Worst record ever?


I had the misfortune of spotting Sarah Vaughan's "Songs of the Beatles" at my local record store and, intrigued, I bought it since it was only $2. I'm still traumatized a few hours after listening to it; who and why would ever release a record that bad? I love Sarah as a jazz singer but her rendition of the Beatles' songs is absolutely atrocious. I just can't believe someone made a decision to actually release it.
actusreus

Showing 3 responses by bdp24

Ry Cooder is very serious about the sound of his guitars and amps (and creates incredible tone), so when he heard about this new-fangled recording system---digital, he was eager to try it. Bop 'Til You Drop was the first digitally recorded Pop (non-Classical) album, and Ry was extremely disappointed with the sound of the album---he hated it.

Ry returned to analog recording, but it wasn't until he heard a Water Lily recording that he was again interested enough to pursue a new recording system. His comment upon hearing that WL album was "Why don't my albums sound this good?". He contacted Water Lily's genius recording engineer Kavi Alexander, who records with tube mics and an analog recorder with tube electronics by Tim de Paravicini, designer and builder of the great EAR-Yoshino consumer electronics. Ry and Kavi have done a couple of records together, including the Grammy-winning (for audio engineering) A Meeting By The River.

Too bad about the sound of Bop 'Til You Drop---the music is great. Ry is one of the best guitarists in the world---just ask any pro!

Ha! Ry Cooder is really serious about how his guitar sounds. When he heard about a new way of recording (digital), he wanted at it, and as Geoff said did the first digitally recorded Pop album, Bop ’Til You Drop. When he heard the playback his reaction was WTF?! He HATED it!

Years later he heard one of the Lily Water LP’s, and said "Why can’t my albums sound this good?" He then recorded "A Meeting By The River" on Water Lily, one of the best sounding albums ever recorded.

Amongst Rock 'n' Roll historians there is an album considered the "Plan 9 From Outer Space" of albums: "Philosophy Of The World" by The Shaggs. Recorded by the three Wiggins sisters of New Hampshire in 1968, it is a real trip. Two of the guys in NRBQ, having a perverse sense of humor, talked their label Rounder Records into re-releasing it.