MFSL Halfspeed (Why?)
Shingaling
877 Posts
What is up with folks wanting these shitty MFSL Halfspeed records? Paying high dollar for a dollarbiner. We scored a bunch recently at the store and put some up on the Bay...
This makes me laugh...and with 4 days left too. You think this is funny but check on it...this record sells for $150-$200! We are expecting to get hooked up for our Alan Parsons Project and Eric Crapton MFSL's too.
I met a dude here at the store once that only collected MFSL records. He didn't care what record it was as long as it was halfspeed. Why the hell would someone pay that much for such a piece of poop?
This makes me laugh...and with 4 days left too. You think this is funny but check on it...this record sells for $150-$200! We are expecting to get hooked up for our Alan Parsons Project and Eric Crapton MFSL's too.
I met a dude here at the store once that only collected MFSL records. He didn't care what record it was as long as it was halfspeed. Why the hell would someone pay that much for such a piece of poop?
Comments
I would always imagine the guy who dropped $78.72 + S/H the day his 1/2 Speed Mastered Reo Speedwagon LP came in the mail, hands sweating as he tears the packaging off, rushing to carefully place it on his B&O fully automatic, drop the ortofon carefully on the opening grooves, his leather recliner already carefully placed for optimum fidelity and panning within his quad Kloss setup...
"ahhh...this is the was 'Take It on the Run' was meant to be heard..."
"you can HEAR the sweat on knophlers fingers man!"
Let's keep in mind that with MFSL, the mix for the album is not the same as the standard release, it's done from scratch, from the multi-tracks. It's not the nth generation master, it's a fresh new mix, generally done very close to the original mixes from any session sheets that may still exist.
All of this applies to people who still like to spend an hour or two listening to a record seriously. It is because it is a different listening experience. MFSL always makes their records and CD's as if you were in the studio, a much more cleaner and clearer sound.
Columbia came out with all of those half-speed masters, then you had Nautilus, Sheffield Labs or whatever they were called, and people loved it. By the late 70's, record labels were not into the sound quality of a record, as they were in the early days of Atlantic and Blue Note. There was a sense of care that went into how the music was etched into the vinyl, and whether or not that offered a good listening experience. It got to a point where they figured kids would buy it, scratch it, leave it out in the open for the dog to piss on, and that's it.
If you've never actually heard an MFSL album or CD, then no reason to complain. If we are simply talking about records for collecting and profit, then most audiophile records will be of value, especially since they aren't mass-marketed and they only press up a small amount (5000 is the most, 10,000-25,000 for bigger names). I would love to have everything MFSL ever came out with, because I love music and I want to be able to hear it with the quality they're known for. Sadly, only one James Brown has ever been released by MFSL, and it's a live album. Most of the albums released by MFSL are rock, pop, and jazz. There are releasing a remaster of Earth Wind & Fire's That's The Way Of The World[/b] next month, and I want to hear it.
MFSL is for the hardcore music fan. If a major label refuses to release or reissue something, someone with a record collecting mentality will say "you know, I have enough cash. I will write up a list of recordings I may be able to gain access to. I will contact Steve Hoffman and see how much his mixing and mastering fees are" and do it properly. Sound quality means as much to me as the power of the music itself.
Trust me, if I had the money or knew someone who had that kind of money, I would be doing those kind of reissues myself, with the same approach and respect to music that these audiophiles are known for. Perhaps if money ever comes my way, I would start it immediately.
I see your veiw on this...who doesn't like a good sounding record. My point on making this post is...why do the "worst" MFSL's sell for more than the good ones? We have a Duke Ellington MFSL up and is getting no bids. We looked at some completed listings and saw that the TOTO record sells for more than a sealed copy of Pink Floyd's Meedle halfspeed. In fact all the auctions we've seen on these things the dollarbiners come out on top. Just curious as to why this is.
http://www.popsike.com/php/detaildata.php?itemnr=4002204535
Supply and demand, good/bad reviews for a certain release, and just the ol' WTF? Toto IV[/b] was a huge album, a lot of hits, won loads of Grammy's, yet that album has often been considered one for "the studio heads", those who love a well engineered recording. Maybe the Toto half-speed didn't do well for a fact that everyone bought the regular album or cassette, and the half-speed was considered (at the time) "eh". However, Toto were considered the band's band before they went "Pamela" on us.
Here's another theory. MFSL had been run by Brad Miller, Mr. Mystic Moods himself. When he was alive, it was a bit of trial and error but he was able to gain access to a lot of quality albums from various labels, at a time when "remastering" was an unknown word. Because of him and MFSL, everybody did it. But because of him, a lot of labels decided that they didn't want to license those albums, and limited their catalog to him. Those albums are going to be in high demand, regardless.
Since Columbia, or Sony, may never go through the effort of offering their catalog for remastering unless they do it themselves, an album like Toto IV[/b] on MFSL is highly prized because of that fact.
In truth, one of the unexplained record collecting quirks. I guess it's not unlike any record of value: if someone knows it's of value, there's someone who will buy it and a dealer who knows how much they can sell it for. Finding an MFSL album at a thrift store is not an impossibility, but the record's target audience aren't messing around in a thrift store either.
I remember reading an article somewhere, that MFSL and other audiophile labels get an album for a one to three year period. Knowing the demand that exists, they will usually tell everyone to pick up their copies before they are not available. Once they are not available, the prices generally will double or triple immediately. A limited amount was pressed up, and for those who lucked out, they pay the price.
I know it still doesn't answer why a Duke Ellington wouldn't sell over a Toto IV[/b], but either way, key pressings are good investments.
Initial pressing may have been lower, reviews were so-so, yet a demand is there because it is an MFSL pressing. People see MFSL and go "ooh, quality", even for a shitty album. Low pressings for MFSL were 2000-5000. For artists in demand, 10,000 and up, usually 25,000 was their peak.
If it's a "good one", it's safe to say all of the people who want it have their copy. Something that may not be worthy of a listen, but may be the best thing known to mankind to a small handful of people, will always exist. It doesn't quite explain it, but then again explain record collecting as a whole.
"Good ones" are plentiful, the "bad ones" generally now. As with anything "bad", someone will find something good about it. If only a few copies exist, it looks more appealing to those who want it.
I've noticed that a lot of audiophile/engineer types just have bad taste in music. They seem more concerned with the quality of the sound than the quality of the music. Usually the burnt out ex-roadies who never quite made it to the big time, and still are rocking hair from the late 70's early 80's. (i.e. their own little world of music nerdiness)
"So I turned up the 23kHZ by .026 decibels, and that made ALL the difference!"
GGGRRRRRRRR!!!!!
I'm sure that has a lot to do with it too. I agree though, there are some audiophile albums that I never would think was worth the effort. I understand wanting to hear a better mix of albums by Santana, Cream, The Who, Pink Floyd, Rush, Aretha Franklin, John Coltrane, but then who wants to hear Al Stewart's Year Of The Cat[/b]?
I guess I would fall on the other extreme of the audiophile (or a potential audiophile), in that I want to hear music that I like, but in a different, perhaps much cleaner mix, opposed to finding recordings that may suit the inner walls of my ears. I simply want a different listening experience, and those audiophile pressings do offer that. Then again, maybe that proves I'm not an audiophile in the purist/purest sense. I have no need for a $27,000 turntable, but I definitely would wnat to hear Synchronicity[/b] in a matter than doesn't sound like plastic.
Now the first Toto album, I would definitely want an audiophile pressing of that. Or just Jeff Porcaro's drum tracks.
Toto, in their time, were great. Toto IV[/b] was their Synchronicity[/b], however they decided they wanted to do more albums.
They all did session work in the late 70's/early 80's, be it Boz Scaggs or Linda Rondstadt, so while Toto might be considered a joke today, they were well respected up to and including Toto IV[/b].
Then again, give me Boz Scaggs' Silk Degrees[/b], arguably the best album Toto ever made, or just "Miss Sun" from four years later.
Best quote evar.
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Actually I said that quote, not Steve. I was suggested that I was the one with the "record collecting mentality". If I can make it happen, i will. Just waiting for some things to happen in the next year or so, and I'll see what I can gain access to.
EDIT: I caught your edit.
I was quoting you. I just like that quote because my name is Steve Hoffman. Maybe one day if you have enough cash, you can contact me. But not until then.
Whoa, not THAT kind of transaction.
you couln't handle the likes of me anyway...
AND NEITHER COULD YOU, FUNKMEISTER!!!
Man, when is Caliente coming on?
Plaese to be referring to me by my new moniker, "Master Steve Hoffman" in all correspondence from this moment forward.
And I am Sir John Book, Master Of The Hidden Matrix Numbers And Occasional Quality Ufing. Pleased to meet you, Master Steve Hoffman.
The jazz heads have their own MSFL...Mosaic have the same type of deal, limited liscensing windows, short runs of high-quality sets that will have collectors buying box sets at like $50-75 per disc.
Like THIS ONE for over $800:
The only theory I have for the AOR stuff being so hot on MFSL ties into the fact that the first CD I ever bought, when they were new and before I think I even owned a player, was "Dark Side of the Moon." I remember huge posters for Dark Side and The Wall in the new CD sections of record stores, hyping the new format...they should have just said "enhances mushroom tripping by 37 PERCENT!"
I have yet to buy any Mosiac box sets, but the content and care for each one is amazing. I had wanted the Elvin Jones box set, which covered his time with Blue Note . Price is about $128 for the 8CD box set, and I am sure once they're completely gone, it will go up. With Mosaic, you are getting exclusive compilations and box sets that the majors aren't going to touch.
These are collections people will want to listen to, and the diehards can afford to buy multiple copies to put in storage for investment purposes.
http://www.netassoc.net/dougspage/HoffFAQ1.htm
It gets technical about what they look for when they create a remaster. Since some of you (regular posters and lurkers) run labels, it may be something to consider when you do some across any existing multi-tracks or masters, especially for any recordings from 1974-.