loudness wars: digital recording to improve?

This exact scenario played out twice in my living room this month: I introduced a non-audiophile friend to my sytem and played some stuff that I like to listen to so that he could see what it was all about. Then he said, "Oh, man, I want to hear the Black Keys on this stereo." I said okay and let him play his favorite Black Keys CD.

After a minute, the guy looks over sheepishly and says, "Why doesn't it sound good?"

...thus creating a teachable moment about Dynamic Compression and How the Kids These Days are Ruining Music.

Two different friends, same exact story.

Both encouraging and sad. The good news; we get better sound. The bad news; software programmers have to add more technology into the process, because software programmers have better taste than way too many recording engineers, who should know better and be ashamed of themselves. Couldn't the recording engineers just do it right in the first place, without all the added doodads? Go figure?!

I'm with Elizabeth on this one. To expand on it - just wait till high-res becomes the standard (don't hold your breath though!). More bits and space to brick wall a recording! Imagine how 'loud' Metallica will try to be.

I just wish they'd declare Metallica's last 2 albums the undisputed winner of the loudness war so we can all move on.