Best produced albums

[Dementia32]

Metallica's Death Magnetic.





Not.

Okay, you got me for a second on that one. hahaha

Garbage by Garbage

This is an excellent choice. Honestly, considering some of the members of the band, it really kinda had to be a well produced album.

[drummertroy]

i think hysteria by def leppard is the best

[recordist]

beck | sea change

radiohead | ok computer

nirvana | in utero

weezer | pinkerton

beatles | white album

smashing pumpkins | Siamese Dream

so many more

[writehearnow]

Since most of the replies point to what you hear, I will assume we are talking production as it relates to the act of mastering. Naturally the mastering tech can only perform his/her duties to their fullest potential based on how the album is recorded and mixed, but it would shock anyone if you were to actually hear the album prior to mastering. Other than the material itself, no comparison.

Metallica - s/t
Pink Floyd - Dark Side of The Moon
Paul Simon - Grace Land
Billy Thorpe - Children of The Sun
Black Sabbath - Paranoid
David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust...
Peter Gabriel - So

[Jardine]

I honesty think The Wall is one of the best albums every made. I know it's cliched but you have to listen to it on vinyl to really experience it.

A few other albums I think the writing/musicianship/sound etc... are top of the line are:

Sola Scriptura - Neal Morse. (awesome heavy prog rock, 4 songs 75 minutes.)
2112 - Rush
Who are you? - The who

recent addition to my list
Black Ribbons - Shooter Jennings.

[writehearnow]

I honesty think The Wall is one of the best albums every made. I know it's cliched but you have to listen to it on vinyl to really experience it.

A few other albums I think the writing/musicianship/sound etc... are top of the line are:

Sola Scriptura - Neal Morse. (awesome heavy prog rock, 4 songs 75 minutes.)
2112 - Rush
Who are you? - The who

recent addition to my list
Black Ribbons - Shooter Jennings.

Fascinating considerations that I appreciate greatly. That Sola Scriptura - Neal Morse sounds very intriguing. Is it more so guitar oriented, or keyboard, or...?

I sometimes find myself pretty amazed by obscure efforts here & there. Eniac Requiem's Space Eternal Void is one such offering.

[Jardine]

mostly guitar oriented, there is still the keys in there but there is a guest performance by Paul Gilbert ( Mr. Big, Racer X) on two of the tracks.

Neal Morse is just an incredible songwriter and his use of melodies is amazing.

I'll check out this Eniac Requiem album, good is it?

[seanpheonix]

This is a tough one because not only can the list be long, as writehearnow mentioned, there's production artistry which can differ from technical proficiency. The other issue is that technology constantly develops, raising the benchmark, and a well-produced album in the 70's (ie. Abbey Road, Aja, etc.), is not the same as a well-produced album now.

So, keeping in context of the decade, and albums that stand the test of time, some of my top pics are:


Peter Gabriel - So (I don't even think I need to justify this... it sounds incredible)

The Beatles - Abbey Road (Because they had such a good grasp on things by then!)

U2 - Achtung Baby (Because it's very sonically experimental)

Michael Jackson - Thriller (I am still in awe of how good this record sounds)

Buena Vista Social Club - Buena Vista Social Club (Mainly for the fact that the album has such a great vibe)


I agree with a lot of other people's posts too.. And there are SO many more...

[shadowmac]

i think hysteria by def leppard is the best

I'd have to say Def Leppard - Pyromania. It changed the way rock and metal were recorded and produced. Mutt did alot to enlarge the sound of the band compared to earlier DL and their contemporaries. I think that this album had more impact on the way rock was recorded / produced than any other.

Judas Priest - British Steel: If you get the chance to see the VH1 "making of British Steel" it a fantastic documentary of how early Judas got some some of their sounds and wrote their songs.

The Cars - The Cars: Particularly the song "Moving in Stereo" is still an amazing listen - it is amazing to hear what they were able to accomplish on analog back in 1978. The production on this song still astounds me.

Mac

[Jerome]

Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
Pink Floyd - The Division Bell
Roxy Music -Avalon
Yes - Going for the One
ELP - Works Volume 1 - an absolute masterpiece in terms of production/orchestration/arrangement - the best engineered album of the 70's - bar none!!! (material is not to everyone's liking but sound quality is superb). One they will never have to re-master because it's already as good as it's ever going to be. (http://youtu.be/YBfg8qtpptE)
Supertramp - Brother Where You Bound
Supertramp - Paris
Buena Vista Social Club - amazing sound. Ry Cooder got this one right. (http://youtu.be/tnFfKbxIHD0)
Anything by Vaya Con Dios
Alan Parsons Project - Tales of Mystery and Imagination
Vangelis - Rerpise
Mark Knopfler - Screenplaying
The Rankin Family - North Country