Listening to Perfection: Roberta Flack’s First Take (1969) in 24-bit Hi-Res There are debut albums, and then there is Roberta Flack’s First Take . Released in June 1969 on Atlantic Records

What you hear is raw, unedited, and breathtakingly vulnerable.

If you have only ever heard "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" on YouTube or a crackling old 45, you have not heard it. You have heard a shadow of it.

Technical tips on the to fully appreciate 24-bit FLAC files.

set the stage for Flack to become the first artist to win the Grammy for Record of the Year in two consecutive years. It remains a essential listening for anyone who appreciates music that speaks directly to the soul. If you'd like to dive deeper, I can help you with:

In high-resolution audio, the separation between Flack's piano and the light "sweetening" of William Fischer’s string arrangements is breathtaking. TT 492: Roberta Flack FIRST TAKE - by ETHAN IVERSON