Cream: Wheels of Fire

Cream's "Wheels of Fire" on Mobile Fidelity: Rock History with Audiophile Aspirations

"Wheels of Fire" stands as the third and final studio album from British supergroup Cream, though "studio album" only tells half the story. Released as an innovative two-disc vinyl set—one disc recorded in the studio, the other capturing the band's explosive live performances—the album achieved blockbuster status upon its 1968 release. It claimed the top position on Billboard's Albums chart in the United States and earned the distinction of becoming the world's first platinum-selling double album.

Ironically, this commercial peak coincided with the announcement of Cream's dissolution, with the band citing a "loss of direction" as the primary factor in their decision to part ways. Despite this bittersweet context, the album's legacy remains secure, with Rolling Stone magazine including it on their list of the 500 greatest albums of all time and specifically noting it as "incontrovertible proof of Eric Clapton's interpretive mastery." Colin Larkin similarly honored it in his comprehensive All Time Top 1000 Albums list.

The Mobile Fidelity Treatment
Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs released their audiophile version of "Wheels of Fire" in 1985, employing their signature production approach of the era. The album was cut from the original master tapes using MFSL's half-speed mastering system through Original Mastering Works™, then plated and pressed on "high definition super vinyl" by the Victor Company of Japan.

This release predates both MFSL's digital controversies of the 2010s and their ANADISQ 200™ program, which later introduced 200-gram vinyl to their manufacturing process. The ANADISQ initiative, while well-intentioned (and similar to Classic Records' comparable efforts), ultimately suffered from quality control issues that led to its discontinuation approximately two years after its introduction.

Sonic Assessment
The overall performance of Mobile Fidelity's "Wheels of Fire" pressing ranks as average by audiophile standards. While the vinyl surfaces remain reasonably quiet throughout playback, the release exhibits limitations common to many MFSL pressings from this period—specifically, the level of detail and dynamic range typically expected from premium audiophile releases falls somewhat short of expectations.

MFSL's half-speed mastering process, while technically innovative, hasn't consistently proven superior to traditional mastering approaches. However, the original source material itself presents inherent challenges. Unlike jazz recording sessions, which often prioritized sonic fidelity, rock bands of this era generally focused more on creating powerful, impactful music rather than audiophile-quality recordings. Additionally, the diverse instrumental palette typical of rock bands poses greater challenges for recording engineers than more acoustically consistent jazz ensembles.

The Vinyl Verdict
Despite its limitations, Mobile Fidelity's "Wheels of Fire" delivers a respectable if not exceptional listening experience. While falling short of true audiophile reference standards, it may represent the best currently available vinyl pressing of this landmark album. For collectors and Cream enthusiasts seeking a solid physical representation of this pivotal recording, the MFSL pressing offers a worthwhile—if not revelatory—option for experiencing Clapton, Baker, and Bruce's final complete studio statement.

This pressing serves as an interesting historical artifact of MFSL's early approach to rock reissues, capturing both the potential and limitations of audiophile treatments applied to recordings that weren't originally conceived with sonic perfection as their primary objective. 💵

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