Bands/Artists w/ Timeless Production

I'm looking for a band from the 60s/70s that didn't go with the flavor of the day. It's easy to tell a band's 80s stuff with the fake sounding drums (loud snare especially), cheesy keyboards, jangly strats, etc. Too many record the gimmicks of the day, and you can easily tell what year something was recorded, but not EVERYONE.

 

Ugh, I feel this will become a controversial thread.

 

But replying to your thread, The Doors (with the exception of their debut album IMO) and Janis Joplin’s solo work.

 

I was thinking of something Paul Rothschild was saying, how their music should be timeless, avoiding too much technology.
The moment Paul left, Robby used some wah-wah pedal (The Changeling, for example). But, they only had 4 years of recording (67-71 w/ Jim). Great pick, though!

People have opinions. Discussion shouldn't be "controversial".

 

For my money, anything by Glyn Johns sounds timeless. Eagles, Humble Pie, Zep 1, The Who...
They all work for me in a big way.

 

Rod Stewart's first four albums. You can guess by listening to them that they were released sometime between 1968 and 1974, but the production still sounds amazing and not dated.

 

Excellent answer. I remember Henley wanting his bass drum louder, and so Glyn told him to hit it harder. Each band sounds different, but while he was there, it had the same sound.

LOL @ "that's my echo!" (History of the Eagles clip)... I wonder how much give/take was done with Glyn and Jimmy Page, or Pete T... Out of curiosity, could you describe other characteristics of his?

 

The Band w John Simon is pretty removed from their era production wise.

Jimmy Miller’s Production as well.

 

I would say a lot of 70s rock albums have "timeless" production. Listen to something like "Rumours", for instance - I can't think of anything about the production that clearly seems "dated" and many other 70s albums have that same kind of warm, "natural" sound.

Of course, you can find dated production in the 70s, but I think that decade has easily the highest %age of "natural-sounding" releases...

 

Natural, leaning toward full bodied but ambient drum sounds... his cymbals always have a pleasing (not harsh) shimmer.
Guitar sounds are always discreet and present- especially acoustic sounds.... they are always rich and full bodied.
Glyn likes his vocals... you can tell he worked the bands to get great blends... it’s a true art form.

Edit- you can find these common denominators in tunes such as Eagles: Doolin Dalton /Take the Devil, Zeppelin: Babe I’m Gonna Leave You, Humble Pie: I’m Ready / Sour Grain, Who: Won’t Get Fooled Again

 

So, I'm going to spite the OP and only list 80s albums.

Peter Gabriel - Melt & So
The Police - Zenyatta Mondatta, Ghosts In The Machine, Synchronicity
Talking Head - Remain in Light, Stop Making Sense
AC/DC - Back In Black
Prince - Dirty Mind
David Lindley - El Ray-X
The Rolling Stones - Tattoo You
Roxy Music - Avalon
U2 - The Joshua Tree
The Pretenders - Learning to Crawl
BoDeans - Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams
Paul Simon - Graceland
Metallica - Master of Puppets
Robbie Robertson - S/T
Bruce Springsteen - Tunnel of Love
10,000 Maniac's - In My Tribe
Guns 'n Roses - Appetite for Destruction
Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation
The Cure - Disintegration
De La Soul - 3 Feet High and Rising
The Cowboy Junkies - The Trinity Session
Ministry - The Land of Rape and Honey
Tom Petty - Full Moon Fever
Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine
Pete Townshend - Empty Glass
Tom Waits - Swordfishtrombones
Joe Jackson - Night and Day
New Order - Power, Corruption & Lies
David & David - Boomtown
R.E.M. - the IRS albums
Stevie Ray Vaughan - Texas Flood and Couldn't Stand the Weather
Lou Reed - New York
Van Morrison - Avalon Sunset & Irish Heartbeat (w/ the Chieftains)

So about that comment about "fake sounding drums (loud snare especially), chesy keyboards, jangly strats". Believe or not, it wasn't all Culture Club and Madonna.

 

First group I thought of. Just a down home rootsy sound. No gimmicks, no wasted production. Just a great band playing great music naturally and sounding like it.

 

Been listening to Alan Parsons: I Robot several times in a row (bought it over a week ago). This sounds very timeless and classic.

 

I agree with the OP about 80s production. It’s way easier to tell when a song is from that era than any other decade. That doesn’t make the music any less great, but it did have an unique sound. I’d add late 90s/early 2000s pop songs Cher, Britney, Backstreet Boys, etc.

 

Seems like the engineers/producers who made music kept it great... ELO, too.

 

The Velvet Underground "WL/WH" would fit this - it certainly sounds like not much else in the 60's (or since).

 

The Doors were the first band to come to mind, although I’d include their debut as well. It has a uncluttered, well-rounded live sound to it, only marred by excessive stereo separation on some tracks.

I’d also include the Stones’ albums with Jimmy Miller. The production was a quantum leap over previous, and they sound like they could’ve been recorded yesterday.

 

I disagree, but you have a point there.

 

Lotta albums on that list I love - not a single one I'd say has "timeless" production.

Some come close - "Appetite" is arguably the best contender - but most still "sound 80s".

They just don't sound "stereotypical 80s"...

 

There's nothing inherently "natural" about an amplified guitar.

 

Pink Moon, released in 1972 and could just as easily come out today.

 

About anything touched by these guys- Walter Becker and Donald Fagen of Steely Dan.

 

Yes, the sound of an acoustic guitar hasn't changed

Some of my favorites, and would agree their production work was top-notch, except the last 2 albums, which sound like the typical cocktail jazz production, but I lament more the material. I don't think it compared to their 70s work, or Gaucho or even "The Lost Gaucho Tapes" which have some amazing stuff. (Kind Spirit, The Bear, The Second Arragenment, All Too Mobile Home).

 

CCR with John Fogerty's production, his arrangements, his writing...and that VOICE!

 

I was listening to Fleetwood Mac Rumours last weekend, and actually made the comment out loud that the album was (to me) timeless.