Loud Albums You Wish You Could Like

This is so interesting to me. To me, Chaos certainly sounds "compressed" like a typical Nigel Godrich production, but is warm and rich and free of distortion. Generally a pleasure to listen to.

MAF, however, feels "limited" to heck, with crunchy, pixelated distortion all over the place, like the speakers are blown out. It's unpleasant to listen to, despite the often excellent songs.

 

As mentioned earlier, almost anything by Oasis. They have great songs, but the blisteringly loud guitars make it very difficult to listen to.

Clockwork Angels by Rush is mya favorite album of theirs since the late 80's, but is almost intolerable due to its loud, muddy sound. You would think they'd have learned their lesson after the Vapor Trails incident.

 

I love Nigel's production. Especially with Travis and Beck.

But for some reason Chaos sounds "bloated" to me. It's not a production thing more that it's a volume thing. That's the best way I can put it. No distortion or problems. Just... I don't know. It makes me think of Oasis' Heathen Chemistry. It sounds great but there's just something "off" that I can't put my finger on.

I think the album sounds very...."narrow". Sure there are things left/right/all over in the stereo spectrum, but things are kind of all "right there" if you get me at all. I'm rambling at this point because I don't know how to properly explain what I mean. It's like it's too dry or something like that. I don't know. I give up and wish I didn't even bother thinking about it.

I'm listening to my 2005 standard US cd copy ripped to my computer/ipod.

Maybe it's a CD vs vinyl thing? Maybe I did something wrong when I put in itunes way back yonder.

Also, it's my most listened to album by probably anyone, so there's a strong chance I'm just over analysing it by this point.

 

That's a great opportunity that was totally squandered.. some of the quieter tracks like Penetration are kinda listenable, and I like hearing the drums without silly delay & some clear bass.. but the louder tracks are a hot mess - and that's not to mention some of the editing & mixing decisions, which just come across as a big ego trip from Iggy.

 

One of my favourite tracks. Can't hear anything wrong with it?

 

Another loudness war thread well on it’s way and we should keep them coming in case someone in the business might be reading. But boy am I glad I went back to vinyl twelve years ago. There’s very few vinyl editions I would deem unlistenable. In fact most sound rather good IMO.

 

Foo Fighters-Wasting Light.

 

There's others, but it upsets me more with Suede's Bloodsports than any other album. My favourite band is back with 10 fabulous songs (well, 9... there's one I don't like much), and they've made them unbearably loud.

 

The Black Crowes. I would listen to them a lot more if they weren't so compressed on CD.

 

I've always found it incredibly difficult to listen to Kathleen Edwards' Asking For Flowers. It took me 3 or 4 listens before I made it to the end of the album. Nick Cave's Lyre Of Orpheus/Abattoir Blues is another example. Musically it's among Nick Cave's best albums, but I rarely listen to it because of the awful sound.

 

I hear you. If someone is reading...I got back into vinyl in 1995-1996 when CD volume levels became too loud for me. I was fine with 80s levels, and was OK with what I consider the 'first' increase around 1990. But around 1996 that was it for me, and apparently there have been a number of increases since then. I was happily listening to CD thru the early 90s, and if mastering/levels were good I would consider buying CDs again for some music.

 

Which albums? All?

 

Any Chili Peppers album will work.

 

The Go-Betweens - Oceans Apart [CD]
U2 - How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb [CD]
Late period Flaming Lips
Late period REM

 

I wish the Cars' reunion CD, Move Like This, as well as the new expanded remasters weren't so loud, but alas. Today I looked at the waveforms of The Very Best of Cat Stevens from 2000 and was disappointed to find it clipped. If there's any music that shouldn't be clipped it's Cat's. Remember the golden days when the worst thing that happened to CDs was NR? Now we have to deal with brickwalling, clipping, limiting and overcompression. Peter Mew doesn't seem nearly as bad after all (still, shame).

 

Off:

Duh!

Yet because "we" all have different rooms, different systems, different ears & different personal preferences; the DRD keeps us on an equal evaluation for our evaluations [cept w/wax :-0].
It's surprising to me how "close" Page/Sterling 'numbers' are to Barry's; yet "i" get a lot more 'crunch' w/the "Modern Masters" [tho the lower the volume the less so].
Thought you were pointing out "II" never had a great deal of dynamic range to begin w/ [good point].
Just as "Audiophiles" every 2% counts!!
hahaha

Enjoy.



+

Those 'numbers' go a lot higher than "15"!
Sure wish titles i like had like "24" or even higher 'numbers'!!!
However, the compression of the recordings prevents that from happening very often.
Album list - Dynamic Range Database

 

General:

Luv Ty Segal as a Rocker!
Luv 'Retro Rock' [luv "Roots Rock" too!!/just 'Retro' adds a bit of a modern twist (& shout)].
DRD:
Album list - Dynamic Range Database

Again, can list to "a" song now & then; just no way can $pend $$$ on a ceedee that makes me see & hear RED!!!

"ZERO"
Really?!?!

 

Cheap Trick - Rockford

 

All the Wildhearts stuff other than their debut.

 

I have the first seven studio albums on CD and play the first three most often.

 

Ok Computer
The second Blackfield album
Any metal recording from the 00s

 

I agree and it's a shame. If I turn it down I can't hear the buried vocal - and I want to because it's good. If I turn it up - the instrumental track is just to harsh and the vocal is of course still buried (relatively). I wish they would sell an alternate audiophile quietly mastered version. Some limited edition version, probably at a premium price, with an artist at Springsteen's level should be do-able.
I often wonder if Springsteen's hearing has been damaged enough by the hundreds of loud 3-4 hour shows, so that he hears these recordings differently than we do? I find it hard to understand how an artist that cares about getting recordings right as much as he does could approve releasing them with this sound.

 

Most Garbage albums. The music is great and I can enjoy it, but the loudness detracts.

 

Red Hot Chili Peppers- Californication

 

Try the Chris Bellman vinyl.