Cream: Wheels of Fire

Wheels of Fire was the third and final "studio” album by the British super group Cream. Released as a two-disc vinyl record, with one disc recorded in the studio and the other recorded live, Wheels of Fire became an instant blockbuster. It reached number 1 on the Billboard Albums chart in the U.S. and became the world's first platinum-selling double album. Ironically, the album's release was accompanied by an announcement that Cream was splitting up. The band cited a loss of direction as the causal factor in the decision to part ways.

Rolling Stone magazine included Wheels of Fire on its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, noting it is "incontrovertible proof of Eric Clapton's interpretive mastery". It was also included in Colin Larkin's list of All Time Top 1000 Albums.

Track List
In The Studio
A1 White Room
A2 Sitting On Top Of The World
A3 Passing The Time
A4 As You Said
B1 Pressed Rat And Warthog
B2 Politician
B3 Those Were The Days
B4 Born Under A Bad Sign
B5 Deserted Cities Of The Heart
Live At The Fillmore
C1 Crossroads
C2 Spoonful
D1 Traintime
D2 Toad

Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs released its audiophile version of Wheels of Fire in 1985. Wheels of Fire was cut from the original master tapes, pressed using a half-speed production system, and mastered by Original Mastering Works.™ It was plated and pressed on high definition super vinyl by Victor Company of Japan. Unlike their recent releases, MOFI utilized an all analog system for most, if not all, of their releases pre 2010s. This release was also prior to their ANADISQ 200™ system, which incorporated the use of 200 gram vinyl into the manufacturing process. While intentions were good and not unlike Classic Records similar attempt, MOFI experienced quality control issues with the ANADISQ 200™ releases and halted production nearly 2 years after it began.

Overall, Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs' release of Wheels of Fire is average at best. The vinyl is reasonably quiet, however, and not to dissimilar to many of MOFI's releases of the time, the level of detail and dynamic range one would expect from an audiophile release is missing. While the half-speed mastering system is unique, it has yet to prove to be a better approach than traditional mastering techniques. That said, there are other factors to consider, such as the source. Unlike recording sessions for genres such as jazz, rock bands of the time tended to be less interested in audiophile quality and more interested in creating loud music. It should also be noted that the diversity of instruments common with rock bands can present a more difficult challenge for recording engineers.

Regardless of the reason, Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs' release of Wheels of Fire is good, but not great. However, it may be the best of what's still around.💵

💰 Invest
 💵 Consider
💸 Pass