Donald Fagen THE NIGHTFLY 45rpm ULTRADISC One-Step 2 x 180g Box Set SEALED

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Donald Fagen THE NIGHTFLY 45rpm ULTRADISC Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab UD1S 2-003 (2 Record Box Set)

LAVISH PACKAGING INCLUDES OPULENT BOX AND SPECIAL FOIL-STAMPED JACKETS: THE ULTIMATE ANALOG VERSION OF DONALD FAGEN'S 1982 LANDMARK DEBUT

Donald Fagen's largely autobiographical The Nightfly remains one of the best-sounding albums ever made. Revered by audiophiles, the Steely Dan co-founder's 1982 set immediately became a demonstration disc at audio salons and hi-fi shows the world over. It also quickly emerged as an irreplaceable monitor-evaluating tool for recording-studio engineers and front-of-the-house testing device for concert-venue soundboard engineers who continue to use it today. Painstakingly recorded over eight months by producer Gary Katz and engineers Roger Nichols and Elliot Scheiner, The Nightfly endures as a rare trifecta of superlative performance, consummate songwriting, and crisp, benchmark production. Mobile Fidelity is honored to give this seminal effort unsurpassed treatment befitting the most serious music connoisseurs.

Fagen's solo debut reaches three-dimensional sonic and emotional heights never before attained on Mobile Fidelity's opulent UD1S (UltraDisc One-Step) box set. Strictly limited to 6,000 numbered copies, this ultra-hi-fi collector's edition literally and figuratively brings you closer to music that picks up where Steely Dan's Gaucho leaves off. You'll enjoy deep-black backgrounds, boundless soundstaging, pointillist details, staggering dynamics, and arguably, the most lifelike tonalities and nuances ever committed to vinyl. Experienced via UD1S, The Nightfly places Fagen and his session pros in your listening room. Every note, breath, and movement is reproduced with exquisite accuracy, wowing clarity, and impeccable balance. Consider this edition your new go-to reference.

The lavish packaging and beautiful presentation of Mobile Fidelity's The Nightfly pressing befit its extremely select status. Housed in a deluxe box, this UD1S version contains special foil-stamped jackets and faithful-to-the-original graphics that illuminate the splendor of the recording. No expense has been spared. Aurally and visually, this reissue of The Nightfly is a curatorial artifact meant to be preserved, poured over, touched, and examined. It is made for discerning listeners that prize sound quality and creativity, and who desire to fully immerse themselves in the art – and everything involved with the album, from the images to the textures and liner notes.

Nominated for seven Grammy Awards, The Nightfly "represent[s] certain fantasies that might have been entertained by a young man growing up in the remote suburbs of a northeastern city during the late fifties and early sixties, i.e., one of my general height, weight, and build," pens Fagen in the liner notes, revealing the work's thematic thrust and wistful, nostalgic appeal. At their core, songs look at the world via an optimistic, mindfully innocent lens and through the eyes of an adolescent holed up in his bedroom with his ear to a radio whose exciting transmissions inspire thoughts of futuristic cities, late-night deejays, otherworldly hopes, and Cold War romances. Cinema for the ears, The Nightfly comes on like a film transferred to wax – its stories filled with relatable vulnerability, ambition, and warmth.

It is also timelessly cool, with everything from the iconic album cover – complete with Fagen in the role of a cigarette-smoking disk jockey spinning a Sonny Rollins album on an RCA turntable at 4:09 in the morning – to the flawless playing honoring the laid-back, hip, stylish jazz pedigree of the arrangements. Indeed, The Nightfly's fame owes as much to the stunning contributions by stellar musicians – saxophonist Michael Brecker, trumpeter Randy Brecker, guitarist Larry Carlton, drummer Steve Jordan, bassist Marcus Miller, drummer Jeff Porcaro, and "Harmonica Frank" Floyd included as it does the particulars behind its creation, which involved cutting-edge technology, novel microphone techniques, and pioneering recording methods that gave Fagen exactly what he demanded. His insistence on dialing in exacting drum sounds is by itself the stuff of legend.

The results of the meticulous sessions transcend eras and generations part of its very design. Virtually every track connects with classic 50s and 60s styles. "Green Flower Street" doubles as an homage to the jazz standard "On Green Dolphin Street." The title track draws imagery from blues pioneer Charley Patton. "Ruby Baby" references soul greats the Drifters. "Maxine" nods to harmonies perfected by big-band vocal quartets like the Four Freshmen. "The Goodbye Look" acknowledges the bossa-nova craze of Fagen's youth. In all respects, The Nightfly rules the airwaves.

Tracklist

A1 I. G. Y. (International Geophysical Year) Alto Saxophone – Dave Tofani Backing Vocals – Frank Floyd, Gordon Grody, Valerie Simpson, Zack Sanders* Baritone Saxophone – Ronnie Cuber Bass – Anthony Jackson Drums – James Gadson Drums [Additional] – Jeff Porcaro Electric Piano – Greg Phillinganes Guitar – Hugh McCracken Percussion – Roger Nichols, Starz Vanderlocket Synth [Blues Harp] – Donald Fagen Synthesizer – Donald Fagen, Rob Mounsey Tenor Saxophone – Michael Brecker Trombone – Dave Bargeron Trumpet – Randy Brecker Alto Saxophone – Dave Tofani Backing Vocals – Frank Floyd, Gordon Grody, Valerie Simpson, Zack Sanders* Baritone Saxophone – Ronnie Cuber Bass – Anthony Jackson Drums – James Gadson Drums [Additional] – Jeff Porcaro Electric Piano – Greg Phillinganes Guitar – Hugh McCracken Percussion – Roger Nichols, Starz Vanderlocket Synth [Blues Harp] – Donald Fagen Synthesizer – Donald Fagen, Rob Mounsey Tenor Saxophone – Michael Brecker Trombone – Dave Bargeron Trumpet – Randy Brecker 6:05 A2 Green Flower Street Backing Vocals – Daniel Lazerus, Frank Floyd, Valerie Simpson, Zack Sanders* Bass – Chuck Rainey Drums – Jeff Porcaro Electric Piano, Clavinet – Greg Phillinganes Guitar – Dean Parks, Rick Derringer Lead Guitar – Larry Carlton Percussion – Starz Vanderlocket Synthesizer – Donald Fagen, Rob Mounsey Backing Vocals – Daniel Lazerus, Frank Floyd, Valerie Simpson, Zack Sanders* Bass – Chuck Rainey Drums – Jeff Porcaro Electric Piano, Clavinet – Greg Phillinganes Guitar – Dean Parks, Rick Derringer Lead Guitar – Larry Carlton Percussion – Starz Vanderlocket Synthesizer – Donald Fagen, Rob Mounsey 3:40 B1 Ruby Baby Backing Vocals – Donald Fagen, Valerie Simpson Bass – Anthony Jackson Drums – Jeff Porcaro Drums [Additional] – James Gadson Electric Piano, Organ, Synthesizer – Donald Fagen Guitar – Hugh McCracken Lead Guitar – Larry Carlton Piano – Michael Omartian Soloist, Piano – Greg Phillinganes Tenor Saxophone – Michael Brecker Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Randy Brecker Backing Vocals – Donald Fagen, Valerie Simpson Bass – Anthony Jackson Drums – Jeff Porcaro Drums [Additional] – James Gadson Electric Piano, Organ, Synthesizer – Donald Fagen Guitar – Hugh McCracken Lead Guitar – Larry Carlton Piano – Michael Omartian Soloist, Piano – Greg Phillinganes Tenor Saxophone – Michael Brecker Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Randy Brecker 5:38 B2 Maxine Alto Saxophone – Dave Tofani Baritone Saxophone – Ronnie Cuber Bass – Marcus Miller Drums – Ed Green* Electric Piano, Organ – Donald Fagen Euphonium – Dave Bargeron Flugelhorn – Randy Brecker Guitar – Larry Carlton Piano – Greg Phillinganes Tenor Saxophone – Michael Brecker Alto Saxophone – Dave Tofani Baritone Saxophone – Ronnie Cuber Bass – Marcus Miller Drums – Ed Green* Electric Piano, Organ – Donald Fagen Euphonium – Dave Bargeron Flugelhorn – Randy Brecker Guitar – Larry Carlton Piano – Greg Phillinganes Tenor Saxophone – Michael Brecker 3:50 C1 New Frontier Backing Vocals – Donald Fagen, Starz Vanderlocket Bass – Abraham Laboriel Drums – Ed Green* Harmonica – Hugh McCracken Lead Guitar – Larry Carlton Percussion – Starz Vanderlocket Piano, Electric Piano – Michael Omartian Backing Vocals – Donald Fagen, Starz Vanderlocket Bass – Abraham Laboriel Drums – Ed Green* Harmonica – Hugh McCracken Lead Guitar – Larry Carlton Percussion – Starz Vanderlocket Piano, Electric Piano – Michael Omartian 6:23 C2 The Nightfly Backing Vocals – Donald Fagen, Frank Floyd, Valerie Simpson, Zack Sanders* Bass – Marcus Miller Drums – Jeff Porcaro Electric Piano – Michael Omartian Guitar – Hugh McCracken, Rick Derringer Lead Guitar – Larry Carlton Piano – Donald Fagen Synthesizer – Donald Fagen, Rob Mounsey Backing Vocals – Donald Fagen, Frank Floyd, Valerie Simpson, Zack Sanders* Bass – Marcus Miller Drums – Jeff Porcaro Electric Piano – Michael Omartian Guitar – Hugh McCracken, Rick Derringer Lead Guitar – Larry Carlton Piano – Donald Fagen Synthesizer – Donald Fagen, Rob Mounsey 5:45 D1 The Goodbye Look Acoustic Guitar – Steve Khan Backing Vocals – Donald Fagen, Valerie Simpson Bass – Marcus Miller Drums – Jeff Porcaro Electric Piano, Synthesizer – Greg Phillinganes Guitar – Dean Parks Lead Guitar – Larry Carlton Percussion – Starz Vanderlocket Acoustic Guitar – Steve Khan Backing Vocals – Donald Fagen, Valerie Simpson Bass – Marcus Miller Drums – Jeff Porcaro Electric Piano, Synthesizer – Greg Phillinganes Guitar – Dean Parks Lead Guitar – Larry Carlton Percussion – Starz Vanderlocket 4:47 D2 Walk Between Raindrops Backing Vocals – Donald Fagen, Leslie Miller Bass – Will Lee Drums – Steve Jordan Electric Piano, Organ, Synthesizer – Donald Fagen Guitar – Larry Carlton Synthesizer [Bass] – Greg Phillinganes Backing Vocals – Donald Fagen, Leslie Miller Bass – Will Lee Drums – Steve Jordan Electric Piano, Organ, Synthesizer – Donald Fagen Guitar – Larry Carlton Synthesizer [Bass] – Greg Phillinganes 2:38

*(all photos are of the actual item)

Notes: Mastered from the Original Master Tapes with Mobile Fidelity's One-Step Process
Mastered on the Gain 2 Ultra Analog System
Comes with fold-out card thickness insert with lyrics and album cover photo.
Originally recorded and mixed entirely on 3M digital 32 track and 4 track machines at Soundworks Digital Audio/Video Recording Studios, N.Y., Village Recorders, L.A. and Automated Sound, N.Y.
? + © 1982 Warner Bros. Records Inc. for the US & WEA International Inc. for the world outside of the U.S.
Limited to 6 000 hand numbered copies.
Allmusic Review by Jason Ankeny
     A portrait of the artist as a young man, The Nightfly is a wonderfully evocative reminiscence of Kennedy-era American life; in the liner notes, Donald Fagen describes the songs as representative of the kinds of fantasies he entertained as an adolescent during the late '50s/early '60s, and he conveys the tenor of the times with some of his most personal and least obtuse material to date. Continuing in the smooth pop-jazz mode favored on the final Steely Dan records, The Nightfly is lush and shimmering, produced with cinematic flair by Gary Katz; romanticized but never sentimental, the songs are slices of suburbanite soap opera, tales of space-age hopes (the hit "I.G.Y.") and Cold War fears (the wonderful "The New Frontier," a memoir of fallout-shelter love) crafted with impeccable style and sophistication.