Best Recordings / Worst recordings

Having just got into Steely Dan, through this forum, and bought the first five albums, I must agree with you on their recordings, wonderful.

Porcupine Tree albums have excellent sound, again a common topic on here. 'In Absentia' is my favourite for sound quality.

A few other favourites.
Talk Talk 'Spirit of Eden' and 'Laughing Stock', even 'The Colour of Spring' is good.
Kraftwerk 'Expo 2000', 'Tour De France Soundtracks', 'Minimum Maximum'.
David Sylvian 'Secrets of the Beehive'
Tool 'Lateralus'
Anyhting by Brian Eno, especially 'Drawn from Life' and 'Apollo'.
Orbital 'In Sides' and 'Middle of Nowhere'.
Joni Mitchell 'Mingus'.

Strangely there is one audience recorded bootleg which is an absolute gem, Jean Michel Jarre 'Amsterdam 2008', recorded by 'Madmaster', you just should not be able to get that sound with an audience mic. His Radiohead 2006 Amsterdam recording was almost as good, I didn't believe it was from an audience mic.

I would also add Grace Jones 'Slave to the Rhythm' if it were available, but what I Island have released on CD is appalling, not in sound, but in that much of it is edited off leaving an unlistenable album, does sound amazing though. It is barely a Grace Jones album, more Trevor Horn's showreel as a producer.

I am always surprised to see praise for Pink Floyd 'Dark Side of the Moon' remaster. Perhaps there is a more recent/better one than the 90's version. I took that back, and got the shops last copy of the un-remastered release. There was no bass on the remaster I heard, the intro to 'Time' was just not there is any real sense. The 'Animals' remaster sounds great though.

I also agree with the sound on Muse albums, really unpleasant, but I don't mind the Led Zeppelin remasters, nothing special. Less muddy than the vinyl releases, Jimmy Page might be 'Jimmy Page' with a guitar in his hand, but he is no Steve Wilson at the mixing desk.

Much as I love Underworld's music, their albums have a very muddy sound, no definition. Not grating, but there is little gained by hearing them on a good system.

Not album that has dated well for me, but Massive Attack 'Protection' sounds awful on my Naim system, the bass is so ramped up that it just booms.

Jamie,

Thanks for the feedback - I'll have to check out some of the albums you recommend. I must admit I hesitated a little before putting the Led Zep remasters in because they are not too awful (Led Zep III in particular is OK), but it's just a little disappointing because I thought they could have been so much better. By the way, I agree with your comments on the vinyl versions of Led Zep albums - they sound like they were recorded in someone's bathroom - maybe Jimmy Page spent too long with his guitar amp turned up to 11!

I don't have any Massive Attack on CD but I have the vinyl version of their "Collected" album and the bass on some of the tracks is huge - so much so that it's difficult to listen to.

All the best,
Trev

Trev

Just bought "Can't Buy a Thrill" on vinyl (180gr Speakers Corner Pressing), absolutely fantastic sound quality. It certainly blows my old copy away!


jim..... and yes you really do want to hug your speakers

The Keith Jarrett/ECM recordings are excellent

Regards,

Schizo

Good:
Thomas Dolby - The Flat Earth (heh heh )

Bad:
I love the band, and I may well be alone here, but anything and everything by Sigour Ros.

You may be interested to know that TD's first 2 albums are being re-released (here) this spring. Also a singles compilation and a new album is planned.

quote:

10. Almost anything currently produced

As said as it is, I have to agree with you here, Trev.

The worst ever I've heard is Dixie Chicks - Taking the long way home. It's so completely bad it's impossible to describe.

Okay, then, something good:

- Tony Joe White - The Best of... on a CD from 1993. Available from Amazon UK. Recorded by Tom dowd at Muscle Shoals with tremendous sound.

- Anything that's rereleased by 'Wounded Bird'. They have most certainly NOT found the button with 'Loudness war' on it!

- James Taylor's 'Mud Slim...' and 'Sweet Baby James'. The original 1980's CD versions that still are available from Amazon are very good.

JohanR

Thanks JohanR.

This thread is very useful to me as I'm building up a list of CDs to check out. It seems that there's lots of good stuff out there, it's just difficult to know what to buy and what to avoid. So much of the "mainstream" releases are just so bad these days in terms of sound quality.

All the best,
Trev

quote:

It seems that there's lots of good stuff out there, it's just difficult to know what to buy and what to avoid.

There is. A bit of a hobby inside the hobby to find them.

JohanR

I really like Dylan's Modern Times, just so right.