Best vinyl purchases based on pressing, studio production, sound quality and enjoyment.


As you all know this question has been asked a million times on a million sites BUT each time it’s asked, it can be very helpful to those trying to find great vinyl that is quiet, produced well and touches the heart each time it’s played.

I’ve only been into vinyl for 6 months now and have purchased 250 albums, 99 percent new, recent pressings, reissues. So within the last year, what are 10 of your favorite album purchases based on pressing, studio production, sound quality and pure enjoyment??? Here’s my top 20:

1. The Wonderful Sounds of Female Vocals. (Various artists, 200 gram QRP)
2. Willie Nelson- To all the Girls (Various artists 180 gram Legacy)
3. Dead Can Dance- Into the Labyrinth (180 gram Mobile Fidelity reissue)
4. Rickie Lee Jones- Rickie Lee Jones (180 HQ Pressing Warner Bros reissue)
5. Stevie Ray Vaughn- The Sky is Cryin (200 gram Analogue productions 45rpm reissue)
6. Pink Floyd- Dark Side of the Moon (2016 reissue)
7. Renee Flemming- The Beautiful Voice (Decca 20th anniversary gatefold)
8. Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong- Ella and Louis (Analogue productions Mono reissue)
9. Eva Cassidy- Nightbird (Blix Street Records 180 gram)
10. Doors- All the new reissue 45’s from Analogue Productions, 200 gram
11. Cash- The Man Comes Around (American Records, QRP, 180 gram)
12. Shelby Lynne- Just a Little Lovin (QRP, Analogue Productions, 45 rpm, 200 gram)
13. Vanessa Fernandez- When the Levee Breaks (Groove Note, 45 rpm, 180 gram)
14. Nils Lofgren- Acoustic Live (Analogue Productions, QRP, 200 gram)
15. Neil Young- Live at Massey Hall (Reprise, 180 gram reissue)
16. Tony Bennett- I Wanna Be Around (Mobile Fidelity, 180 gram reissue)
17. Linda Ronstadt- What’s New (Analogue Productions, QRP, 200 gram, reissue)
18. Cat Stevens- Tea for the Tillerman (Analogue Productions, QRP, 200 gram reissue)
19. Muddy Waters- Folk Singer (Analogue Productions, QRP, 200 gram reissue)
20. Fleetwood Mac- Tango in the Night (Rhino, 180 gram, 2017 reissue)

Ps: You can go beyond 1 year if needed.


128x128knollbrent

Showing 6 responses by bdp24

I’ll second wharts' recommendation of Andrew Gold, whose 1975 s/t debut solo album is mighty fine. In 1997 he put out a really well done tongue-in-cheek parody of late-60’s psychedelia, an album entitled Greetings From Planet Love by a group he named The Fraternal Order Of The All (CD only, J-Bird Records 80146). What The Rutles are to British Invasion, and Spinal Tap are to Metal. Great music, intentionally "period" lyrics.
Yer welcome, knollbrent ;-) . The music’s great too. If you love the album enough to justify the cost, look for the original UK/British pressing; it has a great front cover.
David Lindley’s (Jackson Browne’s original guitarist, a pal of Ry Cooder’s) first couple of albums contain great music in good sound. I don’t know if they have received an audiophile reissue, but the original Asylum’s are fine. Wait until you hear his "Mercury Blues" !
Great post and advice folkfreak! For the price of one new audiophile reissue , one can buy a whole stack of original pressings of music new to one. Life is short, live a little!

John Hiatt: Bring The Family; Mobile Fidelity.

T Bone Burnett: Truth Decay; Takoma Records (Chrysalis Records pressing, NOT the Allegiance Records one).

Stevie Wonder: Taking Book; Tamla

Muddy Waters: Folk Singer; Mobile Fidelity.

Richard & Linda Thompson: Shoot Out The Lights; Hannibal.

Ry Cooder & V.M. Bhatt: A Meeting By The River; Water Lily

Arturo Delmoni: Bach, Kreisler, Ysaye; Water Lily.

Aw Hell, all Water Lily titles!

Any Harmonia Mundi (U.S.A. or France) release of Baroque music.

Any of the Trevor Pinnock harpsichord recordings on U.K. label CRD.

wow whart, Brian Davidson! I haven't thought of him in years. I saw him live when The Nice came to San Francisco in '68. For those who don't know, The Nice was the group Keith Emerson was in before ELP, and I kinda liked their first album at the time of it's release.