Best Recording of Traffic: Low Spark


I have just about worn out my copy of this great LP (Polygram's 1990 release of the original 1971 recording). I can't seem to find an "audiophile" pressing, and only a very limited supply of the Polygram release.

Is their a better pressing of this album? For God's sake, i hope i don't have to go to digital. The intro of the percusion at the beginning of Low Spark of High Heeled Boys has to be one of the greatest moments in recorded music!
jeffreybowman2k
From songfacts website
(http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=3226):

Jim Capaldi started writing this in Morocco, where he was getting ready for a movie with actor Michael J. Pollard that never got made. Said Capaldi: "Pollard and I would sit around writing lyrics all day, talking about Bob Dylan and the Band, thinking up ridiculous plots for the movie. Before I left Morocco, Pollard wrote in my book 'The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys.' For me, it summed him up. He had this tremendous rebel attitude. He walked around in his cowboy boots, his leather jacket. At the time he was a heavy little dude. It seemed to sum up all the people of that generation who were just rebels. The 'Low Spark,' for me, was the spirit, high-spirited. You know, standing on a street corner. The low rider. The 'Low Spark' meaning that strong undercurrent at the street level."
I've owned the Island pink rimmed U.S. pressing: "o.k."
I've owned a japanese pressing from late 70's: "better"
I have the mofi pressing: BEST!
What IS IT with all this MOFI BASHING? These are darned good records with very good detail, sense of space, lack of distortion, and dead quiet vinyl.
Having said that, I have original "pink-eye" Island U.K. pressings of some titles (John Barleycorn, Tull's Stand Up, Tull's Benefit, and U.K. pink-rim of Jade Warrior titles, King Crimson titles) and can see the point of the immediacy and presence or fowardness of these 1st pressings. I have been trying for some time to obtain the 1st Traffic album on an original U.K. pink pressing but darn! those auctions run up into the hundreds$$$!
Great thread! Entrope & the rest. Thanks for the insight on "The Low Spark..." Way cool.
-John
FYI Audiofeil. I am not in the the record business, and I don't compete with Better Records. I am selling extra copies to my Agon friends. I prefer the Agon buyer to the eBay buyer. IMHO the MFSL verion is killer sounding. I am not comparing it to the original. There are collectors that like MFSL records. I have a few for sale. End of story