Stand out recording regardless of format?

I've heard good and bad from all formats.

No matter what format you choose, we will always be at the mercy of the recording engineers. They can make any format sound great or mess it up. I’ve always wondered if it’s their equipment, studio, or just their ears that creates this huge sound quality difference in the same format.

I also wish there was a standard for the volume output. Have you ever played a CD then the next one you played was much louder or softer than the last. grrrrr

For Muddy Waters, I'd buy the LP. The SACD is very good, but one thing that SACD hasn't solved is the digital edge that you don't get from vinyl.