Joni Mitchell – Blue

My first experience with a MOFI One Step, and I do have some things I want to point out, first being the packaging.

Not as lavish or sturdy I was would have hoped to be. The outer slipcase is perfectly fine, but the individual LP sleeves feel very fragile. Look at them the wrong way and they just might fall apart. Thankfully my sleeves aren’t split. I think high gloss, tip-on gatefold would’ve been much more welcome.

Pressing quality is exactly the greatest but not bad either. Slight noise that could definitely be negated with cleanings. What really saves this release is the mastering. Definitely the best this record has sounded IMO. I compared it to the 2007 Hoffman/Gray cut and this one edges it slightly. If you have that copy, you’re probably fine with ti, but if you love this record as much as me, you’d want the best, and I’d say it’s worth taking a chance on this one.

Purchased new. Mine had a tick in the beginning of track A1, All I Want. Which leaves an underwhelming first impression. Under a bright light you can see some very minor hairline/scuffs, labels are a little off center too. Not the best production run IMO for a Mofi, otherwise sounds fantastic.

Mine arrived with damaged jackets but they replaced them very quickly. The sound is phenomenal. I've had many different versions and the clarity and separation on the version is the best I've heard so far.

My packaging is in good shape and the discs are flat.

Now, the important part: I have never heard Blue sound this good. Truly remarkable sound. Yes, there’s a little bit of vinyl sound here and there, but it’s very, very minimal. That said, I haven’t heard it on 1971 vinyl. I believe my dad has a copy from 1971 or close to it, I’ll try to do a side-by-side and update this.

Such a quiet album as you already know and being as such you're bound to hear vinyl's imperfections here and there which is true on this one. Makes me want to go back and listen to this and the DCC gold disc for a headphone shoot out. I know many just love this album for it's raw emotion and strip downedness but personally I'm looking forward to Court & Spark and the broader instrumentation. Still this is a great listen.

C'mon MOFI, just ditch the shiddy packaging already. It serves YOU as a brand more than it serves the artist and the music. Theres too much faff and shelf space taken. Your 1-Step inner jackets are the lowest quality on the market... they seem split badly almost every time. Just put the LPs in a glossy tip on heavy gatefold with a booklet/leaflet inside if necessary. Tone Poet level would be perfect.

Also, can you press these flat please!? 50% of my MOFI 1 Steps are warped to some degree.

Ok. I it this still sounds AMAZING which is a good job because it HAS to be to get over the insane price of such an otherwise badly produced set.

Then again theres always the counterpart digital mastering of your SACD and they are packaged perfectly!

Very detailed, an in the room experience. (I think I smell patchouly) I would like the instruments to be a little louder in some spots but I think this is what happens when you take the gates off some of these 70s era records. Still, a beautiful record and dead, quiet vinyl.

I will say that my jackets arrived damaged, though I like the new packaging better than the box. I’m getting replacements.

My copy arrived in pristine condition. As already mentioned by others, the outer box/sleeve design is different and some may prefer it over the older “lid” type cover. The vinyl discs are flat, spin true and were free of debris. The sound and sonics are very good. Quiet, nearly silent groove floor. I personally don’t mind the frequent “flips” due to the 45 rpm media. I have several other 33-1/3 rpm versions of this album and this one does sound the best. It is pricey, however thus far I’m satisfied with its detail and dynamics. The listening experience is positive especially through a pair of quality headphones. If you’re a Joni Mitchell enthusiast, it’s not likely you’ll be disappointed with the sound.

Beautiful music. I have bought a few One-Steps and they have been hit or miss on quality and mastering but this one is perfect. No regrets. To me it sounds better than the Kevin Gray release that I also own. I much prefer this new slipcase packaging to the boxes although I can live without the inner white sleeves that serve no real purpose.

I received my copy and listened to it today, #001737.

So, the outer box was fine, and the whole deal has a nice tactile feel. I’ll be keeping despite its flaws.

My copies had just about 1” seam splits on the bottom of both jackets. I don’t trip out on seam splits.

Disc one is not perfectly flat, but within my tolerance. Disc 2 is flatter.

But, disc one is visibly off-center while playing. The label is waaay off-center. Disc 2 is better in both regards, but still not perfect. For $137.00 taxed and delivered, off-center records are not a good look for the company

Both records were very quiet, I only heard a handful of small tics over both sides. Again, within my tolerance.

Now, the sound of the music… I’ll just say it—I think the 2007 Rhino version sounds better. This version lacks the overall cohesion and warmth of the Rhino, and the guitars have less body, and more string sound.

I found this Mo-Fi version to be near strident, and my cartridge is not at all analytical. If you have an analytical cartridge this pressing could be too much for you.

I’m very curious to hear other opinions on this.