THE BAND STAGE FRIGHT UDSACD 2048 • This record shivers with raw emotions, dark confessionals, and intense singing As always, Mobile Fidelity mastered this numbered limited-edition hybrid SACD from the original master tapes for a superior sonic experience.   This edition of Stage Fright bursts with supreme tonal clarity and an airiness that brings the genius of Rundgren's preservation of high frequencies to complete realization.   Even the fine textures of the hand drums on the stunning “Daniel and the Sacred Harp” come to light with microscopic detail.   Perfectly blended, Mobile Fidelity's Stage Fright takes its place as the most balanced and punchy record in the Band's oeuvre. “When Stage Fright came about, all I was doing was feeling my way along.   But, where everybody was in a huddle on both Big Pink and The Band, with Stage Fright it didn't feel like we were all connected in the same kind of way.   In this period of experimentation in life, in music, in drugs, people kept wanting to stretch and reach and go somewhere and try things and, in the course of that, some real alienation can take place as well.   When these things are chemically induced, you can feel an incredible shutdown of communication,” guitarist Robbie Robertson, as told to Rob Bowman. Such splintered camaraderie and personal demons appear in now-famous songs such as the title track, “The Shape I’m In,” and “The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show.”   The music is rife with palpable tension, and as a credit to the Band's unique sound, absolutely singular.   It's impossible to think of any other group playing these tunes.   Robertson's balladic ode to his daughter, “All La Glory,” featuring a gorgeous vocal turn from Levon Helm, provides a sunny contrast to the darker compositions. Circumstances behind the recording sessions also reflected the mood.   While the Band had intended to capture the album in one take in front of a small crowd at the theater, the town residents vetoed the idea due to concerns over being inundated by too many visitors.   Consequently, the Band played to an audience of no one, sometimes with the curtains closed and other times, with them open.   Todd Rundgren, who engineered the album, couldn't even see what was going on – he was sitting in a canvas prop tent that became the control room, behind the theatre. This historic album is presented in the Super Audio Compact Disc format, which contains a CD layer and ultra-high resolution layer of music.   Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab transferred the original analog master tapes using the critically acclaimed GAIN 2TM System. Packaged in New Numbered Limited Edition Mini LP Style Packaging!   1. Strawberry Wine   2. Sleeping   3. Time to Kill   4. Just Another Whistle Stop   5. All La Glory   6. The Shape I'm In   7. The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show   8. Daniel and the Sacred Harp   9. Stage Fright 10. The Rumor Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab recordings are distributed in Australia by Rockian Trading