I’m going to take disc 12 of the Sandy Denny 19 CD box set. It’s of early home demonstration tracks and the recordings are very basic and sometimes distorted but if handled well the importance of the recording quality fades behind the emotion that comes through from the performances, if that fails to come through the recording quality will dominate your impression of the CD. It would be an interesting test of a system’s music making abilities but does rather neglect the HiFi aspects. It’s nice to have both of course but if I have to choose...
ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE QUESTION TO ANSWER ...
Hello to all...
Hypothetical question: You are going into an audio store to listen to a Cambridge Audio CDX81 Integrated amp and a CDX CD Transport thru speakers you are familiar with (or have at home in your system). You are allowed to bring only ONE CD TO LISTEN TO, by one group and/or one artist - WHAT IS IT AND WHY?
OF COURSE - there were those who will say I don't do CDs - so in that case you can only access ONE COMPLETE ALBUM OF MUSIC BY ONE GROUP OR ARTIST.
NO SINGLE SONGS PLEASE...
NO TWO CHOICES PLEASE - NO "... IF I COULDs PLEASE... "
My Choice: BLOOD SWEAT AND TEARS by Blood Sweat and Tears, 1962. Great tunes, fairly well recorded; lots of horns, drums and "odd sounds"; loud and soft levels throughout; different vocalists solo and in harmony - and lots of Toe-tappin' Music.
What would your choice be?
Hypothetical question: You are going into an audio store to listen to a Cambridge Audio CDX81 Integrated amp and a CDX CD Transport thru speakers you are familiar with (or have at home in your system). You are allowed to bring only ONE CD TO LISTEN TO, by one group and/or one artist - WHAT IS IT AND WHY?
OF COURSE - there were those who will say I don't do CDs - so in that case you can only access ONE COMPLETE ALBUM OF MUSIC BY ONE GROUP OR ARTIST.
NO SINGLE SONGS PLEASE...
NO TWO CHOICES PLEASE - NO "... IF I COULDs PLEASE... "
My Choice: BLOOD SWEAT AND TEARS by Blood Sweat and Tears, 1962. Great tunes, fairly well recorded; lots of horns, drums and "odd sounds"; loud and soft levels throughout; different vocalists solo and in harmony - and lots of Toe-tappin' Music.
What would your choice be?
20 responses Add your response
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Jeff Wayne’s amazing recording of War of the Worlds! After all the dynamics, Richard Burton’s voice better be ’right’, it is very revealing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeff_Wayne%27s_Musical_Version_of_The_War_of_the_Worlds I’ve also got the LP version, bring that too, leave it in the car, then ....! |
Excellent call re the BS&T self-titled album, in my opinion. (As an aside, though, it was released in late 1968, not 1962, which was several years before the group came into being. During the mid-60s two of its founders, Al Kooper and Steve Katz, were members of The Blues Project). As one who listens mostly to classical music my choice would be Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 (the "New World" symphony), remastered by Chesky as CD31, Jascha Horenstein conducting the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and originally recorded in 1962 (!). Originally engineered by the great Kenneth Wilkinson for Decca. A tour de force both musically and sonically. Regards, -- Al |
I sold more hifi gear playing that Jeff Wayne War of the Worlds recording than any other back when I did such things. People would flock to the system just to listen and stay there when playing. I bought it on a whim when it came out and was playing in some record shop whose name I don’t recall somewhere near Wilmington DE. |
Your question really takes me back. Been so long, kinda almost forgot there was even a time I was caught up in such things. If you would have asked me then I probably would have had a conventional answer. Now though its hard even to imagine going to a store where they would have even one component I was interested in, let alone two, and that they would have speakers I own is beyond fantasy. So the straightest answer I can give is I wouldn't bring a CD. Don't need a CD. Would listen to whatever they have. Seriously. So totally last millennium. |
millercarbon By your explanation, you completely fail to grasp the question: it is not about the equipment, it is about your experiencial worth to others to expand their musical data. Now of course you can choose to not participate in 2 ways: the first is what you have done, and the 2nd is to just remain silent... So either press yourself to reply in a helpful manner or piss off... Maybe this is something too difficult for you to do? I say the above respectfully because you have contributed with other forums I have started and your opinion, when on topic, is greatly appreciated. But none of us gives a rats ass if you're not in the same boat as us or just chooses to be surly so you can corrupt a reasonable question... Again: thanks to all responding and aiding me in expanding my musical experiences... |
mapman
Of course when you play WOTW for friends they are amazed, and as you say, it keeps casual listeners attention longer than typical. However, the comment I remember best was from a friend of a friend. My friend and I were into it, and his friend walks into the room, hears just a few secs Mars Death Ray sounds , says "What is this, Rawhide?" and walks out. Are you old enough to remember it, the part where he slowly and drawn out repeats Rawhide a few times. Ohh Wah... Ohh Wah Raw hide .. Raw hide Funny and memorable. https://www.google.com/search?q=rawhide+theme+song&rlz=1C1SQJL_enUS881US881&oq=rawhide+theme+song&aqs=chrome.0.69i59j46j0l4j46j0.8246j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 |
Concordia consort of viols, "Crye" (Metronome). https://www.amazon.com/Crye-Musical-tears-meditations-Holborne/dp/B00005QC5F Beautifully recorded, I've found that if a speaker gets the different sonorities of the different-sized viols right, then it will of everything else. |
