Best Sounding Album of all time

  • Thread starter Thread starter Tim Walker
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Pixies - "Surferosa"

While I understand that you're thinking in technical terms, I don't think you can isolate the technical achievement from the material. Black Flag's "Damaged" produced by Alan Parson's would have been an entirely different record, and very likely wouldn't have been the classic it is today (not questioning his ability, which is tremendous, just the appropriateness).

That said, the opening drums of the Pixies' "Bone Machine" shake the walls, and the live, almost impromptu feel of the album just conveys so much energy. This was the album that introduced me (and a lot of the rest of the world) to Steve Albini, and at the time, it sounded like nothing else out there.

I still listen to that album and go "Wow". Recorded almost 20 years ago, and it still sounds fresh and as current as anything happening in indie rock.

I also really like Smashing Pumkins' "Gish" produced by Butch Vig. The drum work on that album and the layers of guitars sound sooo good on a nice monitor system...
 
:D Wow, I'm listening to that album now! I've been on a Floyd kick since Live-8 this weekend. A very "large" sounding album (ie the stadium chants on "What God Wants")

Stefan Elmblad said:
Roger Waters, Amused to Death
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Definetly not NIN. The mixes sound muddy and not too clear, especially "The perfect drug" song.

PERFECT CIRCLE, 13th Step.
Anyone who has not heard this album get a listen to it. It seriously is lovely to listen to the mix quality. everythng sounds realy fekin brilliant.
Best and hugest drum sounds EVER and chunky thick guitars with crisp well defined cleans and a fat and smooth and defined bass guitar.
BEST MIXING TO DATE DEFO.
 
I'll put in a vote for one of the worst I've heard.

The Scissor Sisters self-titled debut.

Everythings muddy and nothing really stands out.
 
Miles Davis, Kinda Blue, Verve Records.

Just about anything from Atlantic Records and Tom Dowd, 1955-1967.

Percy Mayfield singles, Specialty Records LA sound, early 50s.

Joan Baez, Farewell Angelina, 1966, Verve(?).
 
ecktronic said:
Definetly not NIN. The mixes sound muddy and not too clear, especially "The perfect drug" song.

PERFECT CIRCLE, 13th Step.
Anyone who has not heard this album get a listen to it. It seriously is lovely to listen to the mix quality. everythng sounds realy fekin brilliant.
Best and hugest drum sounds EVER and chunky thick guitars with crisp well defined cleans and a fat and smooth and defined bass guitar.
BEST MIXING TO DATE DEFO.
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I'd agree with you on that for The Downward Spiral (as the perfect drug was a bside from that recording sessions, later released on the lost highway movie). But I'd suggest going back and listening to The Fragile and hear how the production took leaps and bounds over his previous stuff. And 13th Step was good, but it seemed to missing alot of the upper frequencies (seemd more focused on lows and mids).
 
wishtheend said:
I'd agree with you on that for The Downward Spiral (as the perfect drug was a bside from that recording sessions, later released on the lost highway movie). But I'd suggest going back and listening to The Fragile and hear how the production took leaps and bounds over his previous stuff. And 13th Step was good, but it seemed to missing alot of the upper frequencies (seemd more focused on lows and mids).
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Ill try and get a hold of The Fragile for a listen.
Listen to track 2 from 13th Step. Sounds soo clear and full and has depth. everything is perfectly placed and the sounds are really great. It might have some more mids and los but it sounds great that way.

ANDY WALLACE IS A GENIUS
 
ecktronic said:
Ill try and get a hold of The Fragile for a listen.
Listen to track 2 from 13th Step. Sounds soo clear and full and has depth. everything is perfectly placed and the sounds are really great. It might have some more mids and los but it sounds great that way.

ANDY WALLACE IS A GENIUS
Click to expand...
Am listening now :p
Besides just being a marvelous album, the production is pretty good. My comment on not having alot of the high frequencies is more for the tracks like Pet. But you're right, the production is top-notch. Personal fav in terms of mixing would be track 3 (The Noose). The drum sound is just to die for.
 
(Talking about THE NOOSE) Yeah it makes the drums sound even better because for the intro of the song the drums have like a hi cut filter on them and maybe only used the room mics rather than the close mics. So when the drums kick in eventaully they sound crystal clear and perfect. And they come in at just the right point where more instruments aree adedd or a new riff is played that compiments the drums coming in at that point.
Great Production from Billy Howerdell and great engineering by Andy Wallace. Perfect combination. Yeah the music is good also.
 
Radiohead "OK Computer"

When I first lisented to it, I knew I had never heard anything like it before. And I still haven't really heard anything quite like it since.

Perfect blend of great songs, great arrangements, and production/engineering/mixing.

Also, even though it's relatively new...Wilco "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot". The production adds so much to those songs. It's hard for me to picture them without it. Jim O'Rourke is extremely talented, and I don't think his name gets mentioned enough.
 
Dire Straits-Making Movies

It every note just sounds gorgeous, Mark Knopler's guitar tone is incredible (on all his stuff).
 
My two favorite sounding albums are Clutch S/T, and Kyuss Welcome to Sky Valley. Just because I think they sound like how they should without being overproduced.

As to the best sounding albums, I have no idea.
 
- Radiohead - OK Computer
- Jeff Buckley - Grace

Silverchair's Diorama could've been special but somehow it's all a little too tinny in the upper-mids to take advantage of the amazing orchestration.
 
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