What's your favourite1970's studio analogue Production?

[TalismanRich]

They made significant changes when they issued the ZZ Top Six Pack in 1990. Some drums and bass rerecorded, vocals fixed, drums are much more prominent. I always felt the bass was a bit light, especially on Rio Grande Mud and First Album, but the drums were nice and tight.

Of course, if you had never heard the originals, you wouldn't know any different.

 

[Smithers XKR]

I'm a big Yes fan, but their earlier recordings through Relayer all had glaring production issues. Have you heard the Steven Wilson remixes (and surround mixes)? He really cleaned things up, in particular the easily audible tape hiss anytime the music came down to near the noise floor. But there is/was also a lot of clarity missing in those recordings that modern tools, probably with very little effort on his part, was able to bring out.

My favorite recordings of the 70s would be the run of Steely Dan records (through Gaucho, which I think is technically early 80s). Gerry Rafferty (mention by the OP) immediately came to mind as well, just a very well balanced recording and a reminder that more isn't always more.

Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours" is also a stellar pop recording. Dark Side of the Moon has always sounded good to my ears, and the remixes in the past 20 years have only improved on it, even though only slightly because it didn't need much attention.

The 70s was a sweet spot where analog was matured to the point it sounded amazing in the hands of the right engineers, and an era when musicians needed to be able to play to get on a record.

 

[Smithers XKR]

Good call with Rumours it set the bar production wise and thanks, I will check out the artists you have quoted that I am not all that familiar with so cheers Pinky all good stuff to learn new music
And yes you are very right..musical production hit such a sweet spot in the 1970's.. which I really believe so and why I posted and started this thread.
There are a load of great threads and posts here, so many great albums and artists.

I think this is just about as good as it gets from that era. Pretty much perfection production wise IMVHO.



Take care Pinky, thanks.

Smithers

 

[Smithers XKR]

Good call with Rumours it set the bar production wise and thanks, I will check out the artists you have quoted that I am not all that familiar with so cheers Pinky all good stuff to learn new music
And yes you are very right..musical production hit such a sweet spot in the 1970's.. which I really believe so and why I posted and started this thread.
There are a load of great threads and posts here, so many great albums and artists.

I think this is just about as good as it gets from that era. Pretty much perfection production wise IMVHO.



Take care Pinky, thanks.

Smithers

Or anything by The Carpenters or Abba. Let me explain that I am into Van Halen etc.... but when I hear the recording techniques on these records it blows my mind.

 

[TAE]

Man some great picks here...RFR and I are cut from the same rock n roll cloth to a large extent. One that is not all that well listened to that I think totally merits consideration is Court of the Crimson King ...The story of how it came about financially is pretty amazing..I had an older cousin who put me on to it right after it's release HOLY COW!




Another obscure one is that is rather epic is The Move "looking On" with a very young Jeff Lynne involved..

 

[TAE]

With regards to Supertramp less we not forget Crime of the Century

 

[TAE]

Oh and fer shits n giggles wowser!

Saw em live @ 1973 in a small club in Glendale California...The Sopwith Camel

 

[Pinky]

Oh and fer shits n giggles wowser!

Saw em live @ 1973 in a small club in Glendale California...The Sopwith Camel

Probably the best first song on a first album by any rock band in history. I mean to lead off what would become a huge rock legacy with THIS took guts, no one sounded like them at the time or really since. They represented a sense of 'fearlessness' by musicians that permeated the music industry through the 70s.

And to think they didn't even hit their stride for another album or two.

 

[TAE]

Oh and fer shits n giggles wowser!

Saw em live @ 1973 in a small club in Glendale California...The Sopwith Camel

I'll be darn...someone posted the whole concerts audio on the U tube...guess it was 1974...

It was an epic event a up close and personal

 

[Pinky]

I'll be darn...someone posted the whole concerts audio on the U tube...guess it was 1974...

It was an epic event a up close and personal

Would have been a bit tough for me to be there, I wasn't even quite in my mother's womb yet (born May 1975). Glad you're so old time stands still. lol

 

[Smithers XKR]

Would have been a bit tough for me to be there, I wasn't even quite in my mother's womb yet (born May 1975). Glad you're so old time stands still. lol

Cool band, I inherited Cant Buy, Pretzel, and Aja vinyl originals from my dear uncle after he passed on. Gaucho though was technical recording perfection production wise but I think Walter and Donald disapeared up their backsides by then, the songs just werent as good as previous albums. Eagles suffered the same fate after Hotel California. When you climb to the top... only way is down.

 

[Pinky]

Cool band, I inherited Cant Buy, Pretzel, and Aja vinyl originals from my dear uncle after he passed on. Gaucho though was technical recording perfection production wise but I think Walter and Donald disapeared up their backsides by then, the songs just werent as good as previous albums. Eagles suffered the same fate after Hotel California. When you climb to the top... only way is down.

Agree on Gaucho, "Hey Nineteen" is really the only track I truly love and only like a couple others (like Babylon Sisters, Time Out of Mind). Production wise, the DVD-A has become a tuning/test recording for surround and overall system setup when needed. Its engineering make it a landmark album.

 

[Smithers XKR]

Agree on Gaucho, "Hey Nineteen" is really the only track I truly love and only like a couple others (like Babylon Sisters, Time Out of Mind). Production wise, the DVD-A has become a tuning/test recording for surround and overall system setup when needed. Its engineering make it a landmark album.

Nightfly solo album was brilliant but I suppose recording techniques had moved on by then with the advent of MIDI and early digital in the mid to late 80's. But when I listen to tracks on that album what I hear is that Donald managed to create the sound and production of 70's Dan records IMVHO. Just pleased they got back together to do music again before Walter died. So thats good.