Best Album Production

[hexumhawk]

This topic is going back to when artists put out full albums but...

Anyway, what would be your best album of all time as far as from a production aspect. I'm not talking about that you loved every song. I'm talking about how it sounds, the mix and levels, clarity, crispness, etc.
For me the best sounding album I have ever come across is:

Petty's first solo attempt even though most of the Heartbreakers played for the album.
Jeff Lynne of ELO fame produced the album and was recorded in Mike Campbell's garage studio. The sound is amazing so do yourself a favor and listen on a good system or headset.

Side note: During the recording sessions Petty wrote a song called "Indiana Girl" which later became "Last Dance w/ Marry Jane".

 

[Bonerfarts]

Grading by when it was released.

 

[SSG T]

Adjusting for the capabilities of the time, it would be hard to argue against one of the late 60s Beatles albums or early-mid 70s Pink Floyd. I mean, say what you want about PF, but Dark Side and Wish You Were Here were nearly perfect in the production.

Honestly, a LOT of stuff from the 80s (rock and pop categories) were WAY overproduced.

 

[bhawk24bob]

I think we can get the Led out on 8 different albums before listing any other band

 

[SSG T]

I think we can get the Led out on 8 different albums before listing any other band

Hard disagree. Zeppelin's performance was always WAY better than the production of the music.

 

[BlIIlken2]

 

[ParkerHawk]

Floyd - Dark Side
Rush - Moving Pictures
Yes - 90125
Genesis - Lamb Lies Down

 

[auntie_fah]

Always appreciated how distinct and clean the drumming sounded and how powerful the guitars were on Helmets Meantime ane Betty

 

[h-hawk]

Some more.

 

[ISUBryceC]

 

[DooBi]

Always appreciated how distinct and clean the drumming sounded and how powerful the guitars were on Helmets Meantime ane Betty

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Aftertaste was just as good or better too.

 

[noleclone2]

Lot of good ones here. One that belongs in the conversation for sure is Radiohead’s Ok Computer.

Here is a beautiful and great example (used to close out The Bear season 1 finale)

Listen on headphones.

 

[SeaPA]

Stevie Winwood's Arc of a Diver

 

[Scott559]

Some excellent ones listed, A few more

ELP Brain salad surgery
Steely Dan Aja
Toto Toto IV

 

[Kinnick.At.Night]

Pretty much any album produced by Daniel Lanois for me. I love how he adds ambience into music. The Unforgettable Fire and The Joshua Tree from U2 are a couple of good examples. Also, Oh, Mercy by Bob Dylan. Amazing atmosphere.

 

[The Tradition]

This is the best live album I've ever heard:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzQv7flTDyw

 

[Fan In Black]

Highway to Hell or Back In Black

 

[The-Dude-Abides]

Abbey Road for me. Love the whole album, but side two is so seamlessly woven together it's almost perfect. Amazing they were able to achieve this when John and Paul had basically one foot out the door and couldn't agree on anything.

 

[DirtyJohns97]

Some excellent ones listed, A few more

ELP Brain salad surgery
Steely Dan Aja
Toto Toto IV

Came here to say this

 

[Menace Sockeyes]

I think many albums, especially mid-80s onward, were overproduced and suffered from clarity to the point of sterility. I only put one producer from the digital era on there. In no particular order:

In Utero and Surfer Rosa - Steve Albini
Juju (Siouxsie and the Banshees) - Nigel Gray
More Fun in the New World (X) - Ray Manzarek
Remain in Light (Talking Heads) - Brian Eno
Nevermind the Bollocks, Here’s the Sex Pistols - Bill Price and Chris Thomas (read their work. Absolute legends. Price at the beginning of his career and Thomas at his peak)

 

[ButtersHawk]

Thought this was cool, it was the master tape of Crazy Train. Ozzy even stands up almost in awe of Randy Rhoads isolated solo

 

[bagdropper]

Rush - Moving Pictures
Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms

Those'd be my 2 choices anyway. Doesn't matter how good of quality your rig is. They sound great played on anything. And one thing I have noticed with them is when using your best equipment, it's pretty difficult to find out just what the volume limit of your rig truly is before it gets "too loud".

I was listening to Brothers in Arms yesterday through my worst rig - a bone stock non-restored (translated = "tired", it's begging for a full re-cap) Pioneer quad receiver from the early 70's hooked up in stereo to a pair of Zenith Allegro speakers from roughly 1980. The Zeniths usually can handle only about a clean 5 wpc before the paper cone woofers begin complaining. The Pioneer in bridged mode supposedly can put out 40 wpc - so maybe the 1st 5 watts peak are pretty clean even with it probably needing new capacitors galore.

It's my "I have practically no money in it whatsoever" rig. I use it occasionally because I've own the pieces a long time, and they still work as they're supposed to. So, once a week I give it 3-4 hours of listening.

I suddenly realized...that sounds really damn good. I've owned those speakers for over 40 years now, and I've never heard those speakers sound as good as they sounded yesterday.


Albums that sound like that are pretty rare IMHO.

 

[ZachJump]

Just about anything Mutt produced.

 

[FAUlty Gator]

Sgt. Pepper

 

[fezzador]

The Clash’s London Calling. Per-freaking-fection.

 

[bhawk24bob]

Hard disagree. Zeppelin's performance was always WAY better than the production of the music.

The production captured a band that had just enough time between shows to still sound live, it’s incredible imo. Different strokes for different folks I guess

 

[hawkirugged17]

This topic is going back to when artists put out full albums but...

Anyway, what would be your best album of all time as far as from a production aspect. I'm not talking about that you loved every song. I'm talking about how it sounds, the mix and levels, clarity, crispness, etc.
For me the best sounding album I have ever come across is:

Petty's first solo attempt even though most of the Heartbreakers played for the album.
Jeff Lynne of ELO fame produced the album and was recorded in Mike Campbell's garage studio. The sound is amazing so do yourself a favor and listen on a good system or headset.

Side note: During the recording sessions Petty wrote a song called "Indiana Girl" which later became "Last Dance w/ Marry Jane".

Good documentary on Petty's solo album Wildflowers.

 

[hawkirugged17]

Grading by when it was released.

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Good videos from Tom Scholz here ...

 

[blackbones]

PINK FLOYD DIVISION BELL

The production of this album was epic when it came out and still is.... PERFECTION

 

[blackbones]

Another masterpiece in production...

 

[seminoleed]

Springsteen's "The River". Entire album is the perfect mix of soft and rockin' music, with vocals and instrumentation mixed just right, especially when he steps away from the mike and shouts.

 

[hexumhawk]

This was one that I thought about as well just for the shear amount of work (sampling) that went in to it. Unreal for its time.

 

[hexumhawk]

Abbey Road for me. Love the whole album, but side two is so seamlessly woven together it's almost perfect. Amazing they were able to achieve this when John and Paul had basically one foot out the door and couldn't agree on anything.

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Yes, the Beatles pushed the envelope with recording for sure during their entire career. Martin was great at letting them be creative while understanding the destination for each song. Most people usually think of the St. Pepper recording methods but a lot of that started on Revolver with backwards looping and back masking.

 

[InsaneHawkJJP]