Choose your worst 80's album/amp tone.

[shredhead7]

I thought that many of the records listed here were great in their time. I thought that Mindcrime was amazing when it came out. My favorite QR is still Rage, but Mindcrime's production and tones were better (still are). As to Mr Big, the chorus sound was such a big part of 1988, that it sounded huge when it came out. With that said, Paul's tone on Street Lethal is still my favorite.

Atleast tones where super distinct back then! Albums where audibly so different back then, take 2 albums from 80s and there will be a high chance the drums, guitar etc will all sound distinct.

I find rock albums like the stuff Frontiers release has a very "samey" sound to them. Hard to tell bands apart until vocals kick in.

I agree with that, especially the Frontiers stuff, but that is because the guy from Eclipse does a lot of their production and song writing. I love the stuff that he does, but it is the same for every artist. I think because the 80's had at least four or five different major producers/engineers that each had their own voice, it lead to much more diversification tone wise, not to mention their budgets so they could experiment. Now a days, you can go on Youtube, pull up Ola's videos, use the exact same plugins and settings and you have a great metal sound, but you lose all distinction. It's even worse on the pop side of things, 4 or 5 producers, hell, there might be only 4 or 5 song writers now.

 

[ghosty999]

I thought that many of the records listed here were great in their time. I thought that Mindcrime was amazing when it came out. My favorite QR is still Rage, but Mindcrime's production and tones were better (still are). As to Mr Big, the chorus sound was such a big part of 1988, that it sounded huge when it came out. With that said, Paul's tone on Street Lethal is still my favorite.

Atleast tones where super distinct back then! Albums where audibly so different back then, take 2 albums from 80s and there will be a high chance the drums, guitar etc will all sound distinct.

I find rock albums like the stuff Frontiers release has a very "samey" sound to them. Hard to tell bands apart until vocals kick in.

I agree with that, especially the Frontiers stuff, but that is because the guy from Eclipse does a lot of their production and song writing. I love the stuff that he does, but it is the same for every artist. I think because the 80's had at least four or five different major producers/engineers that each had their own voice, it lead to much more diversification tone wise, not to mention their budgets so they could experiment. Now a days, you can go on Youtube, pull up Ola's videos, use the exact same plugins and settings and you have a great metal sound, but you lose all distinction. It's even worse on the pop side of things, 4 or 5 producers, hell, there might be only 4 or 5 song writers now.

You have put into words exactly how I feel haha. I guess they felt they found the "perfect" sound and have rolled with it ever since, sadly that perfect sound wont make anyone on forums say "oh remember that album they released in 2014 with that awsome tone?" Nope because they all sounded the same haha, saturated, compressed and sonically perfect... but characterless

 

[Iceman8.6]

Worst everything..Guy Mann Dude

From 1989:

 

[Findthetone1]

I used to call a lot of the 80s guitar tones "jar guitars". The mids were so scooped it sounded like a speaker in a mason jar. I do agree with the fact that they were at least different and made a band identifiable. Unlike much of today's cookie cutter tone.

 

[Riffraff]

I completely disagree about Mindcrime! I love the guitar tones on that.

+1
I love this album and the guitar tone is a big part of what I like about it.

 

[thiswaythatway]

Worst everything..Guy Mann Dude

From 1989:

My God, why did I watch that? Someone punch me please!

 

[thiswaythatway]

Not sure if it falls into the 80's thing but....the dude from April Wine.

You mean the guy who used to post here all the time?

 

[thiswaythatway]

I completely disagree about Mindcrime! I love the guitar tones on that.

+1
I love this album and the guitar tone is a big part of what I like about it.

Degarmo himself might disagree with you. I read an interview with them and he said years later after listening to Mindcrime that the lead tones sounded annoying to him.

 

[gtr31]

Worst everything..Guy Mann Dude

From 1989:

This might be a winner
Makes CC sound like a virtuoso

 

[milkchickenbomb]

Blizzard of Ozz.

Maybe it's not the actual worst guitar tone, but the contrast of the crappy tone with Randy's incredible playing makes it sound even worse.

 

[gtrwun]

Judas Priest "Turbo"............oh the pain. Sounds like they ran the guitars thru a crate/gorilla and then a few direct to board tracks just for fun. Not all the songs are bad, but most of them are pretty terrible on this album.

 

[Elric]

I'm aboard the Crazy Train: Blizzard. Hands down. I think the incredible playing highlights just how bad the tone was via contrast as others have noted. And BTW, Mindcrime? Are you shitting me? That record sounded f*cking great.

 

[gtrwun]

Yeah I dont get the Mindcrime comments? That album hits pretty hard and the tones fit the overall vibe. Some of the tones are strident, but they are effective I think.

 

[ghosty999]

This tone still haunts me haha, bee in a can fizz-fest. Shame because there is some strong songwriting

 

[LanierP]

How bout the opening track on Ozzy's 'the Ultimate Sin'. The kick drum on Randy Castillo's kit sounds like a cardboard box.

Lame video too with the Chik getting massive metal induced migraines

 

[Deleted member 13074]

Mindcrime was remastered in 2003
it is a big improvement

 

[controlled_voltage]

a late entry i realize at 1992 but.............still so bad it's great

a close second for the cardboard drum award

 

[8len8]

Mindcrime was remastered in 2003
it is a big improvement

What do they call that version? I didn't see any remastered version in iTunes.

 

[Beyond Black]

a late entry i realize at 1992 but.............still so bad it's great

a close second for the cardboard drum award

The difference being that they WANTED their albums to sound lo-fi and abrasive to achieve a certain atmosphere.

 

[Deleted member 10619]

Blizzard of Oz...