Julian, has made some valid points, I'll add how about the volume changes on a cd half way through the album? , (on some cd's very noticeable)
Or where a band (live recording) had a crap nite, and the engineer has 'spiced' one or 2 versions togetherb (usually very badly).
Compression isn't the only culprit, does anyone admit to owning the Corrs 'best of' (I got it for the young lady

) jeezz it's fooking dire, I mean bad like car only stuff
Also I'll say this again, Oasis definately maybe, the version I have is truely awful, the recording is shite, and the old my "atc's will play it fine" don't wash either, I've heard the very cd played in a top notch recording/mixing booth and the engineer was whincing
Tenson, I may have this wrong but isn't your father a recording/mastering engineer ?.
I'll go further here, as our job as snake oil makers (crowd pleaser there) we listen to a lot of music during a working week (not just testing), and both Timpy & myself can accurately 'date' (recording year) a cd (ones we've never heard before either) by the style of presentation to within 2/3 years, we often do this when the guys come round for a listen and bring their cd's with them, for example late eighties recordings (mainstream & rock, not so much classical) are instantly recognisable, as are the 'Chord' style hardiness of the mid eighties and early remasters. during the early 90's when digital masterings went 24 bits, the 'overall sound style changed' it got reasonable, right up to todays fad's of recording with valve mixing desks giving bucket loads of Mersey beat sound feed back, to really darkly recorded stuff and ambience overdubs.
yet one of the best recordings I have is a 1989 genuine Capitol master, the lastest Bettles remaster is a stunning job, feeling fresh and new almost.
It can be done, if the record companies so wish, or the mixing engineer is totally wasted or bored shiteless after 13 hours of s club 7, Wm