Audiophile Level Rock Albums?

Many of the albums sound really good, but audiophile? Never!!!

 

Yes, but you MUST have the correct pressing. ANY label with the clouds and blue sky background IS NOT cut from the master tape on the first two Eagles releases. Look for the White label with the small oval window showing the "Gates of Heaven." The sound will knock you out.

Also, for a great Classic Rock Audiophile experience, try Fleetwood Mac's 1975 Self-titled release. You must see "Kendun" and "POGO" in the runout groove. Trust me, the sound is as big and bold as it gets. A true demo disc.

 

I have absolutely no idea what you would consider "audiophile-level", but I was referring to his last two solo albums, in particular...

 

Rage Against the Machine - S/T
Chili Peppers - BSSM
Outkast - Aquemeni
Wilco - A Ghost Is Born
White Stripes - Ickey Thump
Pink Floyd - Animals (UK Pressing)
T. Rex - Electric Warror (UK Pressing)
The Clash - London Calling (UK Pressing)
Cat Power - The Greatest
F. Mac - Rumours 45 RPM
John Frusciante - The Empyrean

This list could get very long....

 

+1 for Ghost in the Machine.

I already loved the music - was blown away when I got the vinyl.

 

Love the album but this would be a very liberal use of the "rock album" label.

I have an original pressing but I have also seen a MOV (music on vinyl) pressing. I would like to hear it as far as comparison, if its better I would buy the $50.

 

Lindsey Buckingham "Out of the Cradle"

 

My vote is it was something with Knopfler. I think some guys just "get" the studio environment and are more forward in managing that process vs. just the content. He strikes me as the kind of guy that sound is important to and he would obsess over it. I put Donald Fagan in that same category.

 

Suddenly looks like a PBTHAL fan club meet in this thread

Not sure the OP was asking about comparisons between audiophille pressings of your favorite albums....

 

Black Sabbath "Sabotage" (UK 1st Press on Nems label)

 

Play the Carpenter's "Close to You" album. That one smokes, especially on vocals. Also the Lee Hulko master of More Hot Rocks.

 

Isn't Los Lobos' Kiko widely regarded as one of the best sounding CDs ever? There are a bunch of threads on it as well as the 2012 SACD and LP reissues. Here's one.

 

The Doors - LA Woman

 

As much as I love rock music, I have to agree with you on this point.

 

Whoa. I'd say we hit the wall here as far as Rock albums go.

 

Amazing album from start to finish!!!

 

Little bit embarrassing to bring this up, but if we talk about vinyl, one should try.... Michael Jackson.
"Thriller" on vinyl is just mind-blowing (I can't stand Michael digitally, really annoying!)

I don't like to say this, but concerning Pink Floyd the most audiophile record would be "The Wall". A lot of people didn't like this album so much (me included), until they heard the vinyl.
(DSOTM, WYWH and all the others are fine, but "The Wall" impresses me most, not musically, but sonically! Great dynamics!)

Digitally, there's some audiophile rock music (or what appeals to audiophiles):

Santana - Caravanserai (1972) (especially MFSL SACD)
Roger Waters - Amused To Death (1992)
The Police - Regatta de Blanc (1979) (Japan SHM-SACD is as good as it gets and close to vinyl)
John Frusciante - The Emyprean (2009)
Porcupine Tree - Recordings (2000) (First Track "Buying New Soul" is one of my reference tracks)
Steve Tibbetts - everything (perhaps the only ECM artist, that can be filed under "Rock")
Neu! (1972)
...to name but a few, which comes to mind.

Apropos, if you really want to test (and enjoy) your system, particularly the speakers, try Eberhard Weber's solo bass album "Pendulum" (1993), ECM 1518 (it's neither jazz nor rock, it's just amazing!)

 

Why embarrassing?

 

Thinking the same thing, I took KIKO to an audition of a very high-end system and that recording didn't withstand the scrutiny. You could almost "see" the producers' console moves as the tape whirred through. It was like zooming in on a very good half-tone photograph; get close enough and you become more and more aware of the black and white dots.

I'd have to agree. Someone smarter than me once wrote that most rock recordings are "multi-mono," not stereo. They're assembled on a mixing console, usually heavily manipulated, and there's usually no air or natural space around the instruments. Most of the time everything just comes at you from its discrete, isolated placement on the stereo spread with no acoustic interaction or room sound between the instruments. Are rock recordings capable of some amazing sounds -- yes, of course. Realistic, audiophile material? Most of the time, no. That's just not how it's usually recorded.

That said, I think the best sounding rock recordings tend to emphasize the vocalist. The DCC gold discs for Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison and Linda Ronstadt contain some spooky real vocals. Both Natalie Merchant's TIGERLILY and the BoDeans' HOME offer a very good live-band-in-the-room feel. The Cowboy Junkies' TRINITY SESSION is a legendary audiophile recording for a reason, recorded live around a single mic.

 

The Dead C / Clyma Est Morte
Cheater Slicks/ Whiskey
Oblivians / Blow Your Cool EP
***** Galore / Sugar Sharp Sh** EP
The Fall / Dragnet

 

Wilco's A Ghost Is Born? -E

 

I agree The Wall on original pressing vinyl sounds awesome.

 

Both albums by Tonto's Expanding Head Band.

 

Another name you could list in that category would be Linda Ronstadt. I was a little surprised to see in a recent interview with her how important SQ was to her. Not Surprising as everything after the Stone Poneys days is excellent

 

I agree with your comments about multitracking and heavy processing. But there are exceptions. And there is a sweet spot I think for some music recorded in the late 60's and early 70's where the studio gear was not as complex and the musicians in some cases were of a calibre where they could simply knock out the record without a huge amount of overdubbing, which I think causes problems sonically even without adding heavy processing.