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What Is Greatness In Recorded Music?
There are times when a wrong note is very much the right note. There are times when a small timing error makes a song come to life. There are cases when an instrument or vocal being slightly out of tune makes the whole presentation seem so real, and well… great!
Feb. 24, 2011, by Fletcher
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  Recording, Audio, Mixing, Education, Mastering, Tracking

This was an amazingly eye-opening experience. Pretty much everyone has heard this album at some point, and there are countless discussions on the internet ‘engineering forums’ about the sounds on that album.

The audio presentation is often touted as being pretty close to the pinnacle of audio/sonic production, and it’s one of the most commonly heard recordings at the over-priced hi-fi boutique stores.

I actually heard the stereo version through a $180,000 set of speakers one time, and can’t imagine what kind of moron would drop $180k on a set of speakers, but perhaps it’s a hobby to pursue for those ruining the world economy while taking untold millions in compensation for their efforts… but I digress…

Anyway, as my friend and I listened to the two mixes, the difference between the 5.1 remix and the original “quad” mix was absolutely amazing. The 5.1 sounded wonderful.

All of the sounds gelled and flowed into the other, and the audio was beyond superb. I could easily see myself slipping into the old leather Lazy-Boy to be enveloped by the aural perfection that is the 5.1 presentation of “Dark Side”.

Not so fast!

The quad mix of this album has none of the politeness and aural soothing elements of the 5.1 presentation. In fact, it’s very possibly one of the most pissed off albums I’ve ever heard (including NWA’s “Straight Outta Compton” or the Sex Pistols “Never Mind the Bollocks”). It’s raw, it’s edgy, it’s gripping, it’s poignant, it’s frustrated, and it’s, in a word… GREAT!

The Alan Parsons quad mix is angry, the 5.1 mix isn’t. The 5.1 mix is about as perfect a mix as can be achieved, while the quad mix is just sheer raw emotion.

Now, without the point of reference of the original quad mix from the original production team, the 5.1 presentation is still a whole lot of fun. But when referenced to the original presentation from the original production team, we find a place where “perfection” definitely did not triumph over greatness.

And maybe that’s what’s missing from a lot of today’s music… a little slice of greatness and emotion.


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Posted by Cagey-B  on  03/02/11  at  12:14 PM
I liked the story about the guitarist and the dreaded clam. I am strictly a "trial-and-error" guy when it comes to composing music, and if I find any theory rearing its ugly head, I squash it flat. Anything extraordinary emerging from my music has been the result of mistakes; striving for perfection would, for me, be self-defeating.

I can't agree about Steely Dan, though...they need a lyricist.

Posted by Dan  on  03/01/11  at  02:37 PM
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Yes, they can. It's called Steely Dan.

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