The worst sounding record or CD you own?

quote:

Originally posted by kuma:
Inspired by jcs_smith's post below.

So, what's your worst?

Probably Fairport Unconventional - it is a real mess and I foolishly expected so much

But my biggest disappointment is King of the Delta Blues - I think the CD is a transfer from some 78 recordings and although I accept there is lot to be said for just recording it as it is, I wish somebody had tried to clean it up. Robert Johnson is obviously one of the greatest bluesmen of them all and this is a work of genius, but it is a very hard listen.

Oh and I have the Moody Blues first album and that's dire - the transfer not the music (although it is nowhere near as good as most Moodies albums on the music front either).

Candy Apple Grey - Husker Du

CANNOT get past the production after umpteen attempts.



SJB

quote:

Originally posted by Sloop John B:
Candy Apple Grey - Husker Du

Nej, dem havde jeg desværre glemt.

quote:

Originally posted by pe-zulu:

quote:

Originally posted by Sloop John B:
Candy Apple Grey - Husker Du

Nej, dem havde jeg desværre glemt.

Nil fhios agam cad ta tu ag caint faoi



SJB

quote:

Originally posted by Sloop John B:

quote:

Originally posted by pe-zulu:

quote:

Originally posted by Sloop John B:
Candy Apple Grey - Husker Du

Nej, dem havde jeg desv�rre glemt.

Nil fhios agam cad ta tu ag caint faoi

OK, I shall explain my point.
You had written:
Candy Apple Grey - Husker Du.

By chance "husker du" means in Danish "do you remember",
and honestly, I do not remember them.

"Nej, dem havde jeg desv�rre glemt." is Danish and means:
No, unfortunately I had forgotten them.

Now you must explain your volapyk.

quote:

Originally posted by pe-zulu:

quote:

Originally posted by Sloop John B:

quote:

Originally posted by pe-zulu:

quote:

Originally posted by Sloop John B:
Candy Apple Grey - Husker Du

Nej, dem havde jeg desv�rre glemt.

Nil fhios agam cad ta tu ag caint faoi

OK, I shall explain my point.
You had written:
Candy Apple Grey - Husker Du.

By chance "husker du" means in Danish "do you remember",
and honestly, I do not remember them.

"Nej, dem havde jeg desv�rre glemt." is Danish and means:
No, unfortunately I had forgotten them.

Now you must explain your volapyk.

It's Irish for "I haven't a clue waht you're on about" or words to that effect.



SJB

quote:

Originally posted by ROTF:

But my biggest disappointment is King of the Delta Blues - I think the CD is a transfer from some 78 recordings and although I accept there is lot to be said for just recording it as it is, I wish somebody had tried to clean it up. Robert Johnson is obviously one of the greatest bluesmen of them all and this is a work of genius, but it is a very hard listen.

Maybe you have a different version - is it the Yazoo release with the alternate takes? I have the CBS version that came as 2 single vinyl and they sound fine. In fact they sound better than most 30s blues recordings. I've also got a CD that came as part of the Blues magazine series and that sounds OK too. I'm surprised you say that because I would always have recommended the Robert Johnson recordings as being fabulous music and pretty clear recordings. Same goes for Lonnie Johnson and Blind Blake incidentally

I have it as part of "The Complete Recordings" by Robert Johnson and it features 41 tracks on 2 CDs - Columbia 467246-2 (1990). Perhaps, I'm being over fussy and my expectations are unrealistic - my father collects Artie Shaw music from the 1940s and it sounds just like a modern recording in terms of clarity so I'd expected similar from this Robert Johnson set.

I find it very difficult to hear the words and following Robert's guitar is hard work. When you put in the hard work the rewards are great because the songs are superb and the playing fantastic. I just wish I found it easier to listen to. If there is a better recording that just concentrates on King of the Delta Blues Singers then I'd be happy to give it a go.

I realise that my inability to dismiss the background noise means I'm losing out. It may be that Columbia felt authenticity was all important and perhaps they are right, I just wish some engineer had worked the magic to remove the background noise.

I've got it on vinyl and I haven't heard the CD release. Maybe they screwed it up transferring it. I know on a lot of earlier CD releases they used to boost the treble to give it a bit more zing

To answer the question directly: The French, Russian [Imperial], Belgian and the British National Anthems recorded on Regal shellac before 1917, but after 1914, a royaly from which record [by the King's Military Band] was taken to aid War-wounded, or so the label informs...

It is simply appalling!

Fredrik

quote:

Originally posted by ROTF:
I have it as part of "The Complete Recordings" by Robert Johnson and it features 41 tracks on 2 CDs - Columbia 467246-2 (1990). Perhaps, I'm being over fussy and my expectations are unrealistic - my father collects Artie Shaw music from the 1940s and it sounds just like a modern recording in terms of clarity so I'd expected similar from this Robert Johnson set.

I find it very difficult to hear the words and following Robert's guitar is hard work. When you put in the hard work the rewards are great because the songs are superb and the playing fantastic. I just wish I found it easier to listen to. If there is a better recording that just concentrates on King of the Delta Blues Singers then I'd be happy to give it a go.

I realise that my inability to dismiss the background noise means I'm losing out. It may be that Columbia felt authenticity was all important and perhaps they are right, I just wish some engineer had worked the magic to remove the background noise.

Dear ROTF,

The quality of transfers is very master source dependant. If the metal parts (of the 78 recording) exist then the shellac can be by-passed completely getting a level of clarity similar to modern recordings, but once it becomes necessay to use the commercial shellac pressings a lot can be lost if the pressing is noisy. This stems from the variable grade of shellac used at different times, and in different territories. The best was strangely that made in India! Next up tended to be Us shellac, and British pressings were relatively noisy. Slate dust is part of the mix of shellac, and the grade of the dust is very significant in the eventual quality of replay. This is why a grooved out 78 tends to go grey.

Of course if the metal parts [used to create a new vinyl disc for transfering] are badly worn from pressing a popular release the issues become more serious. Some American Columbia transfers are made from safety copies cut in parallel to the original masters on lacquer discs, and these, if virgin can yield the best quality of all. Unfortunately lacquer degrades over time, and becomes very fragile. It can break up during transfer, ruining the source material for ever.

Fredrik

Dear Fredrik

Thank you for the excellent explanation.

Best rgards, Rotf

quote:

Originally posted by ROTF:
I have it as part of "The Complete Recordings" by Robert Johnson and it features 41 tracks on 2 CDs - Columbia 467246-2 (1990). Perhaps, I'm being over fussy and my expectations are unrealistic - my father collects Artie Shaw music from the 1940s and it sounds just like a modern recording in terms of clarity so I'd expected similar from this Robert Johnson set.

I find it very difficult to hear the words and following Robert's guitar is hard work. When you put in the hard work the rewards are great because the songs are superb and the playing fantastic. I just wish I found it easier to listen to. If there is a better recording that just concentrates on King of the Delta Blues Singers then I'd be happy to give it a go.

I realise that my inability to dismiss the background noise means I'm losing out. It may be that Columbia felt authenticity was all important and perhaps they are right, I just wish some engineer had worked the magic to remove the background noise.

ROTF

I also have 'King of the Delta Blues Singers' Volumes 1 & 2 on vinyl. They are on the Blue Diamond label which is part of CBS and have been digitally remastered from the original CBS recording.

I have to agree with you that it is a difficult listen. To me it sounds compressed. The background noise I can live with.

The pay off is that the music is just sublime.

Mark

I've got a copy of King Of The Delta Blues Singers on CD (Columbia 493006 2) from '98 which is "Digitally remastered". Sound is pretty dire, totally fries tweeters, but tunes are excellent.

Nic

Easy: the 1889 recording of Johannes Brahms stating his name and playing an excerpt of his own piano music. Truly awful sound, of course. But so what? It's a low-loss MP3 file.

More predictably, I have a slew of acoustic recordings transferred to CD that sound unavoidably poor. Josef Hofmann's 1903 recordings come to mind, as does Artur Nikisch's 1913 recording of Beethoven's Fifth. Moving into the "modern" realm - ie, tape recordings - the worst, by a long shot, is Dino Ciani's absolutely horrid sounding Beethoven Piano Sonata cycle from 1970. (On CD.) I have recordings from the 20s that sound better.

--

quote:

Candy Apple Grey - Husker Du

"Land Speed Record" is worse, if you can imagine that. i have both on vinyl.

sadly, one of my favorite albums, Uncle Tupelo - Still Feel Gone, is nearly unlistenable on the hi-fi (unless i'm drunk), but sounds quite good in the car. it's beer drinking/snoosing snuff/road-tripping music anyway. i would lump The Replacements - Please to Meet Me in the same category.

"hey fellas, let's rodeo those beers on the road, we've got until sundown to get somewhere."

PACE