Best Engineered/Mixed Song or Album?

[BillSimpkins]

U2 - Joshua Tree
Michael Jackson - Thriller
Eagles - Hotel California
Crash Test Dummies - God Shuffled His Feet
Live - Throwing Copper
Iron Maiden - Powerslave
Maxwell - Urban Hang Sweet
Bjork - Homogenic
Bee Gees - Saturday Night Fever
Neil Diamond - You Don't Bring Me Flowers
Skrillex - Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites
Pink floyd - dark Side of the Moon
Enya - The Memory Of Trees
The Police - Syncronicity
Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime

[Beyersound]

Originally Posted by BillSimpkins

U2 - Joshua Tree
Michael Jackson - Thriller
Eagles - Hotel California
Crash Test Dummies - God Shuffled His Feet
Live - Throwing Copper
Iron Maiden - Powerslave
Maxwell - Urban Hang Sweet
Bjork - Homogenic
Bee Gees - Saturday Night Fever
Neil Diamond - You Don't Bring Me Flowers
Skrillex - Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites
Pink floyd - dark Side of the Moon
Enya - The Memory Of Trees
The Police - Syncronicity
Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime

Nice to see some love for Jimbo Barton who mixed the Enya record, Moving Pictures (mentioned earlier), and of course Operation Mindcrime. I really had fun during my "study periods" of breaking down those Mindcrime mixes preparing to mix that tour. It was an incredibly unique, once in a lifetime audio experience. Jimbo and Paul Northfield showed up at our show in Leiden, Holland, and were very nice as well as very complimentary about what I was doing live with their record.

As far as my choices:

Def Leppard - Hysteria
Toy Matinee - Toy Matinee
Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms
Hall & Oates - Big Bam Boom
Shawn Colvin - A Few Small Repairs
Toad The Wet Sprocket - Dulcinea
Ratt - Detonator (don't laugh, give it a listen first, a Shipley masterpiece! Guitar tone and playing for days!)
Steely Dan - Sign In Stranger, and Caves Of Altamira (from the "Royal Scam" album)
Marvin Gaye - What's Going On? (from the "Every Great Motown Hit Of Marvin Gaye" collection. Incredible remaster, the vocal seems to float in front of everything else in an amazing way, pure sonic and artistic genius!)

[Helge]

No Doubt - Hella Good, Underneath it all (or any song from "Rock Steady")
Phoenix - Everything Is Everything
Jason Mraz - I´m Yours

JET - Roll Over DJ
The Raconteurs - Consoler Of The Lonely
Green Day - Boulevard Of Broken Dreams

Earth Wind & Fire - Sing A Song
Nick Drake - Pink Moon
Hayseed Dixie - Back In Black

[goldmann006]

thats and easy one...

Billie Jean by Michael Jackson... greatest mix ever, murders any groove out there

Pretty much any Mutt Lange or/and Mike Shipley Album. Alan Parsons records and any Steely Dan record too. My top 5 is probably...

Def Leppard's Hysteria
Steely Dan's Katy Lied
Shania Twain's Come on Over
Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon
AKUS - Paper Airplane

But there's absolute bucket loads of excellent stuff. Back in Black is incredible, Dr Dre's Chronic is incredible... the list is enormous.

[Apollo Soul]

Boys II Men
Water Runs Dry

Really inspiring to hear those elements mixed so well in a pop setting.

[Syncamorea]

Since the thread specifies best engineered/mixed...

Mannheim Steamroller: Fresh Aire II (Toccata)

The Sheffield Drum Record (you have to hear the vinyl of this on a great turntable/arm/cartridge - and the Sheffield Track Record has its moments)

The David Grisman Quintet (self titled - and if you have not heard Acousticity, get it and hear it.)

Adam Makowicz: The Name is Makowicz (If I remember right this used a single point stereo Schoepps mic and the space it creates is amazingly 3-D)

Mick Hart: Dafos (I only use this as a reference piece for system optimization, not to groove on tunes)

Bob Marley: Natty Dread

Dream Theater: Systematic Chaos (the production is not perfect throughout by any means, but there are some nuggets, like "In the Presence of Enemies" that are awesome).

If this was to move into the classical realm, it would really blow up because there are some incredible productions from the golden era of stereo recordings, including many on RCA and Mercury. Much later, the work Keith Johnson has done for Reference Recordings is pretty amazing.

Gordon Lightfoot: If You Could Read My Mind (The Pony Man and Me and Bobby McGee have awesome space and the whole album is strong)

Amanda McBroom: The Rose (the only way to hear this is on the Sheffield direct-to-disc vinyl. Simply... Stunning...)

Michael Hedges: Breakfast in the Fields and Aerial Boundaries (another couple of albums where the engineering isn't perfect but what it gets right, it gets really right.)

Rush: Moving Pictures (yes I'm serious and the newest remaster takes it a step closer to a reference for its era of prog rock)

Frank Zappa: many, many albums. (you have to put it in context - when FZ began cutting shorter album sides in the early 70's, the production quality really stepped up. The Grand Wazoo is an example. And later, when he was using live tracks with and without overdubs to release new music, he was a real leader, innovating rock production at a very high level)

I could go on for hours but duty callz...

[MoneySound]

Paul Simon Graceland
Dire Straits

[sonic_riot]

Dark Night Of The Soul by Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse

[atreidesheir]

For classical and large space recording, I learned a lot from John Eliot Gardiner's recording of Mozart's Requiem mass. on Deutsche Grammophon. It has been insightful for acoustic guitar and vocals.

[jayson_p]

Here's a few that are out in left field:

The Catherine Wheel \ My Life in the Bush of Ghosts - David Byrne & Brian Eno. Abstract to be sure but some wonderful experimentation going on.

The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway - Genesis

Europe 72 - The Grateful Dead

Discipline & Three of a Perfect Pair - King Crimson

Sailing to Philidelphia - Mark Knopfler (Can't have a lobster party up in Maine without this playing during the main course!)

School's Out -Alice Cooper (The ALBUM not just the Song!)

Volunteers - Jefferson Airplane

[electricthing]

Here are my fav sounding albums, which means that the music is outstanding otherwise it wouldn't sound so great;

Dog eat dog- Joni Mitchell (Thomas Dolby, producer)
Back in the Highlife- Steve Winwood (Russ Titleman & Steve Winwood)
L is for lover- Al Jarreau (Nile Rodgers)
Outside- David Bowie (especialy 'I'm Deranged') (Brain Eno & Bowie)
Electronic- Electronic (Electronic) I like the underproduced sound
Transformation to the house of Zekkariyas- Womack and Womack
Johnny Guitar Watson albums !!

Regards

[cixelsyd]

10cc. I'm not in love

In the context that it was done 35 years ago and still sounds fresh. It is absolutely amazing. Great song, great prformance, outstanding production.

[electricthing]

... after reading other posts here's part two;

The Yes Album- Yes (Eddie Offord & Yes) Love the way the drums, the bass & the organ sound
-Even in the quietest moments- Supertramp
-The division bell- Pink Floyd
-Different Lifestyles- Bebe and Cece Winans
Other Roads -Boz Scaggs
-Tommy- The Who
-Lead me to the water- Gary Brooker
-Music Box- Mariah Carey

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/images/smilies/thumb.gif

[thestrawbear]

1. Talking Heads - Stop making sense.
2. REM - Document
3. Neil Young - Harvest
4. Nirvana - Nevermind
5. Talking heads - Stop making sense.

[electricthing]

....part three;

Pride- Robert Palmer
I feel for you- Chaka Khan
Midnight Love- Marvin Gaye
I want you- Marvin Gaye
Thunder Up- The Sound
Ziggy Stardust...- David Bowie
Instinct- Iggy Pop (Cold Metal)

So, I hope all these ghosts are out of my system now

[daveybasso]

Dimmu Borgir -- "Abrahadabra" entire album is a sonic masterpiece...100 piece orchestra backing them

esp the song "Dimmu Borgir"

[rksguit]

"Nutshell" Alice in Chains-"Jar of Flies EP" "Would?" Alice in Chains-"Dirt LP" "Ten Years Gone" Led Zeppelin "Physical Grafitti LP" "The Pump" Jeff Beck "There and Back LP" "Voodoo Chile[slight return]" Jimi Hendrix "In The West LIVE LP"

[Virgil]

Beatles, "Rubber Soul", "Revolver", "Abbey road"
Nirvana, "Nevermind"
Michael Jackson "Thriller"
Pink Floyd "DSOTM"

[bambony]

Originally Posted by Karloff70

Can't believe no one has mentioned Talk Talk, Spirit of Eden in the whole thread.........

As usual I am very late to the party...

I love Talk Talk - amazing drama captured on record but if we are talking reference recording for monitor and mix checking. Spirit Of Eden is too unique sounding for me to be a reference.

My number 1 reference track by a mile both for setting up PAs and in the studio and has forever been "Happiness Is Easy" from Talk Talk's previous album "The Colour Of Spring". It uses very organic sampled drum sounds which are more useful for reference use as the Snare and Kick are the same each hit - this is especially useful for live work where you can walk around the room to check consistency. It also has an excellent acoustic guitar sound, the prefect piano sound, a great Hammond recording which for me are preferable for reference work over electric guitars as they are more pure instruments. There is also lots of space and clearly audible reverb tails which all helps for reference purposes. The hats are a bit weird mind you!

Most importantly I know every millisecond of this track inside out. There are certainly better recordings but none I know as well.

I will use many different tracks for mix checking and often tracks recommended by the artists I am working with. Ultimately it's not all about how I want the mix or recording to sound - that would be wrong!

Tony

[robn]

The Nightfly - Donald Fagen

Two Against Nature - Steely Dan

Anything from Alan Parsons Project

[Leevi]

I dont consider myself as a "professional" at all, but to my ears "One of Us" by Joan Osborne sounds very well mixed and produced

[Karloff70]

Originally Posted by bambony

I love Talk Talk - amazing drama captured on record but if we are talking reference recording for monitor and mix checking. Spirit Of Eden is too unique sounding for me to be a reference.

Surely depends on what you're using it for.......

In any case, if your record sounds healthy in the "strength/quality/pleasantness of tone" next to it, you're in a good place. But yes, no good if you're mixing Rhianna.

[sonortony35]

Paul McCartney - "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard"
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals - "Grace Potter and the Nocturnals"
Jimmy Eat World - "Chase This Light"
The Beatles - "Abby Road"
Foo Fighters - "Wasting Light"

[piperopigeon]

The Forgotten Arm - Aimee Mann
Battle For the Sun - Placebo
I'm Wide Awake it's Morning - Bright Eyes

[jdomini00]

Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation
Goodie Mob - Still Standing
R. Kelly - TP2000
Big Punisher - Capital Punishment
Macy Gray - On How Life Is
Jay Z - Hard Knock Life
Bone Thugs - East 1999
Erykah Badu - Baduizm
DMX - It's Dark and Hell is Hot
Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy


Boyz II Men - Motownphilly
Keith Sweat - Make it Last Forever
Akon - Locked Up
Andre 3000 - Hey Ya
Marky Mark - Good Vibrations
Mary J. Blige - Family Affair
Janet Jackson - Someone to Call My Lover
Chaka Khan -I Feel for You
Sheila E. - Glamorous Life
Gloria Estefan - Conga
Michael Jackson - Another Part of Me
Common - I Want You

And a whole lot more.

[monoXstereo]

Queens of the Stone Age - Lullabies to Paralyze

Absolutely the most exciting production and mix I've heard. Stunning even after the three hundredth front to back listen.

[J.R. McNeely]

There are obviously SO many great sounding albums out there, but two albums in particular over the years have just FLOORD me with the way they sound. Both sonic masterpieces in my opinion.

1. Joshua Judges Ruth - Lyle Lovett
This record is INCREDIBLY dynamic and just so amazingly pure sounding from beginning to end. That Massenburg guy is no slouch!

2. Wildflowers - Tom Petty
Richard Dodd absolutely NAILD this one! Flawless album in all respects.

These two in particular completely stopped me dead in my tracks the first time I heard them. And even though I typically work on music that is much heavier than this, hearing these albums made me want to become a better mixer.

Thank's for the inspiration Richard and George!

[wwittman]

Originally Posted by Leevi

I dont consider myself as a "professional" at all, but to my ears "One of Us" by Joan Osborne sounds very well mixed and produced

I quite agree

[Anadrolic]

Well there are quite a few albums, most of them already listed in the thread but I didn't see anybody writing Metallica-Black Album the sound on this damn album is amazing.