Hello people.

Just thru listening to Black and Blue and forgotten how good (I think) the production of it is.

It's not in my top ten of their albums but production wise it is.

My fave productions:

Sticky
LIB
Black and blue
Satanics
Buttons
SG

And Exile - even tho it's not very good production it has an overall feel that makes it Exile. Nothing bout the bible I don't love.

Anyway, anyone have a similar list?
And to the coming party poppers yes it's all just opinion, there's no right or wrong.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-08-09 19:30 by bv.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-08-09 14:36 by whiskey.

Lib
Bb
Sf
Exile
GHS
IORR
B&B
SG
TY

Let it Bleed
Black and Blue
Some Girls

Exile, Sticky, SG...I never liked the sound of LIB, way too clean. Beggars Banquet is quite good. GHS suffers from some murky sound problems.

THE JIMMY MILLER RECORDS AND BRIDGES TO BAYLON.

Tattoo You, and it's not even close - the perfect blend of clarity, dynamics, and raunch.

Black And Blue
Let It Bleed
Beggars Banquet

Tattoo You. It still doesn't sound dated like some of the 70s recordings. Even though it is built on 70s leftovers. Maybe Bob Clearmountain has something to do with that?

Quote
JuanTCB
Tattoo You, and it's not even close - the perfect blend of clarity, dynamics, and raunch.

Agreed.

Tattoo You
Black and Blue
Emotional Rescue
Sticky Fingers

Black n blue
LIB
TYOU!
Some Girls.
B.B.
S.F.
I also think Aftermath and Tsmr
Have to be included.

Let It Bleed
Emotional Rescue
Tattoo You
Exile On Main Street
Sticky Fingers
Goats Head Soup
Black And Blue
Beggars Banquet
Undercover
IORR
Their Satanic Majesties Request
Bridges To Babylon

i think

black and blue is probably the best produced album, it gives it something that otherwise it wouldnt have as the songs are not great and too few anyway.

others are

tattoo you, you wouldnt know its a collection of outtakes and sounds such a together album.

beggars banquet
between the buttons
satanic majesties
a bigger bang
goats head soup

are also well produced albums.

The Stones themselves were not happy with how GHS, Exile and BTB were produced. Well, at least Mick wasn't.

Is IORR a well-produced album? To me the mix sound amateurish in places, not to mention the drum sound. But there a few songs in there that sounds good: IYRWTBMF, FF and SAC.

I think Black And Blue is the best sound-wise. It has a great 'in-your-face" production with raw guitars, lots of bass and good sounding drums.

Unlike their other 70's albums, it doesn't sound dated. I think that is because of the choice they took, to have a very simple and clean production.

I don't really know what it is, but Black And Blue are just very well produced and doesn't sound murky at all. It's a timeless production.

BLACK AND BLUE is probably their most organic sounding LP as well as their most coherent dirty sounding LP. BEGGARS, BLEED, SF, EXILE especially and GHS are all similar. Mix wise BAB is more clear than any of those. It doesn't suffer from the chewing-on-tin foil sound that SOME GIRLS has and doesn't have quite the haze that GHS and IORR have. It is certainly more upfront and in your face than BB, LIB, SF and EXILE are - and those are pretty damn fine mixed LPs.

However, EMOTIONAL RESCUE is very clean and clear, with LET IT BLEED probably being the second cleanest and clearest sounding LP - without sounding tinny. They're very full sounding albums. I've often referred to She's So Cold as probably the best mix - sonically and editing (placement) wise - of all Stones songs. There's something perfect about it. There are others that are almost as good but for some reason that song is simply perfect.

BABYLON is good just because of the songs that matter sound pretty damn good: Flip The Switch, Lowdown, Out Of Control and Keith's 3.

Voodoo Lounge sounds best to these ears. As with the album, the song New Faces (for example) is not the greatest but the clarity of the sound is like being there.

Sticky Fingers sounds best to me. Let it Bleed as a close second.

JumpingKentFlash

I have a hard time delineating 'produced' and 'sound engineered/recorded/mixed'

I think of the producer as the person who focuses the band, helps whittle done song choices and arrangements, and oversees the engineers and technicians, The producer can kind of set the tone or feel for the record. I think of the engineers as the ones getting the sounds recorded accurately to how they are played, or altered to fit the producer's vision for the project. (I may be wrong, just my interpretation).

In terms of getting clean sounds, I love Black and Blue. Great, clean percussion.

In terms of the vibe, I love Exile (even though the recording sounds muddy, it fits).

Though as far from the Stones as anyone, I listened to an interview with Moby today. He mentioned that some of his favorite records were ones where the mix wasn't perfect, the sound not perfectly clean. He brought up the old standard 'I Only Have Eyes For You' as his favorite recording, noting that the drums are tinny, other instruments buried, some hiss, etc....but it all works together to create a mood...and that the record may not work, otherwise. Also told the story of a minor battle with a record company over which version of a song to release. The perfectly produced one, or the rougher one....his opinion that the imperfect recording was perfect for the song.

Quote
GasLightStreet
BLACK AND BLUE is probably their most organic sounding LP as well as their most coherent dirty sounding LP. BEGGARS, BLEED, SF, EXILE especially and GHS are all similar. Mix wise BAB is more clear than any of those. It doesn't suffer from the chewing-on-tin foil sound that SOME GIRLS has and doesn't have quite the haze that GHS and IORR have. It is certainly more upfront and in your face than BB, LIB, SF and EXILE are - and those are pretty damn fine mixed LPs.

However, EMOTIONAL RESCUE is very clean and clear, with LET IT BLEED probably being the second cleanest and clearest sounding LP - without sounding tinny. They're very full sounding albums. I've often referred to She's So Cold as probably the best mix - sonically and editing (placement) wise - of all Stones songs. There's something perfect about it. There are others that are almost as good but for some reason that song is simply perfect.

BABYLON is good just because of the songs that matter sound pretty damn good: Flip The Switch, Lowdown, Out Of Control and Keith's 3.

Do you the Exile-mix in the same soundscape as BB, SF and LIB? To me, Exile is muddier and the guitars are almost as trebly (Rocks Off) as on SG.

The three others have more separated instruments and lesser overdubs, giving the listener a more in-your-face-experience.

That doesn't mean that I don't like the mix on Exile, though.

I think Exile, GHS and IORR are very different-sounding. You can hear all the instruments clearly on GHS, but every individual recording sound muddy, whilst Exile has a muddy wholeness to it, like the instruments are taking turns coming at you in small doses.

IORR is a haze, except for a couple of numbers. The drum sound on IYCRM is ridiculous.

If you look at producing/mixing as a form of art, I rate Exile the highest, followed by Beggars Banquet.

LIB and Sticky are well produced as well, and I love the voodooish murkiness of GHS. Tattoo You is also very good.

Black and Blue. The best snare sound ever recorded.

I'd have to say that Black and Blue and Love You Live are the best two in a row...stellar mastering productions.

My faves are:

Emotional Rescue & Black And Blue (tie for first place--they both have SUCH a fat bottom end--great drum sounds, full bass, love 'em)
Tattoo You
Undercover
Some Girls
Sticky Fingers
Let It Bleed
Beggars Banquet

...and though they're technically quite lo-fi, I *LOVE* the production on both Exile and GHS. Those murky records' production helps enhance and bring out the mood of those, IMHO.

Yeah can't believe I didn't mention Bridges. Great album all round including production although I know it's not a favourite about these parts.

I didn't include Tattoo as it's always suffered from sounding to clean for me but not in the same way BaB is. It could suffer from terrible production and still be a masterpiece anyway as the songs are so bloody good and the playing out the band cohesive and stella. Quite the feet given it's a throw together.

Black & Blue
Tattoo You
Some Girls
Sticky Fingers
BTB

Quote
shadooby
I'd have to say that Black and Blue and Love You Live are the best two in a row...stellar mastering productions.

That's a bit hard to tell, if we haven't heard the mixes before the mastering?

Anyways, they both sound great!

I think that the Chicago sessions from 1964 are the best sounding and should have been on an album instead of beeing spread over EP:s, albums and singles.
Mats

I love all till 1982 except: Get Yer Ya-Yas Out (I love all these different sounds on the Stones albums)

I don't like:

Undercover
Dirty Work
Steel Wheels
Voodoo Lounge
A Bigger Bang
No Security
Flashpoint
Live Licks

I think these are OK:

Bridges To Babylon
Shine A Light
Sweet Summer Sun



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2014-08-11 14:26 by 1962.