Audiophile Vinyl

Carl Perkins
Dance Album Of... Carl Perkins
Intervention IR-038 45rpm mono LP

Whether filed under ‘country’, ‘rockabilly’ or more likely ‘rock ’n’ roll’, this remains a seminal release so perfect its influence cannot be gauged: Elvis, The Beatles, Ricky Nelson, Johnny Cash, Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix – but a few of the giants who covered Perkins compositions. The ten of his originals in this staggering debut’s dozen classics were all covered at one time or another, but his versions simply sizzle. ‘Blue Suede Shoes’, ‘Honey Don’t’, ‘Matchbox’ – it’s hard to believe that this was a compilation ‘assembled’ at Sun Records in 1957. Remastered by Kevin Gray, the package is gorgeous, in a heavy sleeve and with new liner notes by Colin Escott. I’m awarding a 95% score despite the vintage. KK

Sound Quality: 95%

Terry Callier
The New Folk Sound Of Terry Callier
Prestige Bluesville/Craft CR00844 (180g vinyl)

Aside from Dylan, Baez, Peter, Paul & Mary and one or two others, we’re not exactly overburdened with audiophile reissues of early US folk music from the 1960s revival. Callier – later known outside of the folk genre for collaborations with Beth Orton, Massive Attack and Paul Weller – recorded this unplugged set of eight traditional songs in 1964, just himself on acoustic guitar plus two acoustic bassists. Despite the small ensemble, the atmosphere throughout is moody and ominous, even with otherwise light-hearted material ‘Oh Dear, What Can the Matter Be’ and ‘Cotton Eyed Joe’. Remastered from the original stereo master tapes, SQ is exceptional. KK

Sound Quality: 90%

The Doobie Brothers
Minute By Minute
Mobile Fidelity MFSL 2-601 (two 45rpm LPs)

Much loved by the audiophile labels, The Doobie Brothers have had by my count at least four of their 16 albums subjected to special treatment, but this Grammy winner from 1978 is the money just for the two opening tracks. ‘Here To Love You’ and ‘What A Fool Believes’ are exemplars of ‘yacht rock’ and vintage FM airplay, Boomer anthems which qualify as timeless. What makes this noteworthy as well for hi-fi enthusiasts regardless of their age is the sound quality, which is positively sparkling, especially the vocals and the percussion. If vinyl’s not your thing, this is also available in a mini-gatefold sleeve on SACD [UDSACD2300] sounding fabulous too. KK

Sound Quality: 90%

Van Halen
Diver Down
Mobile Fidelity UD1S 2-036 (two One-Step 45rpm LPs)

An atypical release for this flashy, in-your-face, hard-rocking outfit, Van Halen’s fifth album is the ‘Marmite’ of their catalogue. Why? Though the band had included only two cover versions in their earlier releases, notably The Kinks’ ‘You Really Got Me’ on their debut, this had five. Eddie himself said it was rushed out to satisfy the label, but this fan thinks it’s one of their best. It kicks off with another Kinks song, ‘Where Have All The Good Times Gone!’, and then alternates originals with instrumentals. OK, so it’s lazy in some ways, but the guitar work is sensational and those who get a kick out of David Lee Roth’s antics will not be disappointed. KK

Sound Quality: 85%