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Post by stormymondays on Dec 29, 2017 7:51:37 GMT -6
What are your favorite records of the year, from a sonics/engineering point of view? Of course engineering without great songs and performance is nothing, but some records DO sound better than others!  I was listening to a list with the best records of 2017 in the Americana genre, which is closest to what I do, and feeling pretty good about my engineering and songwriting abilities. "Oh yeah, that's pretty good, I can do that too!" Of course, pride comes before a fall! Enter a record that should be on any top-10 list and is not: Gregg Allman's "Southern Blood". Recorded at Fame, produced by Don Was, mixed by Bob Clearmountain. As we sometimes say here in Spain, my balls dropped to the floor!!! Everything on this record sounds stellar. If I had to make a record sound like this, I don't think I would even know where to begin! Can't wait to hear your recommendations! |
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Post by Ward on Dec 29, 2017 8:09:50 GMT -6
Yeah, an extraordinary album capturing the last light from an absolute genius. Love it.
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Post by jeremygillespie on Dec 29, 2017 8:34:11 GMT -6
I feel like anything Ryan Freeland does is pretty much amazing.
The new Joe Henry record was done live takes to 2 track tape. I can’t think of many people that would have the balls to do that these days other than Joe and Ryan.
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Post by c0rtland on Dec 29, 2017 8:55:36 GMT -6
The new war on drugs album sounds amazing. Very nuanced. Clear. Everything in its right place.
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Post by c0rtland on Dec 29, 2017 8:58:31 GMT -6
I feel like anything Ryan Freeland does is pretty much amazing. The new Joe Henry record was done live takes to 2 track tape. I can’t think of many people that would have the balls to do that these days other than Joe and Ryan. Wow. Wow. wow. This sounds wonderful. |
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Post by spock on Dec 29, 2017 10:40:12 GMT -6
The new war on drugs album sounds amazing. Very nuanced. Clear. Everything in its right place. Great record! Chunks of it recorded at Boulevard. |
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Post by Johnkenn on Dec 29, 2017 11:11:32 GMT -6
Looking forward to listening to these. I thought the Sam Smith record sounded pretty amazing.
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Post by popmann on Dec 29, 2017 14:19:56 GMT -6
The "winner" for me is the new Michael McDonald. The single threw me because it has some shitty 90s drum loop, thus click tempo...thus...anyway...but, once I got to hear the whole thing. I give it bonus points because of how insanely BUSY the arrangements are. It's one thing to get Isbell's acoustic+Tele+Pbass+trap kit kind of thing to sound good...it's different to get the 13 guitar tracks, 3 pianos, horns, strings, harmonies...it's an AMBITIOUS album that ALSO sounds really good.
John Mayer's Search For Everything...Isbell and Stapleton's--although, to split hairs, I like Cobb's engineering better than whomever does Chris's while he produces.
Another Nashville engineer proved that heavy rock doesn't HAVE to be cut to tape....the new Riverdogs is mastered too loudly, but it sounds good. I mean they cut the basics in LA in the studio they recorded their 1990 debut in....but, I think he did the overdubs and mixed it here. That was refreshing, as I'd wondered why so many of those rock bands have been making such horrible sounding work...even Europe hired Dave Cobb and made a terrible sounding record....WTF? Congrats, Mr Brophy for reminding me that rock doesn't need to sound horrible.
The new Pink sounds better than her records ever have...she's notorious for shitty sound, IMO....You+Me at 48khz a few years ago was so wonderful...I think whatever tech/engineer she must've held onto for this...lots of nice real piano framing some deep hooks and one of the best sets of pipes around.
This has been the year of the least records bought....EVER for me. I mean, at age 12 on allowance I bought more records...but, the ones I've gotten have meant more FOR that, I guess...
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Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2017 15:07:31 GMT -6
My fave for sound quality is probably the newish one by Martin Simpson, 'Trails & Tribulations'. Produced, engineered and mixed by Andy Bell. Insanely good sound quality.
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Post by popmann on Dec 29, 2017 19:31:33 GMT -6
One note: Southern Blood...is available in HD. FWIW.
Note two: I should've posted this tune, which is the one that is the "busy"...7+min...it builds...and Robben Ford--I mean, fuck ME, props.
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Post by lcr on Dec 30, 2017 2:16:29 GMT -6
This thread is at a perfect time for me. Im wanting to get a new batch of reference tracks. I use magic A/B which I think loads 9 ref tracks? I have it loaded and in my template so a variety of styles of music is quickly available for reference.
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Post by Guitar on Dec 30, 2017 17:30:36 GMT -6
I guess it's not 2017 exactly but I thought a lot of the Tom Elmhirst mixes I've heard in the past few years have sounded really excellent... something I'd like to emulate. I just can't be bothered to listen to a Lorde album to stay up to date.
I just went through some of the "best of 2017" lists on the web blogs and tried to listen to a few top albums... results were pretty terrible. I hope it's not just me. I've never had luck with what the 'big blogs' talk about, for the most part.
I did think that Kendrick Lamar album sounded really good, though.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2017 4:18:25 GMT -6
Did he do the last Lorde album then? We got that and went to see her a couple of months back, but it's not really my cuppa either. Wife and daughter loved it though!
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Post by Guitar on Dec 31, 2017 7:44:34 GMT -6
Did he do the last Lorde album then? We got that and went to see her a couple of months back, but it's not really my cuppa either. Wife and daughter loved it though! I guess I had a slight misconception. He mixed a little less than half the tracks on "Melodrama" they used several different mixers, it appears. Maybe one of those shootout things. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 31, 2017 12:14:54 GMT -6
I don't think the album sounds particularly great. It's got that very modern over-processed digital sound. Works well enough for the style, but not when you compare it against well recorded acoustic music etc.
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Post by ollie on Dec 31, 2017 12:18:42 GMT -6
I thought the Sgt. Pepper remix sounded great. The Gregg Allman record I also dug. Sounds like good mastering. |
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Post by Martin John Butler on Dec 31, 2017 13:20:11 GMT -6
What I'm hearing on all these tracks is the silence. The quietness a great studio has, where you can hear the room properly. That's the one thing I can't emulate at home, that energy in a well designed room, it has a sound of its own you can feel, and when it's good, and when engineers and producers know what they're doing and the budget's there to afford to pay people like that, you get benchmarks like this.
The War On Drugs have been a little bit LoFi to date, and I thought "Lost in the Dream" was the best album of that year. It's good to hear their new album sounds so nice.
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Post by geoff738 on Jan 1, 2018 0:10:55 GMT -6
I feel like anything Ryan Freeland does is pretty much amazing. The new Joe Henry record was done live takes to 2 track tape. I can’t think of many people that would have the balls to do that these days other than Joe and Ryan. I can’t find that vid, but I did find a bunch of Rose stuff from that album. Had no idea Joe produced or that it was done here. I’ve been a Joe Henry fan for about 25 years now and love his production as much as his solo stuff. I’ve certainly suggested his production as being amongst the best sonically in the past here. The song Slide in particular. Wish I could find a vid of Richard Prior. Amazing. Didntknow he had a new one - kinda passed on the Billy Bragg Collabo. Will have to check out the new one. Live to 2 track should be awesome. Cheers, Geoff |
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Post by iamasound on Jan 1, 2018 4:02:56 GMT -6
It is a live album but served up just how I like my rock and roll.
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Post by allbuttonmode on Jan 2, 2018 5:34:40 GMT -6
It is a live album but served up just how I like my rock and roll. That's Marc Ford and Rich Robinson from The Black Crowes! Nice! |
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Post by jcoutu1 on Jan 2, 2018 7:01:31 GMT -6
I'm probably alone here, but I really like the new Lana Del Rey album. I love how drenched in verb most of it is. I love how they push for vintage style tones on some. Here's a track with Stevie Nicks.
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Post by jeremygillespie on Jan 2, 2018 8:13:16 GMT -6
Almost forgot - one of my favorite records this year is the new Harry Stiles.
Spike killed the mixes.
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