J. Geils Band

The Morning After J. Geils Band High quality, Limited edition

The trashed hotel room and communal living depicted on the cover of the J. Geils Band's sophomore album tell you all you need know about the music, spirit, and energy spilling from within The Morning After. Shot through with raw, lean rock n' roll sparked by juke-joint blues and loose rhythms, the 1971 set comes on like the most fun,

party-still-raging hangover any group in the 70s enjoyed. The songs don't abide by rules, ignore speed limits, flip the bird at curfews, and dig deep down into America's blues roots to yield organic material at once fresh, exciting, traditional, and original. And now it rolls with an abandon that takes you inside the sweaty, smoky roadhouses and wall-to-wall-packed clubs the group dominated in its heyday.

Mastered from the original master tapes, Mobile Fidelity's numbered-edition 180g vinyl LP and hybrid SACD reissues bring you face-to-face with the sextet's white-hot instrumental prowess and magnetic personalities. It's always been difficult to single out one band member given the cohesive bluster the ensemble achieves as a whole, but these collectible audiophile editions allow you to do just that by way of superb imaging and separation. As for the group's standout dynamics? They feel like they're on the verge of exploding. So go ahead. Twist the volume knob to the right as much as you desire. You'll lose none of the focus, detail, placement, or presence no matter how high the decibels climb. Friends, this is raw rhythm n' blues, this is how it should feel, and, man, this is how it should sound. No, it ain't the slick-pop of "Centerfold." What you witness here is far better, and for more authentic.