The best sounding (produced/mastered) tracks/albums

[Somebody]

ABC - The Lexicon of Love

[Byronwww]

TorqueDirty said:

God Shuffled his Feet by the Crash Test Dummies is good, track 10 - The Psychic, is amazing on a good system.

And whilst it might not be everyone's cup of tea, albums by Shpongle are usually amazing. "Are you Shpongled" is very impressive.

Sphongle Tickling the amygdala is great with headphones.

The artwork on some of their albums is amazing too.

More good production:
Felix Laband - The soft white hand
Daft Punk - Starboy or Random Access memories
Gotye - Making Mirrors
Talking Heads - Remain in Light (most of the later albums are really well done though)
Tyler the Creator - Igor
James Blake - Overgrown
Radiohead - In Rainbows (most newer albums are good though)
Tool - newest album (can't remember the name)
Bowie - Station to Station (listen to the guitar in the background of the first track)
Santana - 3

[CypSIdders]

New Gold Dream - Simple Minds

[sean ie3]

Ashes and Fire by Ryan Adams gives some great sounds, and Miles Davis Kinda' Blue will give your Hi-Fi a test.

[RichA35]

Macy Gray - I try (from the stripped album)

[NDA]

Deranged Rover said:

Chris Jones - No Sanctuary

Just listening again to this... some window wobbling bass.

[thebraketester]

Radiohead - Everything in its right place. I think the production on that track really sings on a decent system. I like the contrast of the seemingly underwater bass line and kick drum against the clarity of the vocals and other SFX

[NDA]

Deranged Rover said:

Chris Jones - No Sanctuary

Just listening again to this... some window wobbling bass.

[Funk]

NDA said:

Deranged Rover said:

Chris Jones - No Sanctuary

Just listening again to this... some window wobbling bass.

Check out 'Long After You're Gone' by him as well, great track. Most of the stuff on the Stockfisch label seems to be very well-produced and recorded.

Some recommendations which are reference tracks for me:

Midnight Blues - Snowy White & the White Flames
Blackest Eyes - Porcupine Tree
Detroit - Marcus Miller
Colour to the Moon - Allan Taylor
Raise the Roof - Bob James
Baby King - Marc Cohn
The Grave & the Constant - Fun Lovin' Criminals
Watercolour - Pendulum
Move On - George Michael
On Her Majesty's Secret Service - Propellerheads
Rainmaker - Keb' Mo'
Mona Lisa - Martin Taylor
Played Twice - Fred Hirsch Trio
Sweet Georgia Brown - Monty Alexander

Looking forward to checking out all the recommendations from others later on!

[Crasher242]

808 Estate said:

Pink Floyd - Pulse.

I was going to chip-in with any of the Grundman remastered Pink Floyd releases. Especially the earlier ones...
Absolutely astounded by the clarity, and they were all reasonably priced.

[Digger]

Crasher242 said:

808 Estate said:

Pink Floyd - Pulse.

I was going to chip-in with any of the Grundman remastered Pink Floyd releases. Especially the earlier ones...
Absolutely astounded by the clarity, and they were all reasonably priced.

Not forgetting DSOTM on surround-sound SACD.

[MC Bodge]

A great thread.

Some excellent suggestions

[RichA35]

Nick Cave and Warren Ellis - The Road

Milky Chance - Tainted Love and Colorado (acoustic version)

Beth Orton - She cries your name

Jasmine Thompson - Halo

Damian Rice - 9 Crimes

Edited by RichA35 on Saturday 25th February 02:23

[Tony1963]

Ok, geeky time.

Michael Jackson’s Thriller.

But! If you want it on CD, then keep an eye out for the Japanese first pressing with the code ‘ 35 8P-11’ around the centre. These discs usually sell for £80+, but I just kept checking Discogs and eBay and struck it very lucky one day, £5 including delivery.

An outstanding disc that, if demoed against the usual suspects can easily show how bad some discs are, and how incredibly good CD can be when given a chance.

[thebraketester]

What's the 'actual' difference between it and the standard disc?

[Tony1963]

thebraketester said:

What's the 'actual' difference between it and the standard disc?

Physically, nothing. It conforms to the red book specifications.

Listening? Clarity was the first thing to hit me. Instruments and vocals are clear and in their own space. ‘Best of’ CDs etc just sound muffled after this. Made before the loudness wars began, I suppose.

[MC Bodge]

Tony1963 said:

Physically, nothing. It conforms to the red book specifications.

Listening? Clarity was the first thing to hit me. Instruments and vocals are clear and in their own space. ‘Best of’ CDs etc just sound muffled after this. Made before the loudness wars began, I suppose.

Is the digital code on the disc any different?

If not, then how can the sound produced be any different?

[Tony1963]

MC Bodge said:

Is the digital code on the disc any different?

If not, then how can the sound produced be any different?

So you don’t think that from a beautifully recorded/mastered version it would be possible to make third rate copies?

[egomeister]

Tony1963 said:

MC Bodge said:

Is the digital code on the disc any different?

If not, then how can the sound produced be any different?

So you don’t think that from a beautifully recorded/mastered version it would be possible to make third rate copies?

It shouldn't be if it was the same version.

It's quite possible the Japanese release was mastered differently though. Anecdotally, it seems to me that they value production quality far more than we do over here based on the few Japanese bands I have listened to (from internationally known stuff to the friends of a former housemate)

[OutInTheShed]

Tony1963 said:

MC Bodge said:

Is the digital code on the disc any different?

If not, then how can the sound produced be any different?

So you don’t think that from a beautifully recorded/mastered version it would be possible to make third rate copies?

Don't forget that on some CDs, in some (or even all!) players, the error correction is doing an awful lot of work and may not be doing it perfectly.