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So disappointed in today's Americana

I make it a habit of getting the Grammy nominated Americana albums from the library each year. Past years have introduced me to much new music, some good, some bad, some treasures (TajMo for example). This year I just listened to Brandi Carlile's cd 'By the way I forgive you', nominated for best Americana roots album. OMG it is unlistenable! You would think singer / songwriters would strive for a pristine recording that highlights their lyrics and mostly acoustic arrangements. No - it is a sonic mess, compressed all to hell. To quote my wife "Turn that crap off". End of rant. 
mcondo

Showing 6 responses by bdp24

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bdp24
9,393 posts
 
The Americana Music Association puts on its' own awards ceremony and show every year; that's the one to watch. Their relationship to The Grammys is very much like High End Audio's is to CES. A good source for info on Americana music and artists is the No Depression website.
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,393 posts
 
Give a listen to the man behind the explosion of Americana (due to his Oh Brother Where Art Thou soundtrack work), T Bone Burnett. His Truth Decay album on Takoma is great, musically and sonically. Look for the original Chrysalis pressing.
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bdp24
9,393 posts
 
Good one whart! David Lindley is a monster lap steel player, with a style employing, unlike most steel players, lots of sustain and over-driven tube distortion. He's great live, and his first two solo albums (he was in the late-60's band Kaleidoscope, and on many L.A. recordings of Jackson Browne and other singer/songwriters) are not just musically excellent, but also unusually good sounding for Rock 'n' Roll records. I have long used the first (which includes David's fantastic version of "Mercury Blues") for hi-fi evaluations.
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bdp24
9,393 posts
 

@mcondo, I don’t know your age, so am not going to assume you know about the album and the group of musicians who made it that are largely credited with being a primary source of inspiration and guidance in all things Americana; the one, the only, The Band and their 2nd, self-titled album, also known as the brown album. Absolutely essential listening!

The original Capitol pressing (look for the mastering engineer’s initials---RL, for Robert Ludwig---scratched into the run-out by the LP’s label) is good, as is the newest version (2013) on Mobile Fidelity LP (MFSL 1-419) and SACD (UDSACD 2129).

At least as good is their debut, Music From Big Pink. Original LP’s are plentiful (though finding a Mint or Mint- copy is not easy), and again there is a newish (2008) Mobile Fidelity pressing available on LP (MFSL 1-346) and SACD (UDSACD 2044). This past September Capitol Records did a 50th Anniversary reissue of MFBP on both LP and CD, and in a deluxe boxset. The boxset is more than all but the obsessed really need, but I'm hoping they do the same for The Band's second album this year!

bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,393 posts
 
Excellent @mcondo, congratulations on your great musical taste! For more Americana albums in great sound, search out slaw's posts. They're full of them.
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,393 posts
 
@mcondo, do you already have all Buddy Miller's albums? His with his wife Julie? Iris Dement? Emmylou Harris? Jim Lauderdale? Marty Stuart? Steve Earle? John Hiatt? Lucinda Williams? Rodney Crowell? Chris Hillman's latest (produced by Heartbreaker guitarist Mike Campbell)?
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