The search is on for... the ultimate sound quality albulm on CD ever recorded!

The Mogwai does sound superb. I listened to the White Stripes new album Elephant over the weekend, and it may be most stunning sounding thing I've ever heard on my system. All done on 60's valve gear, which goes to show how far we haven't come in 30 years. Just think, Abbey Road studio's used to sound as good as this (before technology got in the way!).

Mickey

What a great topic!

A few that come to mind are:

Chorus - Eberhard Weber [ECM1288] Simple but very sophisticated production.

Frank Black & The Catholics [Play It Again Sam BIAS 370] - played this the other day, & after initially dismissing it on release I now reckon it's one of Mr Black's greatest, and proof that rough 'n' raw doesn't mean sonic dogturds [if any members of The Strokes are listening, then pay attention]. In the absence of a Pixies revival, I shall look forward to getting Elephant. The last album had a pretty poor sound, IMO.

And just to show that digital poking about isn't all bad, I think Madonna's Immaculate Collection is mesmerising. Seriously. That Q -sound thing, whatever it was, had a lot going for it. It's not realistic of course, but then does pop need to be?

Mickey - I think that the 70's [i.e. 30 years ago] is a bad decade to pick ... all that frantic overdubbing on equipment that wasn't up to it often makes for the direst of productions. The fifties or sixties on the other hand give great examples of fantastic sounding stuff. Aftermath by the Stones has always been one of my favourites.

throb

Lambchop - Is a Woman
The inky black noise floor and resolution of the vocals is some of the best i have listened to.

Mark Eitzel - 60 Watt Silver Lining
The snare drum and trumpet on Mision Rock even sounded good on my JVC gehto blaster.

Albums like this prove source first.

Anyway isn't this a bit of a round earth thread, listen to the music man.....

Simon

Nick

I think Hounds of Love is about as good as it gets musically but falls short on sound quality. This album was recorded with early digital equipment and to my ears it shows. Compare it to the vinyl of never for ever (32 i.p.s analogue) and I think the difference is night and day. Tracks like army dreamers etc sound sooo good.

Nick

Me again!! Two against nature is very good indeed but still falls way short of a good lp pressing of aja to my ears, especially in the bottom end and drum sound. It's interesting to note that the new dan album coming has been recorded at 32 i.p.s off a 24 track analogue mixing desk. - Nice!

"I listened to the White Stripes new album Elephant over the weekend, and it may be most stunning sounding thing I've ever heard on my system"

I have to agree, it just sounds so "live"!

BLT
I heard an interview with the white Stripes on the radio last week. They said that it was recorded for six grand (GBP) in a studio that only uses original equipment from the sixties!?

Nick

My own vote for sound quality on a CD goes to the (much maligned) Diana Krall, "Love Scenes". Second is "Acoustic Live" by Nils Lofgren. I have a number of CD's on the Telarc label, and they are all excellent sound quality.
Steve D

"The re-mastered CD of HoL is markedly better than the original CD release. Totally fab....which is way more than can be said to the next two Kate albums - real production dogs".

Agreed, especially the red shoes.

quote:

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Originally posted by Matt worlock:
I,m a lookin fer what you folks might call a thigh slappin (purely in terms of sound quality) best recorded cd of all time?

---

Depends how you guage sound quality... but for something I find that does as close to the same as live music Ken Christianson's recordings for the naim label take a lot of beating. OTOH there's a whole lot of extra noise in there which you may consider subtracts from the music itself (I find it doesn't remove as much as automated nosie reduction techniques do, but YMMV). Another thing about the naim CDs is they're very carefully mastered, which certainly doesn't hurt matters.

Try the Ted Sirota and Union CDs to start with. They sound very fresh, and the music's a treat too (but where the music isn't a treat, who cares? I'd sooner listen to a Smokey Robinson disc via a cheap AM radio set than a Mariah Carey CD on the best hi-fi you could assemble).

Pete.

Thanks for the hint about White Stripes! There was some talk about them on the telly here in Sweden a couple of weeks ago that sounded interesting. and then I forgot about it!

Particulary track 8 is superb. One of very few rock recordings that gives a hint about how powerful REAL live rock can sound. With this I mean without fidelity destroying PA systems, as in when my friends cover band is rehersing. For the moment I can't come up with any recording that does it better!

And the music is superb to, best new record I've bought in a couple of years.

JohanR

Matt,

great topic! I can recommend the Galiano & Portal album "Blow up". It's worth a try. I appreciate the sound and the music too.


Christian

Christian "Galliano & Portal" is that the Rob Gallagher "Galliano" the Twyford Down band from the l8 80s early 90s?

J8hn,

no, it's Richard Galliano and Michel Portal from 1997 on Dreyfus Jazz France.

Christian

Really? The remastered HoL is worth it? I might have to check into that - the CD I have I would have rated as bloody excellent compared to almost everything else I have (I didn't know it used digital tape recorders etc - the CD says AAD on and I wouldn't have thought even Kate could have afforded to kit her barn out with 24 track digital in 1983?) but if the remaster is better...

My vinyl is gorgeous - but a bit crackly. Never For Ever sounds amazing on vinyl though - especially Army Dreamers and Egypt...

Just wish the recording quality on Lionheart was better - and that the CD stamper didn't get damaged - track 8 has a really loud pop on the left channel near the beginning that about 4 exchanged copies couldn't get rid of...

The Red Shoes has its moments but The Sensual World sucks...

For me, good CD quality - this is a really intersting subject... Barring the White Stripes (woke me up on the way into work this morning - awesome album), a couple that leap out at me are Tourism by Roxette (OK don't laugh - I was 17 when this came out and everyone in our hall seemed to be into it!), Little Earthquakes by Tori Amos (not bad for a 1991 mastered CD, and the fact she ate the microphone on most tracks so it "overloads"), and for a completely different slant, B.P.Empire by Infected Mushroom is how to do dance on CD...

When the music's over turn out the lights

You might be interested in what Art Dudley, admired by many on this forum, has to say about this.....

http://www.stereophile.com/showarchives.cgi?801

Cheers,

John Schmidt
"90% of everything is crud" - Theodore Sturgeon

David Sylvian's 1st 2 albums "Brilliant Trees" and "Gone To Earth", are worth a mention, very airy with lots of atmosphere, especially Brilliant Trees which is a beautiful album.

Lets face it we'd all be round earth if it wasn't usually so damn boring. Everyone likes a nice production job

& Doolittle by the Pixies still works for me

"The Listener" by Howe Gelb is a fantastic album that happerns to be an exceptionally dood recording. Since I recommended this album a whil ago and many of yo will have rushed out and bought it I am a little surprised nobody has mentioned its obviously good sound quality so far.

Matthew

For pure sound quality the old audiophile favourite "Into the labyrinth" by Dead Can Dance is hard to beat (if you like that sort of thing). Sort of new age / celtic / folk / ambient.

A recent purchase and an absolutely superb recording AND wonderful jazz piano trio is Bill Cunliffe Trio - Live at Bernies. Recorded direct to DSD live at Bernie Grundmann's matering lab. It has a similar feel to the Naim Union CD's but MUCH better recorded.

Colin Lorenson

Mathew Re; Howe Gelb "The Listener"

I've been recommending this disc in the office all morning. What a fantastic sound quality as well as content. Instantly good BUT a grower as well. Just told Paul messenger to go buy it.

Good spot.

Later

Doug

Cowboy Junkies: Lay it Down (Geffen) superb studio recording and great songs/music.

cheers

Nigel

Musically difficult to enjoy until one has seen them. I think it's now out of print.

Cheers

Keith.

Steely Dan's upcoming "Everything Must Go" should be interesting to hear.

From their web site:

"We did a few things differently -- including tracking and mixing in analog instead of digital. That contributed to giving this album a really rich and satisfying sound".

cheers,
jim

ps: website for the above quoted article

[This message was edited by jcc on WEDNESDAY 23 April 2003 at 00:56.]

[This message was edited by jcc on WEDNESDAY 23 April 2003 at 01:09.]

The, Ry Cooder produced, Ibrahim Ferrer albums sound great, especially the latest one for the 'being there' atmosphere.

Great music too, which is what it's all about right?