Quote Originally Posted by mad rhetorik

Nirvana: In Utero
Actually, Steve Albini's raw recording quality does a lot to enhance this. It rocks out with a trebly, intense fury. Same goes with the Pixies' Surfer Rosa, though that's not quite as harsh. I also have a Big Black comp that sounds like it was recorded in a closet, but that's the Albini touch. Either you dig his calculated anti-production or it offends your ears.

Sonic Youth: Confusion Is Sex/Kill Yr. Idols
On the scale of abrasiveness this album probably ranks something like a 9. Ear-bleedin' noisy no-wave rock with production to match.

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re: Nirvana.. and Albini in general.. I really enjoy his recordings for the most part.. a couple of his early productions are pretty harsh though.. Failure's COMFORT and the Dazzling Killmen's DIG OUT THE SWITCH. The next Killmen album.. FACE OF COLLAPSE actually has a little atmosphere.. if you can imagine that.

As for CONFUSION IS SEX.. yea.. man.. BAD MOON RISING and EVOL sound downright lush compared to CONFUSION.. even their first ep sounds better..

Some would say that Husker Du's ZEN ARCADE and NEW DAY RISING are horrible recordings.. but I can't imagine them sounding any different. As for CANDY APPLE GREY and WAREHOUSE: SONGS AND STORIES.. I sometimes wish they would have put a little more effort (or money) into the recordings..

-jar