Doug MacLeod - Break The Chain (2LP, 45 tours, Half-speed Mastering)
Vocals – Doug MacLeod [click here to see more vinyl & CD featuring Doug MacLeod]
Guitar – Doug MacLeod, Jesse MacLeod
Bass – Denny Croy
Drums – Jimi Bott
Percussion – Oliver C. Brown
2 LPs, Stoughton Printing gatefold jacket
Original analog Master tape : YES
Half-Speed Mastering
Heavy Press : 180g
Record color : black
Speed : 45RPM
Size : 12'’
Stereo
Studio
Record Press : Quality Record Pressings
Label : Reference Recordings
Original label : Reference Recordings
Recorded October 10-13, 2016 at Skywalker Sound, Marin County, California
Recorded by Sean Royce Martin
Engineered by Keith O. Johnson
Mastered at half-speed by Paul Stubblebine
Produced by Doug MacLeod, Janice Mancuso
Originally released in 2007 (as a HDCD)
Reissued in August 2018 (for the first time as an LP).
Tracks:
Side A :
- Goin' Down To The Roadhouse
- Mr. Bloozeman
- Lonesome Feeling
Side B:
- Travel On
- LA - The Siren In The West
- One For Tampa Red
Side C:
- Who's Driving This Bus?
- This Road I'm Walking
- Church Street Serenade
Side D:
- Break The Chain
- Going Home
- What The Blues Means To Me
Awards :
Winner of the 2018 Blues Music Awards Acoustic Album of the Year
Nominated for the 2018 Blues Blast Music Awards Acoustic Blues Album of the Year
Hi-Fi News Top Audiophile Vinyl Album of 2019!
Living Blues Magazine Top 50 releases of 2017
Audiophilia Album of 2017
Downbeat Magazine Best of 2017
Reviews :
« Doug MacLeod, a craftsman of rare skill and sagacity, share more than a few dramatic affinities with past greats as he offers his own creative parameters to the common 12-bar language. … distinctive, well-regulated singing and note-bending on classic guitars stimulate the keening hopefulness… [performed] with five assured sidemen, including his son Jesse on guitar. One topical spoken track, “What the Blues Means To Me,” affirms life’s light amid the darkness. » Downbeat Magazine, December 2017
« MacLeod’s third for Reference ticks all the boxes for arch purists — both blues devotees and hard-core audiophiles. For the former, the 12 new songs are undiluted, unapologetic paeans to the genre, some with a bit of spleen. … authenticity is the order of the day. This, too, informs the audiophile element: no overdubs, no remixing, noting to detract from an atmosphere that recalls legendary live jazz sessions from the 1950s. … Hints of boogie, some nice slidework, airy percussion — just the ticket.” Ken Kessler, HiFi News
In this release, his third album for Reference Recordings, Doug MacLeod continues to explore the breadth and depth of the human condition. Recorded by Reference’s Grammy-winning engineer ‘Prof.’ Keith O. Johnson at Skywalker Sound in Marin County, California, Break The Chain brings twelve new MacLeod originals. Each song is extremely personal and at the same time, universal; covering subjects topical, humorous, and soulful; from the satirical to the sublime.
The title work, Break The Chain, composed and performed with his son Jesse, focuses on breaking the cycle of family violence and abuse. A powerful concern all too many are familiar with, Doug and Jesse confront this pervasive issue directly and personally, bringing it out of the shadows. Together, they share the healing, reconciliation and peace available to all who work to prevent the cycle from repeating and to “Break The Chain”.
The album is co-produced by Doug MacLeod and Janice Mancuso. Bassist Denny Croy, drummer Jimi Bott and percussionist Oliver Brown join Doug in duo, trio and quartet settings. Like all ‘Prof.’ Johnson’s sessions, Break The Chain was recorded live, in real- time, with no overdubs or effects. It is being released on compact disc with HDCD, as high-resolution and conventional downloads and as a premium 2-LP set.
A prolific singer, songwriter, engaging storyteller, and masterful guitarist, Doug is a perennial Blues Music Award nominee and multiple Blues Music Award winner including Acoustic Artist Of The Year and Acoustic Album of the Year. An active touring artist, MacLeod supports his beloved St. Louis Cardinals during baseball season and, when at home, enjoys cooking for wife Patti Joy.
Half-speed mastering
In half-speed mastering, the whole process is slowed down to half of the original speed. A typical 33 1/3 rpm record is cut at 16 2/3 rpm. The source material is also slowed down (reducing the pitch in the process) meaning the final record will still sound normal when played back. Slowing the whole process down allows more time, which means the end result sounds better and is more efficient — allowing engineering to minimize the effects of inherent limitations within the vinyl format. The result is a more accurate and more open high-frequency response in the half speed vinyl when compared with a normal speed recording.
Ratings :
Discogs : 4.45 / 5 , The Absolute Sound: 4/5 music 5/5 sound, HiFi+ : Music 9/10, Sound 10/10, HiFi News : Sound Quality: 95%