Best produced albums in your collection?

[JoelSim]

Bodfish:

Thievery Corporation - Sounds from the Thievery Hi Fi

Kid Loco - A Grand Love Story

REM - Up

George Michael - Listen Without Prejudice

You'd like:

Tosca - Delhi 9

Tracy Chapman - any

Angus & Julia Stone - any

Elbow - any

K&D - K&D Sessions

And many many more...

 

[Zal]

Thanks so much for your kind words.

I dunno...the folks at Atlantic were real (not to imply otherwise of others), and we all loved music and wanted to get a mastering (or even "just" a transfer) right.

We did this through minimal cabling (direct as much as possible) and we used our ears. No-one was pushing us and we had as much time (most of the time) as we needed. Of course, the great music we had made a difference...but, if you think of it, many (re)mastering engineers had no connection to the artist and for sure the record compnay they were doing the mastering for...but, we were all WEA people, working out of Atlantic Studios in the old home of the original Atlantic Records. We much/most of the times had the original master tapes and the vinyls cut from them to refer/compare them to. We wanted the music to sing...and tried our darndest to have that happen.

We not only listened to the music...we, in some sort of way, lived it.

 

[Zal]

Thanks so much for your kind words.

I dunno...the folks at Atlantic were real (not to imply otherwise of others), and we all loved music and wanted to get a mastering (or even "just" a transfer) right.

We did this through minimal cabling (direct as much as possible) and we used our ears. No-one was pushing us and we had as much time (most of the time) as we needed. Of course, the great music we had made a difference...but, if you think of it, many (re)mastering engineers had no connection to the artist and for sure the record compnay they were doing the mastering for...but, we were all WEA people, working out of Atlantic Studios in the old home of the original Atlantic Records. We much/most of the times had the original master tapes and the vinyls cut from them to refer/compare them to. We wanted the music to sing...and tried our darndest to have that happen.

We not only listened to the music...we, in some sort of way, lived it.

 

[atkrhome]

Eric Clapton, Unplugged

Gwyneth Herbert, All the Ghosts

 

[nese]

John Frusciante's producing gems like:

Ataxia - Automatic Writing

Ataxia - AW II

 

[VOE]

The best thing I can add here is to point the OP (and anyone else who may be interested) towards the forum on renowned mastering engineer Steve Hoffman's site. That is a treasure trove waiting to be found. There's a ton of resource both in terms of the existing (and often lengthy) threads as well as knowledgeable people to be found there. You'll also find regular contributions to the forums from the occasional passing mastering engineer including Steve himself, the legendary Barry Diament, also Dennie Drake and occasionally, Zal Schreiber.

Many of these names may not mean a whole lot, but if you - to use Barry Diament as an example - own a few first edition CDs on the Atlantic label, so pre-remastered we're talking here, check out the booklet, Barry is often credited. He did the first runs of Led Zep discs, some Genesis, and a whole stack of others. Zal Schreiber did ELP's Tarkus album, a brilliant Drifters double disc compilation...the list goes on and on.

In short, the reason why a lot of discs sound rubbish these days is depresseingly because some producers and labels think we want it LOUD man. The reality is these guys I mention know more about dynamic range and fidelity to the recording in their little fingers than a whole bunch of the current crop will manage in their entire combined careers.

If you want an example to try out, get a hold of the latest Genesis remaster for A Trick of the Tail. Then get a hold of a first edition disc. I favour the US Atco version (either the one made in the US or the one made for the US Market in Japan - cat. no. is US Atco 38101-2) and compare. The 2007 remaster/remix is a botch job. Crushed by compression in a way the original disc isn't. Drums way too loud, cymbals ear splittingly sharp - awful. The Atco on the other hand was a revelation (ho ho, genesis to revelation...see what I did there?), a huge soundstage, depth, instruments sound real, there is colour and texture to the music.

Nick Davis (who did the 2007 remaster) (and is a good guy - see his work with XTC in the 90s for one thing) was pilloried for these. My gut feeling is the band had too big a hand on the tiller. Whatever. It's a fine example of how to get it right (and oh so wrong).

The only downside to Hoffman's board is that there is a lot of rubbish spoken about 1980's digital masters automatically being superior to anything produced since. There's a lot (too much?) talk about "flat transfers" too when I guess that a lot of the contributors don't know the difference between a flat and an apartment. Seriously though, as might be expected, it is also very US orientated. They don't in general recognise the merits of European or British companies producing vinyl of good quality like Dutch label Music On Vinyl for instance. Some contributors are very opinionated, and probably without any first hand experience of the records / mastering engineer / reissues that they so openly slag off. If it isn't from their beloved host, the knives are out. Censorship is also rife on there so please don't expect a balanced view of anything.

Oh yes, and they have ENDLESS "anticipation threads" too. Just search for "Beatles in mono on vinyl" and you'll see what I mean. Two hundred thousand posts about a set that hasn't even been released yet. Just wait for the shipping dates to come around and then there will be another two hundred thousand posts saying things like "Cool, received confirmation of my order shipping today. Can't wait. Really excited"!

The funny thing is that after 6 months of endless posts awaiting something, it nearly always dies as soon as the item actually arrives. It's almost as though they move onto the next big thing (in their minds) and the fun stops when the product actually lands on their doorsteps! What does this say about the "average" contributor? Are they obsessive compulsive hoarders of strictly regimented and selected releases from their "Boomer" years? Do they actually ever play anything or do they just have fun waiting for the postmen and talking to others loudly about things most of them have never / will never actually hear?

 

[BryO]

Yes - 90125, 2004 remaster

Grand Magus - Hammer of the north

Pink Floyd - Dark Side..., Wish you... Animals 94 remasters

Goatsnake - Flower of disease

my twopeneth

 

[Glacialpath]

Hi gregvet how you doing?

I can see this is quite an old thread but it has come up on the first page and I've seen it so here are my favourit sounding albums. I'll put the genres incase you haven't heard of them.

The Almighty = Power Tripin' (Glam/Heavy Metal

Alice In Chains = Dirt + Jar Of Flys (Grunge)

Carcass = Heartwork (Deathmetal) This album has a very dense sound and sound dull on a lesser system but if your system is that good it should sound amazing.

Cher = Love Hurts (rock/glam)

Converge = You Fail Me + No Heros + Axe To Fall (Noise Core/Hard Core Metal) Very well mixed albums for such a noisy band. They sound like you are in the room with them.

Cult Of Luna = Salvation (Sludge/Prog Metal)

Cryptopsy = Blaspheny Made Flesh. (Tech/Deathmetal) For a seemingly low budget first album I found it sounds extreamly clean. Despite the speed the band play everything is very clear and it sounds like you are in the room with them.

I've only got to D in working my way trough from A-Z so I can hear how good or bad albums sound on my current set up. So I will post more as I get through them.

 

[Thompsonuxb]

Wow only 2 albums I own in this thread

Jill Scots - who is?

It is well recorded, all her albums that I own are very well recorded.

Kelis - Tasty ( not sure bout this one - fun songs but production meh....)

Mine.....

D'angelo - Brown Sugar & Voodoo ( people have been waiting for the 3rd album for over a decade now - 96 & 00 gets further away each day)

Toni Braxton - Libre ( recent efforts have fallen to the loudness but generally well produced artist)

Ray Lamontagne - Trouble

Q-Tip - The Abstract / Tribe called Quest - The Love Movement

Angie Stone - Black Diamond

I have quite a few quality tracks actually, but these are my reference/demo/bore you to death albums

Special mention -

Kate Bush - Ariel

Lizz wright - dreaming wide awake ( WARNING: be carefull with this one though, if you're depressed or suicidal do not listen to this album)

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

Grace Jones's albums take some beating on the production front.

 

[LowFeller]

Absolutely brilliant list of suggestions there 6th.replicant as every one is a brilliantly produced album which has also been digitally remastered to a high standard as well. Its depressing how many albums sound worse after being digitally remastered.

I would add the 3 recently remastered Blue Nile albums (A Walk Across The Rooftops, Hats, Peace at Last) which are production masterpieces.

(They sounded staggering to begin with but they have been enhanced further with Calum Malcolm's 2012 digital remastering).

IMHO, any of the following will make any system sound extra special:

Songs in the Key of Life (CD remaster) - Stevie Wonder

The Crying Light - Antony & The Johnsons

Talkie Walkie - Air

My One And Only Thrill - Melody Gardot

Harvest (CD remaster) - Neil Young

Flesh + Blood (SACD remaster) - Roxy Music

Seventh Tree - Goldfrapp

All of Massive Attack's

All of Radiohead's (except Pablo Honey)

Station to Station (CD remaster) - David Bowie

Jacques Loussier Plays Bach (the Telarc 'remake' - sorry, purists)

The Astounding Eyes Of Rita - Anouar Brahem

Private City - John Surman

Knee-Deep In The North Sea - Portico Quartet

The Seldom Seen Kid - Elbow

Sketches Of Spain (CD remaster) - Miles Davis

Brandenburg Concertos - English Baroque Soloists / John Elliot Gardiner

Goldberg Variations - Murray Perahia

Brahms: Violin and Double Concerto (SACD) - Julia Fischer / Daniel Mller-Schott / Yakov Kreizberg

New Gold Dream (vinyl) - Simple Minds

Radioactivity (CD remaster) - Kraftwerk

C‚u - C‚u

The Beauty and the Sea - Mor Karbasi

The Faur‚ Album - Brinton Smith / Akira Eguchi / Gil Shaham

Up - Peter Gabriel

Who's Next ('03 CD remaster) - The Who

 

[jimmy1]

+1 for muddy waters folk singer 24 bit version from original master tape sounds stunning

 

[BigH]

+1 for muddy waters folk singer 24 bit version from original master tape sounds stunning

Is that the HDTracks version?

 

[english mustard]

hi just a few worth your consideration ? joan osbourne RELISH / dire straits ON EVERY STREET / crash test dummies GOD SHUFFLED HIS FEET/ blackmores night SHADOW OF THE MOON / within temptation UNFORGIVING / wishbone ash THERES THE RUB SHM CD / jj cale SHADOW PLAY SHM CD/ . loads more but these are superb ok.

 

[cannibal_ox77]

Boards of Canada - Music Has the Right to Children

Frank Ocean - Channel Orange

Cinematic Orchestra - Everyday

Ernest Ranglin - Below the Bassline

Radiohead - especially Kid A, The King of Limbs, In Rainbows

TV on the Radio - Dear Science

Aphex twin - Richard D James Album

Clark - Totem's Flare

Massive Attack - Mezzanine

Gorillaz - Plastic Beach

LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver

James Blake - Overgrown

DJ Shadow - Endtroducing...

Cannibal Ox - The Cold Vein

The Walkmen - Lisbon

Low - Drums and Guns

Sigur Ros - Agaetis Bryjun

London Grammar - If You Wait

Cannonball Adderley - Somethin' Else

 

[Bogester]

I absolutely love Steve Albini's "production" (I think he prefers to be referred to as an engineer rather than a producer) on any number of albums, such as Pixies' "Surfer Rosa", Nina Nastasia's albums, The Wedding Present's "Sea Monsters" - the list goes on and on. And if anyone knows how to record drums better than him, I've yet to hear them.

 

[Macspur]

Sting, Nothing like the sun

Melody Gardot, Worrisome Heart and My one and only thrill

Passenger, Flight of the crow

First Aid Kit, Lions roar

Martha Tilston, Lucy and the wolves

London Grammar, If you Wait

Kings of convenience, Quiet is the new loud

Angus and Julia Stone, Down the way

Mac

www.macsmusic.blogbubble.net