Kings of Leon, Only by the Night CD - what is the audio quality like?

[topbloke55]

Now the reason for me question is that my wife bought the first Kings of Leon album, Youth & Young Manhood. And her words are ... "this it the worst recorded album I have ever heard!"

So I quite fancy getting the "Only by Night" album by the Kings of Leon, but wanted to know if the audio quality is any good?

I like the music from what I have heard on Amazon, but don't want to bother with the CD is the quality is poor, I'll just buy the MP3 and listen to it on my headphones.

Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Gerrardasnails]

topbloke55:
Now the reason for me question is that my wife bought the first Kings of Leon album, Youth & Young Manhood. And her words are ... "this it the worst recorded album I have ever heard!"

So I quite fancy getting the "Only by Night" album by the Kings of Leon, but wanted to know if the audio quality is any good?

I like the music from what I have heard on Amazon, but don't want to bother with the CD is the quality is poor, I'll just buy the MP3 and listen to it on my headphones.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Superb album and I've not noticed any issue in the recording.

 

[idc]

I'm afraid that if you dont like the rough and ready recording then you wont get on with any of the Kings of Leon albums. I love the music and I think that the recording suits it. I hate recordings that are flat and muddled, making it hard to make out what is being played, which I dont find with the Kings of Leon. They all sound great on Spotify BTW.

 

[basshound]

topbloke55:
Now the reason for me question is that my wife bought the first Kings of Leon album, Youth & Young Manhood. And her words are ... "this it the worst recorded album I have ever heard!"

So I quite fancy getting the "Only by Night" album by the Kings of Leon, but wanted to know if the audio quality is any good?

I like the music from what I have heard on Amazon, but don't want to bother with the CD is the quality is poor, I'll just buy the MP3 and listen to it on my headphones.

Thanks in advance for any help.

I thought it was better produced than the other albums or different anyway.Think this is a general problem with modern recordings as they seem aimed more at iPod/download quality than to be played on a decent system.

 

[matengawhat]

look here

http://community.whathifi.com/forums/t/181018.aspx

 

[pwiles1968]

This is the only album I have of theirs so can not compare to earlier stuff, I had not listened to it before for just the production value I usually leave my acoustic stuff for the late night sessions but put it on out of curiosity took it off again after a few minutes and put Bonnie prince Billy on instead, I enjoy the album for what it is but it is not what I would call well produced.

 

[Anonymous]

Youth and young manhood is never the worst recorded album she's heard surely!!!? Only a life spent listening to classical recordings would refine the sensitivity to that extent.

I actually like the way the first two lp's have been produced, very raw and having been at their first UK gigs in a room with 50 others I can confirm that its captured well their live sound in the studio.

In comparison Only by the night has suffered from a heavy handed attempt to put the KoL into the stadium elite, ponderous and weary song writing and very very over polished production that smears the music with a gloss that just doesn't sound right, but definitely won't offend the masses of new fans they were aiming to get (and have!). Its as bad as the gloss they put on Nirvana's Nevermind which bore no relation to them as a live band..

 

[Anonymous]

A-ha Shake Heartbreak is a fantasic sounding album IMO. They upped the bass on Because of the Times, but it's still a great sounding disc.

 

[Gerrardasnails]

crimsondonkey:
Youth and young manhood is never the worst recorded album she's heard surely!!!? Only a life spent listening to classical recordings would refine the sensitivity to that extent.

I actually like the way the first two lp's have been produced, very raw and having been at their first UK gigs in a room with 50 others I can confirm that its captured well their live sound in the studio.

In comparison Only by the night has suffered from a heavy handed attempt to put the KoL into the stadium elite, ponderous and weary song writing and very very over polished production that smears the music with a gloss that just doesn't sound right, but definitely won't offend the masses of new fans they were aiming to get (and have!). Its as bad as the gloss they put on Nirvana's Nevermind which bore no relation to them as a live band..

Why is it that whenever a band starts to become popular with the masses, they get hit with "they've sold out" or "they are now over polished"? I've got all KoL albums and apart from Because of Times, they have improved on each one in my opinion. It's almost like some people feel that it's uncool to admit liking a band or act that are popular worldwide.

 

[Anonymous]

If I wanted to say sell out I would have!

Thats not what I'm saying, but I am pointing out that production values changes as a band become more marketable. The latest album is produced very very differently from the first two - or do you not agree or hear it?

 

[Gerrardasnails]

crimsondonkey:
If I wanted to say sell out I would have!

Thats not what I'm saying, but I am pointing out that production values changes as a band become more marketable. The latest album is produced very very differently from the first two - or do you not agree or hear it?

Is not that they are willing to spend more money on the production because they now have it available?

 

[Anonymous]

Maybe so, but whatever the motive the production values have changed and not to my preference. Nevermind there's still the first 2 lps to listen to.

Anyway back to the OP - only by the night - its very well produced - buy with confidence!

 

[Anonymous]

Personally I think the album is pretty good quality. I own a fair few sub-hi-fi recordings and this record is not one of them. I particularly like the drums production, they sound like they are in the room, the ambience is more rehearsal studio than glossy polish but the ambience sounds very real. The guitars too sound like the amp is in the room. I reckon they got the balance right between polish and attitude.

Oh, I'm listening on ATC SCM40s so no help given to the recording there!

 

[Anonymous]

I agree - production seems raw but conveys the rawness of the band nicely IMO

 

[the record spot]

*** over to the Steve Hoffman forum, sign up, and immerse yourself in all things CD production related for this artist and more than you probably knew existed!

Required reading IMO and a superb search facility. Helpful crowd on there too and you should also check out the Hardware sub forum - the threads where people post shots of their own systems is truly jawdropping...!

 

[topbloke55]

Thanks all, very helpful.

 

[maccarazza]

I played on my hifi, ion oberisk3x with kef iq5se and icoss audio systems flac player and it sounded horrible.. I played using the same source but a Sony 2.1 speaker system and sounded great.. it seems like a lot of albums are made mastered for non hifi.. a real shame..

 

[SteveR750]

Sounds fine to me!

 

[shafesk]

Love Kings of Leon myself but all their recordings are horrid, scratchy things. Aha Break Shake is well recorded though and the earlier Kings of Leon recordings were certainly much better. I feel that they are getting better with time but their recordings are generally getting worse.