Best Sounding CD Ever?

Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2003 11:31 am

Led Zeppelin IV.

Great acoustic instruments (mandolin, guitar) and badass electric. One of the best drum sounds (When the Levee Breaks) ever. Not to mention awesome vocals.

Listen to the guitar on Stairway. It's so sad that this song, and the entire album, is going to be overlooked by so many just because the song was overplayed into the realm annoyance. It's an amazing song (that I used to hate) if you can manage to get fresh ears and listen to it.

And if you really want to hear a good album, it has to be on vinyl. CDs just don't come close.

Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2003 11:40 pm

Rick Rubin and Brendan O'Brien did Blood, Sugar. I worked for the company that supplied the studio gear they used to record, a company called Clubhouse. Unfortunately I started about 8 months after the album was finished. I don't remember if they mixed at the house in the hills, though. We built Perry Farrell's system, and supplied the gear for the first Counting Crows album (T-Bone Burnett and Pat McCarthy !!!). I was just running gear and setting up mics (hey, I still do that now!), but it was terrific to learn from people at that level. I wish I had been more experienced when all that was happening- I had some golden opportunities that I couldn't take advantage of because I just didn't have the knowledge and maturity- I was 20 years old. Those were exciting times... Doc

Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2003 11:43 pm

They may have used a 57 on some of the vocals, but believe me, they had an incredible collection of mics to choose from and I want to say I remember a tube 47 being involved... Can't be too authoritative because I wasn't there. Doc

Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2003 3:30 am

Recently I have come to love this Cd
:h: Treena

Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2003 8:07 am

It is hard to choose only one name but I would alsopick:

Tears for Fears - Sowing the Seeds of Love
Michael Jackson - Thriller
Yes - 90125
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy
The Police - Syncronicity
Titãs - Cabeça Dinossauro ( Brazilian Group)
Rush - Power Windows

Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2003 8:09 am

Mixopenta and Cary, we need to have a big recording facility together my friends!!

Yes - Fragile > I love that bass tone!!!!!!
:p:

Posted: Fri Jul 18, 2003 12:27 pm

I can't choose just one:

Red House Painters - Songs for a Blue Guitar
Ranges from Neil Young style amp-cranked guitar tones to spacious and open alt-country type songs...'Have You Forgotten' and 'Song for a Blue Guitar' are two tracks I use to familiarize myself with stereos, mixers, rooms etc...intimate vocals, lush verbed out pedal steels, brushes on snares, lotsa sonic goodies. Also, the cover of the Cars 'All Mixed Up' is gorgeous

Butthole Surfers - Independent Worm Saloon
Produced by John Paul Jones, he wrangled every little ounce of music from these Texan crazies.
Tons of guitars not just layered but woven together to make a kick ass sound. Some wacky intros/segues/nonsense tastefully used(well, except the song about puking...)

Melvins - Houdini
Huge room sounding drums and pounding guitars-vocals are a bit whacked but it ranges from the very fast to the very slow in tempo and song development. Some cool varispeed/half speed trickery and crazy doubling schtuff. the drums in "Honey Bucket" sound like a Harley idling at times...killer.

Mercury Rev/Flaming Lips
I'm a sucker for Dave Fridmann's production, and it's changed throughout both these bands career(as has his contribution..) but I can find perfection-fully realized productions, songs, albums etc within their catalogs. Look to FLaming Lips "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots" and Mercury Rev's "All is Dream" for the newest schtuff.

Cake - Comfort Eagle
Like the friggin blueprint of how drum machines and pop bands should interact at times. Some wicked hooks, and 'mid-fi' production make it rawk.

Red Snapper - Prince Blimey
It seems cliche for bands these days to want to emulate their electronic brethren....these guys were way ahead of the pack and this 1996 album to me is still the best hybrid of amazing musicianship/electronica styles and production.

honourable mention:
Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.
shit I already used the word gorgeous....uhh...it's really really frigging good!!!

Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2003 5:27 am

The Pink Floyd - Dark Side Of The Moon album is what i think the best album ever recorded. You can really hear that it was made on the top of the recording industry. The studio's were massive in these days and also was the sound Smile

Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2003 6:56 am

I'd put a vote in for the Jonatha Brooke's record done by Bob Clearmountain. Steady Pull. It's especially tasty when you hear the DVD-Audio version on a nice set of monitors. The 16-bit, 44.1khz version sounds good too. Rolling Eyes

Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2003 7:54 am

Quote:

Originally posted by Keith H:
I know what the worst sounding CD i've heard in a long time is,Metallica's new album,i think the recording engineer must have been drunk when he made this one,worst audio quality i have heard in a long time.I liked it better when recording studio's where analog,back then i think engineers took more time to make great recordings.Now i think they just crank up the levels push a button and walk away.I think studio's are in a hurry to get the things out to the public instead of taking the time to make a good product.Of course this is purely my observation or opinnion and your miliage may vary..PEACE and Happy 4th of July everyone..Keith H.

I agree with you , but Metallica's records have always sounded bad ( especialy the drums )

Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2003 8:35 am

Eric , I like your list but I would have to say I love the red house painters 3 best ( rollercoster )

in no perticalar order

blood sugar sex magic RHCP
revolver beatles
sufer rosa Pixies
it takes a nation of millions public enemy
litiney Arvo Part
sketches of spain miles davis
dummy portishead
inervisions stevie wonder
Abigail King Diamond

I think these albums still stand up years after release
production as well as mastering

Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2003 2:57 am

Pat Coil "Steps' is a very good sounding record.
Sheffield Lab Direct to Disc..It is one of my reference CDs..well worth a listen if you're interested in benchmark quality.

Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2003 2:59 am

Pat Coil "Steps' is a very good sounding record.
Sheffield Lab Direct to Disc..It is one of my reference CDs..well worth a listen if you're interested in benchmark quality...ajw :w:

Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2003 7:58 pm

Quote:

Originally posted by Treena Foster:
Alison Krauss + Union Station "New Favorite"
:h: Treena

Great choice Treena! I, too, love this CD's sonics. I would really love to know more about how this CD is recorded, mixed, and mastered. Anyone have any inside info?

Whatever was done during this CD was done on Dan Tyminski's subsequent solo CD (got that same "sound"). I'm dying to know more about what gear and techniques were used on this CD. I hear they use(d) soundelux mics for vocals.

Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2003 4:24 pm

Quote:

Originally posted by Exmun:

Quote:

Originally posted by Treena Foster:
Alison Krauss + Union Station "New Favorite"
:h: Treena

Great choice Treena! I, too, love this CD's sonics. I would really love to know more about how this CD is recorded, mixed, and mastered. Anyone have any inside info?

Whatever was done during this CD was done on Dan Tyminski's subsequent solo CD (got that same "sound"). I'm dying to know more about what gear and techniques were used on this CD. I hear they use(d) soundelux mics for vocals.

Exmun its my understanding that they used the Millennia STT-1 Origin for tracking the instruments and vocals.

Treena :h:

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