Few
songs are more instantly recognized – or more influential, infamous, and, yes,
notorious – than Iron Butterfly's "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida." The anchor of
the mind-trip of an album of the same name, it occupies an entire side of an LP
and runs for 17 minutes and five seconds, both bold moves in 1968 that changed
how artists approached music in the studio and how listeners experienced it at
home. The California-based group's sophomore record also blew open the
possibilities associated with psychedelia, heavy arrangements, and suggested
meanings. And with apologies to those who might've heard it in a chemical haze
in the late 1960s, In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida has never sounded more
transformative than it does now.
1. Most
Anything You Want
2. Flowers
and Beads
3. My
Mirage
4. Termination
5. Are
You Happy
6. In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida
Mastered
from the original master tapes, pressed on MoFi SuperVinyl at RTI, and limited
to 3,000 numbered copies, Mobile Fidelity's 180g vinyl LP places the work's
organ-drenched melodies, acid-rock scope, mind-warping effects, and
cauldron-bubbling rhythms on a soundstage as massive as the concert stage
depicted on the album cover. Speaking of the latter, Mobile Fidelity's
faithful-to-the-original graphics and first-rate reproductions of the
lava-lamp-ready colors are as close as you're going to get to seeing the famous
artwork in pristine form lest you come across a copy untouched by five decades
of aging. (Good luck.) Sonically, this
collectible audiophile reissue offers elite levels of separation, balance, and
imaging that put the quartet's accomplishments into greater perspective. Often
overlooked, the first side of In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida features a
wealth of period-era garage rock and stoner pop teeming with hummable hooks,
fuzz-guitar riffs, and a decidedly mystical aura. Songs such as the strolling
"Are You Happy" and cryptically spiritual "My Mirage" beg
for inclusion on any of Lenny Kaye's renowned Nuggets compilations not to
mention placement alongside the finest Doors material of the era. Led by Doug
Ingle's distinctive and patient baritone, the tunes seemingly dangle in space
and prepare the senses for the unexpected.And that moment arrives as soon as
Ingle's fingers dance across his organ keys and a come-hither groove – at once
adventurous and alluring, deranged and sinister, hallucinatory and chromatic –
kicks in and doesn't again let up until you've been dragged through a vibrant
cosmic universe. Long rumored to have been a substitute for the phrase "in
the garden of Eden," and misinterpreted due to Ingle's inebriated state as
well as because of communication problems between headphones in the recording
studio, "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" juggles tension and excess to
high-wire-thrilling degrees. Yes, it contains what many consider an unnecessary
drum solo, but akin to the extended duration of the song, the percussive break
belongs and remains part of the charm. Not to mention a lasting piece of
pop-culture phenomena. In a year that
also saw the release of Electric Ladyland, Beggars Banquet, The
Beatles, Astral Weeks, Cheap Thrills, Music from Big Pink, and The
Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society, In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida became
Atlantic Records' biggest-ever-selling album (at that point) and spent 140
weeks on the album chart – 81 of them in the Top 10. A severely edited version
of the title track rose as far as #30 on the singles chart. It has been
subsequently referenced in everything from "The Simpsons" to
"Seinfeld" to "Home Improvement." Alas, too bad everyone then didn't have the
pleasure or opportunity to take it all in via a truly immersive,
surreal-sounding reissue. Fortunately, you do.
MoFi SuperVinyl -
Developed by NEOTECH and RTI, MoFi SuperVinyl is the most
exacting-to-specification vinyl compound ever devised. Analog lovers have never
seen (or heard) anything like it. Extraordinarily expensive and extremely
painstaking to produce, the special proprietary compound addresses two specific
areas of improvement: noise floor reduction and enhanced groove definition. The
vinyl composition features a new carbonless dye (hold the disc up to the light
and see) and produces the world's quietest surfaces. This high-definition
formula also allows for the creation of cleaner grooves that are
indistinguishable from the original lacquer. MoFi SuperVinyl provides the closest
approximation of what the label's engineers hear in the mastering lab.
International
buyers ? please note: Import duties, taxes, and
charges aren't included in the item price or postage cost. These charges are
the buyer's responsibility. "Please check with your country's customs
office to determine what these additional costs will be, prior to bidding or
buying."
International buyers ? please note: Import duties, taxes, and charges aren't included in the item price or postage cost. These charges are the buyer's responsibility. "Please check with your country's customs office to determine what these additional costs will be, prior to bidding or buying."