worst sounding great lps

Phasecorrect, are you referencing "Aqualung" by Jethro Tull? If so, I strongly disagree! I believe there is a group called Aqualung, so maybe you mean them. JT's "Aqualung" is just an outstanding album in every way-including production. I have many versions and prefer the original UK vinyl and the 40th Anniversary Edition CD. I don't know what you are hearing but I consider the recording quality on my two versions above just outstanding. Don't take it personally.

I do agree with Mattmiller that the Led Zepplin recordings are pretty uniformly awful. Fortunately, the songs on several of the albums are so memorable that you can forgive the poor quality recording. Also, for the record I love ALL the Steely Dan records...especially Katy Lied.

Anything from Queen

Zep IV

The first JT Aqualung released on CD is the worst I own in 30 years of collecting. I've heard that studios, in a rush to get things to market, would use phono equalized masters to make CDs. I think that's the case here...

Great to see the distinction made between the sound and the music; and, the idea that an album can be great even if it suffers from questionable sound. Questionable because I think it's important to remember (in keeping with the above comment) that in some cases the sound is a deliberate choice as an expression of the artist's aesthetic; in general or for that particular record. Crappy sound by audiophile standards is not always a result of bad production and can in some cases be another dimension of the music; like it or not.