Best produced albums in your collection?

[Anonymous]

Very good suggestions here. Not sure about the absolute best productions, but here are some albums that really shone after I upgraded my hi fi. I'll second all Radiohead, Zooropa, and Folk Singer, and add:

- Lucinda Williams - Essence

- REM - Reveal

- Al Green - The Willie Mitchell productions

- Bettye Lavette - I've got my own hell to raise

- Leonard Cohen - Various Positions

And for those who miss good sounding indie albums:

- Pavement - Slanted & Enchanted (deluxe edition)

- Deerhunter - Microcastle

 

[roten]

I think the Rush albums from late 70' until early 90' sounds great. Early productions had less quality and I have a feeling the latest is too "MP3 tuned"

And I forgot

Jill Scott - Who Is

Diana Krall - Girl in the other roomÿ

TNT - Intuition (Norwegian 80' metal - but excellent sound production)

 

[Anonymous]

Al Di Meola - Kiss My Axe

 

[Anonymous]

Bought my Marantz amp a couple of days ago so have been going through my collection quite a bit since to discover new sounds!

Florence And the Machine sounds fab and also MIA although I am not particularly keen on the album!

 

[Anonymous]

Also another vote for Antony and the Johnsons!

 

[Anonymous]

Another vote for Radiohead and Porcupine Tree.

I'd recommend John Mayer - Where The Light Is Live In Los Angeles, superb recording and excellent album if you like that kinda stuff.

 

[the record spot]

roten:
I think the Rush albums from late 70' until early 90' sounds great. Early productions had less quality and I have a feeling the latest is too "MP3 tuned"

I spent a few weeks last year hoovering up the first generation releases from Ebay and one or two shops in Edinburgh that had the original West German releases. I also have Moving Pictures which was the remaster and that's pretty fine too. The latest batch though, Vapour Trails and onwards and crushed - even Alex Lifeson admits of VT that they'd "mixed that one too hot". A recent compilation has the "One Little Victory" track remixed and apparently it's much better.

The early releases though, excellent. Well worth finding them and they're usually cheap as chips.

 

[Anonymous]

here are a few more from my list: ... if I have time, will post the jazz and classical later

Nick Cave & the bad seeds ... The Good Son

Nine Inch Nails ..... The downward spiral

Norah Jones ... come away with me

Orbital ... The alltogether

Pat Metheny ... Travels

Patti Smith Group ... Trampin'

Paul Simon ... You're the one

Penguin Cafe Orchestra ... Penguin Cafe Orchestra

Penguin Cafe Orchestra ... when in Rome

Portico Quartet ... Knee-deep in the north sea

Radiohead ... Amnesiac

Radiohead ... Hail to the thief

Radiohead .... Kid A

Rage against the machine ... Rage against the machine

Regina Spektor ... Begin to hope

Richard Bona ... Munia: the tale

Richard page ... shelter me

Gustav Holtz .... the planets

Rickie Lee Jones ... Rickie Lee Jones

Rilo Kiley .... Under the blacklight

Robert Lucas ... Luke & the Locomotives

Roger Waters ... amused to death

Rokia Traore ... Wanita

Royksoop ... Melody A.M

Rush ... moving pictures

Terry Evans ... puttin' it down

Sade ... diamond life

sade ... stronger than pride

Seal ... Seal

Seth Lakeman ... Kitty Jay

Shelby Lynne ... Just a little lovin'

Shelby Lynne ... suit yourself

Shelleyan Orphan ... Helleborine

Sphongle ... Tales of the Inexpressible

Simply red ... Picture book

Snoop dogg ... doggy style hits

Sophie Zelmani ... Sing and dance

St Vincent ... marry me

Steely Dan ... Aja

Steely Dan ... Gaucho

Stefano Bollani ... I visionari

Stevie wonder ... Innervisions

Sting ... Ten summoner's tales

Sufjan Stevens ... Ilinoise

Suzanne Vega ... Best of

Talk Talk ... colour of spring

Talking Heads ... Stop making sense

Terence trent d'arby ... Introducing the hardline

Terry Evans ... blues for thought

Terry Evans ... come to the river

The Alan Parsons Project ... Pyramid

The Blind boys of Alabama ... Spirit of the century

The blue nile ... a walk across the rooftops

The durutti column ... Keep breathing

Howard Goodall's enchanted voices

The Hives ... The black & white album

The King's singers ... original debut recording with the gordon langford trio

The mars volta .. The bedlam in goliath

The martin harley band ... Grow your own

The radiators ... Radiators

Real Tuesday weld ... The London book of the dead

The roches ... Can we go home now

The rolling stones ... Stripped

The The ... Mind bomb

The waifs ... up all night

Thea Gilmore ... Recorded delivery

Thom Yorke ... The eraser

Tom Jones ... From Las Vegas to London - The best of Live

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers ... Wildflowers

Tom Waits ... heartattack and vine

Tony Levin ... Pieces of the sun

Traffic ... The low spark of high heeled boys

Van Morrison ... Back on top

Van Morrison ... it's too late to stop now

Vienna Teng ... Inland territory

Willie nelson ... the great divide

yello ... the eye

yo la tengo ... I can hear the heart beating as one

 

[Anonymous]

Well the CD album everyone promoted for recording quality and as the "One to test your system" back in the 80's and, having just played it again, is still true today.

Recorded on good old analogue tape with little compression and giant dynamics. If only modern recordings were mastered like this.

Hello, I Must Be Going ... Phil Collins

 

[Sonic Dreamer]

The ones that come first to mind.....

Aimee Mann - anything, but particularly Lost in Space, The Forgotten Arm and Smilers.
AC / DC - Back In Black (Epic 2003 remaster).
Prince - The Gold Experience.
Deep Purple - In Rock (1995), Machine Head (1997) EMI remasters.
The Blue Nile - A Walk Across The Rooftops and Hats, even without remastering.
David Bowie - Hunky Dory (1999), Young Americans (2007) and Station To Station (1999), EMI remasters.
Peter Gabriel - All his remastered solo stuff, especially Security: Four.
Jeff Buckley - Grace (Columbia Legacy Remaster 2004, even better than the original - unbelievable as that is).
Van Morrison - Enlightenment (Polydor/Exile Productions 2008 remaster).
ZZ Top - Eliminator (Warner Bros 2008 remaster).
Queen - The Game DVD-Audio.
Robert Palmer - Sneakin' Sally Through the Alley and Pressure Drop.
World Party - Goodbye Jumbo (Seaview Records 2000 remaster).
Talk Talk - Spirit of Eden (EMI 2003 remaster).
U2 - The Joshua Tree (Island Records 2007 remaster).
Ry Cooder - Bop Till You Drop and Paris Texas.
Talking Heads - "Brick" Box Set (Sire Records/Rhino 2005 remasters).
Led Zeppelin - 1 (Atlantic Records 1994 remaster).
Free - Fire and Water (Deluxe Edition, Island Records 2008 remaster).
Pink Floyd - the EMI 1994 remasters.
Wendy & Lisa - Fruit At The Bottom.
The Beatles - the EMI 2009 remasters.
Stevie Wonder - Innervisions and Talking Book (Motown Records 2000 remasters).
Neil Young - After The Goldrush, Harvest Moon.
Marvin Gaye - What's Going On (Deluxe Edition, Motown Records 2001 remaster)
The Who - all the Deluxe Editions remasterd by Polydor in 2003).
Radiohead - The Bends and OK Computer.
Bob Marley - Catch a Fire, Burnin' and Exodus (Deluxe Edition, Tuff Gong/Island 2002/2004 remasters).
Paul Weller - Wild Wood (Deluxe Edition, Island Records 2007 remaster).

Cheers,
SonicD

 

[Anonymous]

here are a few of the jazzy ones (will post the classical at a later date ... too much typing!)

Aki Takase ....St. Louis Blues

Al DiMeola, Al Meola, John McLaughlin .... Friday Night in San Fransico

Alex HK ... L'Homme du moment

Amadito Valdes ... Bajando Gervasio

Anouar Brahem ... Le pas du chat noir

Avishai Cohen ... Adama

Brian Bromberg, Randy Waldman, Vinnie Colaiuta ... Wood

Beuna Vista Social club at carnegie hall

Cannonball Adderly ... Mery, mercy, Mercy! Live

Charles Mingus ... Mingus Ah Hum

Charles Mingus ... Mingus moves

Charles Mingus ... Black saint and the sinner lady

Charlie byrd, stan getz ... Stan Getz: The bossa nova albums

Charlie Hayden ... Beyond the Missouri sun

Charlie Hayden ... Night and the city

Charlie Hunter, Mos Def ... songs from the analog playground

Chuco Valdes ... Bele Bele en la Habana

Clifford Brown, Max roach quintet ... Clifford Brown and max roach

Dave Holland ... conference of the birds

David Sylvian ... Dead bees on a cake

Dhafer youssef ... Electric sufi

Dianne reeves ... that day

* Hyman ... from the age of swing

Dr John with Rickie Lee Jones ... In a sentimental mood

Duke ellington ... money jungle

Eric Mongrain ... fates

Erik Truffaz ... arkhangelsk

Erik Truffaz ... face a face

Ernastene Anderson ... When the sun goes down

Frank Sinatra ... come dance with me

Frank Sinatra ... songs for swingin' lovers!

Freddie Hubbard ... Ready for Freddie

Gene Harris ... The gene Harris trio plus one

George winston ... plains

Hadouk trio ... baldamore (this is one of my new favourite cd's)

Herbie hancock ... Gershwin's world

Herbie hancock, Bennie maupin ... Head hunters

Herbie Hancock, Norah Jones ... River: the joni letters

Hiroaki Honshuku ... Not that silent night

Holly Cole ... shade

Hugh maseleka ... Home

Hugh maseleka ... Liberation

Jaco pastorius ... Jaco Pastorius

Jacques Loussier ... You only love once

Jamiroquai ... Travelling without moving

Jan Erik Kongshaug ... Jazz collection 1

Jim Hall ... Concierto

Jimmy smith ... bashin (I really enjoy this one)

Joao Gilberto ... Getz/Giberto #2

Joe jackson ... body and soul

Joel grare ... paris-istanbul-shanghai

Joey Calderazzo ... Amanecer

John Coltrane ... blue train

John Coltrane ... giant steps

Keith jarrett ... up for it

Kenny baron ... live at bradley's

laura fygi ... the latin touch

lee konitz, warne marsh ... lee konitz with warne marsh

lisa ekdahl ... back to earth

lisa ekdahl orchestra ... heaven, earth and beyond

los lobos ... the town and the city

mannheim steamroller ... christmas

manu katche ... playground

maxime le forestier ... plutot guitare

miami saxaphone quartet ... fourtified

mighty sam McClain ... give it up to love

miles davies ... amandla

miles davies ... tutu

miles davies ... kind of blue

nguyen le ... homescape

nils lofgren - acoustic live

orchestra baobab ... made in dakar

oscar d'leon ... tranquilo

paolo fresu ... melos

pat metheny ... travels

patricia barber ... cafe blue

petra magoni, ferruccio ... musica nuda (listen to the 1st track)

piers faccini ... leave no trace

racheller ferrell ...first instrument

racheller ferrell ...individuality

randy weston ... uhuru africa/highlife

renaud garcia-fons ... arcoluz

ruben gonzalez ... introducing ... ruben gonzalez

scott hamilton .. ballad essentials

serge gainsbourg ... gainsbourg percussions

sergio mendes & brasil 66 ... Brasilerio (listen to the 1st track ... has 100 drums)

shirley horn ... may the music never end

shirley horn ... you're my thrill

sierra maestra ... tibiri tabara

sonny clark ... cool struttin'

sonny rollins ... saxaphone colossus

stacey kent, jim tomlins ... the boy next door

stan kenton ... west side story

stanley clarke ... stanley clarke

susannah McCorkle ... shades of jobim

susannah McCorkle ... ballad essentials

dave brubeck quartet ... take five

dave brubeck quartet ... at carnegie hall

tori amos ... a piano: the collection

wayne shorter ... speak no evil

 

[the record spot]

@ Sonic Dreamer - not sure if you have tried the Peter Gabriel first editions, simply superb I have to say. Good production, clarity, bass, the lot. The So SACD is good as well, but there hasn't been a CD out with his name on it that's poor sounding.

 

[Craig M.]

is that it dim span? you could have put some effort in.

 

[Sonic Dreamer]

the record spot:@ Sonic Dreamer - not sure if you have tried the Peter Gabriel first editions, simply superb I have to say. Good production, clarity, bass, the lot. The So SACD is good as well, but there hasn't been a CD out with his name on it that's poor sounding.

Agreed!! I managed to procure III, IV and So on SACD, which sounds thoroughly delicious. Wish they'd start releasing other stuff on SACD again in Europe; they do in Japan though, where there is a voracious appetite for refined media audio. Seems the majority of music consumers in Europe just don't care about the difference 48,000 and 96,000, which is a great pity.

 

[the record spot]

True. I'd picked up the So album on SACD first, then picked the other ones up thereafter. Turned out they were all mastered by Nimbus and sound amazing. Haven't heard a duff Nimbus mastering yet I think and between they and Barry Diament, that's more the sign of a good sounding album to my way of thinking!

(Add to that Bernie Grundman, Zal Schreiber, Ted Jensen, George Marino, Joe Gastwirt, Steve Hoffman....okay, it's a few but just means you're landing a winner - most likely - if you snag a CD with their name on it).

 

[6th.replicant]

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

 

[Peter Larsen]

Not everyones taste I know, but Slayers - Christ Illusion is rather well produced metal album and very demanding of your system. The drum kicks are extremely tight. Try the track Jihad.

And my favorite album when it comes to superb sound is Donald Fagans - The Nightfly, as well as most Steely Dan albums. Aja sounds great even though its from 1977.

 

[Anonymous]

Even though it's not my ideal cup of char genre wise, I bought 2L's 'The Nordic Sound' BD-Audio disc to see what my speakers were capable of on my current system. The 5.1 DTS-HD MA 24/192 mix is just sublime as regards to production and mastering.

Superb demo material:

 

[Anonymous]

Good evening,

I always think if you want to check your speakers sonic capabilities out, detail and clarity in particular. Then check out

Trentemoller 's Albums " The Last Resort" or " The Digital Chronicles" check out The Forest and his remix of Les Djinns track 7 disc 2.( listen to the georgeous panning)

or Orbital "Snivilization"

Its probably not to many peoples taste but hey as a system test its the Nuts,

Any way I love it.

p.s all on Spotify

 

[tenergy]

celluloidzombie:

Soul Mining - The The

+1 The The has done some pretty awesome work. Uncertain Smile and This is The Day certainly come to mind.

 

[bretty]

One Giant Leap - self titled.

 

[Anonymous]

Porcupine Tree - Deadwing

Free - Fire and Water

Rush - 2112 (and Spirit of Radio is OK for a greatest hits compilation)

Deep Purple - In Rock

David Gilmour - Live in Gdansk

Joni Mitchell - Clouds

Neil Young - After the Goldrush

Rainbow - Long Live Rock and Roll

Rolling Stones - Rock and Roll Circus (especially "No Expectations")

 

[Escapism]

I see a lot of people have included 'remasters' in their lists. Does anyone else find remastered albums often sound worse than the originals.? 'Brick-walling' I assume, as the dynamic range is often lost and they're just louder.

 

[6th.replicant]

Escapism:I see a lot of people have included 'remasters' in their lists. Does anyone else find remastered albums often sound worse than the originals.? 'Brick-walling' I assume, as the dynamic range is often lost and they're just louder.
Without wishing to state the obvious, I guess it depends on how much time & care was spent on the remaster, & the skill of the engineer(s).

IME, the Verve label's remasters all sound fantastic; Bowie's David Live & Stage are revelations, literally; Neil Young's, thus far, are splendid; EMI Classics' - eg Boult's The Planets - are excellent, to name but a few.

However, is it significant that all of the aforementioned need to have the volume cranked up?

But, the remastering of Ultravox's & Simple Minds' CDs, for example, sound very MP3-ish - loud & 'dead'.

 

[the record spot]

Yup, very true; see also Genesis 1976-1982 boxset. Issued in SACD format initially, hopes were high this would be the pinnacle of sound quality. Turned out it dragged the depths; excess compression, limiting....the end result was awful. Stereo SACD was bad, stereo CD was a shocker. The fanboys on the Genesis forum loved it for the most part; dissenting voices were put down as "not knowing what they were talking about". LOL. A trip to the Steve Hoffman forum brought a dose of reality to the fore.

Some of the recent Springsteen Japanese mini-vinyls have been very good, and not all remasters are necessarily bad, but the majority I've heard are less than desirable. Like I say, check out guys like Diament, Gastwirt, Hoffman, and the rest to hear how good the silver disc can sound.