Worst sounding albums

[trailerprincess]

Worst sounding albums (http://www.stylusmagazine.com/articles/staff_top_10/top-ten-worst-sounding-records-1997-present.htm)

[Otis Driftwood]

I wouldn't be caught dead hearin any of that weak ass pussy albums!

[mickill]

I agree with Be Here Now and Funeral in particular. Kid A and Silent Alarm, on the other hand, sound just fine in my opinion. I think that Metallica's And Justice For All is just about the worst "sounding" album I've ever heard. On some albums, though, the bad sound actually lends to its charm (36 Chambers etc).

[Brother McDuff]

That's a pretty interesting little blurb, especially for sound nerds like myself, though Kid A sounds appropriatte, sonically, to me.

Just to add to the list, though, Metallica's "St. Anger" and the Chili Peppers' "By the Way" would look pretty good on that list as well. and the sad thing is that most of the bands listed are veterans at this point and have by now released some really well engineered, mixed, and mastered albums (not to mention have gigantic budgets), so they've no excuse. a teacher of mine in engineering school claims that it's often cause the artists' ears are fucked from so many years of loud concerts, etc., but that's no excuse. there are plenty of people around them who could, or at least should recognize these faults (like, say the engineer for instance, or someone at the label).

[Jitters]

On some albums, though, the bad sound actually lends to its charm (36 Chambers etc).

I believe by "bad sound" you mean the grittyness and raw sound. Remember, never disrespect the Wu :D

[nypb]

On some albums, though, the bad sound actually lends to its charm (36 Chambers etc).

That was actually the first album that I thought of when I saw this thread title.

[abcdefz]

Probably the worst-sounding great album is either Exile on Main Street (Rolling Stones) or White Light/White Heat (Velvet Underground). The crappy sound becomes part of the aesthetic because the albums are so bloody good, but either album would have been even better if recorded properly.

Probably third place goes to The Wild, the Innocent, and the E Street Shuffle by Springsteen. Maybe first place -- that one's sound quality is particularly sad because it sounds like there really were ambitions for making it a good-sounding record, and they just didn't have the talent or the studio or something, and what it lacks sonically just can't be justified like Exile or White Light/White Heat, where thbe grunge and sludge and filth work with the albums' themes.

[Brother McDuff]

RZA is a good example of someone who embraces dirty and gritty mixes. in fact, I've seen/read plenty an interview where he mentions his efforts to dirty up his tracks, as in they could technically be cleaner, but he prefers the dirt and in fact uses it as a part of his palette. mickill said it right when he said that the lo-fi qualities add to the charm oftentimes, and it's important to discern when it's an artistic statement and when it's just sloppy engineering/mixing.

[Auton]

I'd nominate elvis costello's 'when i was cruel' as the absolute worst sounding album of the last 10 years.

[abcdefz]

I somehow mistook this as "worst sounding GREAT albums."

Hell -- worst sounding albums, period? I assume they're talking about production value and not content, per se.

I'd think people could have a listen at Husker Du's Land Speed Record or the Replacements' Sorry Ma Forgot to Take Out the Trash or that god-awful Venom album that just sounds like impotent sludge roaring.