I went to see 70s Prog-Rock band Yes last night at the Usher Hall in Edinburgh. Back in the day, my dad had a bit of an interesting music taste. They were his favourite band, so whilst other people go on about listening to their parents’ Bob Dylan and The Beatles records when they were growing up, I’d listen to Yes, Peter Gabriel, Genesis, and Rick Wakeman records.
One particular album that was played regularly was Fragile. It was released in 1972, and recorded at Advision Studios in London.
I think that, like many of the records released at that time, the album has that certain warm analog sound to it. Sometimes when recording with digital it seems as though everything sounds too perfect, too clean, too polished. And with serious consideration to the instruments and music involved in the songs, the mixes are very well balanced. Yes, it’s significantly quieter than records that are released today, but maybe it makes you appreciate the art of the mix more.
Here’s an example of Yes’s work. This is the first song from the Fragile album, entitled “Roundabout”:
"The Loudness War" Project 