Unlistenable albums

[SteveR750]

So, what are they? What are these so poorly recorded and mastered albums or tracks that become less satisfying, or even completely unlistenable with the more money you spend on your system?

I'll start with, er none, but someone has them, as I keep reading reviews that refer to them (whatever they are).

List them here, and we'll all look them up and play them and note our observations. Not very scientific I know with all the bias voting that could occur, but a bit of fun.

 

[Andrewjvt]

Ive got about 2300 songs over about 100 - 200 cds mostly metel, hard rock and jazz and although some are clearly produced better than others i dont have any that hurts me or is unlistenable.

So please tell me and ill have a go myself.

 

[jjbomber]

So, what are they? What are these so poorly recorded and mastered albums or tracks that become less satisfying, or even completely unlistenable with the more money you spend on your system?

Metallica - Lulu

I think mainly they will be debut albums that were poorly recorded in a couple of days on a budget of 50p. The other might be live albums. So my guesses would be Guns n Roses Appetite For Destruction and Led Zeppelin's The Song Remains The Same. My guesses are actually cheating, as Steve Adler says that a good system exposes Appetite' while Jimmy Page has said that TSRTS is full of mistakes if you have a good enough system to expose them.

I am sure that 'professionsl' musicans would notice them rather easier than us enthusiastic 'amateurs'.

 

[SteveR750]

1. Metallica - Lulu

Feel free to copy add and paste. Not sure a "mistake" makes a song unlistenable, in fact, arguably that adds to the musical interest. The context is tonality. Quite often, usually speakers are described as being so ruthless and revealing that it makes certain songs unplayable.

 

[drummerman]

Anything by Joe Cocker. Don't know what cloth-eared imbecile's he employed on the mixing desk but they always sound 'orrible on my systems (though I do like some of his music).

Maybe it's just me

 

[matt49]

Feel free to copy add and paste.

1. Metallica - Lulu

2. Adele - 19

3. Adele - 21

Not intended as a comment on the music of the portly Essex warbler, it's just that on CD the dynamic range is abysmal.

 

[matthewpiano]

1. Metallica - Lulu

2. Adele - 19

3. Adele - 21

4. Metallica - Death Magnetic. Compression galore.

 

[FennerMachine]

1. Metallica - Lulu

2. Adele - 19

3. Adele - 21

4. Metallica - Death Magnetic. Compression galore.

5. Compilation – While My Guitar Gently Weeps. Particularly Rod Stewart, Handbags & Gladrags.

 

[bigfish786]

St. Anger. An absolutely horrific work of art.

I think Metallica have released some of the worst music of the last ten years.

 

[FennerMachine]

I was told about an album that was so dynamically compressed that it was recalled.

Some CD players could not play it and just displayed 'ERROR'.

 

[Frank Harvey]

Not intended as a comment on the music of the portly Essex warbler, it's just that on CD the dynamic range is abysmal.

But does that make them unlistenable?

 

[Frank Harvey]

The two tracks I tend to play to test how a system deals with bright/harsh mastering is either Peter Gabriel's Big Time or RHCP's Give It Away - usually the latter. Whilst I appreciate there are bright/harsh/mushy recordings out there (as some are deliberately mastered that way, and nothing will improve them) I'm not so sure that the issue is always down to the recording, but more to do with what the system it is played on is doing with it. I saw Death Magnetic mentioned a few times before, but I find it easily listenable. Yes, it is blatantly compressed, and you can hear that horrible mushy compression you get with crash cymbals, but generally it is quite easy to listen to, even at higher volumes. If this is supposed to be a good example of an unlistenable album, then it is also a good example of an album that shows that the system an album is listened to on is the main culprit for wanting the listener to turn it off.

 

[jjbomber]

you can hear that horrible mushy compression you get with crash cymbals.....

A pub standard drummer doesn't help!!!

 

[ellisdj]

Anything by Joe Cocker. Don't know what cloth-eared imbecile's he employed on the mixing desk but they always sound 'orrible on my systems (though I do like some of his music).

Maybe it's just me

Joe cocker greatest hits many rivers to cross sounds cracking. Not tried any of the others

Maybe you need better cables, maybe the ones you always praise are actually moody

Meant jokingly semi serious

 

[jjbomber]

Joe cocker greatest hits

Is it a single?????

 

[SteveR750]

Not intended as a comment on the music of the portly Essex warbler, it's just that on CD the dynamic range is abysmal.

But does that make them unlistenable?

More to the point, is it listenable on a cheap system, anfd then becomes unlistenable when using a more accurate revealing system?

 

[DaanS]

Anything by Joe Cocker. Don't know what cloth-eared imbecile's he employed on the mixing desk but they always sound 'orrible on my systems (though I do like some of his music).

Maybe it's just me

It's not you, nor the lad that recorded it. It's Joe Cocker

for reference, take a look at this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xJWxPE8G2c

 

[Frank Harvey]

More to the point, is it listenable on a cheap system, anfd then becomes unlistenable when using a more accurate revealing system?

Vice versa, in my opinion.

 

[DIB]

Anything by Joe Cocker. Don't know what cloth-eared imbecile's he employed on the mixing desk but they always sound 'orrible on my systems (though I do like some of his music).

Maybe it's just me

Yes. It's you.

.

 

[Frank Harvey]

I have to admit to not having heard Sheffield Steel, but I've been told it is a very dynamic recording. I think sometimes people mistake dynamism for harshness.

 

[DIB]

I have to admit to not having heard Sheffield Steel, but I've been told it is a very dynamic recording. I think sometimes people mistake dynamism for harshness.

It's a wonderful recording, my favourite Joe Cocker album. Very 80's production, but when you've got Sly & Robbie driving everything along then you're almost there before any other factors kick in.

My Sheffield Steel LP was the only vinyl that I owned that knocked spots off my CD version.

.

 

[steve_1979]

The sound quality of the RHCP Californication album is dreadful but that never stopped me from listening to it because I still liked the music enough to put up with the bad sound quality.

I now listen to the 'pre-mastersed' version which has much better sound quality than the officially released album.

 

[steve_1979]

Anything by Joe Cocker. Don't know what cloth-eared imbecile's he employed on the mixing desk but they always sound 'orrible on my systems (though I do like some of his music).

Maybe it's just me

While there are a few very poor quality recordings/masterings on some of his albums, especially some of the earlier ones, I find that most of his music has very good sound quality.

 

[radiorog]

On my current system, acdc - back in black sounds awful. Really bright/high pitched,not rocky at all...sounds a bit loke the smurfs playing. Also I was very surprised at hearing stereophonics graffiti kn the train album sounding the same. Very light weight.that was on google play tho and maybe the cd sounds better. Anyone else noticed this?

t

 

[Tear Drop]

Portishead by Portishead, their second album, where I think they intentionally made it sound extremely harsh, is just unlistenable. Bought on LP, tried it, shelved it, tried it again a few years later after many system improvements, sounded ten times worse.