Grammy-Winning Smash Minute by Minute Features “What a Fool Believes,” Superb Harmonies, and Soulful Melodies
Sourced from the Original Analog Master Tapes
Mobile Fidelity Numbered-Edition 180g 45RPM 2LP Set
1/4" / 15 IPS / Dolby A analog master to DSD 256 to analog console to lathe
Minute by Minute saved the Doobie Brothers even as it nearly broke the band. Created when the group felt uncertain of its place in the music world, the album catapulted the sextet to new commercial heights and signaled a distinct change in direction that the mainstream wholeheartedly embraced. Having sold more than three million copies and stayed on the charts for more than a year, the four-time Grammy-winning Minute by Minute remains a pop landmark — all the more impressive given few initially believed in its potential.
Sourced from the original master tapes, housed in a Stoughton gatefold jacket, and pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing in California, Mobile Fidelity’s numbered-edition reissue presents the 1978 effort on 180g 45RPM 2LP for the first time on what is the definitive-sounding vinyl version of the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers’ biggest-selling record. Produced by Ted Templeman the same year he helmed Van Halen’s breakthrough debut, Minute by Minute features non-congested openness, snappy rhythms, wonderful tonal balance, exceptionally clear vocals, and the right equilibrium of fine polish and bluesy grit.
All those facets emerge with previously unrealized definition, transparency, smoothness, and solidity on this audiophile reissue. The levels of separation, dynamics, and imaging help bring the Doobie Brothers onto a wide, depth, multi-dimensional soundstage located feet away from your listening position. Templeton’s knack for capturing the full frequency spectrum in a vibrant, realistic manner pays dividends throughout this collectible version, which also benefits from the extra groove space and dead-quiet vinyl surfaces. As for chief architect Michael McDonald’s elastic, sky-high falsetto? Experience its range like never before.
When the Doobie Brothers laid down the tracks at Warner Bros. Record Studios in Hollywood, CA, it was apparent they would continue to shift from the boogie-infused, country-referencing rock that helped define their successful run of albums from the early to the mid ‘70s. As he does on the ensemble’s prior studio outing, McDonald — still the newest recruit — again takes center stage. The Steely Dan collaborator uses his versatile baritone, perfectionist-oriented arrangement skills, and penchant for unusual chord stylings to give many songs rich, soulful, jazz-tinted foundations.
Tracks
Side One:
Here to Love You
What a Fool Believes
Minute by Minute
Side Two:
Dependin’ on You
Don’t Stop to Watch the Wheels
Side Three:
Open Your Eyes
Sweet Feelin’
Steamer Lane Breakdown
Side Four:
You Never Change
How Do the Fools Survive?
UPC: 821797260114