Doug MacLeod Exactly Like This Half-Speed Mastered 180g 45rpm 2LP

Genuine Original Acoustic Music!

2014 Blues Music Awards Best Acoustic Artist & Best Acoustic Album!

Doug MacLeod is a Unique, Powerful Guitarist With a Rich and Soulful Voice Singing Original Songs Based On His Own Life and Experiences.

MacLeod's third release with Reference Recordings is 'Genuine Original Acoustic Music' at its very best, in a richly detailed recording by Grammy-winning engineer Keith Johnson, made at Skywalker Sound in Marin County, CA.

In live performance, Doug MacLeod assures his audience "This song is going to go exactly like this." It's presented just for them, not a repeat of any performance he's ever given or will ever give. He records the same way, each of his original songs are offered with a fresh voice. EXACTLY LIKE THIS contains eleven MacLeod originals reflecting and paying tribute to some of his diverse musical influences: Louis Jordan, Wes Montgomery, Jerry Reed, Tony Joe White, John Lee Hooker, and even a little Duke Ellington. In his previous 19 studio albums, several live records, compilations, a blues guitar instructional DVD and a live performance DVD, MacLeod has consistently earned raves. His songs have been covered by many artists including Albert King, Albert Collins, Joe Louis Walker and Eva Cassidy. He has co-written songs with Dave Alvin and Coco Montoya. MacLeod's songs have been featured in many TV movies and the hit show In the Heat of the Night. Two of his songs are on Grammy nominated albums by Albert King and Albert Collins.

Doug MacLeod isn't just a blues guy, he's a singer/songwriter/storyteller and serious guitarist. He is one of the few modern artists doing all original material and traveling the country like a troubadour. Just Doug, headed down the road in his Honda, baseball on the radio, Siri by his side and a trunk full of music!

Assembling the Team
Disc mastering is done at half-speed to insure maximum accuracy. The lathe system has custom electronics by Nelson Pass. The simple signal path contains no compression, equalization or unnecessary circuitry. RR Chief Engineer and Technical Director, "Prof." Keith Johnson consulted on the design of the system and helped with the rebuilding of the lathe and electronics, which is owned and operated by long-time mastering expert Paul Stubblebine. "Prof." Johnson has pronounced it equal to the challenge of our master tapes!

Once successful results were achieved in disc mastering, Reference Recordings faced the difficult task of choosing the best plating and pressing facility to manufacture the discs. Fortunately, the new Quality Record Pressings plant in Salina, Kansas was coming on line, and they felt that waiting for this plant to open was well worth it. A crack team of experts was assembled to design and run the plant, employing many unique techniques and features that clearly set QRP apart from all other pressing plants. The 180-gram deluxe vinyl pressings from QRP are truly exceptional.

Multiple Configurations for Reference Mastercuts
Depending on program lengths, some releases are cut at 45 rpm, some at 33-1/3 rpm. Some are single discs, some double. All feature deluxe gate-fold jackets crafted by Stoughton Printing. An unusual feature of new RR masterings is called the "FDS finish": the end of each side will have a 30-second band of silent grooves before the "pull-away." No one today uses a record changer, and the silent grooves allow time to lift the arm before the always-somewhat-noisy tie-off. (Some 1950s vintage Capitol Full Dimensional Sound pressings sported this feature.) RR founder, J. Tamblyn (Tam) Henderson deserves special recognition for identifying the value of this unique production feature and reintroducing it with the new Mastercuts.

Note: Half-speed Mastering involves a capturing process in which the original recording master is played back at exactly half of the recorded speed. A sequenced cutting lathe is then timed at exactly half of the playback speed. This process allows twice as much time to carve a groove that accurately represents the sound on the master tape. Half-speed mastering allows for cleaner reproduction and also permits extended high frequency response, extending into the ultrasonic region.

Killer stuff that just doesn't quit and recorded with a sound like he's playing right in front of you, just for you. Check it out.

His insightful lyrics, unique voice, steady beat, and delicious resonator guitar sounds may entice you to join the ever-increasing ranks of Dubb Heads.

Every instrument is perfectly balanced in the mix. ... The disc's eclecticism, expert playing, ensemble synergy and sound make this a recommended pick.