Many of my records on the honorable mention list would have been in the video if they weren’t blockers. Make sure you don’t skip over the records that people are commenting on because I talk about them and why I can’t play them in the video. Thanks!
Rick: you should listen to "Diorama" album by Silverchair.(2002). Try the song "Tuna in the brine". Produced by David Botrill (King Crimson / Tool). I need to hear your opinion about it. That record was impressive
Rick - if you haven't heard it, go listen to Thomas Newman's "That Next Place" from the Meet Joe Black Soundtrack. It doesn't get enough credit - it's simply stunning. Soaring melody and insane dynamics. The chords on the chorus section sound like they span about 30 octaves between the low brass and strings!
Your enthusiasm for music, regardless of genre, always amazes me. I’m so glad you included a couple of movie sound tracks. It’s tough to beat Disney. I thought Blizzard of Oz might make the list.
The #1 best sounding album of all time is A Charlie Brown Christmas by the Vince Guaraldi Trio . The space between the instruments, and the way the drums are mic'd . It's just perfection.
Massive Attack - Mezzanine. How on earth that came out when it did is mind blowing, it's so rich with unique sounds and textures, the production is absolutely flawless, every sound on it was hand picked to be the most satisfying and perfect sound for the song, and what’s more is how absolutely nothing that’s come out since sounds even remotely like it at all, it sounds so unbelievably fresh, new and unique, if it came out tomorrow it’d still sound completely new
You're apsoloutely right, and also Antistar from 100th Window and Atlas Air from Heligoland. I would also added Yello's album Pocket Universe as one of the richest sounding music production, you can literally hear universe in motion. Listening to it loud in dark is priceless.
It’s ignored like most EDM. I’m a rocker and I love it. I’d throw Crystal Method’s Vegas and BT’s Movement in Still Life on that EDM honorable mention list
I have to say Carole King Tapestry is one that comes to mind for me. Even from hearing my parents play it when I was a kid, it sounds like you're sitting in the room as the music is being played, just awesome.
Genesis!! That's my band! I've seen a couple of Genesis comments here. I just listened to Duke this morning. All of their albums sound great in the 5.1 Surround Sound DVD's.
I truly think that Depeche Mode - Violator is one of the best sounding albums of all time (in addition to being one of the best). Produced by Flood and mixed by Francois Kevorkian, it sounds just as fresh in 2023 as it did in 1990. Absolutely mind-blowing sound.
Great call and one of my favorites. Remember putting the 180g vinyl reissue on for a friend. He wanted to hear a tube amplifier and preamp, etc. It was the only record we listened to where he reacted to the sound - “Damn that’s good”
@@WhyTheHorseface agreed. I would even go beyond that and claim that their album run starting from 1984’s Some Great Reward and ending at 1997’s Ultra is the best 6 album run of all time. Quality after quality after quality. Songs of Faith and Devotion was such a sonic twist for them, while it was also produced by Flood, it was almost a complete departure from Violator. Sounds so good. And Ultra, I mean Ultra was their most mature album at that point. Masterfully produced by Tim Simenon. The band coming together after the frontman came back from death (literally) and the main studio workhorse (Alan Wilder) left the band in the midst of it all, it was such a triumphant moment.
@philipharris2273 - Agreed... Nightfly simply HAS to be included here... BUT the only problem is ... the competition is... Aja, and Gaucho, and Prezel Logic! - And Yes, Katie Lied too!
@@palmerjackson554 It's 'kitchen clean' there's a great deal more electronica involved than Gaucho and miles more than Aja - 5 years was a longer time in music back then. For a lot of folks Nightfly is their favourite Steely Dan album. Personally I think it superior to most of them.
@@briangray00 Yep, I agree. Again, I really like the album and it really hit me when it came out -- I practically wore it out. And it is interesting, to your point, that certain friends of mine absolutely worship that album as their favorite Steely Dan album.
Surprised you didn't mention Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms. When cd's were first introduced everyone was blown away by this album's production. People purchased it in our record store solely due to the sound.
Back in the summer of 1988, I worked for a minor league baseball team in the South. One day, before the players came in, some of us who worked for the club came in and fooled around doing batting practice, and the groundskeeper got up in the booth and put that album on the PA system. What a powerful memory, the sun, the sheer fun, and that music filling the empty ballpark.
The album Money For Nothing by Dire Straits produced by Mark Knopfler is an amazing sounding record. It's not about the songs so much but about the three dimensional sound of the album; the space between the instruments. When you have a really good sound system this album sounds like you are in the room with the musicians.
Don't Forget "On Every Street" - a great CD for reference tracks in a wide variety of genres from bluegrass to hard rock . . . my Swiss Army knife of references.
To me a masterpiece is "Automatic for the People" from R.E.M. Released after "Out of Time", they dive in into a very introspective atmosphere and semi-acoustic recording. You need to listen it a few times to understand. At first auditions, it sounds difficult to understand. But after this it becomes a very beautiful album. Besides some singles like "Everybody Hurts", it haves fantastic b-sides like "Nightswimming" and "New Orleans Instrumental nº 1".
That's not really what Rick was highlighting with this video. He was talking about the 'sound', not the songs. Automatic for the People is a great album, but the sound is normal for the time.
I totally agree , AFTP is one of my all time favourite albums for both songwriting & production . I love everthing by REM , but that record is special.
I'm an audiophile and the one album that bubbles to the top for me always is Roxy Music's AVALON. What an incredible soundscape and three-dimensionality. The songwriting is superb and it's one of the best concept albums ever.
MY ALBUM SUGGESTIONS Ghost in the Machine - The Police Prisoner - Ryan's Adams Changing Skies - Elephant Revival Lucifer on the Sofa - Spoon Z - My Morning Jacket Every Kingdom/I Forget Where We Were - Ben Howard Lord Huron Physical Graffiti - Led Zepplin Achtung Baby, Joshua Tree - U2 What's Going On - Marvin Gaye Back in Black - AC/DC Bedtime Stories - Madonna Fine Line/Harry's House - Harry Styles (Music for A Sushi Restaurant) Escape - Journey Closing Time - Tom Waits Hejira - Joni Mitchell Maybe You've be Brainwashed Too - New Radicals Hounds of Love - Kate Bush Get Behind me Satan - The White Stripes Room for Squares - John Mayer Greatest Hits I, II & III - Queen
Dave Brubeck - Time Out, Miles Davis - Kind of Blue and a number of other classic Columbia jazz records done in the 50s/60s at Columbia 30th St. Studios in NYC (especially newer re-issues mixed from the original 3-tracks) have amazing tonality and sense of 3D space. That room was just amazing.
Chuck Mangione records, in particular Feels So Good were showcases for what late 70s analog recording was truly capable of, in terms of wide response, low distortion and deep soundstage.
@@markdettra1794 you gotta hear the Analogue Productions SACDs of Blue Note. Pretty much straight transfers of the original tapes. Rudy didn't engineer anything Columbia 30th St that I'm aware of.
The Alan Parsons Project’s debut album, Tales of Mystery and Imagination, definitely deserves to be on this list. Alan Parsons is an excellent engineer and deserves more recognition for his work with his own band.
Time Out by the Dave Brubeck Quartet, especially if you can get your hands on an audiophile pressing, sounds just absolutely amazing. It sounds like Dave's piano is right there with you. So crisp and bright and clear.
I was wondering if Rick would mention this album. It is absolutely the best sounding album I have heard. I don't really like testing speakers or sound systems using albums with too many synthetic instruments. Old jazz albums are the way to go.
Some great albums on here. From someone who is more into electronic music, Jean-Michel Jarre's Equinoxe was the standard for testing speakers. Specifically 1 and 4 (the bridge).
Enya’s “Watermark”, Jennifer Warnes’ “Famous Blue Raincoat”, Jeff Buckley’s “Grace”, Clapton “Unplugged”, and Norah Jones’ “Come Away With Me” are all phenomenal albums that are audiophile quality recordings and worth mentioning.
The Peter Malick Group album New York City featuring Norah Jones is propably one of my favourite sounding albums ever! But pretty much all Norah Jones's albums are really good in that matter.
I’m sure somebody’s already mentioned it, but The Alan Parsons Project “I Robot” has so many astonishing and engaging sonic moments from start to finish. I love listening to that album.
I saw her in concert once as an opening act for James Taylor and I was surprised that she didn't play that song since it was a huge hit for her, I was also disappointed too since I love that song.
Journey “escape” was a magical album for me. Fell in love with them in 1981 when I was 5 years old. Neal Schon was the first guitarist to ever inspire me to pick up a tennis racket and jump off my bed like I was EVH. lol
I'd like to nominate Queensryche's 1990 album Empire to the list. Empire was so beautifully mixed and produced, that with a good set of headphones, it feels like the band is playing all around you. And they achieved that wondrous sound with analog equipment.
The Queensryche Empire Album album was phenomenal and the Recording was emotive and beautiful. I listened to Empire over and over and over again. It would make my list! Good Call!
I would add Supertramp's 'Breakfast In America' to this list. Produced and engineered by Peter Henderson, this album in my opinion is sonic ecstasy... It has warmth and fullness, balanced EQ Spectrum with crisp highs, punchy mids, and resonate lows, and at the same time there is clarity amid the instruments, great separation in the tracks, and great reverbs that don't wash out the sound. Of course it is a classic album as well, but also an aural treasure..
I made the same comment before reading yours and wholeheartedly agree. The quality of songs and production enabled this album to really stand out in a decade of really great albums.
Any format of "Crime of the Century" by Supertramp is an outstandingly produced and engineered record. My test album for speakers, etc. is the Mobile Fidelity SL record. That and "Dark Side..." on UHQR are off-the-chain, explosive and dynamic. Isn't it amazing how well-written songs with superior musicianship and superlative sound engineering become your "go to" albums forever and always? These two are always in my bag when attending a listening party, especially with a younger crowd that are audiophiles, but aren't old enough to have appreciated the 60's and the 70's.
My time as a studio engineer began in 1980, ended 2020. When I began, Crime of the Century was generally considered the dog's bollox. And it was still pretty much the same when I retired. And regardless of that, my No1 album 'til I die me thinks
@@gillsimo5610 Pardon my ignorance but. . . may I assume that "the dog's bollox" is a compliment? It's just that it doesn't sound much like one. But then, I had a friend whose highest tribute to anything was to call it "the cat's rectum."
I was going to post-Beauty and the Beat is emblematic New Wave. Crazy to think some of the band members had only been involved in music for two or three years. That album really holds up.
I Am by Earth Wind and Fire is the first album that actually made me notice just how well it sounded. It sounded massive on the little stereo I had as a kid.
Rick, there is so much variety in the albums you featured. You shared many great albums, but I'm more impressed with how diverse your taste is with so many different genres you enjoy. It's great to see someone who can appreciate so many different styles of music.
I honestly think this is how most people are. Most people like and listen to a lot of different genres I think, or maybe I'm overestimating people. I know its how I've always been.
@matthewdennis1739 - To be honest, aside from enjoying some classical music and film soundtracks, I'm probably about 95% a classic rock listener, including quite a bit of 90s "grunge" and "alternative rock" (which I consider to be part of "classic rock"). In fact, probably at least 75% of what I listen to is just the Beatles and Nirvana, haha.
@@BugRib For me it all depends on the mood and time of the year. I go through various phases by the day, by the week, by the month, or by the season. In the summer I listen to more country (not radio country), folk, singer-songwriter, Americana and bluegrass. Whereas fall into winter I move toward more rock (several different styles from indie rock, punk, folk rock, classic rock, prog rock, heartland rock, blues rock, garage rock, grunge, rockabilly), as well as blues, metal, indie pop, funk, soul and a bit of classic pop/big band.
There are a few by Yes that are amazing. The track "Awaken" is a masterpiece of music. "Close to the Edge" is another tome of music and seems to convey more than just music, it has unusual energies not often found in most music. That could be said for both of these and some of their other pieces as well.
I feel like Supertramps Crime Of The Century always comes to mind. The production on that album is pure perfection. Also glad to see Genesis’s Trick Of The Tail make this list! One of my favorite Genesis albums of all time, and one of their best sounding albums
@@ModusVivendiMedia I too prefer Breakfast in America musically, yet COTC set a new standard for Audiophiles and was often used in high-end audio stores to show off their most expensive sound systems dynamic range, using the vintage A&M pressing as the demo.
I like all of Supertramp's albums, but I'm partial to Breakfast in America for the simple fact that it has my favorite song of theirs on it ("Goodbye Stranger")
I love how you included music from many different genres on this list. Too many of these types of lists are either a whole bunch of jazz albums from the 60s or a whole bunch of classic rock records with no albums recorded after 1990. Your list covered many different eras and genres so that any music fan can find a great sounding album in a style they enjoy.
So glad you included Gary Katz produced albums. I’ve always used Nightfly and Groucho to set up my hifi and speaker positioning. Gary is a an outstanding producer, one of a kind.
Queen's "Night at the Opera" was engineered by Mike Stone, who then went on to produce the first Asia album (simply called "Asia"), which I would definitely put on my list.
@@MplsTodd For sheer clarity and attack, absolutely. Boy, does that album get loud and go quiet. The dynamic range is incredible, even on vinyl [which is my copy].
Pink Floyd has like about 4 albums that could easily make this list. Meddle, Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here and The Wall are all albums that I love to just crank with a good set of headphones and listen to all the little details in the mix. The members of Pink Floyd were insanely underrated as a far as producers go.
Dark Side of the Moon was my first CD. I actually bought it about an hour before I bought my first player. It’s always great with a great set of headphones!
Steven Wilson needs an honorable mention here at a minimum. His albums like "The Raven that Refused to Sing" "Hand Cannot Erase" and "To the Bone" are incredibly well produced.
I was just talking about Steven Wilson in another comment. I also find it odd that Rick didn’t include any of his albums because he did a video on him about a month ago. Nevertheless, Wilson set the standard for modern rock production.
I think any list like this needs to have Supertramp Breakfast in America on it. That record is absolutely perfectly crafted and recorded. Every track sounds amazing.
The entire Brothers in Arms album by Dire Straits. But especially "Your Latest Trick" and "Why Worry". The sonic atmosphere of the Neve 8078 (serial A4792) mixing console on that album has stayed with me for decades.
I'm so glad you mentioned this, as it came to mind for me when I saw this vid's title. It's exquisite. And, if I'm not mistaken, wasn't it the first CD recorded in true digital every step of the way?
Yes, but I can one up you on Dire Straits albums: "On The Night". That album is my fav best sounding rock album of all time. The recording quality and Knopflers guitar work are so fabulous. For example, all way better than their studio counterparts, please listen to Money For Nothin', Romeo and Juliet, Your Latest Trick, or Brothers in Arms, or Calling Elvis. Mark even one-ups his usual stellar guitar work.
Foreigner’s self-titled debut album, the entire record! I thought it would be fun to point out an entire album that is extremely well-known, but its very popularity causes people to miss out on just how well it’s produced and recorded! In particular, “Fool for You, Anyway” is just exquisite ❤️, as is the far better-known “Feels Like the First Time” ! A big thank-you to Rick B for getting Queen’s “The Prophet’s Song” in this list - I knew that A Night at the Opera HAD to make an appearance on a list like this, but even against the other songs on this phenomenal Rock masterpiece, “The Prophet’s Song” just glitters, gleams, glows in the dark, and slices you to pieces like a demonically-possessed katana! If you’ve never heard it, you’re in for a spine-chilling, life-changing experience, particularly if you listen through top-level headphones like the old Koss Pro 4s ❤️😎👍.
Even Hemispheres sounds amazing and I really thought that would be the one Rush album he’d have on the list. I knew Rush would be on it being that Rick is such a big fan, it was just a question of what one. My personal favorite sounding Rush album is Counterparts. I’ll never forget the first listen of it compared to the thin sounding Presto and RTB albums. Just sounded amazing and still does.
INXS KICK has always been my go-to stereo tester, but tbh it made any stereo sound good, lol! The production of that album along with the content of incredible songs make it a slam dunk!!! 🙂
I have been listening to a lot of INXS lately. I saw them on the Kick tour and I am glad I did before Michael Hutchence sadly took his life. I always say that a biopic should be made of him. He was an incredible singer.
Just to pick some nits: Sufjan Stevens, Carrie & Lowell (all those gorgeous plucks!); Tears for Fears, The Seeds of Love (Oleta Adams!); Talk Talk, Laughing Stock (an orgy of the unusual); Brian Eno, Thursday Afternoon; Ralph Towner, the second Solstice album (such gorgeous engineering from Jan Erik Kongshaug); Joni Mitchell, Travelogue (such wonderful arrangements); Cocteau Twins, Milk and Kisses (their swan song...); Miles Davis, Live Evil (changed my life!).
Ive always considered Dire Straits' "on Every Street" to be a sonic masterpiece, along with Sting's "Soul Cages", Joni's "Hejira", anything by 10CC, Beck's "Hyperspace", and of course, anything Pat Metheny's recorded, "If I Could" to name one. And Paul Simon's "Still Crazy After All These Years".
Soul Cages was the first album that came to mind seeing this video. Next Brothers in Arms. And honorable mention for Madness of many by Animals as Leaders.
Dire Straits, Soul Cages, Hejira, and 10CC are all on my headphones testing playlist. Unfortunately the original Pat Metheny Group "white album" is mastered so poorly.
Soul Cages is both sonically beautiful and a masterpiece of thematic writing. I came to the comments specifically to see if anyone else had mentioned it
Thank you, Rick! Jimmy Eat World's "Bleed American". Every time the volume is pushed the drums absolutely change, they come to life. The whole album is a gem. Also James Taylor's "October Road" has such an intimate quiet-and-loud sound.
Great list. My honorable mentions: Moving Pictures by Rush and recorded at Le Studio; The Original Soundtrack and Deceptive Bends by 10cc for "I'm Not in Love" and "The Things We Do For Love" and Brothers In Arms by Dire Straits.
Here's a list of 10 albums that could easily be featured on your list (Artist - album - producer) in no particular order: Yes - 90215 - Trevor Horn King's X - Gretchen Goes To Nebraska - Sam Taylor Icehouse - Measure For Measure - Rhett Davies / David Lord Chalk Farm - Notwithstanding - Matt Hyde Tonic - Lemon Parade - Jack Joseph Puig The Verve Pipe - Villains - Jerry Harrison Porcupine Tree - Lightbulb Sun - Steven Wilson Kansas - Leftoverture - Jeff Glixman ELO - Face The Music - Jeff Lynne Dada - Puzzle - Ken Scott Armed with just this list of albums, you could have reference tracks for anything you could imagine!
If you're going to choose a Yes album, choose The Yes Album. It's the most classic. If not that their prog masterpiece Close to the Edge would be up there as well. 90215 is too comerical. IMHO.
Wow, mentioning those particular Yes, Verve Pipe, & Porcupine Tree albums makes me like you, but mentioning those particular King’s X, Icehouse (!!!), and Dada albums makes us automatic best friends 🤣
I haven’t watched this episode yet, but I’m going to say: Roxy Music’s Avalon should be on the list, it’s one of the best sounding albums I have ever heard.
I was 16 when I bought it (my first Roxy album) and I felt like a real adult for loving that recording. The sophistication of the lyrics, the suave melodies and the crystal clear production just made it stand out so much.
100% Agree. That album is insane. On Every Street is also a great sounding album. Those two albums and Dark Side of the Moon always stop me in my tracks.
The Tribe Called Quest song you played is called "Jazz (We've Got). The song that Ron Carter plays on is called "Verses from the Abstract". Very cool you included Hip Hop in your top 40! Love your diversity in music!
1. Invitation to the Blues - Tom Waits 2. Poo Boy - Bob Dylan 3.Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd 4. Blue in Green - Miles Davis 5. Since I've been lovin you - Lede Zeppelin 6. Somebody to love - Queen 7. and many many more...
Just about any album produced by Quincy Jones. I wasn't a MJ fan, but the albums were pristine. To this day I slap on headphones and listen to the Brothers Johnson "Strawberry Letter 23".
I saw Benson at the Half Note around '74. He hadn't begun singing yet and the tiny room was half full. On his albums, Quincy directs George how to play but in concert he went absolutely nuts! I was on a first date with a bank teller that I picked up after a big breakup. She turned to me after his first song and said; "Well, I have a big day tomorrow, so let's get going." @@jbrian53
I would also add Brothers in Arms for its incredible sounds. Every Steely Dan record could be on the list, e.g. Aja, but just listen to the sounds on "Two Against Nature" and "Everything Must Go". For example "Blues Beach" is so much "in the pocket" as Rick often says... And finally, Fagen's 1st solo album The Nightfly is just amazing. When you put on "I.G.Y.", the sounds don't get much better than that.
Brothers in Arms was the second album i got for my shiny new cd player back when cds were a new format. It sounded so goddam good and really stretched the range of the format at the time. The Man's too Strong still stands out in my memory as being particularly dynamic.
Brothers in Arms is probably the best CD era recording ever made. Why? Air Monserrat had a complete Sony Oxford digital system. Brand new especially the encoders. They made the album with. Probably the least compression on a album mastered for mainstream records. I have listened to this album on literally million dollar audio systems and it stand up to recordings to I have off of the audio boards of great studios. Sadly Air Monserrat was destroyed along with most of the island by a volcano eruption.
Buying Brothers in Arms and So on CD for my brand new stereo was a seminal moment. I used to crank "Money for Nothing" and "Big Time" at such insane volume. Good times.
Written by Mike Reid, who played defensive line for the Cincinnati Bengals. After he retired he had a very successful career as a songwriter. He’s a terrific piano player also!
oh my goodness.... You are soooo RIGHT!!! John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman recording is AMAZING!!! As a seasoned engineer THANK YOU so much for sharing this... The separation, the individuality to each instrument/voice, the attention to detail of each and every sound. The placement of those voices... AMAZING
Another vote for Dire Straits BIA, probably the most dynamic mix in rock, and so clear with great sounding drums and guitars. Alice in Chains MTV unplugged is also one of my go-to albums. The sound stage is massive, and so well recorded for a live album. Layne's voice cracks, drum kit sounds in the background, pick and guitar body sounds, so good. Close your eyes, and it's easy to convince yourself you're there.
Gino Vannelli's meticulous attention to sound, so often a big, majestic sound, and virtuoso musicianship is always meticulous and exciting to hear. I think it's time to re-enter another heavy rotation of my favorite songs: Nightwalker, Surest Things can Change, Appaloosa... Rick, an interview with Mr Vannelli would be great!
Saw Gino in Cleveburg during the Brother to Brother tour. Was funny watching the women in the audience. They were literally sliding off their seats. (read into that statement)
Rick - I was hoping you didn't miss this one but you did! One of the best sounding albums for me is Supertramp's Breakfast In America. The entire album sounds awesome the way it was recorded. Give it a listen with headphones. Also anything by Level 42.
I used to work in a HiFi store early 2000s and this album and Diana Krall were what half the customers would bring in. I heard it so much I came to hate it (I call that Hotel California Syndrome)
Rick covered his passing a couple weeks back, but Jeff Beck's "Blow by Blow" is sonic ear candy for me. Obviously, Jeff's skills are paramount, but his sidemen (Max Middleton [k], Phil Chen [b] and Richard Bailey [d]) performed amazingly and the engineering/production of that album was just about as perfect a Steely Dan one. "Diamond Dust", with producer George Martin's string arrangements, is super sophisticated and dazzling and we all know the magical sensitivity of "Cause We Ended as Lovers".
Random Access Memories deserves a place on this list. It’s pure quality and nothing but pure love of music. So much detail in every sound, and it took 4 years to make
I was so hyped for that release and on my first listen, that was my first takeaway. I actually didn't enjoy the approach they took. The contrast of the synths and robot voices with the immaculately recorded instruments didn't work for me. To my ears, I thought the drum recordings were detailed to the point of distraction. I may not be alone on this take because they recently released a version with drums removed entirely. Ironically, I prefer the sound of Discovery, which was notoriously poor-sounding with its use of low-bitrate samples.
@@sparrowcd That’s interesting to me because it’s my favorite album of all time for the exact reasons you describe as not working for you haha. Random Access Memories is also my go to anytime I get new headphones or speakers as well as testing PA’s. A couple years ago I was testing a system with it, after I was done I went to see how the other guys were getting on with their systems for the show and realized everyone was using that same album for their systems as well, we all got a kick out of it and joke about anytime we’re on the same show now
Stevie Wonder’s recording seemed way before its time with such crisp bass and cymbals. And gotta also give a shout-out to Peter Gabriel whose bass also sounds so fresh and clean.
@@1badsteed as soon as I listened I was immediately reminded that Peter Gabriel sang “I Have the Touch” on the Phenomenon soundtrack. One of my all time favorite movies. Song is on Spotify.
It's a good call; however, the first batches of CDs had a lot of audible hiss when instruments dropped out or just over the top of some of the songs generally.
I was just going to type that in. The title is " 40 Best Sounding Albums", in my opinion, there isn't a better recorded and produced album than Rumors. So much going on, so many different guitar tracks and vocal tracks and you can hear all of them clearly. An amazing bit of mid-70s recording magic. Rick really missed it .
I totally agree with that. But Rick has demonstrated thru his past videos that the Moody Blues are completely off his radar. So not surprising to me. He's just one of those guys.
Any Moody Blues album that has the song Nights in White Satin backed by a symphony orchestra should be on the list. After all it has pretty much everything a music fan could want in terms of the different instruments on display. Combine that with some excellent vocals and you will have a sound that allows the listener to test their audio equipment to it's limit. The only thing I can think of that is missing is some female vocals which I've heard are something that are often used by recording engineers and producers to test certain frequencies and components from the world of audio reproduction.
"Days Of Future Past" was actually conceived of as an album to demonstrate the possibilities of stereo sound to audiophiles, as previous to that most records were mono.
Some great albums on the list. I would add The Best of Santana. Amazing sounds- not just Carlos Santana's guitar, but the percussion, the keyboards, everything. Amazing.
@@robertwalker7063 I have never listened to their self titled album until just now. The whole album is like a journey through different sounds. I love how each song really accentuates something different, yet there is also a sense of cohesion. World Keeps Turning is where it’s at for me. Love the bluegrass/southern rock feel. When the bass drum kicks in👌 and that high hat… such an amazing rhythm section. What I really noticed throughout the album is the dynamics. I don’t think any amount of production can do that. Just pure musical talent!
Agreed! Even though I _absolutely_ did not like it at the time. Metal-head here! I would vote for INXS with their "Kick" album at about the same time. It's still a good album for today's times. Killer rock & funky! Awesome vocal performances by Michael Hutchence. Cheers!
A Trick Of The Tail! My favorite Genesis record, by far!! Excellent call, sir! - edit: As someone else noted, pretty much anything from The Alan Parsons Project would qualify for this list. And my only suggestion for a missed album would be Dream Theater's Awake from 1994. Incredible sounding album.
Rick, The inclusion of the “Memoirs of a Geisha” soundtrack impacted me instantly, before I could even place it. It’s things like that which make you one of my favorite musical content creators. That movie is so powerful largely because of an astounding score and its incredibly textured overall soundscape. Every album I know I agree on-and the ones I don’t know are now on a list.
I always pick Hummer by Smashing Pumpkins to test any music system. Such depth, such range. Butch Vig and Billy Corgan are a dream team for making a record sound just so perfect.
A no-brainer to me: Rickie Lee Jones’ self-titled debut album from 1979, absolute showcase of a good recording, can be both tight and lush, voice wonderfully caught, doesn’t get much better than that.
Great list. I would include Journey's "Escape" album and Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours" album. Both incredible albums with iconic songs and both impeccably produced.
First comment I've seen boosting Rumours so I'll join in. I'm by no means a huge fan of them, but that is just an incredibly crafted album, beautiful work.
Other honorable mentions should include: Supertramp - Crime of the Century and Even In The Quietest Moments & Styx - Grand Illusion and Paradice Theatre (Love the Channel!)
For me I have to say Grace - Jeff Buckley, beautiful album, beautiful voice, guitars sound great and Matt Johnson’s drumming is severely underrated!! My favourite album of all time!
Many of my records on the honorable mention list would have been in the video if they weren’t blockers. Make sure you don’t skip over the records that people are commenting on because I talk about them and why I can’t play them in the video. Thanks!
Now do the best live albums. You could do the top innovative albums, top sales and longest on charts etc...
Rick: you should listen to "Diorama" album by Silverchair.(2002). Try the song "Tuna in the brine". Produced by David Botrill (King Crimson / Tool). I need to hear your opinion about it. That record was impressive
Rick - if you haven't heard it, go listen to Thomas Newman's "That Next Place" from the Meet Joe Black Soundtrack. It doesn't get enough credit - it's simply stunning. Soaring melody and insane dynamics. The chords on the chorus section sound like they span about 30 octaves between the low brass and strings!
Your enthusiasm for music, regardless of genre, always amazes me. I’m so glad you included a couple of movie sound tracks. It’s tough to beat Disney. I thought Blizzard of Oz might make the list.
I wish you could do an interview with Daniel Lanois.
The #1 best sounding album of all time is A Charlie Brown Christmas by the Vince Guaraldi Trio . The space between the instruments, and the way the drums are mic'd . It's just perfection.
Agreed 👍
One of my earliest musical memories was hearing "Cast Your Fate to the Wind" on the radio.
😂😂😂
@@TheRealBozz alas - that is kinda the point - it is jazz music for kids - not mature sophisticated listeners
@@JamesJoyce12 Oh brother , you must be soooo sophisticated 🤭
Massive Attack - Mezzanine. How on earth that came out when it did is mind blowing, it's so rich with unique sounds and textures, the production is absolutely flawless, every sound on it was hand picked to be the most satisfying and perfect sound for the song, and what’s more is how absolutely nothing that’s come out since sounds even remotely like it at all, it sounds so unbelievably fresh, new and unique, if it came out tomorrow it’d still sound completely new
You're apsoloutely right, and also Antistar from 100th Window and Atlas Air from Heligoland. I would also added Yello's album Pocket Universe as one of the richest sounding music production, you can literally hear universe in motion. Listening to it loud in dark is priceless.
It’s ignored like most EDM. I’m a rocker and I love it. I’d throw Crystal Method’s Vegas and BT’s Movement in Still Life on that EDM honorable mention list
Angel is still way ahead of it's time
@@kingtarkus4895 AMAZING song. What a way to kick off an album.
@@rbrearey BT is amazing.
I have to say Carole King Tapestry is one that comes to mind for me. Even from hearing my parents play it when I was a kid, it sounds like you're sitting in the room as the music is being played, just awesome.
Yes! Even on cassette, not the highest-fi medium, it was an incredible sounding record.
Def a low fi classic. I love it.
I have to agree with you, "Tapestry" is certainly one of the greatest sounding albums of all time and should be in the Top 40.
Good call.
@@mikeviall811 Definitely not an audiophile recording - kind of muddy even in remastered form - but has great feel.
Genesis!! That's my band! I've seen a couple of Genesis comments here. I just listened to Duke this morning. All of their albums sound great in the 5.1 Surround Sound DVD's.
I truly think that Depeche Mode - Violator is one of the best sounding albums of all time (in addition to being one of the best). Produced by Flood and mixed by Francois Kevorkian, it sounds just as fresh in 2023 as it did in 1990. Absolutely mind-blowing sound.
Great call and one of my favorites. Remember putting the 180g vinyl reissue on for a friend. He wanted to hear a tube amplifier and preamp, etc. It was the only record we listened to where he reacted to the sound - “Damn that’s good”
Their late 80’s trilogy including Black Celebration and Music for the Masses are exceptional albums. So good.
@@WhyTheHorseface agreed. I would even go beyond that and claim that their album run starting from 1984’s Some Great Reward and ending at 1997’s Ultra is the best 6 album run of all time. Quality after quality after quality. Songs of Faith and Devotion was such a sonic twist for them, while it was also produced by Flood, it was almost a complete departure from Violator. Sounds so good. And Ultra, I mean Ultra was their most mature album at that point. Masterfully produced by Tim Simenon. The band coming together after the frontman came back from death (literally) and the main studio workhorse (Alan Wilder) left the band in the midst of it all, it was such a triumphant moment.
100%
The Policy of Truth
I've been listening to Roxy Music's "Avalon" a lot lately and my goodness, what a fabulous album.
Exquisite sounding album
I just wrote basically the same comment. ¨Avalon¨ , for me, is the best sounding album I've ever heard. The spacial qualities are superb.
Thank you. Saved me from saying the same thing. 👍
+ Bryan Ferry's solo album "Boys and Girls" oh boy
Avalon is a *fantastic* album!!
The opening bars of Aja made me buy this record. Stunning sound.
The Aja album never, ever gets old. I’ve heard it a thousand times and every time I pick up a new sound. Fagen and Becker nailed it!!
After a thousand listens you'd think you'd finally pick up all the nuances. Maybe invest in a hearing aid.
@@Frip36 You probably thought a long while to come up with that reply. Way to go
Just about any of those "made for fm radio" back in the mid to late-mid 70's albums were just beautifully crafted.
I’d listened to it at least 100 times before Rick pointed out the stick click in Gadd’s solo to me! LOL!
Outstanding release. From two of the most amazing studioheads. ;)
Donald Fagan, Night Fly - The sheer aural quality and clarity of this record always takes me aback. And its got Larry Carlton on guitar
That and his record “Kamakyriad” as well. Very nice production.
@philipharris2273 - Agreed... Nightfly simply HAS to be included here... BUT the only problem is ... the competition is... Aja, and Gaucho, and Prezel Logic! - And Yes, Katie Lied too!
Love that album but it's a bit antiseptic sounding to me. Not as warm or organic as it could be.
@@palmerjackson554 It's 'kitchen clean' there's a great deal more electronica involved than Gaucho and miles more than Aja - 5 years was a longer time in music back then. For a lot of folks Nightfly is their favourite Steely Dan album. Personally I think it superior to most of them.
@@briangray00 Yep, I agree. Again, I really like the album and it really hit me when it came out -- I practically wore it out. And it is interesting, to your point, that certain friends of mine absolutely worship that album as their favorite Steely Dan album.
Surprised you didn't mention Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms. When cd's were first introduced everyone was blown away by this album's production. People purchased it in our record store solely due to the sound.
Listen to this on vinyl. It's remarkable.
Alchemy live is mind blowing.
Dire Straits-"Love Over Gold" gets never gets the love it deserves; I think its the crown jewel of all their albums
Agree; Brothers In Arms took the band to a whole new level!!!
Back in the summer of 1988, I worked for a minor league baseball team in the South. One day, before the players came in, some of us who worked for the club came in and fooled around doing batting practice, and the groundskeeper got up in the booth and put that album on the PA system. What a powerful memory, the sun, the sheer fun, and that music filling the empty ballpark.
Genesis - Selling England by the Pound, Moody Blues - Seventh Sojourn, Steely Dan - Gaucho... all great albums.
Absolutely love Selling England, was glad to see Trick on here though
Babylon Sisters sounds so crisp and full to this day. Amazing track in every way.
The album Money For Nothing by Dire Straits produced by Mark Knopfler is an amazing sounding record. It's not about the songs so much but about the three dimensional sound of the album; the space between the instruments. When you have a really good sound system this album sounds like you are in the room with the musicians.
Indeed...the "Brothers in Arms" album sounds incredible. My no 1....
First thing I listen to when testing any audio system.
Yep, I came to post this. Brothers in Arms is absolutely stellar sounding.
Don't Forget "On Every Street" - a great CD for reference tracks in a wide variety of genres from bluegrass to hard rock . . . my Swiss Army knife of references.
If I’m checking out A sound system, headphones or speakers First track is usually so far away
To me a masterpiece is "Automatic for the People" from R.E.M. Released after "Out of Time", they dive in into a very introspective atmosphere and semi-acoustic recording. You need to listen it a few times to understand. At first auditions, it sounds difficult to understand. But after this it becomes a very beautiful album. Besides some singles like "Everybody Hurts", it haves fantastic b-sides like "Nightswimming" and "New Orleans Instrumental nº 1".
That's not really what Rick was highlighting with this video. He was talking about the 'sound', not the songs. Automatic for the People is a great album, but the sound is normal for the time.
I drove around on the Athens bypass the night this was released, listening to it over and over!
I totally agree , AFTP is one of my all time favourite albums for both songwriting & production .
I love everthing by REM , but that record is special.
This album made my top 25. Man on the Moon is my favorite song from the album.
My favourite album for spending night on the Adriatic beach in Croatia withy wife and friends. Occasional night swimming I cant resist
I'm an audiophile and the one album that bubbles to the top for me always is Roxy Music's AVALON. What an incredible soundscape and three-dimensionality. The songwriting is superb and it's one of the best concept albums ever.
Country Life is their best album. I've seen them many times, they were my favorite band. Bryan Ferry's voice is incredible.
Such a sweet album! Love it!
Amen
Absolutely. Avalon is one of the best recordings ever.
Yeah Avalon is amazing, such beautiful ways of putting together sounds
MY ALBUM SUGGESTIONS
Ghost in the Machine - The Police
Prisoner - Ryan's Adams
Changing Skies - Elephant Revival
Lucifer on the Sofa - Spoon
Z - My Morning Jacket
Every Kingdom/I Forget Where We Were - Ben Howard
Lord Huron
Physical Graffiti - Led Zepplin
Achtung Baby, Joshua Tree - U2
What's Going On - Marvin Gaye
Back in Black - AC/DC
Bedtime Stories - Madonna
Fine Line/Harry's House - Harry Styles (Music for A Sushi Restaurant)
Escape - Journey
Closing Time - Tom Waits
Hejira - Joni Mitchell
Maybe You've be Brainwashed Too - New Radicals
Hounds of Love - Kate Bush
Get Behind me Satan - The White Stripes
Room for Squares - John Mayer
Greatest Hits I, II & III - Queen
Dave Brubeck - Time Out, Miles Davis - Kind of Blue and a number of other classic Columbia jazz records done in the 50s/60s at Columbia 30th St. Studios in NYC (especially newer re-issues mixed from the original 3-tracks) have amazing tonality and sense of 3D space. That room was just amazing.
Chuck Mangione records, in particular Feels So Good were showcases for what late 70s analog recording was truly capable of, in terms of wide response, low distortion and deep soundstage.
Yeah, Kind of Blue sounds immaculate.
Kind of Blue I think is a better production than Tori Amos. Lol
Anything recorded and engineered by Rudy Van Gelder is perfection . I get angry when i see 're-mastering' of anything he's done.
@@markdettra1794 you gotta hear the Analogue Productions SACDs of Blue Note. Pretty much straight transfers of the original tapes.
Rudy didn't engineer anything Columbia 30th St that I'm aware of.
The Alan Parsons Project’s debut album, Tales of Mystery and Imagination, definitely deserves to be on this list. Alan Parsons is an excellent engineer and deserves more recognition for his work with his own band.
There's a reason Dark Side of the Moon is on the list.
Except--which version? The original, or the remixed one with Orson Welles?
I couldn't believe Tales or I Robot wasn't on here!
Great music but the production is wanting, because of the equipment, IMHO
Did you know he wrote the score for the movie Lady Hawk?
Time Out by the Dave Brubeck Quartet, especially if you can get your hands on an audiophile pressing, sounds just absolutely amazing. It sounds like Dave's piano is right there with you. So crisp and bright and clear.
I have the 45rpm version. Best sounding album I own.
@@kenweide6083 Me too.
I was wondering if Rick would mention this album. It is absolutely the best sounding album I have heard. I don't really like testing speakers or sound systems using albums with too many synthetic instruments. Old jazz albums are the way to go.
I agree! Especially when you consider it was recorded in 1959! Like I say often; when you get it right, you get it right.
Bravo Brubeck..recorded live in Mexico has the best jazz drum sound ever.Joe Morello/ Ludwig
Some great albums on here. From someone who is more into electronic music, Jean-Michel Jarre's Equinoxe was the standard for testing speakers. Specifically 1 and 4 (the bridge).
Yes to Jarre! Also Oceanic by Vangelis and be sure to check out Ulrich Schnauss
Enya’s “Watermark”, Jennifer Warnes’ “Famous Blue Raincoat”, Jeff Buckley’s “Grace”, Clapton “Unplugged”, and Norah Jones’ “Come Away With Me” are all phenomenal albums that are audiophile quality recordings and worth mentioning.
I'd go along with that!
Audiophile quality. You just revealed yourself as an utter tool. Audiophile is 💩
Also Jennifer Warnes' The Hunter, especially the eponymous track. Such a great sound
Grace for sure!
The Peter Malick Group album New York City featuring Norah Jones is propably one of my favourite sounding albums ever! But pretty much all Norah Jones's albums are really good in that matter.
Loved seeing Trick of the Tail on the list, that album has always blown me away!
I can't believe there isn't any Sting album in this list!
"Ten Summoner's Tales", among others, sounds incredible.
Love, love, love 'The Soul Cages.'
Yeah, Ten Summoner's Tales and The Soul Cages both sound incredible!
And Mercury Falling, too!!!
Yeah, that was my first thought too, and unless I missed it I didn't hear any Hugh Padgham productions in there.
Dominic Miller ❤
It's A Long Way There by Little River Band. The 2022 remastered version is phenomenal! Guitar, Harmonies & production is sublime.
I’m sure somebody’s already mentioned it, but The Alan Parsons Project “I Robot” has so many astonishing and engaging sonic moments from start to finish. I love listening to that album.
I absolutely agree, this top really lacks some TAPP. However, it's a well put together list, not disappointed at all :)
I forgot that one, but you're right.
I love the way the songs seem to naturally from one into another; excellent choice!
Alan Parsons Project... oh man, such great music, iRobot is my favorite! 👍
A masterpiece-it.
I think "Crime of the century" by Supertramp should have been in this chart, it is amazing how it sounds still nowadays
Absolutely!!
Agreed
Back in the early days of CD players Crime of the Century was a top favourite among salespeople for showing them off!
I've got the Speaker's Corner Vinyl Reissue and it sounds absolutely stunning
Saw Supertramp live in 1978 . Absolutely amazing . Some of the albums on here I’ve never heard of .
What a pleasant surprise to here Bonnie Raitt's "I Can't Make You Love Me". She had a truly angelic voice in that song, and the whole record of course
I saw her in concert once as an opening act for James Taylor and I was surprised that she didn't play that song since it was a huge hit for her, I was also disappointed too since I love that song.
Did you know that song was written by former NFL defensive lineman, Mike Reid? Absolutely heartbreaking song, by an absolutely bonebreaking man.
I've never been into Bonnie Raitt's music, but I've always appreciated the space and quality of that track. It's just gorgeous.
Basically any of her Don Was albums are remarkable. I could listen to her all day and never tire of her. One of the best voices of the 20th century.
Journey “escape” was a magical album for me. Fell in love with them in 1981 when I was 5 years old. Neal Schon was the first guitarist to ever inspire me to pick up a tennis racket and jump off my bed like I was EVH. lol
Escape is one of the greatest albums ever!!
I'd like to nominate Queensryche's 1990 album Empire to the list. Empire was so beautifully mixed and produced, that with a good set of headphones, it feels like the band is playing all around you. And they achieved that wondrous sound with analog equipment.
O man; YES. I forgot "Empire "!!
Exactly what I was thinking! That's a very analog sounding record.
Thought it sounded like Pink Floyd
Absolutely Queensryche is always under appreciated
The Queensryche Empire Album album was phenomenal and the Recording was emotive and beautiful. I listened to Empire over and over and over again. It would make my list! Good Call!
I would add Supertramp's 'Breakfast In America' to this list. Produced and engineered by Peter Henderson, this album in my opinion is sonic ecstasy... It has warmth and fullness, balanced EQ Spectrum with crisp highs, punchy mids, and resonate lows, and at the same time there is clarity amid the instruments, great separation in the tracks, and great reverbs that don't wash out the sound. Of course it is a classic album as well, but also an aural treasure..
so true.....Played on a high end SQ system its amazing
I made the same comment before reading yours and wholeheartedly agree. The quality of songs and production enabled this album to really stand out in a decade of really great albums.
Absolutely! One of the best albums to reference audio productions.
Agree. This one came to mind as I listened also.
I came here to say this. It's mixed and mastered beautifully
Any format of "Crime of the Century" by Supertramp is an outstandingly produced and engineered record. My test album for speakers, etc. is the Mobile Fidelity SL record. That and "Dark Side..." on UHQR are off-the-chain, explosive and dynamic. Isn't it amazing how well-written songs with superior musicianship and superlative sound engineering become your "go to" albums forever and always? These two are always in my bag when attending a listening party, especially with a younger crowd that are audiophiles, but aren't old enough to have appreciated the 60's and the 70's.
I totally agree! Not only my favourite album but also the album I use to test sound systems...
Cover the work of Frank Zappa.
I have revelled in listening to School on Mobile Fidelity vinyl; no better way to demonstrate the potential of good vinyl.
My time as a studio engineer began in 1980, ended 2020. When I began, Crime of the Century was generally considered the dog's bollox. And it was still pretty much the same when I retired. And regardless of that, my No1 album 'til I die me thinks
@@gillsimo5610 Pardon my ignorance but. . . may I assume that "the dog's bollox" is a compliment? It's just that it doesn't sound much like one.
But then, I had a friend whose highest tribute to anything was to call it "the cat's rectum."
It may be because I had it on a half speed master back in the mid 70's, but Al Stewart "Year of the Cat" sounded amazing.
Wonderful shout Sir. Phenomenally produced and beautiful sounding.
Head over Heels is one of those magical songs that instantly transports me to a specific moment in time. I absolutely love that song!
Me, too. And the video is so endearingly charming.
I was going to post-Beauty and the Beat is emblematic New Wave. Crazy to think some of the band members had only been involved in music for two or three years. That album really holds up.
The album version, with the extended outro, is just incredible.
I Am by Earth Wind and Fire is the first album that actually made me notice just how well it sounded. It sounded massive on the little stereo I had as a kid.
I think George Massenburg recorded that. His stuff is always amazing.
I agree… Their “Spirit” album sounds great as well.
Straight up man I was thinking that was a phenomenal album. Chicago Beginnings is another. I would say EWF Raise is seriously underrated
Gratitude is STILL their best tho.😅
Rick, there is so much variety in the albums you featured. You shared many great albums, but I'm more impressed with how diverse your taste is with so many different genres you enjoy. It's great to see someone who can appreciate so many different styles of music.
It's one of the reasons why Rick gets so much respect universally by everyone in music. He's one of the purest, most objective music lover.
I honestly think this is how most people are. Most people like and listen to a lot of different genres I think, or maybe I'm overestimating people. I know its how I've always been.
@matthewdennis1739 - To be honest, aside from enjoying some classical music and film soundtracks, I'm probably about 95% a classic rock listener, including quite a bit of 90s "grunge" and "alternative rock" (which I consider to be part of "classic rock").
In fact, probably at least 75% of what I listen to is just the Beatles and Nirvana, haha.
@@BugRib
For me it all depends on the mood and time of the year. I go through various phases by the day, by the week, by the month, or by the season.
In the summer I listen to more country (not radio country), folk, singer-songwriter, Americana and bluegrass.
Whereas fall into winter I move toward more rock (several different styles from indie rock, punk, folk rock, classic rock, prog rock, heartland rock, blues rock, garage rock, grunge, rockabilly), as well as blues, metal, indie pop, funk, soul and a bit of classic pop/big band.
There are a few by Yes that are amazing. The track "Awaken" is a masterpiece of music. "Close to the Edge" is another tome of music and seems to convey more than just music, it has unusual energies not often found in most music. That could be said for both of these and some of their other pieces as well.
90215 is a great sounding record. Also another Trevor Horn production
Saw Awaken live. was phenom! agree totally.
Production on Going for the One is not great though unfortunately
CTTE is truely a masterpiece
I feel like Supertramps Crime Of The Century always comes to mind. The production on that album is pure perfection. Also glad to see Genesis’s Trick Of The Tail make this list! One of my favorite Genesis albums of all time, and one of their best sounding albums
I was going to suggest Breakfast in America, but yeah.
@@ModusVivendiMedia I too prefer Breakfast in America musically, yet COTC set a new standard for Audiophiles and was often used in high-end audio stores to show off their most expensive sound systems dynamic range, using the vintage A&M pressing as the demo.
@@JC-ye7pj I admit that I wasn't nearly as familiar with COTC, so I did not know that. Thank you for the insights. Now I'm curious to go listen to it!
I like all of Supertramp's albums, but I'm partial to Breakfast in America for the simple fact that it has my favorite song of theirs on it ("Goodbye Stranger")
Even in the quietest moments as well.
Just about any Stevie Wonder album. I used to take my SW vinyl to audio stores to test out turntables and speakers. Crisp, open and accurate sound.
I love how you included music from many different genres on this list. Too many of these types of lists are either a whole bunch of jazz albums from the 60s or a whole bunch of classic rock records with no albums recorded after 1990. Your list covered many different eras and genres so that any music fan can find a great sounding album in a style they enjoy.
So glad you included Gary Katz produced albums. I’ve always used Nightfly and Groucho to set up my hifi and speaker positioning. Gary is a an outstanding producer, one of a kind.
Queen's "Night at the Opera" was engineered by Mike Stone, who then went on to produce the first Asia album (simply called "Asia"), which I would definitely put on my list.
Joe Jackson Night and Day- from beginning to end! Excellent performance and phenomenal production!!!!🎶🎶🎶
Blaze of Glory is on my list
@@tasdau I'm with you two!
Body & Soul is also deserving mention!
@@MplsTodd For sheer clarity and attack, absolutely. Boy, does that album get loud and go quiet. The dynamic range is incredible, even on vinyl [which is my copy].
Another great choice!
Pink Floyd has like about 4 albums that could easily make this list. Meddle, Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here and The Wall are all albums that I love to just crank with a good set of headphones and listen to all the little details in the mix. The members of Pink Floyd were insanely underrated as a far as producers go.
Alan Parsons wasn't too shabby as an engineer either...
Dark Side of the Moon was my first CD. I actually bought it about an hour before I bought my first player. It’s always great with a great set of headphones!
@@davidrayburn9818 yes sir...and Alan has some great songs and albums on his own. Definitely knows what hes doin!
Meddle is one of my all time favorites!
The Final Cut was also a phenomenal recording
Agree on Rush, Gino Vanelli (Colaiuta on drums?), Soundgarden, Van Halen, Boston, Peter Gabriel, Queen, Steely Dan and Joni Mitchell
Steven Wilson needs an honorable mention here at a minimum. His albums like "The Raven that Refused to Sing" "Hand Cannot Erase" and "To the Bone" are incredibly well produced.
Agreed! The production value of all his albums are incredible. Same goes for Porcupine Tree
I was waiting for Steven Wilson too.
All of Porcupine tree too was steven wilson I believe
Definitely!
I was just talking about Steven Wilson in another comment. I also find it odd that Rick didn’t include any of his albums because he did a video on him about a month ago. Nevertheless, Wilson set the standard for modern rock production.
I think any list like this needs to have Supertramp Breakfast in America on it. That record is absolutely perfectly crafted and recorded. Every track sounds amazing.
Agreed…I was gonna say “Had a dream” by Roger Hodgson but his Supertramp stuff is GREAT
I was going through the list thinking "man, this countdown really needs some Supertramp"
Or Crime of the Century, which I think is even a little better!
👍
Even Cannonball is a masterpiece in terms of a well oiled orchestra sound
The entire Brothers in Arms album by Dire Straits. But especially "Your Latest Trick" and "Why Worry". The sonic atmosphere of the Neve 8078 (serial A4792) mixing console on that album has stayed with me for decades.
I am totally with you on that one.
I'm so glad you mentioned this, as it came to mind for me when I saw this vid's title. It's exquisite. And, if I'm not mistaken, wasn't it the first CD recorded in true digital every step of the way?
Yes. This album is better than most.
Yes, but I can one up you on Dire Straits albums: "On The Night". That album is my fav best sounding rock album of all time. The recording quality and Knopflers guitar work are so fabulous. For example, all way better than their studio counterparts, please listen to Money For Nothin', Romeo and Juliet, Your Latest Trick, or Brothers in Arms, or Calling Elvis. Mark even one-ups his usual stellar guitar work.
For those wondering, @@moviesgregoroamin is referring to Dire Straits' live album from 1993
Foreigner’s self-titled debut album, the entire record! I thought it would be fun to point out an entire album that is extremely well-known, but its very popularity causes people to miss out on just how well it’s produced and recorded! In particular, “Fool for You, Anyway” is just exquisite ❤️, as is the far better-known “Feels Like the First Time” !
A big thank-you to Rick B for getting Queen’s “The Prophet’s Song” in this list - I knew that A Night at the Opera HAD to make an appearance on a list like this, but even against the other songs on this phenomenal Rock masterpiece, “The Prophet’s Song” just glitters, gleams, glows in the dark, and slices you to pieces like a demonically-possessed katana!
If you’ve never heard it, you’re in for a spine-chilling, life-changing experience, particularly if you listen through top-level headphones like the old Koss Pro 4s ❤️😎👍.
I would add Moving Pictures by Rush to the list. Every song is so balanced and the percussion of Neil’s drums hit so hard.
Even Hemispheres sounds amazing and I really thought that would be the one Rush album he’d have on the list. I knew Rush would be on it being that Rick is such a big fan, it was just a question of what one. My personal favorite sounding Rush album is Counterparts. I’ll never forget the first listen of it compared to the thin sounding Presto and RTB albums. Just sounded amazing and still does.
@@greengrass1072 their most underrated album
I think that Moving Pictures sounds better than Permanent Waves, definitely.
Hemispheres to Signals were produced perfection. It recovered a little with Presto and Bones, but that's about it.
How about Deja Vu - Crosby Stills Nash and Young???
INXS KICK has always been my go-to stereo tester, but tbh it made any stereo sound good, lol! The production of that album along with the content of incredible songs make it a slam dunk!!! 🙂
I have been listening to a lot of INXS lately. I saw them on the Kick tour and I am glad I did before Michael Hutchence sadly took his life. I always say that a biopic should be made of him. He was an incredible singer.
Bob Clearmountain at his best
Yeah.
While on Australian albums - Cold Chisel's East & Circus Animals produced by Mark Opitz
are brilliantly clear with the best snare sound ever.
Depeche Mode - Violator. Amazing sounding record. The layers of clear sounds all so distinct and able to be focused on
Agreed. I'm not a major DM fans but I love that album because it's sound & vibe.
Just posted the same, then scrolled and saw this... And, if you didn't know, they are back on tour starting in March!
It's great but just listened to Ultra recently. Definitely up there sonically.
I always use Violator to test speakers and earbuds.
Agreed. Always great.
Just to pick some nits: Sufjan Stevens, Carrie & Lowell (all those gorgeous plucks!); Tears for Fears, The Seeds of Love (Oleta Adams!); Talk Talk, Laughing Stock (an orgy of the unusual); Brian Eno, Thursday Afternoon; Ralph Towner, the second Solstice album (such gorgeous engineering from Jan Erik Kongshaug); Joni Mitchell, Travelogue (such wonderful arrangements); Cocteau Twins, Milk and Kisses (their swan song...); Miles Davis, Live Evil (changed my life!).
My reference track for all sound reproduction is Woman in Chains. When Oleta first comes in, my oh my.
Thank you so much for including Joni Mitchel's Court and Spark. One of my all time favorite albums.
Ive always considered Dire Straits' "on Every Street" to be a sonic masterpiece, along with Sting's "Soul Cages", Joni's "Hejira", anything by 10CC, Beck's "Hyperspace", and of course, anything Pat Metheny's recorded, "If I Could" to name one. And Paul Simon's "Still Crazy After All These Years".
On every street ist so much fun to listen
Soul Cages was the first album that came to mind seeing this video. Next Brothers in Arms. And honorable mention for Madness of many by Animals as Leaders.
Dire Straits, Soul Cages, Hejira, and 10CC are all on my headphones testing playlist.
Unfortunately the original Pat Metheny Group "white album" is mastered so poorly.
Soul Cages is both sonically beautiful and a masterpiece of thematic writing. I came to the comments specifically to see if anyone else had mentioned it
Hejira is a masterpiece. Glad to see Court and Spark, but Hejira is Joni Mitchell best album
Thank you, Rick!
Jimmy Eat World's "Bleed American". Every time the volume is pushed the drums absolutely change, they come to life. The whole album is a gem. Also James Taylor's "October Road" has such an intimate quiet-and-loud sound.
Jimmy eat world is good
I used to take Pat Matheny’s American garage in when I was checking out New sound systems had so much vibrance and dynamics.
Great list. My honorable mentions: Moving Pictures by Rush and recorded at Le Studio; The Original Soundtrack and Deceptive Bends by 10cc for "I'm Not in Love" and "The Things We Do For Love" and Brothers In Arms by Dire Straits.
Back in the 70s, the audiophile test song we used was Crazy on You by Heart. Such clarity in the acoustic guitar!
Here's a list of 10 albums that could easily be featured on your list (Artist - album - producer) in no particular order:
Yes - 90215 - Trevor Horn
King's X - Gretchen Goes To Nebraska - Sam Taylor
Icehouse - Measure For Measure - Rhett Davies / David Lord
Chalk Farm - Notwithstanding - Matt Hyde
Tonic - Lemon Parade - Jack Joseph Puig
The Verve Pipe - Villains - Jerry Harrison
Porcupine Tree - Lightbulb Sun - Steven Wilson
Kansas - Leftoverture - Jeff Glixman
ELO - Face The Music - Jeff Lynne
Dada - Puzzle - Ken Scott
Armed with just this list of albums, you could have reference tracks for anything you could imagine!
I hate you and love you
If you're going to choose a Yes album, choose The Yes Album. It's the most classic. If not that their prog masterpiece Close to the Edge would be up there as well. 90215 is too comerical. IMHO.
Good to see a King's X fan. 90215 reminded me that Big Generator is amazing.
Always bonus points for King's X.
Wow, mentioning those particular Yes, Verve Pipe, & Porcupine Tree albums makes me like you, but mentioning those particular King’s X, Icehouse (!!!), and Dada albums makes us automatic best friends 🤣
You blew me away with your #1 sounding album: John Coltrane & Johnny Hartman Thank-You
Just ordered it. Great video Rick as always!
I haven’t watched this episode yet, but I’m going to say: Roxy Music’s Avalon should be on the list, it’s one of the best sounding albums I have ever heard.
Yep, it's my #1 pick. I still haven't heard another album that sounds that good, thriller is pretty darn close.
I was 16 when I bought it (my first Roxy album) and I felt like a real adult for loving that recording. The sophistication of the lyrics, the suave melodies and the crystal clear production just made it stand out so much.
Yes!
Sublime album
Avalon will sound brilliant on a clock radio
Super surprised Dire Straits’ Brothers in Arms didn’t make the list nor any Supertramp album. Incredible sounding albums.
Absolutely!!
Yeah the title song from that album is amazing.
Agreed. One of the best sounded albums ever.
100% Agree. That album is insane. On Every Street is also a great sounding album. Those two albums and Dark Side of the Moon always stop me in my tracks.
Brothers in Arms was, by far, the best sounding album I've ever heard, personally.
The Tribe Called Quest song you played is called "Jazz (We've Got). The song that Ron Carter plays on is called "Verses from the Abstract". Very cool you included Hip Hop in your top 40! Love your diversity in music!
Low End Theory is one of my top rap albums ever, Excursions and Butter both sounds really good to me
The first two Lyle Mays solo albums are amazing recordings. The music is amazing, of course, but the sound quality is stunning on both.
The Coltrne - Hartman album has brought tears to my eyes for decades. It is a record that the louder you play it the better it becomes.
I read somewhere that all of the songs on that album except one are complete first takes.
I just posted a similar comment. Glad to hear from someone else who gets it.
Joni Mitchell’s Court and Spark is a stellar production. Use headphones. Exceptional
She’s an all time genius. Just that snippet of the title song moves me to tears. Such a beautiful chord progression.
And 'The Hissing of Summer Lawns' is great in the headphones as well.
I have used headphones - many times! Remarkable sound and production...and those SONGS...
@@mwyatt222 yup! My favorite part is the ending of "Edith and the Kingpin".
Dark Side of the Moon is an incredible sounding album
Money…the unique perrfect sound ever recorded.
@@grahamkay4034I think the simplicity as what makes it so beautiful
SO are Ambrosia's first & second.....
Such a gem and what a cover! Probably the most iconic cover ever
Yea You Would Have To Include 'Dark Side' On Any Best Album Site.
1. Invitation to the Blues - Tom Waits
2. Poo Boy - Bob Dylan
3.Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd
4. Blue in Green - Miles Davis
5. Since I've been lovin you - Lede Zeppelin
6. Somebody to love - Queen
7. and many many more...
Just about any album produced by Quincy Jones. I wasn't a MJ fan, but the albums were pristine. To this day I slap on headphones and listen to the Brothers Johnson "Strawberry Letter 23".
I've bought a few copies of Walking In Space since it came out.
George Benson's album Give me the Night (produced by Quincy Jones) is so punchy and clear it's like standing in the middle of the band in the studio.
I saw Benson at the Half Note around '74. He hadn't begun singing yet and the tiny room was half full.
On his albums, Quincy directs George how to play but in concert he went absolutely nuts!
I was on a first date with a bank teller that I picked up after a big breakup. She turned to me after his first song and said; "Well, I have a big day tomorrow, so let's get going."
@@jbrian53
Strawberry Letter is an amazing song, and seldom played on any video channel, or publicly played anywhere in Canada.
Yeah Thriller was recorded excellent. Was it analog??
I would also add Brothers in Arms for its incredible sounds. Every Steely Dan record could be on the list, e.g. Aja, but just listen to the sounds on "Two Against Nature" and "Everything Must Go". For example "Blues Beach" is so much "in the pocket" as Rick often says... And finally, Fagen's 1st solo album The Nightfly is just amazing. When you put on "I.G.Y.", the sounds don't get much better than that.
Love Mark Knopfler's music 🎶
Brothers in Arms was the second album i got for my shiny new cd player back when cds were a new format. It sounded so goddam good and really stretched the range of the format at the time. The Man's too Strong still stands out in my memory as being particularly dynamic.
@@gerwen1 l have a original Brothers in Arms album and Money for Nothing CD original l have a few albums 45's and CD
Brothers in Arms is probably the best CD era recording ever made. Why? Air Monserrat had a complete Sony Oxford digital system. Brand new especially the encoders. They made the album with. Probably the least compression on a album mastered for mainstream records. I have listened to this album on literally million dollar audio systems and it stand up to recordings to I have off of the audio boards of great studios. Sadly Air Monserrat was destroyed along with most of the island by a volcano eruption.
Buying Brothers in Arms and So on CD for my brand new stereo was a seminal moment. I used to crank "Money for Nothing" and "Big Time" at such insane volume. Good times.
That Bonnie Raitt “I can’t make you love me” is one of the best songs ever, and Bruce Hornsby plays the keys in it. Amazing.
I have loved Bonnie ever since Angel from Montgomery! The best.
Written by Mike Reid, who played defensive line for the Cincinnati Bengals. After he retired he had a very successful career as a songwriter. He’s a terrific piano player also!
Bruce hornsby is a fantastic piano player. My personal favorite.
@@tarzanmike7836 yep. Incredible story. Dynamic individual.
oh my goodness.... You are soooo RIGHT!!! John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman recording is AMAZING!!! As a seasoned engineer THANK YOU so much for sharing this... The separation, the individuality to each instrument/voice, the attention to detail of each and every sound. The placement of those voices... AMAZING
Another vote for Dire Straits BIA, probably the most dynamic mix in rock, and so clear with great sounding drums and guitars.
Alice in Chains MTV unplugged is also one of my go-to albums. The sound stage is massive, and so well recorded for a live album. Layne's voice cracks, drum kit sounds in the background, pick and guitar body sounds, so good. Close your eyes, and it's easy to convince yourself you're there.
Gino Vannelli's meticulous attention to sound, so often a big, majestic sound, and virtuoso musicianship is always meticulous and exciting to hear. I think it's time to re-enter another heavy rotation of my favorite songs: Nightwalker, Surest Things can Change, Appaloosa... Rick, an interview with Mr Vannelli would be great!
Most definitely! Big fan...
He is a genius!
Saw Gino in Cleveburg during the Brother to Brother tour. Was funny watching the women in the audience. They were literally sliding off their seats. (read into that statement)
I love that you included “The Prophet’s Song.” One of my all-time favorite songs from one of the all-time greatest albums
My All-time favorite Queen song. Love it with headphones.
I thought the same back in 76
Leftoverture by Kansas still sounds amazing. Incredible production.
Rick - I was hoping you didn't miss this one but you did! One of the best sounding albums for me is Supertramp's Breakfast In America. The entire album sounds awesome the way it was recorded. Give it a listen with headphones. Also anything by Level 42.
Crime of the Century has always sounded better to me
@@marcallen6987 I'll have to give it a listen.
Agreed, hard to beat. Goodbye Stranger is a cranker. Especially the last couple of minutes.
@@marcallen6987 i saw david's post, and thought exactly the same.
then saw you already said it.
The live in Paris Album is one of the best live albums ever
Norah Jones' Come Away with Me gives me all the feels. That whole album feels so intimate.
Would love to see some more videos focused on film scores!
Agree. It sound like we are with the band, inside a wood cabin, drinking some wine... I dunno. Haha
Good one
I used to work in a HiFi store early 2000s and this album and Diana Krall were what half the customers would bring in. I heard it so much I came to hate it (I call that Hotel California Syndrome)
Jean Luc Ponty - FABLES.......Especially "Elephants In Love " @ The 3:02 mark. It's my Go-to for sound check on a system...
Rick covered his passing a couple weeks back, but Jeff Beck's "Blow by Blow" is sonic ear candy for me. Obviously, Jeff's skills are paramount, but his sidemen (Max Middleton [k], Phil Chen [b] and Richard Bailey [d]) performed amazingly and the engineering/production of that album was just about as perfect a Steely Dan one. "Diamond Dust", with producer George Martin's string arrangements, is super sophisticated and dazzling and we all know the magical sensitivity of "Cause We Ended as Lovers".
I heard that when Jeff passed into the pearly gate They played "Make room for PAPA"
Agree. But have to say that most JB albums are pretty mediocre to worse soundwise, so it’s an easy one to forget in such a list
I was just listening to it today. The cover of "She's a Woman" by The Beatles is amazing.
Oh my God. I was so damn young when that came out.
Wow. I was so damn young when I bought Blow By Blow.
Random Access Memories deserves a place on this list. It’s pure quality and nothing but pure love of music. So much detail in every sound, and it took 4 years to make
For me, one of the greatests in the 2010's for sure.
I was so hyped for that release and on my first listen, that was my first takeaway. I actually didn't enjoy the approach they took. The contrast of the synths and robot voices with the immaculately recorded instruments didn't work for me. To my ears, I thought the drum recordings were detailed to the point of distraction. I may not be alone on this take because they recently released a version with drums removed entirely. Ironically, I prefer the sound of Discovery, which was notoriously poor-sounding with its use of low-bitrate samples.
@@sparrowcd That’s interesting to me because it’s my favorite album of all time for the exact reasons you describe as not working for you haha. Random Access Memories is also my go to anytime I get new headphones or speakers as well as testing PA’s. A couple years ago I was testing a system with it, after I was done I went to see how the other guys were getting on with their systems for the show and realized everyone was using that same album for their systems as well, we all got a kick out of it and joke about anytime we’re on the same show now
Weak album.Too much bass.Overhyped.
I agree, RAM is a great album.
Stevie Wonder’s recording seemed way before its time with such crisp bass and cymbals. And gotta also give a shout-out to Peter Gabriel whose bass also sounds so fresh and clean.
You might like a band called The Doublejumps
Tony Levin always delivers a great bass tone/performance
Peter G had a song on the movie Wall-E...the last song! When I was in the theatre, my kids were ready to go and I'm like THAT'S PETER GABRIEL!!!
@@1badsteed as soon as I listened I was immediately reminded that Peter Gabriel sang “I Have the Touch” on the Phenomenon soundtrack. One of my all time favorite movies. Song is on Spotify.
@@User-jk8wq Great with King Crimson !
Surprised and delighted to see Genesis “A Trick of the Tail” included- wonderful album. Ripples and Entangled two of my all time favourites 😁
The first album that comes to mind for me is Rumours by Fleetwood Mac. So well produced. Dreams being a highlight for sure!
That guitar tone is incredible. Always loved the snare, too
AGREED! The way the songs were masterfully put on the album really made them all fit together and sounded amazing.
I agree with Rumors. I played that album over and over when it came out.
It's a good call; however, the first batches of CDs had a lot of audible hiss when instruments dropped out or just over the top of some of the songs generally.
I was just going to type that in. The title is " 40 Best Sounding Albums", in my opinion, there isn't a better recorded and produced album than Rumors. So much going on, so many different guitar tracks and vocal tracks and you can hear all of them clearly. An amazing bit of mid-70s recording magic. Rick really missed it .
Your musical brilliance continues to amaze, Rick. I applaud your openness to multiple genres.
You just took the words ...
Agree
I'm surprised that Days of Future Passed by the Moody Blues did not make the list. That album is definitely legendary.
I totally agree with that. But Rick has demonstrated thru his past videos that the Moody Blues are completely off his radar. So not surprising to me. He's just one of those guys.
Talking out of turn is so especial, the vibe on that record is incomparable...
@@lucas.avilas Agreed, Lucas, but Talking out of Turn is on Long Distance Voyager.
Any Moody Blues album that has the song Nights in White Satin backed by a symphony orchestra should be on the list. After all it has pretty much everything a music fan could want in terms of the different instruments on display. Combine that with some excellent vocals and you will have a sound that allows the listener to test their audio equipment to it's limit. The only thing I can think of that is missing is some female vocals which I've heard are something that are often used by recording engineers and producers to test certain frequencies and components from the world of audio reproduction.
"Days Of Future Past" was actually conceived of as an album to demonstrate the possibilities of stereo sound to audiophiles, as previous to that most records were mono.
Some great albums on the list. I would add The Best of Santana. Amazing sounds- not just Carlos Santana's guitar, but the percussion, the keyboards, everything. Amazing.
Fleetwood Mac, Rumours is my favourite as far as production. The balance between all the sound textures is perfection.
The self-titled Fleetwood Mac is also sonically sensational.
Yes, it is recorded so very well. Should be on the list and hasn't aged at all.
Agree 100%. Up there with Aja.
@@robertwalker7063 I have never listened to their self titled album until just now. The whole album is like a journey through different sounds. I love how each song really accentuates something different, yet there is also a sense of cohesion.
World Keeps Turning is where it’s at for me. Love the bluegrass/southern rock feel. When the bass drum kicks in👌 and that high hat… such an amazing rhythm section.
What I really noticed throughout the album is the dynamics. I don’t think any amount of production can do that. Just pure musical talent!
@@davidmaraisthecampfireguit2596 Gaucho is better than Aja, but Aja gets all the accolades.
Depeche Mode - Violator is a masterpiece of an album and sounds absolutely amazing
Indeed! As does 'Songs of Faith and Devotion'.
Music for the masses!!
Agreed!
Even though I _absolutely_ did not like it at the time. Metal-head here!
I would vote for INXS with their "Kick" album at about the same time.
It's still a good album for today's times.
Killer rock & funky! Awesome vocal performances by Michael Hutchence.
Cheers!
@@siriusfun I prefer the sound of that one, tbh, although Violator has grown on me over the years.
“Violator” is great due to exclusively Alan Wilder’s talent. JK.
A Trick Of The Tail! My favorite Genesis record, by far!! Excellent call, sir! - edit: As someone else noted, pretty much anything from The Alan Parsons Project would qualify for this list. And my only suggestion for a missed album would be Dream Theater's Awake from 1994. Incredible sounding album.
Rick, The inclusion of the “Memoirs of a Geisha” soundtrack impacted me instantly, before I could even place it. It’s things like that which make you one of my favorite musical content creators. That movie is so powerful largely because of an astounding score and its incredibly textured overall soundscape. Every album I know I agree on-and the ones I don’t know are now on a list.
I always pick Hummer by Smashing Pumpkins to test any music system. Such depth, such range. Butch Vig and Billy Corgan are a dream team for making a record sound just so perfect.
One of the most underrated Pumpkins songs for sure
Yassssss!!!! Love Hummer
I was waiting for So by Peter Gabriel! What an incredible sounding album, start to finish.
absolutely.
A no-brainer to me: Rickie Lee Jones’ self-titled debut album from 1979, absolute showcase of a good recording, can be both tight and lush, voice wonderfully caught, doesn’t get much better than that.
The sound of that album is gorgeous!!✊👍
that is a fantastic album. Really.
Brilliant addition! That album is a classic! On the same line, why not Janis Ian's Between the Lines? Another amazing piece of work
One of my favorite albums of all time.
Its great, but I like the clean Sound on "pirates" more
You blew my mind... found this at the Morehead State Library in 1983... and fell in love with it... can't believe its at the top...well deserved!
Great list. I would include Journey's "Escape" album and Fleetwood Mac's "Rumours" album. Both incredible albums with iconic songs and both impeccably produced.
I did miss Infinity as well
First comment I've seen boosting Rumours so I'll join in. I'm by no means a huge fan of them, but that is just an incredibly crafted album, beautiful work.
Frontiers, NO slouch itself - "Chain Reaction" ESPECIALLY.....
Other honorable mentions should include: Supertramp - Crime of the Century and Even In The Quietest Moments & Styx - Grand Illusion and Paradice Theatre (Love the Channel!)
For me I have to say Grace - Jeff Buckley, beautiful album, beautiful voice, guitars sound great and Matt Johnson’s drumming is severely underrated!! My favourite album of all time!
Matt Johnson is phenomenal on that album, really meets Jeff’s brilliance on the level
❤️❤️❤️❤️Scottie fan here
Wonderful! I ❤ your taste.
Yes, I was wondering if anyone would mention this one.
Was that a "blocker"? I was surprised he didn't mention it.
Rick, great choices! Ms. Trdeschi and Ms. Cassidy, Joni of course!
"Ghost Reveries" by Opeth is an extraordinarily sounding record. One of a kind!
Indeed!
Blackwater Park too
@deafghost52 love watershed. Coil
Pretty much every Opeth album after Still Life has amazing production
Ghost Reveries, Watershed, Blackwater Park, and In Cauda Venenum!