Jeff Beck "Blow By Blow".
"God Bless America" - Mormon Tabernacle Choir |
Dr. Demento's Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 on 8 track. |
Doobie Brothers - The Captain and Me on Speakers Corner Records vinyl.
This is definitely an audio treat, but it must be the Speakers Corner Version as it is a revelation. IÂve compared it to the Mofi SACD and Friday Music vinyl and both of those sound dead compared to Speakers Corner. |
Zaphodbeeblebrox lol,
I didn't know the machine code reference. I'm trying to think when the last time I even saw machine code was. 1987 maybe?
For those vinyl heads its a shame the answer wasn't 45... |
Chadeffect,
I welcome any references to Hitchhikers!
Belgium!
The answer to the Ultimate Question is 42.
If you put 42 into machine code it is 0101010, interesting if true.
I don't know if Douglas Adams pick 42 because of its machine code or he just picked the number out of the air. |
Zaphodbeeblebrox,
Surely you could ask deep thought the ultimate question? I'm sure then you could work a way to surviving listening to the record to die for. But then it wouldn't be to die for!
Your name brings back happy memories Zaphodbeeblebrox. Forgive me I couldn't resist. |
I have yet to hear anything that I would die for, because if I died I would not be able to enjoy listening to the album.
I have a Motorcycle that I almost died with, a Ducati 1198.
This is said sarcastically. |
The number one vinyl recording that never ceases to "stun" me has to be "Just the way you are" by Billy Joel on the 30th anniversary 180 gram re-issue of "The Stranger". Mobile Fidelity is about to do a release of this, but I absolutely CAN NOT IMAGINE that it could be any better than what I already have. It sounds like the acoustic guitars are in the room with you. His vocals are incredibly clear and you can hear each individual string on the guitars. It's really something.
Other Notables are: Neil Diamond's Greatest Hits Vol 2, specifically "Love on the Rocks" and "Forever in Blue Jeans"
This album is relatively easy to find cheap, and as long as you can get a nice copy it has AMAZING sound.
Alan Parsons Projects "Eye in the Sky" sounds really nice as well. The instrumental intro into the title track has a great soundstage and "presence".
Last year's re-issue of "Wish you were here" is fabulous as well. Much better than "The Wall" issue (which is newer material) that came out shortly afterwards.
Steve Perry's solo album "Street Talk" has a really nice track called "Foolish Heart". "Oh Sherrie" is pretty good, but not nearly as polished and realistic as "Foolish Heart".
And certainly NOT "Least" is the Mobile Fidelity re-issue of "Sinatra at the Sands". This 1966 live recording is simply AMAZING. If you close your eyes, particularly during his monologues, it seems as if you are there in the room among people who are drinking and dining. You can hear plates and glasses clicking and it gives you the distinct impression of three dimensional space from only two channels. My favorite recording EVER... |
Afranta,
You are so right about those recordings. The only thing better is the music itself. Why can't more artists do this? Kudos as well to Tracy Chapman and Chris Isaak for consistently high quality sound. |
Zappa - One Size Fits All. FZ, engineer/producer extrordinaire! Did I spell that right? The genius of Frank Zappa...
Miles - Live At The Blackhawk. Five geniuses playing as one, right in front of you! Hank Mobley was my favorite of Mile's sax players. How's THAT for a bold statement?
The Grateful Dead - 9/19/70, Fillmore East. If you can get your hands on the right DAT soundboard copy, this is amazing!
Joni - Don Jaun's Reckless Daughter
Jerry Garcia & David Grisman - May 1992 Warfield Theatre San Fran. Recorded by John Cutler for David Gans' radio show. Of all the amazing Garcia/Grisman recordings (thank God!!!), this one's my fave. |
Beck, Sea Change, Mutations, The Information |
I hope someone mentioned Steve Hackett's last work: Beyond the Shrouded Horizon...his best to date, and one of the best LP's this year by a long shot!! |
And now a few of my own picks:
The Big Dish - Satellites
Cibella - The shine of dried electric leaves
Colonies of Collections of Bees - Customer
Robbie Fulks - Let's Kill Saturday Night |
x2 for the Toy Matinee suggestion. I've had this little gem since it came out in 1990 or so. Just wanted to thank Dollar2 for putting it out there. Really enjoyed it this last weekend.
This has been long out of print but is really worth the look for. Kevin Gilbert was a super songwriter, player, and was great solo as well. You may also know him as part of the Tuesday Night Music Club who played in C. Crows band. Don't care for Ms. Crow but anything by Kevin Gilbert is a real find.
Dollar2, thanks so much for mentioning this one. Sure made a great end to my Saturday afternoon. |
Roxy, I am familiar with "The New Tony Williams Lifetime" titled "Believe It".
GB's White Rabbit is also excellent! |
Tony Williams Lifetime CD is probably the best I have heard on my system. George Benson's White Rabbit disc is also beautiful sounding, full of nuance. |
correct name for armando's rumba is "My Spanish Heart" by c.correa
enya's watermark was my first cd & the reason i brokedown & bought a cd player (cal audio tercet III) - it wasn't available on vinyl! |
dr. john the night tripper w/gris gris gumbo yaya LP
# 1) the famous sounds of three blind mice v.1 from japan -extremely well rcorded & played by phenomenal japanese artists
janis joplin's kozmic blues album
deborah henson conant's round the corner w/somewhere over the rainbow
chick correa's leprecaun w/gayle moran LP
" " armando's rumba LP
enya's watermark
chuck mangione land of make bellieve LP
herbie mann live at the village gate LP summertime,ain't necessarily so, im comin' home
otis redding's cigarrettes & coffee
jerry lee lewis sound track album w/d, quaid, moms m, etc |
How could I resist and I'm wondering if anyone else agrees with any one of these here listed. These are not in order of 1 through 6. All are still in print and on CD.
Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert: Sonatas / Haskil
Release Date: 02/27/2007
Label: Orfeo Catalog #: 706061 Spars Code: ADD
Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert
Performer: Clara Haskil
Number of Discs: 1
Recorded in: Mono
Length: 1 Hours 8 Mins.
Brahms: Violin Sonatas / Korol, Grigorieva
Release Date: 04/08/2008
Label: Challenge Catalog #: 72194 Spars Code: na
Composer: Johannes Brahms
Performer: Natalia Grigorieva, Ilja Karol
Orchestra/Ensemble: Moderntimes_1800
Number of Discs: 1
Recorded in: Stereo
Haydn: Symphonies 91 & 92, Etc / Jacobs, Fink, Et Al
Release Date: 05/12/2009
Label: Harmonia Mundi Catalog #: 2961849 Spars Code: n/a
Composer: Franz Joseph Haydn
Performer: Bernarda Fink
Conductor: René Jacobs
Orchestra/Ensemble: Freiburg Baroque Orchestra
Number of Discs: 1
Recorded in: Stereo
Length: 1 Hours 9 Mins.
Songs Of Debussy And Mozart - Juliane Banse, András Schiff

Release Date: 04/29/2003
Label: Ecm Catalog #: 461899 Spars Code: DDD
Composer: Claude Debussy, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performer: Juliane Banse, András Schiff
Number of Discs: 1
Recorded in: Stereo
Length: 1 Hours 0 Mins.
Schumann: Sonatas For Violin & Piano 1-3 / Faust, Avenhaus
Release Date: 08/15/2000
Label: Cpo Catalog #: 999597 Spars Code: DDD
Composer: Robert Schumann
Performer: Isabelle Faust, Silke Avenhaus
Number of Discs: 1
Recorded in: Stereo
Length: 1 Hours 7 Mins.
Schubert: Die Schöne Müllerin, 3 Lieder / Wunderlich, Giesen
Release Date: 09/17/1996
Label: Dg The Originals Catalog #: 447452 Spars Code: ADD
Composer: Franz Schubert
Performer: Fritz Wunderlich, Hubert Giesen
Number of Discs: 1
Recorded in: Stereo
Length: 1 Hours 12 Mins. |
blood on the tracks sacd version/the band,a history-5dics&the last waltz dvd-audio version/the gratefull dead,americanbeauty&workingmans dead both dvd-audio versions/jennifer warens famous blue raincoat 25th anniv/any first 4 tom waits albums/ANTHING by leonard cohen/ANYTHING by sinatra esp september of my years-1965-especially "once upon a time"/eric clapton 401 ocean blvd-sacd version bobbmd no one has submitted anything in 6 months |
Chet Atkins, Mark Knhoppler, Neck @ Neck Lp
Cowboy Jumkies,"Whites off EarthNow","MFSL" "Demons",Diverse.
CAT POWER "JUKE BOX"
Haley Bonar "Big Star"
|
Try Hope Waits Cd, big sound, slick muscians, unqualified recommendation on all counts. |
If any of you are coming to RMAF in a few weeks, you'll get to experience A Recording to Die For, at least from the professional music side. The show will be the premier demo of Wish You Were Here in 5.1, from the new Immersion Disc set. ATC is bringing a massive system too, like the one that James Guthrie used to mix all the new Pink Floyd Immersion discs as well as Dark SIde in 5.1 a few years ago. The room will also be treated, so it sounds like a recording studio. So it will truly be a once in a lifetime experience of a great recording. |
Hi Brad,
I am amazed how often I can hear a cd I'm very familiar with, sounding so much better then the one I already own. Closer inspection usually reveals a familiar name mastered it.
Behind almost any of the 'Records to Die for' list is at least one of these talented individuals.
Regards, |
Montejay, how right you are. Most great mastering engineers know what mixes NOT to take and most great mixers encourage their clients to hire the best mastering engineers.
It all supports the point: look for the people BEHIND the music and follow them for great sound. They may not always be your favorite artists, but great engineers in mastering and mixing rarely turn out bad sounding records.
Brad |
Hi Transaudio,
When I look for great recordings, I see who mastered the recording. If it says Doug Sax, Barry Diament, Steve Hoffman, Kevin Gray or Ricker,to name a few, you usually get a quality playback.Others mastering engineers can be hit and miss. Some can make a great recording unlistenable by adding eq to the bottom or top end and also by adding volume to the recording altering and compressing the possible dynamic range that the recording once had.
It's in the mastering IMO
Regards, |
Hey Rogar:
Get ready for the new "WIsh you where Here" immersion discs due soon.
Brad |
For great recordings, why not follow the top mix engineers? Famous Blue Raincoat, that's George Massenburg and Frank Wolf. George also does all LInda Ronstadt/Nelson Riddle stuff. He did Joshua Judges Ruth (Lyle Lovett) and this new gal I just love, Dawn Langstroth. Check out her site, you can see him recording it IN the room with her live. Frank Wolf is still working all the time, look him up on Allmusic. Jim Anderson who is at NYU now did a lot of the Patricia Barber stuff. Diana Krall, that's Al Schmitt. He is one of the very best. Elliot Schiener, he did Fagen's Night Fly and a whole bunch of top level stuff. The Cowboy Junkie Record was done with a SoundField mic, same mic David Cheske uses on a lot of his recordings. Its a single mic with even lower phase error than a stereo pair. AMAZING imaging on so many of those Cheske records. Chuck AInlay, he does Mark Knopfler, some of the best guitar tone on record. Bill Schnee, another amazing talent. Doug Sax, he mastered Dark Side. He is the guy with Bill behind the Sheffield Labs stuff. I think you guys would have your best luck by following your favorite engineers.
I'm new to Audiogon for I am in the high end pro business. All those engineers are the folks I know, work for, talk to or sell gear to. The good ones are always doing good work. They seldom get stuck with over compressed mastering. |
1. Pink Floyd "Wish You Were Here"
2. Joni Mitchell "Court And Spark"
3. Talking Heads "Remain In Light"
4. Beatles "Abbey Road"
5. Weather Report "Black Market"
Honorable Mention:
Tangerine Dream "Stratosfear"
Herbie Hancock "River: The Joni Letters"
Miles Davis "Kind Of Blue"
Santana "Borboletta"
Los Lobos "Kiko"
Dire Straits "Brothers In Arms"
Laurie Anderson "Big Science"
Paul Simon "Graceland"
The Clash "Sandinista" |
Chris Rea, Auberge
Patti Austin, The Real Me
Vehkavaara & Piltch, Mediterranean Nights
Connie Evingson, Gypsy in My Soul
Tamara Lewis, Living Down River |
A friend just turned me onto John Hammond's 2001 Virgin Records recording "Wicked Grin", which has appeared on this list before. Fantastic blues collaboration with Tom Waits. Great production and as my friend who is a musician points out - not a misplaced note or phrase anywhere. Outstanding. My favorite discovery of the last year for both musical content and recording. |
Holly Cole's "One Trick Pony" on "Romantically Helpless Album" Grooveland LP, 45RPM.
This particular LP (45RPM version) just keeps my ears happy and smiling over and over. It's kind of pricey for a 2 LP BUT....it did not disappoint for me....worth every penny! It's like having her live performance in your room..dynamics, presence and soundstage are just to die for IMHO. |
Belefonte Sings the Blues- Impex gold cd |
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1 The Cranes - Particles and waves
2 Getz / Gilberto - Stan Getz and Joao Gilberto
3 Willie Nelson - Teatro
4 Radiohead - In Rainbows
5 Robert Plant - Raising Sand |
1/ Charles Mingus ..Mingus Ah Um (SACD)
2/ Bela Fleck and The Flecktones.. Little Worlds
3/ Rolling Stones.. Let It Bleed (SACD)
4/ Daniel Lanois.. Acadie
5/ Rickie Lee Jones..It's Like This (SACD)
Glen |
Diana Krall- Love scenes
Jennifer Warnes- Famous Blue Raincoat
Linda Ronstadt- For sentimental reasons, with Nelson Riddle
YES- Keystudio
Stevie Ray Vaughn- Couldnt stand the Weather, track #6
These are great albums with outstanding sonics. Very well recorded. great sound stage and imaging. See if your rig brings out the best. |
My own personal go-to's, LPs only!:
1. Julie Andrews: Julie is Her Name, original mono or Box Star 45RPM mono remaster
2. Ornette Coleman: Ornette! original Atlanta stereo release
3. The Doors: Strange Days, original stereo or DCC remaster
4. Steely Dan: Pretzel Logic, original ABC yellow-label
5. Heart: Dreamboat Annie, original KENDUN master on Mushroom or Nautilus half-speed master |
These are in CD format..
1/ Charles Mingus Ah Um SACD is spectacular
2/ Miles Davis KInd Of Blue
3/ Rolling Stones Let It Bleed SACD
4/ Allman Brothers Live At The Fillmore
5/ Tom Petty Mojo Blueray Audio |
1) Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here
2) Melody Gardot - Worrisome Heart
3) Emerson, Lake and Palmer - Brain Salad Surgery
4) Holst - The Planets (Dutoit)
5) Witches Brew - Various |
I love music but I'm not willing to die for it.
:p |
I have quite a few Patricia Barber albums including several on gold SACD. I'm pretty sure I first heard of her on this thread (possibly another thread but definitely on AGon) many years ago. I really love her music, especially the high def. I do wish she would record some without the heavy reverb though. I think it takes away from her voice sometimes. Anyway,
Pink Floyd - The Wall
Miles Davis - Sketches of Spain
Patricia Barber - Verse |
Somewhere in this thread I saw Patricia Barber's name listed. I just recently bought Cafe Blue. Wow! How come I have never heard of her before! This album blew me away. Track 9, Too Rich for My Blood, gives me chills every time I listen to it. Her voice is so powerful and haunting. I am an instant fan. I am ordering more of her CDs this week. |
Great topic!
Keith Jarret/Charlie Haden: Jasmine
Explosions in the Sky - Every CD they have
Ennio Morricone - The Best of 50 Years (Society of Sound)
Tom Kerstens and the G Plus Ensemble - Utopia (Society of Sound)
Syriana - Ten Days in Bilad Al Sham (Society of Sound)
Tunng - And then we saw Land (Society of Sound)
Peter Gregson - Terminal (Society of Sound)
If you aren't already a subscriber of B&W's Society of Sound...do it today and get all the back albums. Amazing music with incredible recordings. |
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Let me get my 5 in as it sadly appears that the thread is on the wane. I have enjoyed reading through this thread and think it has broadened my musical horizons. Thanks to all who have contributed.
1. Phantasm sound track lp Varese
2. Mussourgsky Night on Bare Mtn lp Leibowitz/RCA
3. Tchaikovsky Sym no.4 lp Karajan/Columbia
4. Stravinsky Firebird Ballet lp Dorati/Mercury
5. Schubert Sonatinas lp Martzy/Antoinietti Columbia |
Carla Lother | 100 Lovers
Audiophile 96khz/24bit |
In no particular order:
1. Respighi, Pines of Rome & Fountains of Rome, Chicago SO/Reiner, RCA.
2. Hindemith: Mathis der Maler symphony/Concert Music, Boston SO/Steinberg, DGG
3. Debussy Preludes, Paul Jacobs, Nonesuch
4. Schubert, Piano Sonata in B-Flat, Richard Goode, Nonesuch
5. "English Renaissance," The King's Singers, RCA
There are lots of others too, of course... |
Cantando - Bobo Stenson (ECM) CD.
Natural Elements - Shakti Columbia (now sony?) LP
Traditional music of India - Ali Alkbar Khan (Fantasy) CD.
Ragas - Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan (Fantasy) LP. |
