The three "best sounding albums"

borg · Post by **borg** » Thu Sep 19, 2002 7:27 pm

mmmm, what a subjective matter to discuss! i just can't understand why someone would mention the beatles. ever listened to sergeant pepper's... with headphones? i go crazy when i hear the drums panned hard right and the horns completely on the left channel. horrible. lot's of people wouldn't understand why i like steve albini's shellac sound so much. john fruscianti's 'clara' album is recorded on a four track tape machine, but sounds so honest and warm.

anyway, here's my list:

1. the entire autechre oeuvre (perfect as far as sound design goes)
2. speedy j - a shocking hobby (FAT!!!)
3. motorpsycho - let them eat cake (warm and that nice analogue sound)

oh, and can i add a number 4? smiley smile by the beach boys. if brian wilson had been a bit faster in the studio, the beatles' sergeant pepper's album would have been an anonymous release. yes, in those days a new album was something to look forward to, and it was a race to your music first on the market. brian wilson... a genious and perfectionist!

John Cooper · Post by **John Cooper** » Fri Sep 20, 2002 11:26 am

What an impossible discussion!

I can't even begin to review the records that have moved me or changed me...

But I just gotta mention this one- that really inspired me in the last couple years--it's just amazingly orchestrated and produced:
Amon Tobin -- Supermodified.

This album really opened my eyes and ears - a new perspective is always nice.

-John

marcuspocus · Post by **marcuspocus** » Fri Sep 20, 2002 11:38 am

Yeah, i love Amon Tobin also!

krizrox · Post by **krizrox** » Fri Sep 20, 2002 3:37 pm

I forgot to mention "Metal Machine Music" by Lou Reed.

Absolutely brilliant! A masterpiece!

this smiley face is for those who have actually listened to MMM all the way through in one sitting

Retro · Post by **Retro** » Fri Sep 20, 2002 9:26 pm

On 2002-09-20 16:37, krizrox wrote:
I forgot to mention "Metal Machine Music" by Lou Reed.

I truly hope you're joking Kriz! This album is like listening to a roomful of continuously re-connecting dialup modems!! As far as I know there is only one way to sit through the whole album in one session, in which case I know exactly why you're smiling

Neutron · Post by **Neutron** » Fri Sep 20, 2002 11:12 pm

On 2002-09-06 08:27, krizrox wrote:
Beatles - Sgt. Pepper
Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon
Boston - First Album
Todd Rundgren - A Wizard, A True Star
Steve Hillage - Motivation Radio
Miles Davis - Bitches Brew

Pick three. If you're talking about sound/production values, I think these albums raised the bar but we should also give credit to Les Paul.

[ This Message was edited by: krizrox on 2002-09-06 08:28 ]

Steve Hillage! I saw him s many times when I was in the UK, he came to my college and i had all his albums

i had to give away all my albums before i came to canada to save weight.
now I have all his mp3s and i buy a CD if i can find one when im in the record store (not easy to find though)

I would also agree with dark side of the moon.

and add Tales of mystery and imagination by the Alan Parsons project.

that is a really hard choice though. so i picked it because of the connection. I have seen many other great albums just in the other responses here. you can not really say anything is "best" it depends on your mood.

sometimes a quite crappy thing sounds like the best thing ever if you were involved with it and like to play it just to recreate the feeling of the creation process of the work.

[ This Message was edited by: Neutron on 2002-09-21 00:19 ]

Ricardo · Post by **Ricardo** » Sun Oct 06, 2002 9:48 am

This is a great thread. I've just been reading everyone's answers, and I have to agree with most of them. It's so subjctive.
Personally I don't own a single Beatles album but it's great pop production. I love Led Zeppelin but the production is bad ( for me).Same with Elvis Costello.
Cowboy Junkies 'Trinity Sessions' is great, recorded in an old wooden church with some very expensive mics.
The The ' Mind Bomb' is awesome.
David Sylvian 'Down to Earth' has some mind blowing stuff. But I could go on and on...
Basically my three favourite albums are:
David Sylvian 'Secrets of the Beehive', Santana 'Supernatural' and The Stranglers 'The Raven' ( love that bass )
BTW if you like Pink Floyd then get 'Pros and Cons of Hitch-hiking' and put it on loud in your headphones. That's an experience!
Keep those creative juices flowing!

petal · Post by **petal** » Sun Oct 06, 2002 5:51 pm

Yes this is a special kind of thread, and I must say, that a lot of the answers hmm surprised me. I mean I expected a lot more electronic music and at least recent production!?

When I saw this thread, Two (three) records immidiately came to mind in terms of production:

- Tom Waits - "Alice"
- Radiohead - "Kid A" and "Amnesiac"

These albums all have a sound that invites me to listen carefully. Especially the accoustic Bass on Alice is amazing

When it comes to true electronic produced albums, I really had to dig a little around in my collection, before I could find something interesting and worth mentioning here, and then it isn't really true electronica

. But

- Flanger - "Templates" and partly "Midnight Sound"

really had an impact on me. It's not so much the sound of the production, which is good, but more how they have really made the production part of the creative composing of these albums. The way they morph between "cool-and-funky-modern-jazz" and electro-blip-blop-bliss, is out of this world! Completely amazing!

Thomas

[ This Message was edited by: Petal on 2002-10-06 19:07 ]

Post by **garyb** » Mon Oct 07, 2002 1:50 am

listen-the ahmad jamal quartet
odes-irene papas w/vangelis
deeper roots back to the channels-mighty diamonds

hundreds of others including
the silk road-yo yo ma
dinner music for those who aren't very hungry-spike jones
skeletons-ricki lee jones
in my life-judy collins
pay back-james brown
the planets-tomeda
are you experienced?-jimi hendrix
AND an amazing albumn,
healers brew/south africa:outernational meltdown #2 from b+w loudspeakers.
(oh yeah,throw in any sun ra or any james"blood" ulmer)
..............

hey! how about natch'l blues-taj mahal?....help! i can't stop finding great ones!arrrgggh they're all so great!!aarggghhchch....
.
.

..
.

spoimala · Post by **spoimala** » Mon Oct 07, 2002 3:40 am

Not many people here will know anything (I guess) about these artists, but I'll put 'em anyway

1) DreamTheater - Images And Words
2) Symphony X - Twilight in Olympus
3) Ayreon - The Universal Migrator part 1: The Dream Sequencer

Rob van Berkel · Post by **Rob van Berkel** » Mon Oct 07, 2002 4:11 am

This thread is more like : "let's all tell what music listening we're in to".
Imho the some of the albums and artists mentioned in this thread have nothing to do with great sound (beatles), only with a perfect match to the personal taste. E.g. as for my taste, I like Queen alot, especially "Night at the Opera" and "Day at the Races", but that has nothing to do with great sounding, production wise. For that era it was good, but time has changed.
So are we talking good sound or personal favs? They make two different lists in my case. Well, no, there are albums that sound great and that I find great:
+ Marcus Miller + Miles Davis - Siesta
+ Marcus Miller - M2
+ Quincy Jones - Back on the Block
+ Madonna - Ray of Light
+ Enigma - MCMCX AD
+ Acoustic Alchemy - Reference Point
Apart from my personal taste I think these albums are very well produced, have a well-balanced layout, and don't cause any 'listening fatigue'.
Some parsonal favs in music are: Queen, Herbie Hancock, Marcus Miller, Rachelle Farell and Al di Meola.

Rob

Micha · Post by **Micha** » Mon Oct 07, 2002 4:36 am

Inside - Paul Horn
Oriental Bass - Renaud Garcia-Fons
Sunfighter - Grace Slick & Paul Kantner
Inside: Contains the athmosphere of the chosen room (Taj Mahal) in an extraordinary manner.
Oriental Bass: Tip, instruments well balanced.
Sunfighter: Vinyl at its best.
Happy pulsaring
Micha

DJATWORK · Post by **DJATWORK** » Mon Oct 07, 2002 10:16 pm

On 2002-09-19 20:27, borg wrote:
mmmm, what a subjective matter to discuss! i just can't understand why someone would mention the beatles. ever listened to sergeant pepper's... with headphones? i go crazy when i hear the drums panned hard right and the horns completely on the left channel. horrible.

The fact is that they "inaugurated" the Stereo technology, and the Ingeneers and producers doesn´t really knew how to take "advantage" of the new Stereo System.

IN the future the people will laugh listening to the "5.1" or "7.1" DVD AUdio mixes that we are making today!!!

That is not funny at all!!!! =)

Post by **garyb** » Mon Oct 07, 2002 10:40 pm

sometimes a bad mix is coool.

astroman · Post by **astroman** » Tue Oct 08, 2002 4:14 am

most times a perfect mix is boring
needs character to be outstanding, something special

bosone · Post by **bosone** » Tue Oct 08, 2002 5:03 am

i just want to add some heavy-metal albums:
metallica: black album (1991)
dream theater: images and words
Steve Vai: Passion and Warfare

wayne · Post by **wayne** » Tue Oct 08, 2002 6:19 am

I've been checking this thread since it started, but can't pinpoint anything. it's bloody good fun trying, though - takes the mind back through the music that affected me the most, and assimilated into the way i play music.
Sometimes music played on any old thing played through any old thing is unbeatable, another time pristine, noise free, beautifully recorded & mastered sound is the only thing that will do it.

But when it rocks, it truly does, yea verily, by my troth.

Orright here's 3-

Fishbone - "Give A Monkey A Brain And He'll Swear He's The Centre Of The Universe"
Ornette Coleman Quartet - "This Is Our Music"
Sun Ra - "Sun Song"

yeah and all them records that u fellas mentioned

(in sooth)

spoimala · Post by **spoimala** » Tue Oct 08, 2002 7:14 am

bosone, I already added Images And Words.

IMHO it's the best album of all in avery measurable field.
PERFECT sounds, GREAT musicianship and WONDERFUL compositions.

bosone · Post by **bosone** » Tue Oct 08, 2002 7:37 am

On 2002-10-08 08:14, spoimala wrote:
bosone, I already added Images And Words.
IMHO it's the best album of all in avery measurable field.
PERFECT sounds, GREAT musicianship and WONDERFUL compositions.

yeah! i dint notice it before! sorry!

btw, i know ayreon and symphony X, and both the album you suggested are great!

virtualstudio · Post by **virtualstudio** » Wed Oct 09, 2002 9:57 am

On 2002-10-07 04:40, spoimala wrote:
Not many people here will know anything (I guess) about these artists, but I'll put 'em anyway

yeah great albums though I personaly prefer AWAKE and V, see page 1