What artist known for best sound?

[Jenn[_2_]]

I know that I'm biased, but my nominee would have to be Frederick
Fennell. 25 great sounding Mercury recordings, including several on
just about everyone's "golden" list for all-time greats, ranging from
Stereo Review to Absolute Sound. Plus the U.S.'s first symphonic
digital recording among three great sounding recordings for Telarc.

[Shhhh! I'm Listening to Reason!]

On Feb 29, 11:05*pm, Jenn > wrote:
> I know that I'm biased, but my nominee would have to be Frederick
> Fennell. *25 great sounding Mercury recordings, including several on
> just about everyone's "golden" list for all-time greats, ranging from
> Stereo Review to Absolute Sound. *Plus the U.S.'s first symphonic
> digital recording among three great sounding recordings for Telarc.

Well, you're biased to Fennell, but you're also biased to the
classical side. There is other music, y'know... :-)

Dire Straights was one of the first rock bands who IMO "got digital
right". The Beatles and Sir George Martin did absolutely miraculous
things with only four-track recorders. Perhaps they were even the
first pop band who cared what the end product sounded like. It's
certainly primitive by today's standards, but compared to their
contemporaries? Steely Dan's later LPs were production masterpieces
IMO, as well as having some of the best musicianship in rock music.

All of them, Fennell included, did have a supporting cast whose small
contributions made their recordings sound good...:-)

[Oliver Costich]

On Sat, 01 Mar 2008 07:43:25 -0600, MiNe 109
> wrote:

>In article

>et>,
> Jenn > wrote:
>
>> I know that I'm biased, but my nominee would have to be Frederick
>> Fennell. 25 great sounding Mercury recordings, including several on
>> just about everyone's "golden" list for all-time greats, ranging from
>> Stereo Review to Absolute Sound. Plus the U.S.'s first symphonic
>> digital recording among three great sounding recordings for Telarc.
>
>Karajan: the best sound was required by contract. :-)

Karajan also appeared in ads for the AR 4x, a $50 speaker, which while
decent, wasn't something that could discriminate sound quality well.

>
>On the pop side, sound quality was part of the marketing of Pink Floyd
>and The Alan Parsons Project.
>
>Stephen

[Jenn[_2_]]

In article
>,
"Shhhh! I'm Listening to Reason!" > wrote:

> On Feb 29, 11:05*pm, Jenn > wrote:
> > I know that I'm biased, but my nominee would have to be Frederick
> > Fennell. *25 great sounding Mercury recordings, including several on
> > just about everyone's "golden" list for all-time greats, ranging from
> > Stereo Review to Absolute Sound. *Plus the U.S.'s first symphonic
> > digital recording among three great sounding recordings for Telarc.
>
> Well, you're biased to Fennell, but you're also biased to the
> classical side. There is other music, y'know... :-)

No! I hadn't heard! After all, I'm an ivory tower elitist! ;-)

>
> Dire Straights was one of the first rock bands who IMO "got digital
> right". The Beatles and Sir George Martin did absolutely miraculous
> things with only four-track recorders. Perhaps they were even the
> first pop band who cared what the end product sounded like. It's
> certainly primitive by today's standards, but compared to their
> contemporaries? Steely Dan's later LPs were production masterpieces
> IMO, as well as having some of the best musicianship in rock music.

Yep.

>
> All of them, Fennell included, did have a supporting cast whose small
> contributions made their recordings sound good...:-)

Well, duh! ;-) And Fred was always the first to say that.

[Jenn[_2_]]

In article >,
"ScottW" > wrote:

> "MiNe 109" > wrote in message
> ...
> > In article
> >
> > et>,
> > Jenn > wrote:
> >
> >> I know that I'm biased, but my nominee would have to be Frederick
> >> Fennell. 25 great sounding Mercury recordings, including several on
> >> just about everyone's "golden" list for all-time greats, ranging from
> >> Stereo Review to Absolute Sound. Plus the U.S.'s first symphonic
> >> digital recording among three great sounding recordings for Telarc.
> >
> > Karajan: the best sound was required by contract. :-)
> >
> > On the pop side, sound quality was part of the marketing of Pink Floyd
> > and The Alan Parsons Project.
>
> Yup, and I'm not so sure this is best described as an artist attribute rather
> than a producer/engineer attribute as guys like Alan Parsons
> gained their acclaim (at least initially) for this accomplishment.

Of course. Fred always said that "I never intrude into what they
(producer/engineer) do, because I don't expect them to intrude into what
I do."

[Jenn[_2_]]

In article
>,
MiNe 109 > wrote:

> In article
>
> et>,
> Jenn > wrote:
>
> > I know that I'm biased, but my nominee would have to be Frederick
> > Fennell. 25 great sounding Mercury recordings, includin
g several on
> > just about everyone's "golden" list for all-time greats, ranging from
> > Stereo Review to Absolute Sound. Plus the U.S.'s first symphonic
> > digital recording among three great sounding recordings for Telarc.
>
> Karajan: the best sound was required by contract. :-)

Yeah; too bad they didn't get it! ;-)

>
> On the pop side, sound quality was part of the marketing of Pink Floyd
> and The Alan Parsons Project.

Yep.

[Shhhh! I'm Listening to Reason!]

On Mar 1, 11:56*am, Jenn > wrote:

> *"Shhhh! I'm Listening to Reason!" > wrote:

> > Well, you're biased to Fennell, but you're also biased to the
> > classical side. There is other music, y'know... :-)
>
> No! *I hadn't heard! *After all, I'm an ivory tower elitist! *;-)

Hm. I thought that Stephen was the ivory tower elitist, and you were
the golden-ears vinyl bigot. I have carefully carved the
Shhhhhhhhitheaded vinyl-bigot who chases away the knowledgeable niche,
which I guard jealously.

Now I'm all confused. Next you'll tell me that George actually didn't
"ruin" RAO.

[George M. Middius]

Shhhh! said:

> Now I'm all confused. Next you'll tell me that George actually didn't
> "ruin" RAO.

You can believe that if you want, but I'm keeping the medals.

[Jenn[_2_]]

In article
>,
Bret Ludwig > wrote:

> >
> > >> I know that I'm biased, but my nominee would have to be Frederick
> > >> Fennell. 25 great sounding Mercury recordings, including several on
> > >> just about everyone's "golden" list for all-time greats, ranging from
> > >> Stereo Review to Absolute Sound. Plus the U.S.'s first symphonic
> > >> digital recording among three great sounding recordings for Telarc.
> >
> > > Karajan: the best sound was required by contract. :-)
> >
> > > On the pop side, sound quality was part of the marketing of Pink Floyd
> > > and The Alan Parsons Project.
> >
> > Yup, and I'm not so sure this is best described as an artist attribute
> > rather
> > than a producer/engineer attribute as guys like Alan Parsons
> > gained their acclaim (at least initially) for this accomplishment.
> >
> > For example, Neil Young has been rather vocal about the digital
> > vs analogue debate expressing significant concern about the sound
> > of his music, and while I love much of his music, nothing he puts out
> > has made my "great recording list". To the contrary,
> > Prairie Wind was just plain disappointing to me, both
> > musically and as a recording.
>
> He doesn't know what he's talking about technically. His CDs sound
> bad because of bad mastering, and actually a couple sound pretty good,
> good in the sense they sound like what he was obviously going for.
> >
> > So great producer/Artists.....Robert Fripp leaps to mind
> > as a ground breaker.
>
> Not sonically. Productionwise maybe. He thinks he's a great guitar
> player, actually teaching classes in his secret tuning (!)

After hearing the astonishing California Guitar Trio for the first time
at NAMM 07 I had to try that tuning. Hated it. Besides, I have enough
trouble being competent in standard, dropped D, and DADGAD.

[Jenn[_2_]]

In article
>,
Bret Ludwig > wrote:

> >
> > >> I know that I'm biased, but my nominee would have to be Frederick
> > >> Fennell. 25 great sounding Mercury recordings, including several on
> > >> just about everyone's "golden" list for all-time greats, ranging from
> > >> Stereo Review to Absolute Sound. Plus the U.S.'s first symphonic
> > >> digital recording among three great sounding recordings for Telarc.
> >
> > >Karajan: the best sound was required by contract. :-)
> >
> > Karajan also appeared in ads for the AR 4x, a $50 speaker, which while
> > decent, wasn't something that could discriminate sound quality well.
>
> Herbert von Karajan like most classical musicians did not know his
> ass from a hole in the ground about recorded sound,

Evidence?

> though I grant he
> was a great conductor, unlike, say, the unnecessarily flamboyant (and
> I refer only to his professional stage and public behavior) Leonard
> Bernstein, who was admittedly occasionally very good but often very
> not good too.

Often?

> I distinctly remember a two disc vinyl album circa early
> 1980s of military marches with the NY Phil I purchased. Sonically
> mediocre, musically it sucked. ANY half assed DCA marching band could
> have outplayed them on these tunes. I became convinced that military
> music should be played only by military bands, a position I have
> modified somewhat but not a whole lot.

Do you mean "military bands" in the way Americans use the term or the
way the British mean it?
>
> I probably dog Lenny a little much but hey, it's the truth.

[davidb1]

"ScottW" > wrote in message
...
>
> "MiNe 109" > wrote in message
> ...
>> In article
>>
>> et>,
>> Jenn > wrote:

>> On the pop side, sound quality was part of the marketing of Pink Floyd
>> and The Alan Parsons Project.
>
> Yup, and I'm not so sure this is best described as an artist attribute
> rather
> than a producer/engineer attribute as guys like Alan Parsons
> gained their acclaim (at least initially) for this accomplishment.
>
> For example, Neil Young has been rather vocal about the digital
> vs analogue debate expressing significant concern about the sound
> of his music, and while I love much of his music, nothing he puts out
> has made my "great recording list". To the contrary,
> Prairie Wind was just plain disappointing to me, both
> musically and as a recording.
>
> So great producer/Artists.....Robert Fripp leaps to mind
> as a ground breaker.
>
> ScottW
>
>
>
>
>

Check out Neil Young's Live at Massey Hall 1971- you will be very pleasantly
surprised.

Other pop nominees-

Wilco
Suzanne Vega (this year's grammy for best engineering)
U2's remastered Joshua Tree
Plant and Krauss Raising Sand

Other- any Bill Frisell

Dave

[[email protected]]

Donald Fagen (post-SteelyDan), 1980s TelArc, and of course just about
any of the early Blue Note recordings by Rudy Van Gelder.

Jenn > wrote:
: I know that I'm biased, but my nominee would have to be Frederick
: Fennell. 25 great sounding Mercury recordings, including several on
: just about everyone's "golden" list for all-time greats, ranging from
: Stereo Review to Absolute Sound. Plus the U.S.'s first symphonic
: digital recording among three great sounding recordings for Telarc.

[Jenn[_2_]]

In article
>,
MiNe 109 > wrote:

> In article >,
> "ScottW" > wrote:
>
> > "MiNe 109" > wrote in message
> > ...
> > > In article >,
> > > "ScottW" > wrote:
> > >
> > >> "MiNe 109" > wrote in message
> > >> ...
> > >> > In article >,
> > >> > "ScottW" > wrote:
> > >> >
> > >> >> "MiNe 109" > wrote in message
> > >> >> ...
> > >> >> >>
> > >> >> >> Talk about produced. I was gonna mention Boston, they
> > >> >> >> always stuck me as sounding robotic in their flawless precision.
> > >> >> >
> > >> >> > That's a possible downside of complex arrangements, which makes
> > >> >> > some
> > >> >> > of
> > >> >> > those King Crimson improvs even more amazing.
> > >> >>
> > >> >> No doubt, though if weren't for the beatiful melodies
> > >> >> intertwined with the wild jams I probably wouldn't be
> > >> >> a fan at all. Songs like The Letter hold me more
> > >> >> than some of Fripps psycho chops sessions.
> > >> >>
> > >> >> I bought one of their Projects box sets.
> > >> >> I can't say that I ever made it through even once
> > >> >> as it was too improvisational for me. First take of
> > >> >> songs still in concept form kind of stuff though
> > >> >> oddly much of it was live.
> > >> >> Food for the disciples I guess.
> > >> >> Have you checked out any of the concert releases?
> > >> >
> > >> > No, but I'm intrigued by The Great Deceiver box. I haven't taken
> > >> > advantage of www.dgmlive.com but that's an amazing concept to have all
> > >> > that concert material in a somewhat accessible form.
> > >>
> > >> I listened to the free clips. Some of their live stuff is
> > >> horribly recorded. IME it generally falls way short of the studio
> > >> work as they usually toured only with 4 playing significantly scaled
> > >> back versions of music leaving out many string and wind instruments.
> > >
> > > No doubt. If mellotron and Mel (or McDonald) is your idea of KC, the
> > > core band isn't going to satisfy.
> > >
> > > I'll guess the concerts of the more recent decades are closer to the
> > > studio efforts. The early eighties King Crimson I saw sounded very much
> > > like the records, and in a good way.
> >
> > I never much cared about KC after Red. With Belew and Levin it was
> > a great band. But still just 3 guitar players and a drummer.
> > The music never really grabbed me.
> > Fripp turned away from the symphonic rock elements that I loved.
>
> ELP Works is a guilty pleasure of mine. I keep hoping for a successful
> rock band-orchestra integration despite all the near-misses
> (Metallica/SF Symphony, etc). The most obvious problem is the volume
> mismatch, but that can't be solved in the context of a rock concert with
> screaming fans.
>
> Smashing Pumpkins had some of that symphonic prog vibe, but I didn't
> like the songs, except '1979' which led to a surprise when I finally
> heard "Piper" for the first time.
>
> Stephen

When I was with the Reno Philharmonic, we did concerts with Yes and with
the Moody Blues. Great fun, especially the MB.

[George M. Middius]

MiNe 109 said:

> Van Morrison is next week, but I can't tell if the genius or his evil
> twin will appear.

Do go on. We ignorati would love to hear more about this duality.

[[email protected]]

I'd have to throw Dead Can Dance into the ring. Every recording I own
is nothing less than stellar in terms of sound quality.

I'd also have to mention Traffic. I listen to some UK (Pink Island)
pressings the other night on a Continuum Criterion/Copperhead/
Dynavector XV-1 and was really astonished at the sound quality as
well.

Boon

[George M. Middius]

MiNe 109 said:

> > > Van Morrison is next week, but I can't tell if the genius or his evil
> > > twin will appear.
> >
> > Do go on. We ignorati would love to hear more about this duality.
>
> I've way too many fan reviews that go something like this: He was rude
> and uninvolved and stopped the concert early, but the next time I saw
> him he was fantastic in every way.

Isn't he a chronic drunk? He is Irish, after all.

[George M. Middius]

MiNe 109 said:

> > > > Van Morrison is next week, but I can't tell if the genius or his evil
> > > > twin will appear.
> > >
> > > Do go on. We ignorati would love to hear more about this duality.
> >
> > I've way too many fan reviews that go something like this: He was rude
> > and uninvolved and stopped the concert early, but the next time I saw
> > him he was fantastic in every way.
>
> I've [read] way too many...

Too late.

[John Atkinson[_2_]]

On Mar 2, 3:45 pm, George M. Middius <cmndr _ george @ comcast . net>
wrote:
> MiNe 109 said:
>
> > Van Morrison is next week, but I can't tell if the genius or his evil
> > twin will appear.
>
> Do go on. We ignorati would love to hear more about this duality.

See my comments on the last concert of Van's I went
to in the February Stereophile's "Record 2 Die 4" feature:
"Possibly the worst concert I ever attended was Van
Morrison performing in Brighton, England, in the early
1980s. Van the Man sat at a keyboard for most of the
first set, blowing perfunctory saxophone and letting
members of his band sing lead vocal. It is a paradox,
therefore, that [his "Live at the Grand Opera House
Belfast" CD, recorded about the same time, has been
in constant rotation in my system for more than two
decades."

John Atkinson
Editor, Stereophile

[[email protected]]

On Mar 2, 3:41�pm, MiNe 109 > wrote:
> In article >,
> �George M. Middius <cmndr _ �george @ comcast . net> wrote:
>
> > MiNe 109 said:
>
> > > > > Van Morrison is next week, but I can't tell if the genius or his evil
> > > > > twin will appear.
>
> > > > Do go on. We ignorati would love to hear more about this duality.
>
> > > I've way too many fan reviews that go something like this: He was rude
> > > and uninvolved and stopped the concert early, but the next time I saw
> > > him he was fantastic in every way.
>
> > Isn't he a chronic drunk? He is Irish, after all.
>
> I would assume, but he could just be cranky.

I've also heard he suffers from incredible stage fright, too.

Boon

[dizzy]

MiNe 109 wrote:

>On the pop side, sound quality was part of the marketing of Pink Floyd
>and The Alan Parsons Project.

And Steely Dan?

[George M. Middius]

said:

> > > Isn't he a chronic drunk? He is Irish, after all.
> >
> > I would assume, but he could just be cranky.
>
> I've also heard he suffers from incredible stage fright, too.

I heard that's why Andy Partridge gave up performing.

[Clyde Slick]

On 1 Mar, 12:10, "ScottW" > wrote:


>
> So great producer/Artists.....Robert Fripp leaps to mind
> as a ground breaker.
>
> ScottW

In pop, rock and country, most of the
albums that George Massenburg produced.
Ronstadt w/ Nelson riddle, Little Feat - Waiting for Columbus, one
of the great live albums, still.
Anr\d, In the early 70's, when
sound sucked, Henry Lewie did
just a fantaqstic job with Joni Mitchell
I also like the raw and honest simplicity of production
of Lucinda Williams' Essence

[Shhhh! I'm Listening to Reason!]

On Mar 9, 3:22*am, Clyde Slick > wrote:

> Little Feat - Waiting for Columbus, one
> of the great live albums, still.

I have to agree with this. I don't want to, because you're you, but I
do. :-)

The Tower of Power rocked on this LP.

[Clyde Slick]

On 9 Mar, 06:08, "Shhhh! I'm Listening to Reason!"
> wrote:
> On Mar 9, 3:22*am, Clyde Slick > wrote:
>
> > Little Feat - Waiting for Columbus, one
> > of the great live albums, still.
>
> I have to agree with this. I don't want to, because you're you, but I
> do. :-)
>
> The Tower of Power rocked on this LP.

especially on Spanish Moon