Elvis Costello & the Attractions - Get Happy . Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab. EX+

	£		50
	$		66

Elvis Costello & the Attractions - 'Get Happy!!'. Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab. EX+.

Record collectors and audiophiles alike will recognise the "MoFi' logo on the sleeve as belonging to the US mastering and pressing label Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs. Arguably, this plant has been making the best vinyl pressings since 1977, thanks in part to their use of half-speed mastering technique (which explains why this double LP has to be played back at 45rpm).
Below my description is MoFi's own review of the album that I am selling here, "Get Happy!!". In my opinion, this is E.C.'s masterpiece, as there are so many lyrical gems scattered around in the various tracks and the band have never sounded as 'soulful' and foot-tapping as they do on this (slightly Motown-inspired) album. Pure genius!!!
As far as this actual copy of the LP is concerned, I have owned and cherished it since new about 6 years ago (it was first released in 2011) and it is in superb condition. Only selling due to not being able to play my records loudly any more in my new home.

• The sleeve and inners are all in mint/NM condition, as you can see from the photos.

• It has always been stored in a PVC sleeve (included) and I put the vinyl into MoFi's own anti-static inner sleeves (also included) as soon as I bough it.

• The vinyl itself is free from any notable scuffs or scratches and would have been described as NM, other than the fact that it has collected some tiny amounts of dust/dirt in the grooves (from being cleaned with cleaning fluid in a microfibre cloth), which leads to a small amount of surface noise if played with a very fine-tipped stylus (like mine). Ideally, it could do with being cleaned with the proper apparatus (i.e. a vacuum device, or maybe a record 'bath' - neither of which I own) and then it should play like new again. 

• N.B. the vinyl compound that Mo-Fi use for their pressings is very pure in terms of 'ingredients' and as a result doesn't always have the same gloss black colour that most standard (budget) vinyl LPs have. It is a little lighter in colour and can show some faint 'streaking' or colour variances - this is how they come from the factory!

Terms and conditions:

UK mainland delivery only (i.e. no Scottish isles, Northern Ireland etc.).

No offers, thank you - the price is fixed.

No returns offered.

EXPANDS ROCK PALETTE AND TOUCHES ON EVERY ASPECT OF CLASSIC SOUL AND R&B

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

Elvis Costello and the Attractions' masterful Get Happy!! is largely believed born of national scandal. While in a Holiday Inn bar, the English singer attempted to end an annoying conversation by baiting Stephen Stills with outrageous, offensive racial remarks about Ray Charles and James Brown. With everyone involved inebriated, the details are unclear, but the fallout – death threats, radio embargos, protests – is infamous. The upshot? Costello and company retreated, scrapped a planned record, and created the soulful genius that is Get Happy!!, the band's fourth consecutive five-star effort.

1. Love for Tender
2. Opportunity
3. The Imposter
4. Secondary Modern
5. King Horse
6. Possession
7. Men Called Uncle
8. Clowntime is Over
9. New Amsterdam
10. High Fidelity
11. I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down
12. Black & White World
13. 5ive Gears in Reverse
14. B Movie
15. Motel Matches
16. Human Touch
17. Beaten to the Punch
18. Temptation
19. I Stand Accused
20. Riot Act

Half-speed mastered from the original master tapes, and pressed on two 45RPM LPs to replicate the very first promotional pressing in the UK, the 1980 LP has never sounded better on any format. Rather than cram nearly 50 minutes of music and 20 songs onto a single record, Mobile Fidelity has gone the extra mile and back to the album's UK roots with two 45RPM discs. For the first time, listeners can home in on the record's signature sound that relates to the decision to record the vocals in a studio's glass strings room. In addition, the dimensions and images associated with Steve Nieve's penetrating organ, Pete Thomas' punchy drumming, and Costello's bounding vocals know no limits. The music simply leaps off the proverbial page, the uptempo rhythms jumping and nimble bass lines kicking.

Clearly, the group is motivated, and the leader brings some of his very finest songs to the table, including "High Fidelity," "Riot Act," "Motel Matches," and "The Imposter." While some believe the drunken incident caused Costello to shelve a planned new-wave-leaning effort for the soul-stoked Get Happy!!, the vocalist claims that his ability to find so many great soul records in America from 1977 through 1979 inspired the group to change course. Whatever the cause, Get Happy!! is a start-to-finish wonder.

Paying homage to Northern soul, Motown, Stax, and Southern soul strains, and infused with smooth and gritty arrangements, Get Happy!! runs on an efficient R&B motor. Subtle tributes abound. "High Fidelity" quotes a Supremes song; "Love for Tender" borrows a Supremes riff; "Opportunity" tips its hat to Al Green; "Clowntime Is Over" bows to Curtis Mayfield. And two covers, of Sam & Dave's "I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down" and the Merseybeats' "I Stand Accused," are recast as quick, R&B rave-ups. There's not a misplaced note or bad step on this record. And for history buffs, the closing, searing ballad "Riot Act" is Costello's response to his hypocritical critics and finger-pointers.

As essential as anything in Costello's catalog, and one of the truly great records of the 1980s, you owe it to yourself to experience Get Happy!! in the supreme sonic fidelity that this numbered edition Mobile Fidelity double-LP pressing affords. For those intimately familiar with its contents, listening will be a revelation. And for fans that have never heard the record, prepare to be wowed.