Santana – Abraxas [Stereo] (Mobile Fidelity GAIN 2 Series Half-Speed Mastered Edition)

(AAA) — Lacquers cut from the original analog master tapes at half speed by Shawn Britton at Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab.

Santana Abraxas on Numbered-Edition 180g 33RPM LP from Mobile Fidelity Sound: Audiophile Pressing Is Out of Print

Corrects Historic Production Error: Music Presented in the Correct Channels for the First Time Ever

1/4" / 15 IPS analog master to analog console to lathe

Picking up on the momentum of the band's excellent 1969 self-titled debut and drifting into edgier, more versatile territory, Abraxas is the confident sound of Santana stretching out and carving its own Latin rock subgenre. The 1970 set immediately captured the public's ear, spending six weeks as the nation's #1 album and spawning the cosmic "Black Magic Woman" as a Top 5 single that's since become one of the most widely recognized songs in history. A confluence of celebratory vibes, bluesy jams, mellow vocals, and hip-shaking grooves, Abraxas is a cornerstone of any music collection and nothing short of legendary.

Mysticism and spirituality abound. Wild, free, and loose, Santana conjures the feeling of mountains and rivers on the lead-off instrumental "Singing Winds, Crying Beasts," leads a salsa parade on the definitive version of Tito Puente's "Oye Como Va," and explores its sensual side on the stellar showcase "Samba Pa Ti," a tune indicative of the album's Latin vibes and percussion. Sonically, Abraxas takes advantage of studio techniques such as cross-fading and mixing lacking on its predecessor.

But just like 1969's equally essential Santana, Abraxas lays claim to one of the biggest (and unfortunate) production gaffes in music history. Until now, Abraxas has never been heard correctly. After securing the original analog master tapes, Mobile Fidelity engineers realized a colossal mistake had been made. For nearly four decades, copies were produced with the left and right channels reversed, meaning that everything was placed in a backwards manner. This even extended to compilations on which individual songs from Abraxas were included.

Now, for the first time, you can listen to Abraxas the way it was meant to be experienced, with the instruments and musicians placed in the proper channels on this numbered-edition LP. In addition to correcting the imaging, Mobile Fidelity's collectible version captures the stunning tonal range of Santana's guitar as well as the nuances of his distinctive touch. Details are brought to the forefront and properly scaled, be it Gregg Rolie's purring organ, Jose Areas' timbal and conga beats, or the fluid pulse of Dave Brown's bass.

(Above description from MusicDirect.com)