I'd go jazz every time for best recording, my favourite period being the 'early stereo' days of the late 50s early 60s. Decent Blue Note, Impulse, Verve and Riverside pressings take a hell of a lot of beating. It always amazes me that recording and record production technology has moved backwards from this point at such an alarming rate!
With rock music the question is far harder to answer as the inevitable ââ'¬Å"accurate to what?ââ'¬Â question rears it's ugly head. Certain recordings stand out as being exactly right for the source material and add something magical of their own by avoiding ââ'¬Å"accuracyââ'¬Â: George Martin's work with The Beatles, Martin Hannett's work with Joy Division etc. It is impossible to separate the production from say Unknown Pleasures, The White Album or stuff like The Doors albums etc. For the ââ'¬Å"truthââ'¬Â school of production I think Mogwai's Come On Die Young takes some serious beating ââ'¬â€œ the drum sound off that vinyl is astoundingly convincingââ'¬Â¦ it could almost be a 50s jazz LP! Plenty of other post rock has an exceptionally natural and 'un-manipulated' sound ââ'¬â€œ try hunting down a few of the early Kitty-Yo label recordings from bands like Couch, Surrogat, Kante etc.
I'm pretty surprised that so many people are sighting Bowie's Hunky Dory as such a landmark, it's nice enough for sure, but the best recording ever? I've dug out my nice orange label RCA original pressing and it's playing on the deck nowââ'¬Â¦ I love it, but it certainly wouldn't make anything close to my 1st choice.
Tony.
