Best Pressings: The Eagles Hotel California 180 Gram Rhino Vinyl (2009)

In 2009, Warner/Rhino was in the midst of an audiophile vinyl campaign, featuring classic titles, primarily mastered by Kevin Gray and pressed on high quality vinyl pressed at R.T.I (Record Technology, Inc.) One of those titles was Hotel California. The original vinyl, released in 1976, is notoriously noisy, which just isn't a good thing when listening to ballads such as Wasted Time or The Last Resort. This 2009 reissue from Rhino, mastered from the original analog tapes by Kevin Gray, is not only quieter than the original, but delivers a consistently more satisfying listening experience than the original. When I originally reviewed this release in 2009, I pulled out my DCC (Dunhill Compact Classics) vinyl as well as my original copy to compare. More recently, in 2023 I picked up the MOFI One-Step 45 RPM vinyl as well.


The DCC version, mastered by Gray's former partner, Steve Hoffman and considered for years to be the definitive issue of this record, excels in delivering vocals to the listener. The vocals have a full, rich quality to them that is unmatched by the other versions of this record. The tradeoff for the rich vocals and the accompanying lower midrange/upper bass fullness, is a top end that can lack energy and sound a bit sluggish.

The 2009 Rhino reissue has a more balanced overall sound, with tight bass, liquid midrange, and an active, yet never overly bright top end. The vocals, while not quite as full-sounding as on the DCC, are still delivered with complexity and are never harsh or thin-sounding.

Repro Poster (included with 2009 Rhino)

My original Asylum vinyl simply does not compare and isn't much of an audiophile experience after listening to the DCC and the Rhino versions of the record. The vocals sound a bit thin and etched, the midrange lacks complexity and can't deliver the out-of-phase guitar tones featured in songs like New Kid in Town like the others can, and the bass tends to sound soft and ill-defined.

Finally, what about the 2023 MOFI One-Step 45 RPM vinyl? This premium priced two-record set has quiet surfaces, a super-low noise floor, wider soundstage, great dynamics and great clarity, but to me the vocals suffer due to the recessed midrange and especially lower-midrange. Henley and Frey’s voices lack body and the craggy character of Walsh’s voice doesn’t quite come through.

While this One-Step certainly suffers from being tonally imbalanced, like so many of the MOFI releases, it does have a moment where that "imbalance" actually shines. On Hotel California, that moment comes during the final two cuts. The first highlight was hearing the guitars in Try and Love Again ringing all around me—it was quite thrilling, actually. The Last Resort was also particularly satisfying, as the One-Step gives it the larger, more theatrical scale it deserves.

While there are very likely less pricey options for this record, a quick Discogs search revealed available copies of the 2009 Rhino for less than the retail for the One-Step. So if this is an important title to you or if you simply want the best sounding version, I can confidently state that this would be a fantastic listen for nearly any audiophile.

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