What's The Best Sounding Prog. Album?

Even the recent DGM 200g vinyl reissue? Sound quality is stunning (way better than my 1976 Island orange and green label pressing). And the label's a nice imitation of the i pink label Never heard a 1st pressing - hence my question.

Been looking to add some ELP for the occasional bit of bombast.  Thought of getting 'Welcome to the show.......' But it seems that it is fairly poor sounding on CD?

Think I'll stick to ELP, BSS, Tarkus & Trilogy as a starter......Is this a sensible choice?

Thanks

G

This is a great sounding album.

G

Thanks Al. I'm assuming the 1996 CD's sound best and are not cluttered with so called 'bonus' material?

G

Prog is still progressing -

Big Big Train prove that prog can still be written and recorded very well. Will not be to everyones taste - but it is certainly good.

Graeme

I've got ELP and Trilogy on CD. Both are on the Castle label from 1996 (ESM CD 340 and ESM CD 343 respectively) and are very good quality remasters.  Neither have any bonus tracks.

MDS 

Thanks gentlemen. G

This one sounds great whether on CD or double vinyl.  You can just about detect a bit of dynamic compression here and there (no more than on The Raven That Refused to Sing) but it's worth it even if it only had one track on it - the epic 16min long Again. 

On vinyl or original 'Blue Face' Virgin/Chrysalis CD Cat No 4001. Transparent, lucid, spacious and detailed with dynamic swing aplenty.

Am I alone in thinking that 'The Raven Who Refused to Sing' is NOT a good recording? It probably was, until it got screwed up at the mastering stage. For me, when it gets busy, it gets congested and nasty. The Hi Def download sounds no better.

Alan Parsons was engineering better sounding results forty years ago.

John.

I'm with you on that John. When you consider the spiffing job Mr Wilson's done with his remastering of other people's music it's a real disappointment that he's presumably allowed this album to come out with such a relatively poor sound. 

"On vinyl or original 'Blue Face' Virgin/Chrysalis CD Cat No 4001. Transparent, lucid, spacious and detailed with dynamic swing aplenty."

Have the Chrysalis CD and it is a corker. G

Raven's fine.  It's not a bad job, as John says it's just rather compressed when things get busy.  Main frustration is that it could have been better;  Witness "Buying New Soul" from the PT album Recordings.

As for Trick of The Tail, this was the first MFSL LP I bought while at school along with Dark SIde of The Moon.  Back then I thought it was great but, like so many MoFi releases, as my system has improved so the drawbacks with the MFSLs have been exposed.  I now much prefer the original release, albeit it's not an album I play that much any more.  Wind & Wuthering gets a lot more play...

Just acquired an 'E'G' CD pressing of this to supplement the collection.....possibly futile, but what I've read from the SH forum seems to suggest it's a good master. We shall see. G

Graham,

There's  nothing "wrong" with the CD pressing of ITCOTCK apart from the digital remastering. I own copies in most format, including a R2R and tape. I also have a 200g copy which is pretty good considereing it is "digitally contaminated". Of all the formats, LP is still my favourite due to its mellowness and "coloufulness". It's really hard to explain. Please, forgive if I cannot be any more succint. Do try to listen to an original, unperturbed copy if you can.

KR

Tony

I enjoy Camel's albums on CD, all seem to be the same level of excellent sound quality.  

I got stuck on Moonmadness and never expanded my collection. I always through it a well produced album going back to Vinyl. Perhaps tending to smooth and a little bit sat on, but enjoyable and still played regularly. It took an NDS to really make it come out of itself. I didn't know there was so much information in it.

This has long been a favourite, bought it in a secondhand record shop in Chertsey by the name of Mr Waxy around 1980. Has to be the Passport pressing though the later Whindham Hill one loses the edge.