman Brothers Band Allman Brothers Band/Brothers and Sisters Original US Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab

The latest release of the popular “Mobile Fidelity” CD reissue series has been confirmed. Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (MFSL), a manufacturer specializing in analog masters, is a trusted brand that is highly supported by audiophiles around the world. Sound masters have digitized many great albums from master tapes with all their passion. Among the series, this work includes the CD “UDCD 617” released in 1994. This is the masterpiece “BROTHERS AND SISTERS,” a miracle brought about by Dickey Betts’s efforts. [Mobile Fidelity places the utmost importance on master tape sound] In the 1990s, when analog works were at their peak in the CD era, many high-quality CDs appeared, but MFSL was in a class of its own. Other high-quality CDs are based on the idea of ​​”suppressing digital degradation,” such as reducing the discomfort of compression through new technology or reducing reading errors in the material. On the other hand, MFSL’s policy is to “faithfully reproduce the sound engraved on the master tape and not add anything extra.” They place the utmost importance on “the analog recorded sound itself,” developing their own “half-speed mastering” technology that also focuses on the stage of extracting sound from magnetic tape. Since 1987, MFSL has borrowed original master tapes from record companies and meticulously digitized many masterpieces one by one. They released the “Ultradisc” series, which transfers the sound of the master tape to CD. They are now expanding into the fields of SACD and LP, but the point is that this work was made into a CD in the early 1990s. Magnetic tape masters are vulnerable to deterioration over time, and the more time passes, the more the sound at the time of recording is lost. There are cases where the tape is distorted or stuck, but even if it is stored carefully, it cannot prevent the loss of magnetism. Nowadays, it is becoming the case that LPs recorded with physical grooves sound better than the master tape itself. In that respect, the “Ultradisc” series was a great achievement. It started in the 1980s when CDs were in widespread use, and the sound of the master tape was digitally recorded before the arrival of the new technology CD, which boasted high sound quality. [Brothers and Sisters, where you can feel the bottomless “depth” of the backing] This work, Brothers and Sisters, conveys the master sound as of 21 years after recording. The more you listen to the sound, the more you sigh at the bottomless depth. At first listen, it is a more modest and subdued sound than the later digital remastered version, but the more you concentrate, the more each sound becomes more prominent, and you will discover something new in the layered ensemble they weave. For example, the masterpiece “Ramblin’ Man”. The digital remaster version is three-dimensional, and each sound is flamboyant, but the lead instruments are overemphasized. Perhaps it is equalized with a focus on sharpness, but while the melodies of the guitar and vocals fly around flashily, the subtleties of the backing sound buried. In contrast, this work is super natural. Although the lead is not overbearing and lacks flashiness, the rhythm section and chorus work are also well-drawn to the subtleties, and the fineness of the details gives it a three-dimensional feel. Small variations added by the bass as accents, and the three-dimensional feel of the modest drumming fills, and other subtle charms appear and disappear one after another. The guitar melody is even more persuasive because it flows between such “depths”. The masterpiece “Jessica” makes the most of the breathing of the rhythm and lead. On the digital version, the power relationship is clearly “lead = master / rhythm = slave”, but this work is different. They build a beautiful ensemble by reacting to each other’s breathing. Of course, the sound and ensemble that Dickey Betts would have aimed for at the time is in this work. It depicts the original beauty that is not poisoned by the “image of what BROTHERS AND SISTERS should be” that engineers in later years arbitrarily drew. This is the master sound of a great album that has been preserved to this day precisely because it was released on CD by Mobile Fidelity. Although MFSL released it on SACD 20 years later, this album contains the best sound that can be expected from CD media. Even if you wanted to get your hands on an actual copy now, it would be difficult as it was originally produced in limited quantities. The high quality CD label Mobile Fidelity has released “Brothers & Sisters.” This is the best sounding CD in history, allowing you to feel the original band ensemble. Taken from the original US Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab CD (UDCD 617) CD from Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab “Original Master Recording” Collection 1. Wasted Words 2. Ramblin’ Man 3. Come And Go Blues 4. Jelly Jelly 5. Southbound 6. Jessica 7. Pony Boy