Favorite MM Era Album - Sonic Quality Only

[hefdaddy42]

I listened to WDADU recently, and I can't believe it, but that album sounded better than all the Mangini albums.

I also can't believe it.

[darkshade]

I listened to WDADU recently, and I can't believe it, but that album sounded better than all the Mangini albums.

I also can't believe it.

Sorry, but I find many major label recordings in the past 15 years to be nearly unlistenable due to the sound production choices and/or loudness-wars-mastering.
I also think most music was more well-written in the 20th Century than in the 21st, but that's for another discussion.

[hunnus2000]

I listened to WDADU recently, and I can't believe it, but that album sounded better than all the Mangini albums.

I also can't believe it.

Are you kidding me? As Chris Rock would say, "that's just ignant"! 

[hefdaddy42]

I listened to WDADU recently, and I can't believe it, but that album sounded better than all the Mangini albums.

I also can't believe it.

Sorry, but I find many major label recordings in the past 15 years to be nearly unlistenable due to the sound production choices and/or loudness-wars-mastering.
I also think most music was more well-written in the 20th Century than in the 21st, but that's for another discussion.

I get what you're saying about production/loudness war (although "unlistenable" seems like an exaggeration), but WDADU doesn't sound better than anything.

But hey, the heart wants what the heart wants.

[gzarruk]

I'm revisiting the whole DT catalog in chronological order after a while, and I listened to WDADU yesterday. I've always liked the album, but I liked it even more this time, such an underrated gem
The mix/sound didn't bother me at all (I'm listening to the remastered version, though), but it's still the worst sounding of all the DT official releases, whick is totally ok considering they were an unknown band recording their debut album without a real budget.

[darkshade]

I listened to WDADU recently, and I can't believe it, but that album sounded better than all the Mangini albums.

I also can't believe it.

Sorry, but I find many major label recordings in the past 15 years to be nearly unlistenable due to the sound production choices and/or loudness-wars-mastering.
I also think most music was more well-written in the 20th Century than in the 21st, but that's for another discussion.

I get what you're saying about production/loudness war (although "unlistenable" seems like an exaggeration), but WDADU doesn't sound better than anything.

But hey, the heart wants what the heart wants.

Let's just say I can listen to WDADU without needing to adjust my volume, and can even turn it up if I want, unlike most recent albums that make my ears tired and this has nothing to do with the quality of the music itself on both ends. DT12 is the biggest culprit, both in the awful production, and the fact that I think the material is underdeveloped, lacks focus. DoT is better, both in production and musical quality, but still suffers the same issues.

[Setlist Scotty]

Let's just say I can listen to WDADU without needing to adjust my volume, and can even turn it up if I want, unlike most recent albums that make my ears tired and this has nothing to do with the quality of the music itself on both ends.

Which has to do with how each album is mastered, nothing more. It has nothing to do with the mix. That said, if you take issue with how the s/t album is mixed, that's something else entirely, and you wouldn't be alone in complaining about how MM's drums sound on that album. But just bagging on any album because it make you "ears tired" is because of pathetic trend in how albums are mastered these days.

[darkshade]

Let's just say I can listen to WDADU without needing to adjust my volume, and can even turn it up if I want, unlike most recent albums that make my ears tired and this has nothing to do with the quality of the music itself on both ends.

Which has to do with how each album is mastered, nothing more. It has nothing to do with the mix. That said, if you take issue with how the s/t album is mixed, that's something else entirely, and you wouldn't be alone in complaining about how MM's drums sound on that album. But just bagging on any album because it make you "ears tired" is because of pathetic trend in how albums are mastered these days.

It's not usually the only thing, just one point I stressed. It's also writing, creativity, the mix, all that. A lot of it is the mastering though, as recordings from the 80s, 90s, and very early 2000s don't have this problem. There's obviously music that is well recorded and well written these days, Steven Wilson and Neal Morse for example. I don't think it would change my opinion much of the music itself, but if DT12 had the production of DoT, TA, or even ADTOE, I would probably listen to it a little more often than never.

[Volante99]

I really don't think WDADU sounds bad besides sounding super dated.