Good reference discs for rock music?

[G'OlPeachPhan]

Can you guys recommend some good reference discs with top-notch mixes in the rock genre? What are your favorites?

[trisonic]

The Who "Who's Next"

Derek & The Dominoes "Layla" - Try and get the 20th Anniversary edition.

The Rolling Stones "Exile on Main Street"

Pete.

Modern or classic rock?

Modern rock:

Hoobastank - The Reason
A Perfect Circle - Thirteenth Step
Incubus - A Crow Left of Murder
Metallica - The Black Album
Alice in Chains - Jar of Flies

[G'OlPeachPhan]

Actually, all the recommendations so far are perfect... a little classic rock, a little modern rock. These are albums I either own or am very familiar with. Thanks for the recommendations!

[MichaelK]

IMO you should choose an album that sounds like you ultimately would like your recordings to sound, not necessarily what somene else recommends. One that has a balance and feel that you like, a clarity or punch that you want, where the levels are good... you know. One that just sounds right to you in all respects.

[G'OlPeachPhan]

MichaelK, that sounds like good advice to me. Incubus "A Crow Left of the Murder" would definately fall into that category for me on the modern rock side... As would several of Brendan O'Brien's other productions with other bands.

I really like the punch of Audioslave's album as well.

On the classic rock front I really like several of the Pink Floyd albums... The early ZZ Top stuff such as Tres Hombres sounds like a very "honest" recording to me as well, which I like.

However, with all the classic rock stuff though I usually listen to it on vinyl, which is a different medium from where all my recordings will end up (CD)...

[Bassomatic]

Need more info.

Gabriel's "So" (and his new one, "Up") both sound tremendous, imo. So does Physical Graffiti, but two more dissimilar approaches would be hard to imagine.

Modern clarity? Classic bleed? Gated to death drums, or something real sounding? Lots of digital processing (a la XTC's "Skylarking" or "Oranges and Lemons" might apply here)? Uber-density, like Prince's brilliant "Lovesexy"? Top-notch discrete work such as Thomas Dolby's "Alens Ate My Buick"?

For organic, balls out rock, i haven't heard anything better than Soundgarden's 'Superunknown' or Pearl Jam's 'Vs.' come down the pike lately. I'm not feeling most of the nu metal stuff, which might qualify me as an old fart, although i embrace everything new that i come across that i feel exhibits any real musical merit (including killer pop such as Sly and Robbie's recent No Doubt prods.).

Also, quite hard to go wrong with most Rick Rubin stuff, esp. the Chili Peppers.

U2's last record is a must-have, here, as well as Daniel Lanois' shine and his production work on Emmylou's 'Wrecking Ball'.

I could go on....

[MichaelK]

Originally posted by G'OlPeachPhan
However, with all the classic rock stuff though I usually listen to it on vinyl, which is a different medium from where all my recordings will end up (CD)...

Well, this is a very good point. Some of my favorite albums were recorded using entirely different methods than I use, so as much as I love them I don't consider them useful as reference disks. My recordings will inveitably have a more modern sound. Not to say mine are "better" recordings, because in many cases that's just not true, but that there is a difference.

I've been using XTC's Wasp Star as a reference disk for at least the last couple of years. Not that my songs, arrangements, or even individual instruments necessarily sound anything like it, but it gives me an acoustical point of reference. That's all it's supposed to do. Early classic rock albums can't. I'm not recording an early classic rock album.

JMO, of course. Whatever works for you is fine.

[RCM78]

Some of my favorite sounding rock records.

1. Operation Mindcrime Queensryche
2. Blow My Fuse KIX
3. Destroyer KISS
4. Appetite for Destruction GnR
5. 1984 Van Halen
6. Back In Black AC/DC
7. Pyromania Def Leperd

[Supertgtr]

Here are some suggestions:

AC/DC - Back in Black
Foo Fighters - color and the shape
Jet - Get born
Black Crows - Greatest hits
Jellyfish - spilt milk
Yes - 90215

[G'OlPeachPhan]

Originally posted by Supertgtr
Here are some suggestions:

AC/DC - Back in Black
Foo Fighters - color and the shape
Jet - Get born
Black Crows - Greatest hits
Jellyfish - spilt milk
Yes - 90215

Those are great suggestions, as many of them fall in the realm of music I listen to regularly... AC/DC, Foo Fighters, Jet, and Black Crowes all get regular rotation in my cd player...

Thanks to all who helped me out in this thread... I have learned a TON since this started!

[ahellam]

Green Days "Warning" album is probably one of the best recordings I have heard in terms of clarity , punch and in your face-ness.
Ive yet to find a better sounding album for in your face rock mixes.

Hoobastank is a horrible reference considering the drums are totally triggered.

Someone turned me on to the Year of the Rabbit album from last year. It is Ken Andrews' from Failure's new band. The production is some of the best I've heard in a long time. Amazing.

[Impulse 101]

Some of these have been mentioned but I'll just list the ones I've used.

Spilt Milk by Jellyfish is always one of my faves.

Syncronicity by the police is cool if the band is into sparse arangements.

The first Big Wreck disk is awesome as well.

Others...

Spock's Beard-V
Dream Theater-Scenes from a memory
Peter Gabriel-UP
Foo Fighters-One by One
Pink Floyd-DSOTM
Sheryl Crow-The Globe Sessions (or anything else Tchad Blake has recorded)
Seal-II (or anything else Trevor Horn has worked on)

JT

[GaryNattrass]

AC/DC Back in Black

Keep it simple and you won't go wrong!