[Trager]

I know there have to be others out there who have this problem... On recommendation of some friends, I started listening to Go! Team, and I really dig their music. The problem is that the CDs are SO badly mastered that I can barely stand to listen to them. For a group that does hip-hop flavored britpop, it's incredible to me that all I can hear on the recording is the mid-high part of the spectrum. It's pretty much unlistenable with my iPod and ER-4P phones (and I think that's the only set of recordings that I can say that about). I'm usually vehemently against equalization, but I can't see any other way to make this music acceptable.

So what other albums do you have that you like the music, but can't stand the mastering?

 

[rhymesgalore]

I like Ben Harpers live album "Live from Mars" a lot.
But the recording must have been done by an aprentice on his first day without his teacher around. So boomy, no feeling for space at all, the crowd is sooo distance, if you can hear them at all.

 

[Jahn]

I love Erasure, but I can't listen to "Loveboat." just horribly horribly mastered. Even non-audiophiles say they can't stand listening to it, it's so badly done. A shame, since some great tunes are on there!

 

[TKO]

Head-Fiers,

the worst individual song I have ever heard is from the VOICES "From the FIFA World Cup" CD:

Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean
Hips Don't Lie - Bamboo (2006 FIFA World Cup Mix)

I think it might be able to beat the others in the Loudness Wars!

I think the whole song is clipped

Cheers.

 

[Vic]

The go team! album is so badly recorded that I cannot even tell if it is good or not (I believe is pretty good but not sure).

Two album that drive me crazy are "Mass romantic" and "Twin cinema" both by the New pornographers, because they would be two of the most fun albums of the millennium if they were listenable

 

[labelbassist]

Red Hot Chili Peppers - By the Way

 

[lmilhan]

Dreamtide - Dreams For The Daring.

I can't imagine a CD being mastered/recorded any worse than that one (unless the sound engineer is completely deaf). It is really ashame too, because the music is great IMHO, but the mastering sounds like a train wreck pile of distorted refried dog crap.

It makes Californication sound like the best recorded CD of all time - it is THAT bad.

 

[TKO]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lmilhan /img/forum/go_quote.gif Dreamtide - Dreams For The Daring. I can't imagine a CD being mastered/recorded any worse than that one (unless the sound engineer is completely deaf). It is really ashame too, because the music is great IMHO, but the mastering sounds like a train wreck pile of distorted refried dog crap. It makes Californication sound like the best recorded CD of all time - it is THAT bad.

lmilhan - Yikes, I thought that was pretty impossible with the exception of the Iggy Pop remastering.... Wow!

 

[drarthurwells]

I have a few classical CDs that have problems - making it hard to listen to them.

As I have improved my system in the last two years, the sound of these two CDs has improved.

I listened to one of them yesterday - hadn't heard it for some time - and was amazed at how life-like it was in parts.

Recent improvements in my headphone system had improved this CD, making it sound great instead of terrible.

I am still amazed.

 

[Ikrit42]

RHCP- Everything.

Just kidding.
Stadium Arcadium is pretty bad, though.

 

[rhythmicmoose]

Californication and basically anything by the Flaming Lips.

 

[wower]

There is some debate around Radiohead's "The Bends". No matter how hard I try, my system just can't untangle the guitars on "Just."

Which is sad because it is an amazing album.

 

[VicAjax]

just about all 80s post-punk.
and i LOVE 80s post-punk.

 

[Duggeh]

Music Pour Supermarche. Only availible as a low bitrate mp3 of an AM radio recording, because only 1 CD was made.

Id love to hear a better version.

 

[Samgotit]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rhythmicmoose /img/forum/go_quote.gif Californication and basically anything by the Flaming Lips.

Those seem to be the paradigms here. I don't have Californication, but The Flaming Lips - The Soft Bulletin is unbearable, which is very sad.

Here's a post where I paticipated in bashing it with a visual:
http://www.head-fi.org/forums/showpo...9&postcount=17