honour roll

My honour roll - with details

This page was created in the spirit of Bob Katz’s Honor roll and is to bring attention to the best sounding recordings which defy the loudness war. He will have to excuse my plagiarizing of his idea, however, this is my own list with honour spelled correctly.

Michael Jackson - Dangerous

1991

-10RMS

Mastered by Bernie Grundman

Probably a reasonably “hot” album for its time. Quite a departure from his previous music and despite having a digital recording sound typical of that era, Dangerous has dynamic punch and absolutely impeccable sound quality.

Steven Wilson - the future bites

2021

-10 to -8RMS

Mastered by Bob Ludwig

Steven Wilson has been against the loudness war for many years. The future bites has plenty of lush density but still the space and dynamic movement you get to keep when things aren’t slammed. It sounds sonically “modern” while keeping a foot in the past 4 or 5 decades.

Jack Johnson - sleep through the static

2008

-10 to -8RMS

Mastered by Bernie Grundman

Just a stunning sounding album.

Analog recording and mix from tape.

Bernie Grundman was allowed to master it appropriately for the style. The “realness” of this album simply has to be heard.

Alan Jackson - thirty miles west

2012

-10RMS

Mastered by the now retired Hank Williams

Alan Jackson has been a non-participant in the loudness war for almost as long as it’s existed. This album is a great example of how a non- loudness war master still has compression and sounds “glued” but has no push on the stereo buss. It breathes, it has space and sounds amazing!

Mark Knopfler - One deep river

2024

Mastered by Bob Ludwig

-10 RMS

One Deep River and the previous album Down the road wherever are both sensational, beautiful sounding recordings. Expertly performed, mixed and mastered they are a lasting reminder of how things used to be done and can be done still.

Musical and suitable amounts of compression on instruments and beautiful amounts of space with no consideration for “competitive“ levels. A beautiful natural sounding recording. One of the Bob Ludwig’s final jobs. Tasteful and classy to the end.

Stranger Things - music from Netflix original series season 1

2017

Mastering engineer Sean Brennan

-10 to -8 RMS

There isn’t a lot of information about Sean Brennan out there but the mastering of this compilation album was done with complete respect to the original recordings and kept in context with the sound of the 80s.

If you listen to any of the later remasters of Olivia Newton John - Twist of Fate, even off YouTube (which levels the playing field with normalized playback) and compare it to the Sean Brennan master, they are limestone and cream cheese.

The allowing of dynamic space and low end and a pleasant frequency response… I urge you to do listen for yourself.

Also, it was quite a successful album in terms of sales. Would it have sold more if someone had flattened the last 4 dB out of it? Let’s just be glad the music was put first and we have this great version to enjoy.