[Closed] Tell me about albums with staggering production quality

Relationship of Command by At The Drive In.
Every Doves record.

Yes, Quincy Jones was brilliant.

Primal Scream, Screamadelica

It's superbly done. Weatherall. Everything feels exactly just like it is about to fall apart, consistently, right throughout. Messy, but, brilliant controlled, like having exactly the right amount of distortion on a pedal.

Ultravox, Vienna.

Connie Plank was amazing. Every sound has it's own space. Precise. Syncopation. Diametric opposite to Screamadelica.

Dark Side of the Moon.

I know exactly what you mean, I went to see The Eagles and Rod Stewart with the gaffer because she was a big fan. Wasn't looking forward to either of them but the production values were absolutely first class.
Using the same criteria, Prince was an absolute legend. One of those artists I wish I'd paid more attention to, a very talented man who produced some great albums.

hotstuff - I saw the The Eagles 6 years ago as I bought tickets for my mum.
I liked their 'best of' stuff anyway but was absolutely blown away with their tight, crisp sound. Much more respect for them after that.

Any New Order album

Steely Dan's 'Aja' is famously well produced, and features some incredible musicians too.

ABC - The Look Of Love
Prince - Sign O' the Times...in fact anything by Prince really.
Radiohead - OK Computer. Nigel Godrich is a bit of a genius.

Nirvana nevermind. Produced by someone well known but alas I do not know who.sounds great.

Bizarrely I was listening to a vinyl pressing of tone Loc - Loc'd After Dark on my turntable and auditioning a Cyrus Phono Signature phono stage and the production on that is just immense. The amount of subtle layers to each mix is incredible and no background noise at all.

Dr Octagon - Dr Octagonologyst is another supreme hip hop mastering as well.

More mainstream - Sophie Zelmani - Sing & Dance is an excellent production.

Pharaoh Sanders: Thembi.
Another Bill Szymczyk production (he worked with The Eagles and others)

in fact, pretty much anything Rick Rubin's done

Nirvana nevermind. Produced by someone well known but alas I do not know who.sounds great.

Produced by Butch Vig, went on to form Garbage with Shirley Manson & Duke Erikson.

I have a stunning pressing of ‘Art Pepper meets the Rhythm Section’ on 180g vinyl that is unbelievably good, if I play it to people their jaw hits the floor but on Tidal streaming it’s pedestrian and dull.

Probably the most ‘in the room’ recording I own.

Def Leppard - Hysteria

Mutt Langes finest hour

How about The Alan Parsons Project.

Or anything by Wreckless Eric...

Depeche Mode - Violator is one that always stood out for me.

Am lucky enough to work for a hi-fi company, so I've "tested" some of my favourite stuff at obscene volumes on some decent kit. Absolute stand out was Sigur Ros - track 8 from (). Anyone who knows it will know it's a pretty dense recording when it kicks off. Equally, anyone who knows the difference active amplification can make when things get complex... **** me, without a doubt the best thing I have ever heard in my entire life.

Al Stewart, year of the cat.
Donald Fagin, the nightfly

Oh dear. I must be some sort of pariah! I have no idea what good "production values" looks or sounds like.

Any explanations welcome.

I just listen to a song and either like or not. Dont look any deeper.

I do have very varied tastes, but not very technical.

Neon Handshake by Hell Is For Heroes- produced by one of Refused, and it was forever delayed by the record company so they re-recorded and reworked it until there was nothing left to improve.

The first album by Boston. Even more impressive when you realise that it waas recorded in a basement home studio (without the record company realising). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_(album)

Al Stewart, year of the cat.

Oof. Beat me to it.

OMD. Architecture and Morality

Anything by Frankie goes to Hollywood.

Ah yes Butch Vig. The Garbage albums do sound really good. I would add QOTSA and "Welcome to the Pleasuredome". Lots of classical albums too, particularly on the BIS label with very minimal recording techniques.

Oh and let's not forget "When a Child is Born" by Johnny Mathis.

The first album by Boston.

Aye, but then Scholz started taking it too far.

My favourites are - and I know this is subjective, and for me production that just works for the artist concerned.

Previously mentioned: Weatherall 1 Screamadelica

- Eno/Lanois/Flood - Achtung Baby
- Stephen Street - Parklife
- Steve Lillywhite - Boy
- Marvin Gaye - What’s Going On
- Eric B. & Rakim - Paid in Full
- George Martin - Sgt Pepper
- Steve Hillage - Up to Our Hips
- Rick Rubin/John Carter Cash - American IV

Yeah, I was going to suggest the Rick Rubin 'American Recordings' series with Johnny Cash. To that I'll add 'Train a'Comin' by Steve Earle.

Sometimes less is more.

Dire Straits Brothers in Arms is about the best quality CD I've ever heard.

Propaganda - A Secret Wish
Pet Shop Boys - Introspective
Lee Perry - just about anything, but maybe start with Megaton Dub vol 1
Scientist - ... Rids the World of the Curse of the Evil Vampires
Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
Public Enemy - Fear of a Black Planet

Find a Phil Spector 'Best of ...' and marvel at what he achieved: He's A Rebel; You've Lost That Loving Feeling; River Deep, Mountain High

Screaming Trees - Dust
Monster Magnet - Dopes to Infinity
Blackalicious - Blazing Arrow and Imani
Gonjasufi - A Sufi and a Killer

@Mary Hinge
(terrible name, by the way)

I just listen to a song and either like or not. Dont look any deeper.

Thats the best way to do it.

Sometimes, though, I might like a song just because of the way the snare drum sounds, and that's usually down to the production.

Joy Division - Closer (along with the single love will tear us apart and Atmosphere)
the Jam - All Mod Cons
Simon And Garfunkel - Bridge over Troubled Water
Red Hot Chili peppers - Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Fat Boy Slim - Halfway between the gutter and the stars

this https://awvfts.bandcamp.com/

G.N.R - Use your illusion II

Mary Hinge +1
Not really sure what a producer 'does'. That smooth distortion on Lemmy's Rickenbacker is signature - is that the producer, or Lemmy?

I only notice production when it's rubbish (got a few Pistols bootlegs on rizla thin vinyl).
I know someone like Phil Spector has a distinctive sound on his 60s stuff and can hear his influence. But without knowing it was he who produced, say, End of the Century, I wouldn't be able to tell.

Or, the Scientist record mentioned above - amazingly distinctive sound but I'd be unable to say why it's distinctive. Slightly farty bass sound is the best I can do. Going to dig it out for a spin now.
The Who Live at Leeds - amazing sound (especially the bass) - is that the production or just how they played?

Sheffield Steel - Joe Cocker. Not heard from him in a while.

New Order & Joy Division
Early Pet Shop Boys
Screamadelica even though Weatherall thought it was full of mistakes.
Massive attack and anything by Coldcut

Dire Straits Brothers in Arms is about the best quality CD I’ve ever heard.

Love over Gold.

@ IHN , 'Train a comin' great shout . Favouite album ever! Closely followed by 'I feel alright' but still a fair bit out front.

Oh and let’s not forget “When a Child is Born” by Johnny Mathis.

Have you been eating the daffodils again?

Back OT many of the Linn Label albums have really good production. Claire Martin singing Man Who Sold The World is very well done.

Beach Boys – Pet Sounds

theres a clip of George Martin at the mixing desk with Brian Wilson, George starts to play with the levels on the original 8 track recording.... Brian Wilson "it already sounds better!"

"Oh dear. I must be some sort of pariah! I have no idea what good “production values” looks or sounds like."

Not a producer, so this will be crude and probably wrong...

A producer will take the sound of each instrument on a song and mix all of these together.
He has tools available to him which help to enhance each of these strands.
He has other tools available to him which help him to blend together or separate these strands.

If you go to a gig, and the lead guitarist has turned his amp up to 11, so you can't hear the vocalist... It's bloody annoying, and in a recording studio, that would be bad production.

In the example I gave, the Sigur Ros song is massively dynamic, there's 2 drummers and one of them sounds like he's literally beating his snare to death. When I'm listening to that, I can feel the power of it, but I can also hear the emotion in the singers voice and the soaring sound of a guitar being played with a bow. I can focus on and enjoy any of those elements separately, but also how they complement each other. For me, that's a great recording.

perchypanther
Member
Def Leppard – Hysteria

+1

The Beatles, Abbey Road

Boston.