During a recent flight home I was listening to random tracks when Joni Mitchell's "Free Man in Paris" came up.  Even though an airplane cabin isn't the best listening environment, I found myself really listening to the mix, the different instruments, how the vocal tracks blended, etc.

So I'd like to hear from you: What tracks do you think are examples of an excellent mix?

Pink Floyd-The Entire Pulse DVD Set  

digi2ns


Pink Floyd-The Entire Pulse DVD Set  

That IS a good one!

Wow....Personally, I think it really depends upon the genre. There are so many, but one mix's strength won't necessarily transcend all genres.

Some obvious ones are:
Dark Side of the Moon
Breakfast in America
Moving Pictures.

But, I don't how how well the style of these mixes would translate to country, etc.

Good question..I've just finished resding Phill Brown's book 'Are We Still Rolling?' and was pleased to learn that he recorded and mixed one of my favourite albums, 'One World' by John Martyn. I love the sound of this LP.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPuI7WKSnU0

I've been listening to Talking Heads "Stop Making Sense" a lot recently and it really is an exceptional mix. Everything is perfectly balanced and as clear as a bell, no matter how frantic or dense the music gets. Even when you watch the video on YouTube. Here's Once In a Lifetime from that gig:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7pVjl4Rrtc

I like Free Man In Paris as well though, I've always thought that whole album sounded great. "Car On A Hill" is another fantastic one, the vocal harmonies are so warm. 

Heh, David sure acts weird in that video!  Singers...
 
I got the impression he would make a good church leader (you know, the kind that play with snakes, ya?).

For a clean, dry in your face mix it's hard to top Bill Bottrell's mix of Thomas Dolby's "Aliens Ate My Buick".

For anything else it's, natch, Roger Nichols work with Steely Dan. 

Hi,

The early stuff by Tangerine Dream that came out on the "Ehr" label, and was recorded on a quadraphonic system, that did not take hold. All of these recordings were really "deep" and "intense" and made the electronic music even stronger, than just a theme, or soundtrack. On really good speakers, and system, the music just flew around you like crazy. And, of course, there is no better music for it, than what they used to do. And Klaus Schulze was the same thing.

The later music was ok too, but even in my speakers, things like Porcupine Tree sound magnificent, but the really lively 4 way thing, of the sound around you, which is a 360 experience, is not visible, and too much of the "compression" and "compressed" stuff these days, takes out this "reality" from the music ... the subtleties that were in the background, like hearing a child cry on the other side of the street, while a bus passes by, or many cars ... is totally lost ... and the value of the "experience" dies out.

Wait until you hear "Herd of Identity"! Yeah .. .Bapu, you too! ... from a neighbor of yours, too!

craigb

digi2ns


Pink Floyd-The Entire Pulse DVD Set  

That IS a good one!

The original LP for DSOTM was probably one of the best ones. The English version WAS, what became the "remastered" version later. Same thing for Sgt Peppers and Magical Mystery Tour.
 
Not sure why the American versions were so bad ... maybe they thought that it wasn't music, or something ... and was doomed ... and instead it doomed AM radio ... and a couple of years later FM radio became the standard that gave you higher and better fidelity ... that you did not otherwise have!
 
NONE of these albums, btw, sound as good as they would on the air on any FM station that had a good signal. First, many of them had the turntables turned down about 1 to 2%, which always made Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin sound heavier, and made any Deep Purple sound was deeper than it was! Secondly, the split signal for the FM station, created a stream that was not always 100% in sync, and that very small discrepancy, gave it a nice "phase" that added a bit of a dimention to the music, that you would not have found on any LP, or later CD.
 
Nowadays, this is not as much an issue, as no one puts things together for "radio" anymore, and there has been for many years a lot more ability and detail on the quality of the recording and such ... which has negated the difference and ability that Radio had before to add depth to your enjoyment, however subtle it might be.
 
The prettiest mix I have heard in the last 5 years is on "Herd of Instinct" ... their latest album ... it is marvellous, beautifully done, and compression need not apply, and it shows the difference, between what can be subtle, and what does not need to be ... absolutely beautifully done and fantastically well composed material! Review upcoming.