Doesn't Wilco's Ghost sound incredible?

[Davey]

<rant>I love that you have to really crank it. Man, why can't they record and mix and master more rock records like this? What is wrong with everybody nowadays? Doesn't anyone in the industry know what good sound is anymore, besides just a small handful that still sit down and listen? Doesn't anyone care?</rant>

[Snowbunny]

<rant>I love that you have to really crank it. Man, why can't they record and mix and master more rock records like this? What is wrong with everybody nowadays? Doesn't anyone in the industry know what good sound is anymore, besides just a small handful that still sit down and listen? Doesn't anyone care?</rant>

So if I crank it will I like it better?

I don't know why I can't get into this album, is it a grower? I think my expectations were too high after YHF. I won't give up on it, but I'm now starting to listen to Being There and after that I'll delve into Summerteeth. And then I'll pull out Ghost again. :rolleyes:

Speaking of mixing and mastering, I was listening to Good News for People Who Love Bad News on the headphones, and I had to turn it off. What crappy sound! Moon and Antarctica sounds great on headphones. Do you find this to be true?

Snowbuns

[Davey]

Speaking of mixing and mastering, I was listening to Good News for People Who Love Bad News on the headphones, and I had to turn it off. What crappy sound! Moon and Antarctica sounds great on headphones. Do you find this to be true?

Snowbuns
YES! I'm proud of you. That's great that you are starting to hear that! The original M&A is a great sounding record and CD. I'd love if they had kept that type of [relatively for a Sony CD] uncompressed sound for the followup. GNFPWLBN is full of nasty digital clipping in addition to the large amounts of compression.

Wilco rules and Ghost might be the best one (for me). Hit my sweet spot right away. And now just gets better and better. Absolutely love it. Almost an embarrassing amount. Jeff is my idol, but it's a manly love ;)

[Snowbunny]

YES! I'm proud of you. That's great that you are starting to hear that! The original M&A is a great sounding record and CD. I'd love if they had kept that type of [relatively for a Sony CD] uncompressed sound for the followup. GNFPWLBN is full of nasty digital clipping in addition to the large amounts of compression.



:)

I'm so proud!

[Stone]

He had obviously been drinking and he screamed all the lyrics including Wild Pack of Family Dogs. :mad:

Ahhhh, now I realize why I like that song so much.

[Snowbunny]

Wilco rules and Ghost might be the best one (for me). Hit my sweet spot right away. And now just gets better and better. Absolutely love it. Almost an embarrassing amount. Jeff is my idol, but it's a manly love ;)

So maybe I should listen to Ghost on my headphones?

Tweedy rules!

Isaac Brock doesn't. He had obviously been drinking and he screamed all the lyrics including Wild Pack of Family Dogs. :mad:

[Snowbunny]

Stone quoted me before I even spoke.

I'm a little frightened. :eek:

[Slosh]

Why did you wait so long? I said it was good and you should grab it and I know I mentioned something about the dynamic range eons ago while it was still fresh. No one listens to me, ever. I might as well be a Leonard Cohen record.

[Davey]

Why did you wait so long? I said it was good and you should grab it and I know I mentioned something about the dynamic range eons ago while it was still fresh. No one listens to me, ever. I might as well be a Leonard Cohen record.
Yeah, I knew I shoulda put something in there mentioning Slosh or he'd come back with his prima donna dress on. Hehehe, I need time to absorb all this stuff! I can't just go out and get everything I want on the day I want it! I gotta regulate my intake. Watch my diet. I'm trying to get my head clear, so I push things out through my mouth, I get refilled through my ears. Wait, this is the Wilco thread. Thought I was in the Modest Mouse thread. Wait again, this is both? I'm lost :confused:

[Mr MidFi]

Ghost was a grower for me. Took a while...but then again, so did YHF. Now, I loves it.

And yes, the sonics are incredible when played LOUD. Almost a requirement, if you ask me.

The newer songs really do shine on the recent live one (which, for a live album, is a fairly rich recording as well). An appreciative hometown crowd seems to bring out the best in them. Have you had a chance to hear it yet, Davey?

[Slosh]

I can't just go out and get everything I want on the day I want it! I gotta regulate my intake.Must suck having to budget yourself around those social security checks. :p

NP: Sixteen Horsepower - Folklore

[Snowbunny]

Must suck having to budget yourself around those social security checks. :p

NP: Sixteen Horsepower - Folklore

HAHAHAHAHA!

[Snowbunny]

Why did you wait so long? I said it was good and you should grab it and I know I mentioned something about the dynamic range eons ago while it was still fresh. No one listens to me, ever. I might as well be a Leonard Cohen record.

Who ya talking to, Pupcake? We hang on your every word....

Don't even try to cross the northern border after that Cohen remark! Go ahead though - live dangerously - say something mean about Gretzky!

Snowflake

[Stone]

Who ya talking to, Pupcake? We hang on your every word....

Don't even try to cross the northern border after that Cohen remark! Go ahead though - live dangerously - say something mean about Gretzky!

Snowflake

Well, that's just typical. Five minutes before the most important party of my life and the house is destroyed by a gigantic sandwich!

[Davey]

HAHAHAHAHA!
I don't really see what's so funny about that! Afterall, I do get the senior discount at the record store now :confused:

[Snowbunny]

I don't really see what's so funny about that! Afterall, I do get the senior discount at the record store now :confused:

Really???

That's pretty hard to resist! Are you still available?

(How much of a discount?) ;)

[Slosh]

Don't even try to cross the northern border after that Cohen remark!Gawd I'm bored. I may as well be listening to Genesis.
Go ahead though - live dangerously - say something mean about Gretzky!Not into hockey. Too many Rush fans in attendance. BTW, will you Canadians please keep your Arctic air up where it belongs?

- I just had a heavy bust-up with my lady. Got into a bit of a row and I said something about the Pope.

- That's pretty stupid. You know she's catholic.

- Yeah, I know she's catholic. Didn't know the Pope was.

- Ah, that's a laugh. Isn't it?

- What?

- That funny sound you make in the back of your throat when you hear a joke.

- Yeah, that's a laugh.

[rufus]

yep, beautiful sounding. i love the fact that you can barely hear the beginning of At Least That's What You Said, and then it explodes into a Neil Young splatterburst of guitar noise. and so many beautiful, beautiful musical moments, Wishful Thinking, Less Than You Think, etc. I loved it from the first moment I heard it. But still, i wouldn't have objected if they had left I'm a Wheel off it.

a friend of mine hasn't been too impressed with it. so I guerss maybe it is a grower for most people. but I became a full-blown Wilco can do no wrong convert ages ago. it's refreshing that they continue to grow musically and experiment with their sound, without falling into that trap of either doing the same thing over and over, or becoming so bland and lifeless as they get older. best band in America today.

anyone has got to see them live. Nels Cline has brought so much to what Tweedy's doing now with the band.

[Snowbunny]

Gawd I'm bored. I may as well be listening to Genesis. Not into hockey. Too many Rush fans in attendance. BTW, will you Midwesterns please keep your Arctic air over there where it belongs?

- I just had a heavy bust-up with my lady. Got into a bit of a row and I said something about the Pope.

- That's pretty stupid. You know she's catholic.

- Yeah, I know she's catholic. Didn't know the Pope was.

- Ah, that's a laugh. Isn't it?

- What?

- That funny sound you make in the back of your throat when you hear a joke.

- Yeah, that's a laugh.

The Pope's a she? Gives the term "pope's nose" a whole different spin, don't it? ;)

Don't try and make sense of it. I'm just typing to hear myself type. :rolleyes:

[tentoze]

So if I crank it will I like it better?
For yr sake, I hope not.


I don't know why I can't get into this album...
Snowbuns
Uhh, because it sucks?

[Ex Lion Tamer]

Why did you wait so long? I said it was good and you should grab it and I know I mentioned something about the dynamic range eons ago while it was still fresh. No one listens to me, ever. I might as well be a Leonard Cohen record.

I guess I can now safely buy this record, I mean now that Davey has endorsed it. What did ya expect, I was going to get just 'cause Sloshy said it was good?

NP Rogue Wave: Descended from Vultures ;)

[Ex Lion Tamer]

Ghost was a grower for me. Took a while...but then again, so did YHF. Now, I loves it.

And yes, the sonics are incredible when played LOUD. Almost a requirement, if you ask me.

The newer songs really do shine on the recent live one (which, for a live album, is a fairly rich recording as well). An appreciative hometown crowd seems to bring out the best in them. Have you had a chance to hear it yet, Davey?

I think my daughter got the live album for me for Christmas, (I think this because I carefully un-wrapped and re-wrapped the package :D) So if I have the live album, does Ghost become redundant? Judging from this talk about the superior sound, I guess not. And I should probabably pick-up the vinyl, n'est-ce-pas?

[Davey]

The newer songs really do shine on the recent live one (which, for a live album, is a fairly rich recording as well). An appreciative hometown crowd seems to bring out the best in them. Have you had a chance to hear it yet, Davey?
Haven't heard it yet. The Ghost CD does have a prodigious amount of bass, but not sure if that is a fault or not. Depends on your system. Right now mine is kind of bass shy so no prob. But contrary to the poor reputation Abbey Road has had in recent times for their highly compressed mastering, this one was mastered there by one of the good guys, Steve Rooke, just like some of those excellent sounding recent Steve Albini projects I love so much by Electrelane and Nina Nastasia. I wonder if it all revolves around the Chicago scene now? Wilco and Albini and O'Rourke and the Tortoise guys and Sonic Youth and all the rest that have been through that windy city scene at some point seem to all be bucking the industry trend and still putting out decent sounding rock music.

[Audio Girl]

Why did you wait so long? I said it was good and you should grab it and I know I mentioned something about the dynamic range eons ago while it was still fresh. No one listens to me, ever. I might as well be a Leonard Cohen record.


Heck, I listen to you! You just cost me over a $100 at insound.com, Mr. Cohen-want-to-be. Since early evening, I have spun (all on beautiful vinyl):

1. The Decemberists -- Picaresque -- this is an immediate hit in the our household, well recorded, catchy tunes. Of the 3 recs I have listened to so far this p.m., this is my fave. Coolsville.

2. Bloc Party -- Silent Alarm -- this one is a winner too, well recorded, have only listened to 1 LP of this 3-LP set.

3. American Analog Set -- Set Free -- I knew I was gonna love this one based on your comp, Sloshy. Turn it up loud and close your eyes. mmm mmm mmm. Well recorded also.

4. Beck -- Guerolito -- unfortunately my vinyl copy was pressed off center, and the vinyl is scratched up. It's unplayable and gonna have to be returned. :-( Surely insound didn't reseal a used LP and sell it as new???? It looks that bad!

Up Next (more sloshy recs):

1. Spoon -- Gimme Fiction
2. Fruit Bats -- Spelled in Bones
3. Super Furry Animals -- Phantom Phorce (beautiful, thick gold vinyl)

Now, take it back, Leonard. A few of us listen to you, at least occasionally... ;-)

[Davey]

1. The Decemberists -- Picaresque
2. Bloc Party -- Silent Alarm
Boy, the vinyl sound must be way better than the CD if those two sound well recorded because they both sound pretty bad on CD. But it is often the case that the CD mastering is crap since they feel the need to make it as loud as possible so wind up using tons of compression, while the vinyl is done well by someone else (provided the master they use wasn't highly compressed already). Good reason to stick with vinyl when you can :)

[Audio Girl]

Boy, the vinyl sound must be way better than the CD if those two sound well recorded because they both sound pretty bad on CD. But it is often the case that the CD mastering is crap since they feel the need to make it as loud as possible so wind up using tons of compression, while the vinyl is done well by someone else (provided the master they use wasn't highly compressed already). Good reason to stick with vinyl when you can :)


Don't know what to tell you on this one. I've spun The Decemberists all the way through, and the LP sonics are just wonderful. Nice deep soundstage, beautiful mids, nice bass depth. For example, "The Bandit Queen" is playing right now. It actually feels like I am at a "live" performance.

I only listened to one LP of the 3 LP Bloc Party, and it sounded quite good which surprised me. I was expecting alot of compression based on some reviews of the CD I had read. But, nada. :-)

Funny thing is, I have had the opposite happen a few times lately. The CD received great reviews regarding sonics but the vinyl acoustics were lame. Disappointing!!!

I recently upgraded my LP12's cartridge from a Linn Adikt to a Lyra Argo, and the power supply from the Valhalla to the Lingo. Since doing this, the system brings out the best in most recordings although if something is recorded poorly, it will bring this out in spades.

[Davey]

Don't know what to tell you on this one. I've spun The Decemberists all the way through, and the LP sonics are just wonderful. Nice deep soundstage, beautiful mids, nice bass depth. For example, "The Bandit Queen" is playing right now. It actually feels like I am at a "live" performance.
Yeah, I'm glad to hear it. Hope I didn't sound like I was doubting you. I've complained some about the sound on both of those CDs so just happy to hear the vinyl is good. A little surprised that it is so much better, but I know that I shouldn't be anymore. It's all in the mastering. That's good news. Need to quit moving and get my good turntable set back up one of these years :)

[Audio Girl]

Yeah, I'm glad to hear it. Hope I didn't sound like I was doubting you. I've complained some about the sound on both of those CDs so just happy to hear the vinyl is good. A little surprised that it is so much better, but I know that I shouldn't be anymore. It's all in the mastering. That's good news. Need to quit moving and get my good turntable set back up one of these years :)


No, I didn't take it that way. I know exactly what you are talking about. It's amazing that there can be a well-recorded version on one format, and the other stinks. Unfortunately, its a negative factor of this wonderful hobby. ;-)

Cheers!

[Audio Girl]

Yeah, I'm glad to hear it. Hope I didn't sound like I was doubting you. I've complained some about the sound on both of those CDs so just happy to hear the vinyl is good. A little surprised that it is so much better, but I know that I shouldn't be anymore. It's all in the mastering. That's good news. Need to quit moving and get my good turntable set back up one of these years :)


One thing I will add...the double LP presentation (Decemberists release) is exceptionally well done. The set includes a color booklet with pictures setting the stage for each song, with the lyrics printed on the opposite page. It's packaging is very remindful of the best of the best that was released in the 60s and 70s. An unusual surprise for an indie LP release in the "new millenium". So...go buy it and get that turntable set up!!!

[Mike]

Boy, the vinyl sound must be way better than the CD if those two sound well recorded because they both sound pretty bad on CD. But it is often the case that the CD mastering is crap since they feel the need to make it as loud as possible so wind up using tons of compression, while the vinyl is done well by someone else (provided the master they use wasn't highly compressed already). Good reason to stick with vinyl when you can :)

I though the Bloc Party CD sounded ok in fact I'd probably rate it a 7 out of 10. I was pleasantly suprised how good it sounded, not a bad effort for a mainstream/indie band release.

Anybody else have any comments they want to share.

Cheers
Mike

[DariusNYC]

I absolutely know what you're saying by raving about the sound of this one. But it's not finally good sound for the majority of the people who would buy this album. Because of the extremely high dynamic range (for a pop/rock cd of course) the album is very difficult to listen to except at high volumes when you don't have to worry about bothering anyone else or engaging in a conversation, or at a moderate volume with no ambient noise, or on headphones. But not headphones in an iPod at the gym or on the subway -- hifi headphones at home. Car listening is also problematic, unless you have a good system, you're in the car alone or with another music geek you don't feel like engaging in conversation with, and you feel like listening at a high volume. Most of the time I am able to budget to listening to music is time when the above-listed conditions are not met, and so it's tough to listen to this album. Not really just the absence of compression that I'm talking about -- the music itself has that dynamic range. Tweedy mumbles for a little bit over bare quiet instrumentation and then the guitars start kicking a$$ at high volume. It was much more compelling for me live in concert than on the album. Although if I took the time to listen to this baby on good headphones in my apartment I could've gotten a higher quantity of enjoyment from the album -- I do like the album but the high dynamic range has kept me from playing it in more situations and really getting into it. But it does have a gorgeous warm sound that we've been hearing over the last few years from recordings in which Jim O'Rourke has been involved. The last three Sonic Youth albums have this warmth as well, as does Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. I like the sound a lot.

[MindGoneHaywire]

Darius who?

Where you been?

You in town Sunday (Xmas?) Seriously.

[Davey]

I though the Bloc Party CD sounded ok in fact I'd probably rate it a 7 out of 10. I was pleasantly suprised how good it sounded, not a bad effort for a mainstream/indie band release.
:)

I don't know, maybe I'm just being too critical, or just too sensitive to the compression and clipping thing. Probably just being overly critical, but if you download the Audacity freeware (or your favorite .wav viewer) and look at "Helicopter", you will see lots of digital clipping. And there certainly isn't much dynamic range. But I guess it does sound better on some of the other songs that aren't quite as maximized.

[Mr MidFi]

XLT: That's a hard call, whether to get both or not. Depends on how into Wilco you are already, I guess. See if you like the songs on the live one first. And remember to say "thanks" to your daughter.

AG: That Spoon disc is not only Sloshy's rec...it's also my pick for #1 of the year (not that my opinion carries much weight, either). Seriously, it gets better every time I hear it. And thanks once again to Lonesome dbi Davey-bones for turning me onto it.

[Slosh]

Beck -- Guerolito
Super Furry Animals -- Phantom Phorce (beautiful, thick gold vinyl)
These aren't my recs. They may be good but I haven't heard them because I generally stay away from remix albums. In any case that's quite a binge you went on! :)

NP: The Notwist - Neon Golden

[DariusNYC]

Darius who?

Where you been?

You in town Sunday (Xmas?) Seriously.


Sorry, J, I had posted a couple items last week and then promptly signed off and left town, so I didn't see your post earlier. I was in Michigan with family on Sunday. I still check out the board frequently but have rarely been taking the time to post. But I had a little time the other day and ended up responding to a couple things that struck my fancy. Hope you're doing well and I'm curious to know what I missed on Sunday.