For those unaware, looking back on her career in the early 90s, Stevie Nicks described the first track of Rock a Little as “the most exciting song that I had ever heard.”

This coming from a superstar who was already closely affiliated with several bajillion-selling Fleetwood Mac albums — to say nothing of her own benchmark solo debut. Her remarks attest to the enthusiasm and effort she invested in her third record, a 1985 work that quickly furthered Nicks’ profile and cemented itself as a piece of 80’s pop lore.

Mastered at MoFi’s California studio, pressed at Fidelity Record Pressing in California, strictly limited to 4,000 numbered copies, and housed in a Stoughton gatefold jacket, Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 45RPM 2LP set presents Rock a Little in audiophile sound for its 40th anniversary.

Helmed by a cadre of producers and engineers, and recorded for a reported one million dollars, the platinum-certified album teems with a head-spinning array of colors, tones, dreamscapes, and accents. This reference-grade reissue marks the first time they are all brought to light and conveyed with proper balance, dimensionality, and positioning.

Side One:
1. I Can’t Wait
2. Rock a Little (Go Ahead Lily)

Side Two:
4. Sister Honey
5. I Sing for the Things
6. Imperial Hotel

Side Three:
1. Some Become Strangers
2. Talk to Me
3. The Nightmare

Side Four:
4. If I Were You
5. No Spoken Word
6. Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You

Stevie Nicks’ third solo record found her at somewhat of a musical crossroads. And that played into the fact that Rock A Little was an album that time has since not been incredibly kind to with most of it due to its somewhat dated and eccentric production. But back there in the midst of my favorite era (and year) of music, Nicks’ lyrics were still incredibly soulful, the musical backdrop as perfectly suited to them as one could have ever hoped for.

However, and with all that said, there are some gems here that even with that aforementioned era-attached production admirably rise on through and still shine today - such as No Spoken Word and Some Become Strangers. The latter, complete with its bluesy vocals is warm and grooved, with No Spoken Word being an almost post-Fleetwood Mac. Both very much standouts.

That said, the lead single is breathtakingly vibrant and still to this very day a must-have when it comes to putting on the turntable and brightening up your day! I Can’t Wait is a super bubbly little number that is teeming with energy but then Talk To Me is somewhat of a mournful ballad about loss of communication wrapped in a nice shiny, radio friendly pop sheen. The album’s closing track Has Anyone Ever Written Anything For You? is as poignant and poetic as it was all those decades ago.

Other tracks include Sister Honey - which is beyond significant to me - is a body-thumping pop-R&B beat, I Sing For Things dazzles with such divine lyrics, where Stevie uses her calm sensual voice, asking her special someone “Have you ever been in love?”...“Have you touched the soul of someone?”, and then Imperial Hotel picks up the mood within a medium rhythmic speed. Once again, Stevie masters the art of third person narration, beautifully.

Mobile Fidelity’s 180g 45RPM 2LP Set Presents the 1985 Record in Audiophile Sound for the First Time: Strictly Limited to 4,000 Numbered Copies, 40th Anniversary Reissue Plays with Exceptional Balance and Clarity.

1/4” / 15 IPS Dolby A analog copy to DSD 256 to analog console to lathe.

Official Purchase Link