Thought I would kick off another review now that the ARC Ref 2 SE phono stage/VPI Classic Signature rig is all dialed in....probably needs some more hours, but hey, why wait? Let's see what MFSL's Brothers And Sisters reissue has to offer for the audiophile.
From Wikipedia: Brothers and Sisters is the fourth studio album by American rock band the Allman Brothers Band. Produced by Johnny Sandlin and the band themselves, the album was released in August 1973 in the United States by Capricorn Records. Following the death of group leader Duane Allman in 1971, the Allman Brothers Band released Eat a Peach (1972), a hybrid studio/live album that became their biggest yet. Afterwards, the group purchased a farm in Juliette, Georgia to become a "group hangout." However, bassist Berry Oakley was visibly suffering from the death of Duane: he excessively drank and consumed drugs. After nearly a year of severe depression, Oakley was killed in a motorcycle accident not dissimilar from his friend's in November 1972.
The Allman Brothers Band - Brothers and Sisters GAIN 2â„¢ Ultra Analog 180g LP
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brot...isters_(album)
1. Wasted Words - Don't have to worry about the bottom end on this recording...Barry Oakley's bass is well represented so far....of course as usual, the smooth non-fatiguing MFSL sound is here in droves on the opening track, but nothing really stands out on the first track.
2. Ramblin' Man - Once again, the bass line is present and powerful....almost feel the urge to turn the subs down just a hair, but it's VERY clear....you can hear every chord change....no muddled bass here if your bottom end is up to it. Chuck Leavall's piano keeps up in the background, but again, the winner here is the bass line. Gregg Allman's vocals are nice and clear, but not an audiophile spectacular by any means. The final guitar solo rocks
as usual as it is a classic.
3. Come And Go Blues - This track is a pretty decent for those of you who like drums....Jaimoe's drumming is crystal clear and up front in the right channel, while Butch Trucks's other percussion is set back in the left channel....pretty good example of imaging on this track....all the instruments are clearly delineated in space. The bass line is not nearly as prominent on this track as the first two but it's still there.
4. Jelly Jelly - This is a nice good blues track, with Dickie Betts' guitar taking the stage over on the left. Nothing major stands out here though.
6. Jessica - What can you say here? This is the highlight....always thought this was one of the best instrumental rock n roll tracks ever. All I want to do is turn up the volume, but we don't need a grumpy 2&1/2 year old and grumpy wife marching into the listening room and demanding I sell it all on EBay. Dickie Betts' guitar playing here (left of center) is so smooth and solid, with the piano in the background really keeping pace with the tempo.....great foot tapping here....now for the piano solo....slightly veiled but takes the stage on the right over the rest of the instruments. Betts' guitar solo is powerful, but at the same time blends in so well with the rest of the band, really rocking toward the end, this highlights the Allman's playing as a total band effort.
7. Pony Boy - Acoustic guitar/dobro track to wrap it up. This seems to be the onlyntrack on this release that seems to highlight Gregg Allman's vocals, they're much clearer here and stand out further in front in the mix. Highlight here is Tommy Talton's acoustic guitar which is CRYSTAL clear over on the left side of the soundstage. This is a very good demo track for acoustic guitar, especially for an older recording. Interestingly, from an audiophile perspective, to my ears, this is the best sounding track on the album....instruments are more clearly separated and one way or another, it just sounds more alive and dynamic.
Overall a really fun album to listen to, the audiophile moment really doesn't kick in until the final track, but there's nothing better than sitting your buddy down and cranking up "Jessica" and closing the eyes. I wish this were a more dynamic recording, it's very smooth and easy on the ears, but doesn't have a whole lot of wow moments, but I'm sure it has more to do with the original tapes then MFSL's stellar job putting it to vinyl. Highlights here are the bass, especially in the first two tracks, the sonic spectacular that is Jessica, and Pony Boy which does have some audiophile demo characteristics. Needless to say, if you like the Allman Brothers, don't hesitate......this is the one to get.
Audiophile Rating: 6/10 (overall sonics)
Demo Rating: 57% (4/7) number of cool demo tracks/tracks on album