Great Sounding Records That Are Not Audiophile W*nk

[savvypaul]

Thinking about shows, today...and the music that gets played. If I hear another Nils Lofgren 'audiophile' pressing or 'Aja' demo, I might slash my wrists on the spot. So, I want to put together a list of records that sound great - involving, inspiring, natural - but that won't be getting a £50 a pop 'MoFi' release.

I've had this LP since it's release and still play it regularly. It sums up The Undertones for me - bouncy, propulsive, cheeky, vivid. Sounds fantastic - driving bass and drums, lyrical guitar licks, Sharkey's yearning voice. Crystal clear and loads of impact.



What's your 'anti-audiophile' gem?

[Fretless]

TV21 'A Thin Red Line' (1981)



Had this one on this morning. Combine The Teardrop Explodes, Echo & the Bunnymen with The Chameleons, throw in a Scots-accented singer, a trumpet as a featured instrument, squeaky-clean recording and inspired production from Ian Broudie.

Great album full of detail and dynamics.

Other choices:
Au Pairs 'Playing With a Different Sex' with its in-your face bass-playing and scratchy guitars.

Laurie Anderson ' Mister Heartbreak', experimental but accessible art-rock.

PIL ' Album', all-star cast. Work of genius.

Original Mirrors 'Original Mirrors'. Ian Broudie again as guitarist in a heady rush of post-punk power-pop.

Give me another hour and I'll have a dozen more for you.

[karatestu]

If I was ever exhibiting at a show (which I never will be) I would purposely play only the music I like, not something just because it is audiophile quality and people asking " can I play this" can politely piss off. In fact I would go out of my way to play some room clearing shite.

Bob Marley LP's sound good though (pre digital age). There are loads of LP's which are "good enough".

[Vinyl-ant]

Level 42 persuit of accidents

[CycleCoach]

Level 42 persuit of accidents

Anything by The Cure?

[SteveTheShadow]

Five by Elvis Costello And The Attractions:
This Year's Model
Armed Forces
Trust
Punch The Clock
Imperial Bedroom. Most of them are "Porky Prime Cuts" on the original discs.

Joe Jackson:
Night And Day
Body And Soul

The Inmates: First Offence

The Specials: Specials
Madness: One Step Beyond
The Selecter: Too Much Pressure.

Split Enz: True Colours

That'll do to be going on with.

[Fretless]

The Cure's 'Disintegration' is huge.

'Faith' is very well recorded.

[Fretless]

Anything produced by Martin Hannett:

The Return of the Durutti Column
Pauline Murray and the Invisible Girls
John Cooper Clarke 'Snap Crackle & Bop'.

[CN211276]

Anything produced by Mutt Lange.

[Lindsayt]

B-52's - Cosmic Thing album. Or Love Shack on 12" single.

Or any one of quite a few 1980's 12" singles including stuff like Madonna's Like a Virgin and Material Girl, both of which I've heard a million times on the radio and at discos. But it's not till you play the 12" versions on a decent system that you realise how well these singles were performed and recorded and then not fucked up by ramming them through the compression machine.