Rodriguez – Cold Fact (Vinil 180g, LP dublu)

It would take decades, however, before “Sixto” Rodriguez garnered international recognition for “Cold Fact”. The singer-songwriter’s debut album, originally released in 1970 on Sussex Records, quickly faded into obscurity, forcing the Detroit native to return to earning a living as a construction worker. But as is often the case with great art, the album’s melodic psychedelic folk and thematically rich lyrics eventually found a wide audience – and led to one of the most fascinating music stories of the 21st century. As for Rodriguez’s identity, rumors led many to believe for a long time that he was dead. It would take nearly half a century for the truth to come to light. And so began a journey that culminated in the Oscar-winning documentary “Searching for Sugar Man” – the film that brought Rodriguez’s career full circle and gave the singer-songwriter the recognition he deserved in his home country. After “Cold Fact” sold more than a quarter of a million copies in the U.S., Rodriguez’s debut joined the ranks of classics alongside albums by Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Love, and Curtis Mayfield. As the saying goes: Better late than never!

Rodriguez, who was discovered by Motown “Funk Brother” Dennis Coffey and Mike Theodore after they saw him in a Detroit dive bar in the late 1960s, was described by Coffey as a “Mexican Bob Dylan.” He was quickly brought into the studio, where he collaborated with renowned musicians such as bassist Bob Babbitt and drummer Andrew Smith. They were joined by string players from the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and a horn section. The recordings for “Cold Fact” were completed in just two months. Although the album received generally positive reviews, any hopes that Rodriguez might establish himself as a star were quickly dashed: the album flopped and the LP faded into obscurity. The follow-up album, “Coming From Reality,” didn’t change anything either: Rodriguez practically vanished from the scene. So did Sussex Records, which went bankrupt in 1975. By that time, Rodriguez had already given up music, taking low-paying jobs in demolition and construction and buying a house in “Motor City” at a government auction for just $50. He devoted himself to activism and became a community spokesperson and political candidate. Few outside Rodriguez’s inner circle knew of his past. In Australia and South Africa, however, the singer and guitarist was considered a celebrity. In the late 1970s, Rodriguez’s popularity Down Under led him to perform a series of sold-out concerts on the continent. In 1981, he returned and performed as the opening act for Midnight Oil. Meanwhile, his status as an almost mythical icon in South Africa continued to grow. Disillusioned by the repressive policies associated with apartheid, media censorship, and mandatory military service, a large portion of the country’s younger generation embraced the anti-establishment and liberating messages on “Cold Fact.” It is believed that an American woman visiting South Africa brought the album with her, played it for friends, and it then spread like wildfire as second- and third-hand copies made the rounds. No one knows how many thousands upon thousands of pirated copies of the album were sold. “Cold Fact” is said to have sold better than albums by the Beatles and Elvis Presley.

MFSL now presents “Cold Fact” for the first time in audiophile reference quality! Mastered from the original tapes at MoFi Studio in California, pressed by Fidelity Record Pressing, numbered, and limited to 4,000 copies, this double LP (180 grams, 45 RPM) is housed in a luxurious gatefold jacket by Stoughton Printing and offers the best sound quality the album has ever received on vinyl. This collectible reissue sets new standards in terms of depth, transparency, and dynamics. No previous version offers this outstanding separation of instruments, this tight bass, and other sonic characteristics attributed to Dennis Coffey’s production. From the melodramatic strings and brief brass accents of “Sugar Man” to the fuzz-distorted guitar lines of the somber “Only Good For Conversation” and the intimate atmosphere of “Inner City Blues” – every detail benefits from the newfound presence of the MoFi remastering!We recommend the use of „L’Art du Son” LP cleaner to wet wash your vinyl. Even new records of high quality production will benefit from this.

Lista pieselor

LP 1 

Side A 
1. Sugar Man
2. Only Good For Conversation
3. Crucify Your Mind

Side B
1. This Is Not a Song, It’s an Outburst: Or, The Establishment Blues
2. Hate Street Dialogue
3. Forget It

LP 2

Side C 
1. Inner City Blues
2. I Wonder
3. Like Janis

Side D
1. Gommorah (A Nursery Rhyme)
2. Rich Folks Hoax 
3. Jane S. Piddy