Which album has WORSE sounding drums?

[svisser]

Van Halen III

I feel that the album cover was inspiration for that albums drum sound.

[Dublagent66]

I will admit that I am not a fan of "dated" being used as a criticism (many of the greatest rock albums of all time sound of their era/time period, which by definition makes them dated), but I have never had a problem with the sound of the drums on I&W and still don't.

Agreed.  Dated doesn't necessarily mean bad.

[Herrick]

I never even realized (or perhaps I did and forgot) that the cymbals were buried in the mix on the self-titled album. I'll have to listen to that one again some time.

[7enderbender]

I never thought any DT album had bad sounding drums. Never crossed my mind. Keyboard sounds on the other hand…there are moments that made me cringe and still do. And really - was bringing back that honky tonk piano necessary? So yeah, that’s part of the reason why the first albums are among my favorites.

[Evai]

I'm no drum expert, but the lack of dynamics on the snare in I&W (Metropolis specifically) definitely sound odd to my ear

[darkshade]

None of the above.

A Change of Seasons has the worst sounding drums AND the worst overall recording in their catalogue.

THIS

The production for the track A Change of Seasons, with that early Primus sounding popping snare overpowering everything else, and the high-mids distorted guitar after what sounds like well recorded acoustic guitar, made me turn it off so often in my early DT discovery days, that it took years for me to get into the song. It took the LSFNY version to get me into ACOS (which I also think is the superior version in general)

[Zook]

I only have a problem with the weak snare on ACOS. Images and Words sounds just fine. DT12 sounds like shit. The HDTracks version is slightly better, but that album just needs a remix. The snare sounds muffled half the time and the octabons just don't sound good at all.

I don't like the drums on The Astonishing either. The snare and double kicks (I love double kicks) sound robotic, and the double kicks are out of place and amateurish. Maybe he was under the weather for that album.

[erciccio]

Along for the ride. Worst drum sound ever,

I actually like the rest of DT12, as an example I really love that snare on The Enemy Inside, and you can also hear all the rest of MM's kit perfectly.

But everything is wrong on Along for the ride, even the tuning of the snare is off.

[Dream Team]

None of the above.

A Change of Seasons has the worst sounding drums AND the worst overall recording in their catalogue.

THIS

The production for the track A Change of Seasons, with that early Primus sounding popping snare overpowering everything else, and the high-mids distorted guitar after what sounds like well recorded acoustic guitar, made me turn it off so often in my early DT discovery days, that it took years for me to get into the song. It took the LSFNY version to get me into ACOS (which I also think is the superior version in general)

For the 3rd time, irrelevent to the OP's poll.

[Kotowboy]

Re: Which album has WORSE sounding drums?

Maybe DT12 Maybe Images and Words. Why does it even matter

What does it even have to do with VLASTO DAY ?

[Madman Shepherd]

None of the above.

A Change of Seasons has the worst sounding drums AND the worst overall recording in their catalogue.

THIS

The production for the track A Change of Seasons, with that early Primus sounding popping snare overpowering everything else, and the high-mids distorted guitar after what sounds like well recorded acoustic guitar, made me turn it off so often in my early DT discovery days, that it took years for me to get into the song. It took the LSFNY version to get me into ACOS (which I also think is the superior version in general)

For the 3rd time, irrelevent to the OP's poll.

It is, but I don't mind hearing other people's opinions on this. I almost included a "something else" option but really wanted to see these two albums head to head. Kind of surprised to hear ACOS is considered worst among a few. I guess I can see that, sort of.

Obviously WDADU would be a top contender if I opened it up to all albums but that one is really a product of the circumstances as opposed to a stylistic choice.

[AVFTTOTW]

DT has the worst drum mix, whereas I&W has the loved and hated snare sound. Both sound kind of plastic but I&W makes it compromise with the mix, whereas DT doesn't.
After Portnoy left though, it took till DOT for them to arrive at a good mix with the new (sic) drummer. Though the mix qualities of the live albums vary and were generally better in that sense than their album counterparts.

[Volante99]

Gotta go with DT12. Image and Words has 1992 as an excuse. DT12 has no excuse.

I actually like the drum sound in ACoS. Snare is mixed a little high but it sounds like a real kit. I actually wish DT went for a bit more raw/live sound in the studio, but Petrucci seems to like things super squeaky clean.

As far as something “dated” being good/bad, I agree something dated shouldn’t necessarily take away your enjoyment from them. But the fact is, some things age well, and some things don’t. I’m sure in 1992, the Prater snare sounded rad and cutting edge- today, it just sorta sounds like 1992. For some people that is part of the package and even enhances the experience with nostalgia. For others, it’s distracting. Timelessness is often a good mark of quality; a Rolex Daytona, a Rembrandt, Michelangelo’s David, AC/DC’s Back in Black  - these things transcend the time in which they were created. Prater’s snare is more like my Don Johnson pastel suit; enjoyable on a certain level but hasn’t exactly stood the test of time.

[DT1138]

Gotta go with DT12. Image and Words has 1992 as an excuse. DT12 has no excuse.

This sums it up to me. 

I don't really hate either one (I'm a guitar person, so JP's sound is where my ears always go first), but I just listened to "Enigma Machine" (my fav from DT12) vs "PMU" and "Under A Glass Moon", and the snare on DT12 sounds just as triggered/gated/over-compressed/fake as the one on I&W.  I would argue the snare on I&W seems to blend with the songs better though vs the DT12 one, which just sounds like a dull thud.

[TheBarstoolWarrior]

who is responsible for the production of the drums on DT12...JP?