Great Music/Bad Vinyl - 2010 Edition


You know it, you dread it -- a great performance but a crummy sounding LP. This is even worse than a crummy performance because you want to listen, but it's painful and offends our highfalutin' audiophile sensibilities. Yes, I know it's all about the music, but 'fess up; it hurts a bit to hear how bad that recording sounds.

Hope others chime in and share their tales of vinyl woe and help others avoid our expensive mistakes. Nominees should be restricted to vinyl you've actually heard and not water cooler scuttlebutt.

Without further adieu, my nominees are (drumroll...)

The Raveonettes - 'In and Out of Control'
Recorded too loud with no dynamic range.

Phosphorescent - 'Here's To Taking It Easy'
Imagine the sound of mid-60's Motown; this was worse.

The Dead Weather - 'Horehound'
Actually anything on the Third Man Record Label could be on this list. Jack, please, hire a real engineer. Please.

Special Award for Disappointment/Expectation Ratio:
Elvis Costello - 'My Aim Is True' (MSFL re-issue)
jazdoc
Rush "Permanent Waves" MFSL , bright is an understatement
Classic Records @ Sundazed, too many dissappointing ones to list.
I've got an Presitige Mose Allison record that I think actually sounds better because its all scuffed up. it adds to the period charm of the blues.
Just picked up the double lp by Elvis Costello "National Ransom" produced by T Bone Burnett on the Hear Music label. Disc label says "Lupe-O-Tone". Hear Music is a licensed trademark of the Starbucks US Brands, Inc. The lp sounds compressed with no life, just terrible. Did I just get a lemon, or is this the norm with this particular recording?
Abucktwoeighty,
My copy of National Ransom on LP also sounds like ass.
Lifeless for certain.
Aimee Mann isn't everyone's cup of tea but I think she's great. Her new album "Charmer" is another case of good music and crummy sounding vinyl. Gustavo Dudamel and the Vienna Philharmonic just released Mendelssohn's 3rd on the first Deutsche Grammaphon release in 25 years and that is another very disappointing release.