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BEST sounding recording EVER! What is it?


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I agree with the obvious Aja, DSotM, Turn of a Friendly Card, etc. as complete works. 

That said, I tend to find specific instrument sounds that hit a chord with me, even if the rest of the production isn't as good.  Examples:

Bass track on the live "You're My Home" from Billy Joel's "Songs in the Attic".  It's probably the worst vocal track BJ has ever released, but the bass/kick sound is spot-on.

The intro guitar sound in John Mayer's "Something Like Olivia"

The guitar sound on Bryan Adams' "When You Love a Woman" (Paco De Lucia).

The guitar sound on George Benson's "Masquerade" - IMO, the definitive jazz guitar sound.

The vocal tracks on the Operation Mindcrime album - Queensryche.

The drum track on "Rosanna" by Toto.

The guitar sound on Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" (Strat perfection, IMO).

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14 hours ago, Red Ant said:

What does song have to do with it? You asked about the best SOUNDING records, no?

I dont care for the Tears for Fears album AT ALL, but it's on my list because of the question you asked. And So is far from my favorite Gabriel as well, but it's his best SOUNDING records, and a milestone in the recording art. 

 

Agreed. So is a mediocre Gabriel record IMO as far as the music goes, but it sounds great. Maybe because there's no Robert Fripp involved? Or Gabriel was mentally healthier while writing it? Who knows...

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Just now, Zig al-din said:

 

Agreed. So is a mediocre Gabriel record IMO as far as the music goes, but it sounds great. Maybe because there's no Robert Fripp involved? Or Gabriel was mentally healthier while writing it? Who knows...

He'd finally gotten laid :lol:

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2 hours ago, flemtone said:

My shot is for 'Swingin' the Blues' by the Count Basie Orchestra.  The subtlety of the mix on " Li'l Darlin' " is phenomenal to me.

 

After that, I'd go for Sinatra's "In The Wee Small Hours" as a recording masterpiece.

 

Both great recordings, but there is no mixing involved, per se - these pre-date mixing. The balance was achieved by careful placing of musicians around the microphone, or a few mics at best - then cut straight to either vinyl acetate or a single-track tape machine. 

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3 minutes ago, Zig al-din said:

 

Haha you mean chicks didn't dig the fox mask and red dress or the reverse mohawk... :D

 

I was about to post a clip of Moribund The Burghermeister, but shockingly, YouTube is down!

Edit: Youtube's back!

Mike Patton owes Peter a LOT. 

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14 minutes ago, Red Ant said:

I was about to post a clip of Moribund The Burghermeister, but shockingly, YouTube is down!

Edit: Youtube's back!

Mike Patton owes Peter a LOT. 

 

Yeah that's a great point which I'd never thought about! This tune has about 80% of Patton playbook - it only lacks the psychotic screams and all that animal noise crap he does with Zorn. :lol:

I know a lot of people who consider themselves Gabriel fans because of the So album and then they hear something like this or Intruder or Family and the Fishing Net, and they want to throw the record across the room. That's the stuff I like though. YMMV. 

 

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12 minutes ago, Zig al-din said:

 

Yeah that's a great point which I'd never thought about! This tune has about 80% of Patton playbook - it only lacks the psychotic screams and all that animal noise crap he does with Zorn. :lol:

I know a lot of people who consider themselves Gabriel fans because of the So album and then they hear something like this or Intruder or Family and the Fishing Net, and they want to throw the record across the room. That's the stuff I like though. YMMV. 

 

After IV, Gabriel is basically dead to me :lol:

And you know I'm not a fan of his Genesis output. For me, I through IV are essentially one continuously evolving experiment, and a masterpiece taken as a whole. 

I especially like I lately, for the same thing I used to dislike it for - the Bob Ezrin bombast :D

And speaking of the Patton playbook: 

 

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11 minutes ago, Red Ant said:

After IV, Gabriel is basically dead to me :lol:

And you know I'm not a fan of his Genesis output. For me, I through IV are essentially one continuously evolving experiment, and a masterpiece taken as a whole. 

I especially like I lately, for the same think I used to dislike it for - the Bob Ezrin bombast :D

100%.

I'm especially fond of III and IV. because of how sinister and atmospheric they are. They're some of the most idiosyncratic records out there. They link in my mind with Bowie's Berlin records with Fripp and some of Crimson's work. In fact, there are some moments on III and IV that are almost King Crimson with Gabriel on vocals because of Fripp and Levin. lol

About Genesis - Gabriel's twisted, dark, comic sensibility was sorely needed in Genesis to offset Tony Bank's twee pretentiousness. (And I like the early stuff.)  

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2 hours ago, Opposite Day said:

I was playing along with some stuff from VH's Fair Warning the other day and realized I had been playing part of the solo to "Mean Streets" wrong for the past twenty five years. As I was fixing it I was once again blown away by how great that record sounds. :rawk:

Have you heard Van Halen's new album yet?

(Don't feel bad.  Neither has anyone else...)

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11 minutes ago, Grumpy_Polecat said:

ZZ Top's First Album: No studio tricks.

Or Dave Van Ronk's 'No Dirty Names'.  I think you can hear a small plane flying in the background on one of the tracks.  That effect was NOT planned; it was purely organic.  Like bathroom reverb.

I LOVE ZZ Top's First Album. In fact I love all their output all the way to Deguello. But I fail to see what those records are doing in this thread. I mean they by no means sound bad, and Billy's guitar tones are ALWAYS stellar, but they're hardly a recording milestone. 

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1 hour ago, Zig al-din said:

100%.

I'm especially fond of III and IV. because of how sinister and atmospheric they are. They're some of the most idiosyncratic records out there. They link in my mind with Bowie's Berlin records with Fripp and some of Crimson's work. In fact, there are some moments on III and IV that are almost King Crimson with Gabriel on vocals because of Fripp and Levin. lol

About Genesis - Gabriel's twisted, dark, comic sensibility was sorely needed in Genesis to offset Tony Bank's twee pretentiousness. (And I like the early stuff.)  

There is one album that brings all those twisted and related skeins together in one sublime album - Robert Fripp's "Exposure".

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