U2 reissues

'it works but it sounds awful when turned up loud on a good dynamic system.'

I disagree with that comment.

'it works but it sounds awful when turned up loud on a good dynamic system.'

I disagree with that comment.

Yes you are not alone. U2's great success proves it. Most mastering engineers now agree that pop music requires heavy handed compression to give it that aggresive sound - it has become the norm - nothing gets released without heavy compression these days. There is no doubt that distortion can be pleasing and a heavy dose of distortion in the mastering stage is now seen as an essential part of the aesthetic music process - just as "gated drums" keep the music to a completely "mechanical" precise robotic quality and allow more EQ to be excessively applied.

Here is a link that mentions U2 remasters but also discusses the problem of aggresive sound. Of course, what Steve Lillywhite did in the 80's was not half as bad as what they do today. U2 sound quality is not bad at all by most modern standards but we have all forgetten that Pink Floyd, Roxy Music, Alan Parsons and many others showed us that there was another way...

Shadorne is on the money with this one.

It is very hard to find good production in this time period, vinyl or CD, coming out of the UK and US.

Many studios went digital during this period and engineers had a greater array of tricks to use, including all the techniques you speak of above.

I remember visiting a lot of recording studios during that period and seeing all the analogue equipment was shuttered in the corner, left to collect dust--with it went the tubey magic.

I kind of hold up the work done by Mitch E in NC (REM's first EP), Bob Dylan's Oh Mercy and Los Lobos Kiko as albums done right during that period.

With that said, I find, as a general rule, that the Aussie studios produced some of the best sounding music during the same period because it was not compressed. It plays beautifully loud. Try all of Midnight Oil, Paul Kelly and Crowded House albums for that period and be amazed. Play those next to the last four Red Hot Chili Pepper albums and see how heavy compression can suck the wind out of great bass player like Flea.

Agreed, my copies of Diesel and Dust by the Oils and the first Crowded House album, both original release pressings, are dynamic and sound fantastic on Columbia and Capitol, respectively.

Bob Dylan's Oh Mercy

I agree - great sound on that one - awesome - in fact when U2 works with Lanois they are distinctly less compressed/aggressive sounding - for example Joshua Tree. Likewise Lanois work with Peter Gabriel - "So" was way better sounding than the mechanical sound of "melt" by Steve Lillywhite. Steve used to say NO CYMBALS - he was so firm about making everything sound harsh. I think they figured a lot of this out with early U2 stuff and the early Police stuff - keep it harsh and raw and urgent sounding - get people's attention kind of music - punk was really popular in those days. Luckily the Police toned it down and produced some glorious sounding stuff later on like Ghost in the Machine (Hugh Padgham) and Synchronicity.

Nevertheless the compression dial has been creeping up and you can hear more of it on U2's "All that you can't leave behind" compared to Joshua tree (even though it was Lanois again - perhaps the mastering engineer got control and over tweaked it)