Audiogon "RECORDINGS TO DIE FOR" list

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.

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.

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...

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.

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.

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 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...

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. I’ve compared it to the Mofi SACD and Friday Music vinyl and both of those sound dead compared to Speakers Corner.

Dr. Demento's Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 on 8 track.

Jeff Beck "Blow By Blow".

"God Bless America" - Mormon Tabernacle Choir

I'm going to with "Kind of Blue" again but the Japanese K2 HD version. I've owned just about every audiophile copy of this CD but this version is fantastic!

10-26-12: Rja
'I'm going to with "Kind of Blue" again but the Japanese K2 HD version. I've owned just about every audiophile copy of this CD but this version is fantastic!'

Good Call

I own several KOB's as well, including some well regarded versions such as the early sony sacd and the gold Mastersound, but this K2HD really is the best I heard.
The first time I listened to Cobbs hi-hat on 'So What' I was amazed at the detail of his stick work which just sounded so musical. It was like hearing it for the first time as the other digital sources usually conveyed various degrees of blended shimmer slurring in comparison.

This thread is deteriorating in sync with our teachers' unions. Please make it stop!!!

If people don't want to come, nothing will stop them - sal hurok

As above,

I.too,love those Japan K2 CD versions.

1959 was a banner year for Jazz;
Kind of Blue
Time Out
Ah Um

Laurie Anderson--Mister Heartbreak Bob Ludwig mastered Ltd. Ed. Quiex II Warner Bros. 1984 Astounding! Also features Peter Gabriel, Bill Laswell, Phoebe Snow, Nile Rogers and others.

Hi fi a la espanola and popovers by frederick fennell and eastman rochester pops on mercury living presence. Perfect recording maybe. These guys were bleeding edge of recorded sound 50+ years ago when hifi was a field for pioneers and still hard to beat!

Also the rolling stones cover of can't be satisfied is a pure delight in every way.

Cd remaster of carl perkins original blue suede shoes is monophonic perfection!

Happy New Year!
here's to more excellent music in 2013.

I'm taking a Poll on two very influential jazz recording engineers. Please visit my website and vote for your favorite jazz engineer: Rudy Van Gelder or Roy DuNann.

Michael Miguest
www.audiocognoscenti.com

Soundtrack from house of flying daggers.

Van morrison astral weeks live

the newest Richard Thompson cd is my vote to kick-off 2013!

Happy listening!

Kate Bush - 50 Words for Snow

Stereophile just released their latest R2D4 list as well.

Happy Listening!

Keys To Ascension by Yes.

Tommy by The Who

Handel organ concertos by richard egarr on harmonia mundi label

Jeff beck's rock and roll party for les paul.

This will knock your socks off!

Selections from swinging into the 21st century by winton marsalis.

Baka, "Meddle" by Pink Floyd: totally agree, my reference/test album !

as i listen mostly to classic music i would like to add a few "non classic classics"

alexander glazunov's concerto for saxophone and orchestra (mikhailov/korneyev: melodiya)

missa criolla (ramirez: philips)

erik satie's early piano works: gymnopedies (de leeuw: harlekyn-philips)

Sound Liaison;Carmen Gomes Inc. & Paul Berner
So far i have mostly been using old jazz recordings(vinyl)
George Shearing with Nancy Wilson;''All Night Long'' is an all time favorite.....great placement and balance.
Miles Davis kind of Blue,....space and depth.
Lately since using my PC as a high end audiophile jukebox I started searching for good downloads.
SoundLiaison has made three I.M.O absolutely astonishing albums presented as 96/24 waw downloads.
Carmen Gomes Inc;''Thousand Shades of Blue'' is a fantastic live in the studio album.4 instruments;voice,guitar,upright bass,and drums(cajon replacing the drums on the lovely title track).Everything is there great separation,stereo imaging,depth and balance.
The version of Bruce Springsteen's I'm on Fire is a musical and audiophile masterpiece,check out how the snare drum and the haunting guitar voicing complement but never cover up each other.
On the 2nd album,Poul Berner Band's lovely Elvis Presley tribute: Road to Memphis,
you've got tr.6 ''the Colonel''Michael Moore's sax enters oo.45 with just the sound of air,as if he is right there up close in front of you,so intimate.
Again only 4 instruments; guitar at 8 o'clock,sax at 11,bass at 1 o'clock and 2nd guitar at 4 o'clock.the sound stage is almost 3 dimensional.
On the 3rd album Torn,best described as a blues ballad album,you got everything an audiophile album should have (i.m.o.)placement, depth,separation,naturalness,the feeling of being there with the band visible in front you.And musically I find it a great album as well,a beautiful mix of covers and very well composed originals.http://www.soundliaison.com

the Amsterdam based Sound Liaison labelhttp://www.soundliaison.com
has a produced a small but fantastic sounding series of studio master 24/96 recordings.
See Rad Bennet's SoundStage! review here.
http://www.soundstagexperience.com/index.php/music-movies-a-shows-menu/by-category/download-music/444-carmen-gomes-inc-thousand-shades-of-blue

I dont know if i think its the best or to die for #1 spot but i keep coming back to Oh Mercy. The production and overall soundscape ala D Lanois is superb conbined with Dylans lyrics and a voice that just seems so perfect here. Love the vibe of the whole record. 4men with beards reissue sounds really good. The othe four choices havent bubbled up just yet.

Afranta,
I strongly agree with you. Sea Change and Mutations not only sound great, they are great music. Surely in the "must have" category.

Jeff Buckley, GRACE
John Grant, QUEEN OF DENMARK
Jimmy Spheeris, ISLE OF VIEW
Joy Division, CLOSER
Genesis, THE LAMB LIES DOWN

No Order:

Fiona Apple's "When the Pawn"
Beck's "Sea Change"
Lucinda William's "West"
Radiohead "Kid A"
Cat Power "The Greatest"

to name a few

The SACD/dsd format will blow you away.....I can't say enough, a sound and message from the days of our youth brought back to us in fantastic reality !! All you guys NEED A COPY of this pure sonic joy !

Some great female vocal jazz and acoustic.....
The Laurie Lewis Quintet with Heather Stewart..." A Sense Of Wonder "...these are all original from Melbourne Australia I think I bought it from CD Baby? Email is loral@hotkey.net.au
mostly written and arranged by Laurie's wife,Alwyn recorded in 2004.
Do not confuse this with Laurie Lewis The country singer with the same name.
Also try Sarah Elizabeth Campbell...female vocal acoustic...
" A little Tenderness " really a great and different voice recorded on Deja disc in 1995...10 tracks and I really like the Geraldine & Ruthie Mae Track...I think that I got this from CD Baby also
Both of these are not Audiophile recordings but they sound very natural.
I hope you enjoy.....

''Torn'' by Carmen Gomes Inc,the Sound Liaison Studio Master Wav download.
I find it the best available sound quality.

Phish--Junta
Jane's Addiction--Ritual de lo Habitual
Pink Floyd--Dark Side of the Moon
Stereolab--Cobra and Phases
Stone Temple Pilots--Core

Here are some of my favorites:

Ella and Louis, Analogue Production's 45rpm LP. Great recording and music.

Blood, Sweat & Tears, their 2nd album on ORG label, 45rpm LP. In a word, dynamic. Great music as well.

Mary Black, No Frontiers, Pure Pleasure Records, LP

Eric Clapton, Unplugged, LP version.

I got the new album from the Sound Liaison label,
After Silence,with the trumpet master Andre Heuvelman
and it has immediately made it to my top 5 of show of my system music.It is just like the above mentioned albums a Studio Master Wav download but for some reason now in 24/88.2 instead of 24/96, I wonder why they have gone down in resolution but it is nevertheless
everything a true audiophile recording should be. It has loads of space,depth, natural decay, black background and a wide almost visual Sound Stage.
AND GOOD MUSIC! not to forget.

Mr Heuvelmans liner notes shows that he is an artist with a concept of the music he chooses to record:

"Sometimes you find what you are not looking for and that is especially true for the music on this album. The music on After Silence crossed my path, by meeting people or visiting places, events taking place or just materializing in my mind, but the one unifying factor for all 11 compositions is that they appeared after a moment of silence.
Silence is the most important part of my music making.
Silence is there, foregoing every first note I play.
Silence being the place for inspiration.
Silence which lets me start each piece of music as a child hearing it for the first time.
Silence keeping me from automatically following the beaten path."...... Andre Heuvelman

http://soundliaison.com/products-from-our-studio-masters/71-andre-heuvelman
Higly recommended

The records that really amazed me beyond all the others I have are:
Water Falls by Sara K.
Folk Singer by Muddy Waters on MSN
All Or Nothing At All and Songs For Distingue' Lovers by Billie Holiday 45 RPM pressed by Analogue Productions
Close To The Edge by Yes MFSL
The Doors by The Doors MFSL

I have some others that are also very good, but these are the ones that I use to show off my system first to show non-audiophiles what stereo is supposed to sound like.

1. Dvorak Symphony no 9. It is like discovering it for the first time, not just my choice: American Record Guide said:
“The great historical recording of this work [Dvořák] is Talich’s from the early 50s. This is as good a performance, and the sound [ ] is far superior to the Talich. It has a lightness and clarity that is amazing for its age [This disc] is worth buying for both the Dvořák and the Novák.”
—Carl Bauman, American Record Guide , July/August 2010 OCCDs CD1/2008
2. Campoli/Katin The greatest English violinist of all time and an underrated pianist. My choice and that of 'Fanfare', as quoted here:
“ I’ve never heard [Campoli’s] fabled tone (nor perhaps anyone else’s) in such vivid fidelity; a similar lushness characterizes the piano’s tone as well even if the performance didn’t flow so smoothly as it does, the recorded sound would magnify all the reading’s virtues in ratio in which many recordings diminish them.”
“At moments, Campoli’s sound could freeze a windsock in a hurricane these live performances sound communicative as well as brilliant This issue deserves to be a part of most collections Very strongly recommended.”
—Robert Maxham, Fanfare 33:4, March/April 2010 OCCDs CD3/2009
3. Brahms Symphony no 1 coupled with the Kodaly Dances of Galanta, the Hungarian State Symphony Orchestra conducted by Janos Ferencsik, OCCDs CD5/2009 my thoughts were echoed by Audiophile Audition
“ a thoroughly sympathetic reading from Ferencsik The huge orchestral tuttis impress us with their singing intensity Tumultuous applause [from] a slightly hysterical mob of Londoners who thought this concert a smashing success.” [Rating ★★★★]
—Gary Lemco, Audiophile Audition, 4th November 2009
4. This Tchaikovsky 5th Symphony was awarded the prestigious 'Best Historic Recording' by the German Record Critics Association when the jury stated that 'the sound technique is sensational'. The Warsaw Philharmonic conducted by the brilliant Witold Rowicki. From OCCDs, CD12/2011.
5. Shostakovich 10th The dynamics and orchestral balance are the finest that exist. Sends a cold chill up my spine. The Prague Symphony Orchestra conducted by Vaclav Smetacek. Can your system cope, is it good enough?? OCCDs CD14/2011
You will notice that all the CDs of my choice are from the same source, Orchestral Concert Cds, in fact no matter what other recordings I hear I always return to the 'Virtual Concert Hall Series' and each time I hear the music once more it is fresh and I marvel at the natural sound with its wide dynamics and perfect balance.
Geoffrey

The poster above is promoting OCCD cds (see all posts), so be critical about his comments. I did purchase the Dvorak 9 and found while a good performance, the sound was not the equal of the best modern recordings and it also had some electronic hash in the recording.