DONALD FAGEN - KAMAKIRIAD (ULTRADISC ONE STEP) (2LP 180GM 45RPM) VINYL

Donald Fagen — Kamakiriad - the conceptual album peers into the future, marks reunion with Steely Dan cohort Walter Becker.

180GM 45xRPM 2LP UltraDisc One-Step Pressing. PCM digital master to analog console to lathe. Limited to 4,000 numbered copies. Pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing.

Donald Fagen's Kamakiriad would be notable if only for the fact the album marks a full-on reunion of the two principal Steely Dan cohorts more than a decade after they splintered. For all the creative sparks and thrilling musicianship that result from the long-awaited regrouping of Fagen and Walter Becker, the 1993 record remains significant for many other reasons — from the hopeful narrative to the sharp playing, adventurous arrangements, and crisp production. More than 30 years later, those facets coalesce like never before on this reference-quality reissue.

Sourced from the original masters, mastered by engineer Krieg Wunderlich, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing, and strictly limited to 4,000 numbered copies, Mobile Fidelity's UltraDisc One-Step 180-gram 45 RPM 2LP box set presents Kamakiriad with expansive soundstages, deep-black backgrounds, pinpoint details, and full-range dynamics. Playing with exceptional transparency and balanced tones, this is the first audiophile version of Fagen's sophomore effort apart from a long out-of-print DVD-A and SHM-CD — discs this reissue surpasses in key areas.

Those include definition and imaging that highlight the key contributions of a lineup that includes a Who's Who of session players, several of whom have Steely Dan ties. Pianist Paul Griffin (Bob Dylan, Van Morrison, Isley Brothers), guitarist Georg Wadenius (Blood, Sweat & Tears, Aretha Franklin, Paul Simon), trumpeter Randy Brecker, trombonist Birch Johnson, and saxophonist Lou Marini are just a few of the virtuosos that contribute to Kamakiriad. On this collectible reissue, they are rendered with proper scale, come across with tangible presence, and benefit from superb separation.

The beautiful presentation of this UD1S set furthers its elite status — and pays homage to Fagen and Becker's obsessive approaches to performance and sonics. A deluxe slipcase, foil-stamped jackets, Original Master inner sleeves, and faithful graphics underline its archival merit. This reissue is made for discerning listeners who desire to fully immerse themselves in everything involved with a Grammy-nominated masterwork that climbed into the Billboard Top 10.