Well, several people in the thread have pointed out how subjective my original point was, so fair enough, but on this particular point, the brilliance is in the songwriting, arrangements and performance. They're amazing, even in their imperfections.
I mean, nobody really cares that Prince's drumming is all over the shop in The Cross, it doesn't matter, the performance is incredible.
But I think the recording is pretty flat and dull, and I've heard it at a Classic Album Sundays event on a high-end stereo and there wasn't anything that stereo could dig out that I hadn't already heard. And I then bought the remaster in 2020, same same. But in a way, maybe it just proves that album has always been perfect in every way and I should stop giving a shit about the recording.