I think commons album 'like water for chocalate' has a great sound to it..you could definately hear the $$'s spent. Great recordings and mixes by Bob Power complement Jay Dee's stellar production work to a t.
I also liked the engineering work on slum villages 'Trinity' album work by RJ Rice. Lots of imaginative effects, panning and eq. It's an example of the mix as an integral part of the creative process. It's very stereo and always moving. A benchmark in my opinion. A crazy amount of sibilance at times, I wouldn't have let that go, but it doesn't distract at all.
