Description
The Butterfield Blues Band Blows Open the Doors of Possibility: Recorded at Chess Studios, East-West Sows the Seeds for Acid-Rock and Features Monster Performances from Mike Bloomfield and More
Experience the 1966 Effort in Definitive Sound: Mobile Fidelity’s Numbered-Edition 180g 33RPM Mono LP Makes the Album Available in Its Original Mono Mix for the First Time in Nearly 60 Years
1/4” / 15 IPS analog master to DSD 256 to analog console to lathe
The Butterfield Blues Band might be most famous for serving as the backing group for Bob Dylan’s famous electrified show at the Newport Folk Festival, but the collective earned a spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame due to East-West. Though it remains a footnote in many historical narratives, the 1966 record changed the shape of popular music, sowed the seeds for acid-rock, and further demonstrated the visionary abilities and virtuosic skills of a sextet that took the blues in novel directions.
Sourced from the original analog master tapes, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing, and housed in a Stoughton jacket, Mobile Fidelity’s numbered-edition 180g 33RPM LP presents East-West in definitive sound — and in the original mono mix for the first time in nearly 60 years. East-West was pressed in mono from 1966 to 1968, after which the stereo version (a revised copy of the mono original) became the only option. Featuring quiet surfaces and black backgrounds that expose critical details, dynamics, and tones, this collectible reissue exhibits elevated levels of directness, coherency, and spaciousness. You’ll experience the prized acoustics and dimensions of Chicago’s famous Chess Studios at 2120 S. Michigan Avenue, where the set was recorded.
Playing with incredible naturalism, revealing openness, and in-the-room liveliness, Paul Butterfield and Co.’s creations unfurl here with previously unheard definition, richness, and presence. Every aspect of the album benefits from newfound balance, symmetry, and airiness. Butterfield’s strong lead vocals and signature harmonica; Elvin Bishop’s fusion of gospel, R&B, and country threads; Jerome Arnold’s in-the-pocket bass; Billy Davenport’s bossanova-derived drumming; Mark Naftalin’s illuminating piano and organ; and of course, Mike Bloomfield’s zinging electric guitar. All come across with emotion-triggering realism and responsiveness.
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