Worst mastering you've ever heard?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Spaceboy, Jun 16, 2007.

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  1. Spaceboy

    Spaceboy Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Near Edinburgh, UK
    My vote goes to:

    Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication

    I listened to it on my hifi for the first time ever a few days ago and couldnt believe how bad it sounds. It's so bad I just didnt want to keep listening to it. It's like listening to someone butchering a musician's work with a blunt hacksaw.
     
  2. ARK

    ARK Forum Miscreant

    Location:
    Charlton, MA, USA
    Rush - Vapour Trails
     
  3. Doug Sclar

    Doug Sclar Forum Legend

    Location:
    The OC
    Jethro Tull Aqualung remaster.
     
  4. jon9091

    jon9091 Master Of Reality

    Location:
    Midwest
    Being as how both of those are fairly new recordings...and there isn't any previous versions to compare them to.....how does one know if it's the mastering...or if it was recorded/mixed that way? As in the McCartney MAF thread. One would assume it's lousy mastering, but Bob Ludwig mentioned it was delivered that way.
     
  5. street legal

    street legal Senior Member

    Location:
    west milford, nj
    The Kinks' CD's on Sanctuary are right up there.
     
  6. ashlee5

    ashlee5 Senior Member

    Lily Allen's Alright Still sounds horrible. Too bad I like the music on it so much.
     
  7. Juan Samus

    Juan Samus New Member

    Location:
    Pennsylvania
    The Who - A Quick One (Stereo Remix)

    mastered by you-know-who
     
  8. MikeP5877

    MikeP5877 V/VIII/MCMLXXVII

    Location:
    OH
    Sammi Smith's first album, which was released in 2005 on the Acrobat label, whoever they are. It sounds like a low bit-rate MP3 of a vinyl copy. Makes the titles listed above sound like DCC gold discs by comparison.
     
  9. sherrill50

    sherrill50 Well-adapted Melomaniac

    Location:
    Mukilteo, WA
    The recent (2005) SACD Hybrid reissue on Jeff Wayne's War Of The Worlds. At least on the redbook layer. Brickwalled and, imho, unlistenable.
     
  10. rjp

    rjp Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    unquestionably, with no competition whatsoever:

    fleetwood mac - say you will

    so shrill and loud it becomes virtually unlistenable with the volume at more than 2.
     
  11. Claude

    Claude Senior Member

    Location:
    Luxembourg
    A recent 3CD reissue "Glancing Backwards" of british saxophonist John Surman's early albums.

    Compared to the CD version of one album I already owned, the mastering engineer boosted treble by approximately 10dB at 10kHz. It's unlistenable. I ripped the CDs, lowered the treble to a level where it sounded ok and burned CD-Rs with the result.
     
  12. readingm

    readingm Senior Member

    Location:
    Redwood City, CA
    That's a shame; some pretty awesome music there. Isn't that the one with the "Where Fortune Smiles" album included? Is there a better CD source for that?
     
  13. pool_of_tears

    pool_of_tears Searching For Simplicity

    Location:
    Midwest
    I'm no mastering engineer. I don't know much about khz, cycles, azimuth or sibilance. But I've done enough needledrops that I know what a transfer might need or does not need. I prefer to stick with a flat transfer if at all possible.

    The absolute worst I have heard is disc 2 of the Live At Leeds Deluxe Edition. Jon Astley what were you thinking? Even worse, the 1995 mix of Amazing Jouney and Sparks were inserted into the 2001 mix and the difference is sickening.
     
  14. tootull

    tootull Looking through a glass onion

    Location:
    Canada
    :agree:

    ... and George Harrison - All Things Must Pass
     
  15. Barnabas Collins

    Barnabas Collins Senior Member

    Location:
    NH
    For a current album, it would have to be Amorphis' (Finnish metal) "Eclipse". I've never listened to the entire CD in one sitting. I tried to at home a few times, but it literally gave me physical pains. Then I tried it in the car thinking that even the worst mastered music is at least acceptible while on the road. WRONG! :rolleyes: Too bad because there's some interesting music on there. I just have no idea what they sound like after track three! :laugh:

    For remastering an old album, I would say the SBB (Polish prog band) box set. It's so loud that there's some distortion present. It's the most ridiculously juiced EQ setting imaginable. My speakers don't exactly go deep in the bass, but when I try to listen to SBB, it sounds like I have a subwoofer! Just terrible mastering of great music. :shake:
     
  16. Harry Krishner

    Harry Krishner Forum Resident

    I just picked up The Beatles Love CD and let's just say I'm not overly thrilled.
     
  17. Johnny Connor

    Johnny Connor New Member

    Location:
    Homdel,NJ
    Totally right on that one.:righton: See also Huey Lewis And The News Sports Expanded Edition remaster (done by Bob Norberg):help:
     
  18. Leppo

    Leppo Forum Librarian

  19. flashgordon

    flashgordon New Member

    Now how about Bullseye's Klaatu 25th Anniversary re-issues? :thumbsdn:
     
  20. stumpy

    stumpy Forum Resident

    Location:
    South of Nashville
    The very first cd I was unable to listen to all the way through was Bob Seger's Smokin' O.P.'s. - like knifeblades to the ears. But even my original vinyl from Pampa Studios was that way. About the brightest mastering I've ever heard.
    .
     
  21. johnny 99

    johnny 99 Down On Main Street

    Location:
    Toronto
    You're right. "Honourable" mention goes to Iggy Pop's remixed "Raw Power"; a bastardized version of a great album completely messed up and so damn loud you'll think there's something wrong with your speakers. (Thanks, Iggy...):thumbsdn:
     
  22. aftermath6202

    aftermath6202 New Member

    Location:
    Huntsville, USA
    MCA's original release of Magic Bus-The Who On Tour.
     
  23. EddieVanHalen

    EddieVanHalen Forum Resident

    My vote goes for Van Halen's The Best Of Both Worlds compilation. Maximized, compressed to death, harsh and agressive, absolutely unlistenable, an ear bleeder.
     
  24. trumpetplayer

    trumpetplayer Senior Member

    Location:
    michigan
    ditto
     
  25. voicebug

    voicebug Senior Member

    Location:
    now in Houston, TX
    The Little River Band: Greatest Hits----Remastered and Expanded Edition.
     
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