Possibly the worst sound on record?

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RockerRocker Frets: 4944
The metal bodied resonator on the widely acclaimed Dire Straits album 'Alchemy' (used on the song Romeo and Juliette) is my suggestion on what is the worst sound recorded. Technically it must be a nightmare to amplify it for a large live venue but all that ended on the tape was a tinny scratchy sound - one that does not do justice to the song or indeed to the band.

So what do you think is the worst sound on record?
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. [Albert Einstein]

Nil Satis Nisi Optimum

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Comments

  • JalapenoJalapeno Frets: 6378
    Poppa Chubby Live in New York - mains hum throughout, really loud.  It's unlistenable.
    Imagine something sharp and witty here ......

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  • JezWyndJezWynd Frets: 6021
    /thread?

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  • vasselmeyervasselmeyer Frets: 3664
    +1 for Metal Machine Music

    Can I also submit the third disc of Neil Young's live album "Arc" which I believe was called "Weld" which is a compilation of feedback, guitar noise and vocal fragments.
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  • Phil_aka_PipPhil_aka_Pip Frets: 9794
    I've got a Clannad CD that sounds dreadful. IIRC it's this one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clannad_(album). It's like the tape they recorded it on was over-saturated.

    The electric guitar on T.Rex's Electric Warrior LP is pretty dire as well.

    The bass on Appetite for Destruction isn't that good, either.
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  • PerdixPerdix Frets: 136
    Keith Richards solo on sympathy for the devil. Feels like an ice pick jabbing in my ears.
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  • RandallFlaggRandallFlagg Frets: 13929

    The guitar on James Bay's new single "Pink Lemonade". It sounds like toothache


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  • scrumhalfscrumhalf Frets: 11262
    The Lurkers, Shadow. I used to love this but I heard it recently and the guitar (go to 00:28) sounds as if it's being tortured.



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  • not_the_djnot_the_dj Frets: 7306
    Dylan's guitar sound on the album "Good as I Been To You"...I'm sure old Bob could have afforded (and was probably using) a very nice guitar, but somehow the recording made it sound like some cheap acoustic from argos.
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  • BloodEagleBloodEagle Frets: 5320


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  • KKJaleKKJale Frets: 982
    edited May 2018
    Though I have a deep affection for cheap psychedelic artyfacts, the guitar sound on Pictures Of Matchstick Men is a tough one to defend, even when pissed. 
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71956
    I love most of these!

    For me the worst sound on record is...


    Roy Buchanan.

    Worse than nails on a blackboard - like being stabbed in the ear with hot needles or something. Hideous ‘tone’, horrible playing.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • GagarynGagaryn Frets: 1553


    Sounds like it was recorded under a duvet..

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  • Phil_aka_PipPhil_aka_Pip Frets: 9794
    ICBM said:
    I love most of these!

    For me the worst sound on record is...


    Roy Buchanan.

    Worse than nails on a blackboard - like being stabbed in the ear with hot needles or something. Hideous ‘tone’, horrible playing.
    I agree his tone was a bit shrill, but I can't agree that his playing was "horrible". However since you are always quick to defend Neil Young's dreadful guitar "playing" I guess we must conclude that our tastes differ considerably.
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71956
    Phil_aka_Pip said:

    I agree his tone was a bit shrill, but I can't agree that his playing was "horrible".
    It's the repetitive squealing over-bent notes and forced harmonics. Everything that's wrong with solo electric guitar playing in a nutshell - it sounds like a pig being tortured.

    Phil_aka_Pip said:

    However since you are always quick to defend Neil Young's dreadful guitar "playing" I guess we must conclude that our tastes differ considerably.
    I think so :). I like Arc...


    Can I also submit the third disc of Neil Young's live album "Arc" which I believe was called "Weld" which is a compilation of feedback, guitar noise and vocal fragments.
    Other way round - Weld is the album, Arc is the feedback disc.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • mistercharliemistercharlie Frets: 333
    Pretty much all of Tin Machine’s first album. 
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  • ReverendReverend Frets: 4974
    Pretty much any modern metal album. 
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  • thecolourboxthecolourbox Frets: 9654
    I'll nominate the following:

    The weedy sounding guitar rising slide type sound that leads to the chorus of Harry Styles' Sign of the Times

    The whole of Hard Fi's output, but specifically the (I think) synth line over the top of "Living for the Weekend".

    Sam Smith's falsetto
    Please note my communication is not very good, so please be patient with me
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  • Phil_aka_PipPhil_aka_Pip Frets: 9794
    Accept, their eponymous (first?) LP. Complete shite in every respect.
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  • TheBigDipperTheBigDipper Frets: 4722
    edited May 2018
    MC5 - Back In The USA.  It's a great, great record, but the final mix was clearly done to sound good on a cheap transistor radio that couldn't reproduce low frequencies. 
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  • proggyproggy Frets: 5827
    Geddy Lee's voice, sounds like Pinky and Perky.
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