Stevie Wonder – Hotter Than July

Hmmmm, this is not one of Stevies best recorded albums and this is a bright mastering to boot. Mofi havent done their well known low end boosting perhaps to the pressings detriment. Compared to the 2017 which has more bass but with an unwelcome lumpy midbass and higher volume, once matched this does at least try abit more to come closer to the original UK ive got. But the enjoyment of this press is going to come down to taste and needle quality. Another review complains of sibilance.... with my AT95ML which is a neutral if slightly lean and colourless transducer (for better or worse) this has no sibilance but it has a very lean sound with a very crisp upper. With my olde Shure M75ii some welcome flesh and colour comes back but the top end is a harsh mess as the old bonded elliptical just cant handle the grooves, especially at the inners. I reckon a Naga MP500 or Rega ND5 or Hana SL would suit the press perfectly!

As mentioned, the 2017 cut is more rolled off and more midbass boosted so works better across most basic profiles and less refined setups but it has its own issues with that lumpiness and the top being abit dullish if safe. On balance my UK OG is probably best but its noisy. I definately feel this is one album that could do with old smoothy Bernie Grundmans magic touch to retain the details, expand the stage but make the top end silky all while not having to go mad on the mid bass controls!
The dream remains an AP Stevie reissue series with Bernie at the helm!!

The sound is good? Yes, but nothing that surprises you. It has a wide soundstage. But I will add that on some tracks I felt some shine and some fatigue. In general, I do recommend it. Obviously it is not an audiophile record, and certainly I do not recommend paying the high sums they ask for this version. I paid $60 for a NM (including shipping to Peru), which I think is fair. I wouldn't pay much more.

This is probably the worst sounding MOFI I own. The sibilance on this record is incredibly distracting at times. I’m playing with a Pro-Ject X1 table and Sumiko Amethyst cartridge which is typically very neutral. I spent over 70 to get a copy of this and feel disappointed overall.

The music is amazing, so don’t let this review dissuade you from seeking our this music. I just expect better sound quality from a MOFI release.

Just get it, please, not just because it is Stevie Wonder & a masterpiece of an album way ahead of it's time in production & writing with not one single skippable track but also for how flawless this pressing is; a word is enough for the wise.