Kevin's Watch

So what is it? I'm not talking about best music, best lyrics, best hair or anything else. I'm talking about the best magic in a studio. How well the album was arranged and recorded. The quality of the performance itself, not the quality of the performers (in other words, the Backstreet Boys were well produced, even though the singers should be thrown into a chipper/shredder).

For a long, long time I considered Pink Floyd's The Wall to be the crowning achievement in the recording studio. Sonically the album is just about perfect, from the stereo games, to the spoken word clips, to the extensive use of sound effects. "The Trial" is absolutely amazing.

Then I heard Nine Inch Nails's Pretty Hate Machine, and I was knocked out of my chair. When PHM came out in '89, I was a stone-cold classic rock/metalhead. To say that it wasn't my kind of music is a vast understatement. But the recording......It's a no-holds-barred sonic assault that grabs me by the ears and doesn't let go. The segues between "Head Like a Hole", "Terrible Lie", and "Down In It" are breathtaking. This is one of the CD's I've used for years to test stereo equipment and speakers. The bass drop at the beginning of "Down In It" is worth the price of the disc.

But lately, another album that I've known about for years has resurfaced. I've had it in the CD player of my truck for about 3 weeks now, and I'm flabbergasted that I've ignored the album since shortly after it's release. It was released in 1986, and went down in history as the first heavy metal album to be recorded entirely digitally. It was a massive departure for the band; a huge but brave risk. It featured extensive use of the unloved (and misunderstood) guitar synth. It had pop sensibilities. But all that aside, it lept out of the speakers when I first put it on my turntable in '86.

I'm talking about Judas Priest's Turbo.

Stop rolling your eyes. I'm dead serious. I didn't like the album when it came out, and I'd still say it's the worst Priest album taken as a whole.

But God it sounds good, especially the Jon Astley remastering for the new CD. Keeping in mind that it was recorded in 1985 on archaic equipment, and taking into account that guitar synths, especially the kind they used were ill-tracking, tempermental beasts, the album just sounds smooth. The performances are spectacular, especially the stunning "Out in the Cold", which can proudly stand next to any classic Priest song, as well as stand next to the awesome recordings on The Wall or Pretty Hate Machine.

Cail wrote:(in other words, the Backstreet Boys were well produced, even though the singers should be thrown into a chipper/shredder).

Ah, c'mon Cail, why would you ruin a perfectly good chipper/shredder?

Anything that Alan Parsons is a part of is usually a Class-A job, Dark Side of the Moon, Abbey Road and his own I, Robot are just some examples. [I'll second and third that duck-ster! ]

danlo, I'll second the Alan Parson's Project I, Robot. It's what I instantly thought of when I read Cail's OP in this thread.

Haven't heard it. I'll have to check it out. The only album of theirs I'm even a little familiar with is Stereotomy, which is quite good.

I couldn't say what the best would be, but...

PHM is a very good choice, though I think The Downward Spiral was more polished productionwise while lyrically and sonically being Reznor's masterpiece. (the new album was a very big disappointment for me) (and to be fair, I have to mention Ministry's Psalm 69, as Ministry paved the way for and was a big influence on NIN)

Mer de Noms by A Perfect Circle. You'd swear it was a concept album.

M1-A1 by Gorillaz.

Hellbilly Deluxe by Rob Zombie.

And don't kill me for this one, but One Fierce Beer Coaster by the Bloodhound Gang. Considering it was all put together on a Mac...

As far as producers, directors, and/or engineeres, I would have to go with Alan Parsons also.
Who else can take a handfull of studio musicians and cut an album that sells?
He's done that with different mucisians and not often use the same people.

Def Leppard's Hysteria is a wonder of production. I'd listen to all day sometimes, and I'm not really a fan. Mutt Lange www.bigbro.ca/zone.html

sgtnull wrote:Def Leppard's Hysteria is a wonder of production. I'd listen to all day sometimes, and I'm not really a fan. Mutt Lange www.bigbro.ca/zone.html

Wow, how could I have forgotten Hysteria? Yeah, that's definately a high-water mark.

Mutt also made Shania Twain (his wife) sound good and Bryan Adams. the man can take $hit and make it good sounding $hit. at least Def is ok.

Excellent topic, Cail! Thing is, we're not likely to talk about albums that are just well-produced but whose content sucks (according to the one listening to it).

Thanks for the heads up on Turbo. I'll have to check it out! The first heavy metal album I ever bought was Priest's Screaming For Vengeance back in '83 - after having been blown away by the song You've Got Another Thing Comin' on the radio . I still think Vengeance is a powerful piece of work, and was very happy when the remastered edition came out.

Jon Astley also did a fabulous remastering job with ABBA's albums. Yeah, I know you guys are getting out your barf bags now. Nevertheless, I love the polished production of ABBA's later albums, recorded in their own Polar Music Studios. I'd say Super Trouper is the finest one (produced by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, aided by their secret weapon, engineer Michael Tretow).

As for all-time best produced album...I don't presume to know. However, both The Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall have stood up so well over the years that it's hard not to be in awe of both albums. I'm not as passionate about Floyd's music as many of you are, but I do admire these albums as studio masterpieces. So basically I'd flip a coin to pick one as the best produced, heh.

Sticking to the stuff I know and love best, I think these are some superbly produced recordings:

Cheap Trick: Dream Police -- a common criticism of this album is that it's too polished and lacks the energy of the band's Live at Budokan release. Well, I say that's hogwash! Back in '79, Dream Police was the album that showed this 8-year old kid how exciting and gorgeous a rock album can sound.

Simple Minds: Street Fighting Years -- depending on your point of view, this was either SM at their sublime best or pretentious worst. Released in '89, this album is to me a grand (and grandiose) commentary on the angst and turmoil of the Eighties.The album was produced by Stephen Lipson and Trevor Horn (of Yes), and what they provide here is a wide-open sound. This was the band's first digital recording but with analog mixing, so SFY retained a certain "warmth" in its sound that was perhaps lacking in other early digital efforts from the '80s.

Radiohead: Kid A -- Heh, I've already blabbed on about this album in the Radiohead thread. Everything about the production just seems impeccable. Huge sound, yet an intimate feel.

Pink Floyd : Animals
underated. but brilliant.

Matrixman wrote:Jon Astley also did a fabulous remastering job with ABBA's albums. Yeah, I know you guys are getting out your barf bags now. Nevertheless, I love the polished production of ABBA's later albums, recorded in their own Polar Music Studios. I'd say Super Trouper is the finest one (produced by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus, aided by their secret weapon, engineer Michael Tretow).

As for all-time best produced album...I don't presume to know. However, both The Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall have stood up so well over the years that it's hard not to be in awe of both albums. I'm not as passionate about Floyd's music as many of you are, but I do admire these albums as studio masterpieces. So basically I'd flip a coin to pick one as the best produced, heh.

An ABBA fan! A greatest hits tape which I found cheaply is on in my car whenever I use it right now, great songs, aren't there...beautifully arranged and recorded, but I can't stand the drumming and the way the base plays, much too dominant for what they are, the voices and the lyrics(!) saves at least my day...

The Dark Side of the Moon, I bought the 25th anniversary CD, before I have only had the album...and it BLEW ME AWAY!!! What a masterpiece this is, very high on my list...

...but if I had to choose only one I'd pick Electric Ladyland by Jimi Hendrix, produced by himself with help of Eddie Kramer , the warmth, the creativity, the sounds, pannings, effects, everything is just beautiful and I couldn't live without it

lot of stuff I haven't heard in posts above, must check it out, Alan Parson's solo among others...

kastenessen

dennis,

Ahhh I love me some Animals. One of my favorites by Pink Floyd. Excellent choice.

A few more nominees: Dark Side, obviously, for sheer cohesiveness. Siamese Dream - Butch Vig is such a great producer. See that record and Nevermind for proof. Next, I'd nominate The Queen is Dead by the Smiths. Words don't describe the depth of that album. Absolute classic.

Screaming Trees: Sweet Oblivion.

great sound, great songs. the band have never sounded as good, before or after. I live the sheen that this album has, and the vocals are great.

Butch Vig is a good producer, but I think his best work is Garbage 2.0.

Animals really is a great, underappreciated album.

Ah, I've yet to really get into Garbage's albums..

AC/DC's Back In Black-The Beatles Abbey Road-Metallica's The Black Album.I really like the production on Led Zeppelin 4 as well.

I really miss the type of 70's bass you find on Helter Skelter. loose to the point of falling apart...
now today you just get this headache inducing bass that drills holes through your skull.

I'm a little embarrassed to say, but I kind of like Jeff Lynne as a producer. His mixes are usually just right. I used to be an ELO fan in my teen years, but I think it was the Tom Petty album with Freefallin' (Full Moon Fever comes to mind, but I do trust my memory much these days) and saw it was produced by him. Granted, the albums usually sound pretty glossy, but they also have all the power in the right places too. He also did the Travelling Wilburys (duh, he was in it) and some other stuff. It seems like every now and then I'll happen across an album he produced, and I'll know it before I look up who did it.

Other notables, the Loud Family usually sound just fine (unless it is a live recording), and the Rainmaker's last two albums sounded particularly wonderful. Other than that, I usually don't notice production unless it is particularly bad.