OK. What's your WORST sounding CD.

[3-LockBox]

Best Ofs and Live albums s/b off limits for a thread about worst sounding albums.

I remember getting the best of Kansas on tape, then on CD and they just ruined every song from the '70s, adding echo and screwing with the playback speed ('Song For America is a full minute shorter and it isn't edited or a different version). Hearing the actual albums on vinyl or CD was such a revelation to my ears. ZZ Top did the same thing to 'La Grange' and other '70s hits on their '92 release, Greatest Hits CD. And the ZZ Top Six-Pack is an abomination.

[Worf101]

Some of those early Motown remasters to CD are absolutely worthless... whew. In a rush to get money from their catalogue they really put out some chite. Luckily things have gotten better. As for individual albums.

1. "Urban Renewal" - Tower of Power - No mids, little bass, sounds like it was recorded in a trash can. Live cuts of the same songs or the Rhino remasters of the same songs are marvelous.

2. "Gonna take a Miracle" - Laura Nyro - How Gamble and Huff could let this album out like this in it's original form is beyond me. I love this album despite its flaws but the distortion on some of the vocals and the total lack of bass on some tracks made it maddening. The remaster was done perfectly and worth every single penny.

3. "War Live" - War - Phew... I wish they'd never done that one.

4. "Can't Buy a Thrill", "Countdown to Ecstacy" & "Katy Lied" - Steely Dan - Masterful albums, great work... VERY uneven production. Some cuts sound like they were recorded in a phone booth.

Well that's all that jumps to mind right off the top... Later...

Da Worfster

[Dave_G]

I agree with the comments on the Tull album, but the DCC one sounds pretty good.

A few old school Deep Purple titles sound like crapola.

In general if a title sounds like crud to me I don't keep it.

Dave

[Jim Clark]

I've got this dreadful best of Kiss CD that has the worst sound I've ever come across. All of my Kiss stuff is on vinyl and of course these things are ancient anyway so I figured this was a much better idea than rebuying all of the CDs up till Love Gun. Wrongo. Unlistenable.

Siouxsie CD's all seem to have the most prevalent tape hiss out of any CDs that I have. This is one band that have been waiting for reissues to come out for. While they seem in the most dire need they obviously aren't forthcoming anytime soon. I don't usually get real excited about remasters but here I will make an exception.

jc