Mirage – Fleetwood Mac – LP – Brand New Vinyl (Arrives in 20days)

If every significant artist has an underrated gem in its catalog,
then Mirage is that album for Fleetwood Mac. An obvious return to
relative simplicity, the 1982 album finds the band re-grouping after
a brief hiatus and again climbing to the top of the charts. Extremely
well-crafted, well-produced, and well-performed, the doubleplatinum
effort distills the group’s hallmark strengths into a filler-free
set that never runs short of addictive pop hooks or daft accents.
Home to three Top 25 singles, Mirage rightfully resonated with the
mainstream. And how, via a smart blend of sugary melodies, warm
harmonies, interlaced notes, nimble rhythms, taut structures, and
passionate vocals.
Sourced from the original master tapes and housed in mini-LP
packaging, Mobile Fidelity’s numbered-edition hybrid SACD
presents Mirage in reference sound. The efforts co-producers/
engineers Ken Caillat and Richard Dashut went to capture the
splintered albeit formidable band can be heard with stunning
accuracy, range, depth, and detail. Though Rumours has a
permanent spot in the audiophile hall of fame, the smooth, clear, and
dynamic sonics here confirm that what stood as Fleetwood Mac’s
last album for five years deserves a place in the same vaunted
arena. The presence and imaging of Mick Fleetwood’s percussion
alone on this reissue might have you wondering how this slice of
soft-rock bliss has gone under-noticed for decades. Other prized
aural aspects — separation, definition, impact, tonal balance — are
also abundant. “Can’t Go Back”? We beg to differ.