Ever tossed a record aside as poorly engineered and produced only to think otherwise later

What do you mean by "limp wristed?" That sounds like an offensive expression.

Yes I thought one was cut too slow compared to the CD. It sounded dull. I rethought that years later and appreciated the mellow smoothness and don't think it was little if any slower that the CD

@lowrider57 , 

I meant weak or ineffectual by design or in effort.  I've never known that term to mean anything other, but the Urban dictionary says it can mean something like that to some. Whoops.  

Please allow this to be amended on its face to state "feeble". 

I think the Hooker album didn't sound so great to me years later and it's because the loudness wars skewed my view a bit.  The recording actually has great dynamics and it allows the listener to crank it up to get a ton of range.  

All of this aside, it's John Lee Hooker!  I'd vote him for president.

John Lee Hooker is wonderful!But his singing and playing have subtleties that don't come across well on the lofi equipment many of us had back in the day.It's pretty cool to rediscover music that you felt 'meh' about when you can hear all of the layers and dynamics.

Who you calling "Feeble" ? Now the feeble are going to be offended !

Man, you gives 'em an inch, they takes a mile.

Linda Ronstadt made three records with Nelson Riddle and his orchestra, all mastered by Doug Sax at The Mastering Lab: What's New, Lush Life, For Sentimental Reasons. Always loved the music, but always thought the recording a little reticent. Like its all there, but a little far down in the mix. Some cuts like After Midnight just kind of laid there.

My first surprise was After Midnight on my new Miller Carbon table. Suddenly there was a tension, foreboding even, in the sound of the strings. Kind of emotion a great orchestra can evoke. On another track a sax comes in and is almost overpoweringly there front and center. The beautiful Falling in Love Again starts off with a music box chime and OMG that thing is so present and real its like the reality of all music boxes you ever heard distilled down to their essence!

Fleetwood Mac Rumours, same deal. Even, shockingly (because I didn't think he ever made a good recording his whole career!) Bruce Springsteen The Ghost of Tom Joad.

Exactly millercarbon !  That's exactly what I'm talking about.

Millercarbon ...


Thanks for reminding me of the Nelson Riddle/Linda Ronstadt albums. I have them all, including a French-pressed three-box set. I haven’t listened to it in a few years. I’ll get it out for tonight’s listening session.

I have a lot of early mono jazz recordings from the 50s that continue to surprise as the system improves. It is just amazing how much information is hidden in those grooves. I dug deep into the Charlie Parker section the other night and pulled out the early Verve recording of "Swedish Schnapps." Its one of the better sounding Parker recordings and it sounded exceptional this time ... for a Charlie Parker album, that is. The playing, as usual, was superb. 

Did Charlie Parker ever play the same idea twice?

Frank

You are correct, Frank, Charlie Parker never played a motif twice.  Endless ideas. Endless.  

Two come to mind. First, Madman Across the Water (SACD). Sounded very muddy when I first got it, but an upgrade to my spinner changed my mind quickly (Marantz SA 11s2). Second is still a mystery - the Stones "Stripped" cd. No change in equipment but it really grew on me - especially the last cut, Little Baby, which sounded horrible upon first listen and over time I have come to love it. Folks don't even know it's the Stones sometimes!

Hands up, all those offended by the words 'limp wristed as used in the contextual description used by the OP in his first paragraph.

@gawdbless, my sense is you’re joking around but if not all apologies!

i should’ve used the term “listless”

Maybe it’s my system is way better these days but I’m finding other recordings I previously dismissed as “listless” from the engineering or production level (not the art or music). 

One such recordung is Clapton’s 461 Ocean Boulevard.  Listened last night.  Tom Dowd did a great job on it.