Great Sounding Records That Are Not Audiophile W*nk

[slinger]

If the single is anything to go by, I'm looking forward to the new Del Amitri album I've got on pre-order.

[Fretless]

Now if you want an amazing-sounding record that NOBODY at a UK-based hifi show will have heard then you should get over to Bandcamp and listen to 'Bitterzoet' by Eefje de Visser.
This album has swept the board as the best release in The Netherlands for the last couple of years and is a mix of brilliant songs, superb recording and production, a large dose of wistful weirdness and it's just plain wonderful.

Don't worry about it being in Dutch, that was a conscious choice from de Visser who wanted listeners to concentrate more on the atmosphere than the words.

https://eefjedevisser.bandcamp.com/album/bitterzoet

[Lindsayt]

Is Betterzoet as stupidly over-compressed as her 2013 album; Het Is (on CD), which has orange DR rating of 8?

[Theo]

I've always loved albums cut by George 'Porky/Pecko' Peckham. They're incredibly 'airy' and dynamic, no matter what band. Some favourites by him (sometimes first pressing only):

T. Rex - Electric Warrior
Genesis - Selling England /The Lamb
Curved Air - Air Cut
Deep Purple - Who Do We Thing We Are / Burn
Pretty Things - Silk Torpedo

Some of the new wave singles he cut in the late 70's/early 80's are great as well.

[Fretless]

Is Betterzoet as stupidly over-compressed as her 2013 album; Het Is (on CD), which has orange DR rating of 8?

Can't tell you that , Lindsay.

Her 2016 'Nachtlicht' sounds fine. Eefje has her own recording & production facilities and her husband is the producer/engineer.
I know that she has taken enormous care with 'Bitterzoet' to get the SQ as good as possible.

The CD is 'loud' but I wouldn't say that it was over-compressed. As for the LP - no idea.

[Grumpytim]

The Cure - Seventeen Seconds
Joy Division - Unknown Pleasures
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Your Funeral, My Trial

[slinger]

I've always loved albums cut by George 'Porky/Pecko' Peckham.

Some of the new wave singles he cut in the late 70's/early 80's are great as well.

I can remember seeing 'A Porky Prime Cut' etched into the runout space on some of my favourite Punk-era singles.
He would write little jokes there as well.

there was one on Rick Wakeman's (awful) 'Rhapsodies' double-album
(which was recorded in Switzerland):

Side 1: 'Visit Switzerland'
Side 2: 'Bring money'
Side 3: 'Lots of money'
Side 4: 'Go home'



One to avoid, seriously ...

[Lindsayt]

Is Betterzoet as stupidly over-compressed as her 2013 album; Het Is (on CD), which has orange DR rating of 8?

Can't tell you that , Lindsay.

Her 2016 'Nachtlicht' sounds fine. Eefje has her own recording & production facilities and her husband is the producer/engineer.
I know that she has taken enormous care with 'Bitterzoet' to get the SQ as good as possible.

The CD is 'loud' but I wouldn't say that it was over-compressed. As for the LP - no idea.

Just after London Grammar's first album came out, they were raving about it on the What Hi-fi forum.
About how it was so well recorded and had songs that pulled on your heart strings / made you cry.

Bought the CD. It's a nice set of songs. With over-use of the echo machine and the compression machine. Making it sound like she was singing in Chiselhurst Caves for the whole album. With dynamics that turned my EV speakers into Harbeths.

I've heard tracks from the London Grammar album being played at hi-fi shows. They always make the system sound somewhat flat, boring, undynamic and underwhelming.

Play Bitterzoet back to back with, for example, 1980's Sade 12" singles such as Hang on to Your Love. Chalk and Cheese. One will have a natural bounce to it and the music will breath in and out naturally. The other will be relatively flat and underwhelming.

[slinger]

I've always loved albums cut by George 'Porky/Pecko' Peckham.

Some of the new wave singles he cut in the late 70's/early 80's are great as well.

I can remember seeing 'A Porky Prime Cut' etched into the runout space on some of my favourite Punk-era singles.
He would write little jokes there as well.

there was one on Rick Wakeman's (awful) 'Rhapsodies' double-album
(which was recorded in Switzerland):

Side 1: 'Visit Switzerland'
Side 2: 'Bring money'
Side 3: 'Lots of money'
Side 4: 'Go home'



One to avoid, seriously ...

Porky Prime Cuts are legendary.

[Fretless]

(See if this one gets past the 'Loudness Police')


The Comsat Angels 'Fiction' (1982)



Fine open and detailed recording with songs varying from drifting atmospherics to piledriving rock-outs.
Great bass, great playing, great band.