Pink Floyd - The Wall particularly the latest remaster on vinyl
Jack Johnson - In Between Dreams
Rush - Permanent Waves
Honorable Mention:
Norah Jones - Come Away With Me
Miles Davis - Kind of Blue
Emmylou Harris - Wrecking Ball
Name 3 songs where audio quality and song quality completely align
Lately I’ve found myself alternating between music I love (but sounds mediocre) and music I don’t know well or only like (but sounds incredible).
Occasionally, I stumble across a track where the song could both serve as a great show off piece for my gear and I love the music.
If you can, name up to 3 songs where the audio and song quality take you over the moon with pleasure.
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Almost any release on the ECM jazz/new music, label. From their earliest in the early 70’s, up through their current releases. Even with their studio recordings, there is a very real sense of real musicians, all playing at the same time, in the same acoustic space. Also, they used very high quality vinyl on their original releases, so they were dead quiet. I’ve also noticed with used copies I have bought recently, a very high percentage of them seem to be in very good condition. On their CD releases, they never fell into any bad digital habits, like: excessive compression, noise gating, etc. Their CD’s are consistently very good. And musically, extremely good. Creative without being on the extreme avant-garde side. They always seem to find lesser known musicians, with world class chops. A very easy label to buy blind. And let me add, they hardly ever sound like they are trying to be a 'jazz nostalgia' label. They always seem to artists with a fresh take on jazz. |
Richard & Linda Thompson: "Shoot Out The Lights", but the whole album of the same title is fantastic. Daivid Lindley: "Mercury Blues", but the whole El Rayo-X album is fantastic. Gordon Lightfoot: "Me And Bobby McGee". The Beach Boys: "Don’t Worry Baby". Get it on the Analogue Productions reissue of the Surfer Girl album. T Bone Burnett: "Driving Wheel". When looking for the Truth Decay LP, make sure you get one that says "Distributed by Chrysalis Records" under the Takoma Records logo on the bottom of the back cover. The later pressing---which reads "Distributed by Allegiance Records"---was mastered by an engineer who cut off the song after the band comes to a "false" ending! On the Chrysalis pressing, after the false ending the band comes back in and plays out as the song fades to silence.
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So many, I could fill pages... I like the earlier recommendation of songs from the ELP album, Trilogy. I also like the David Sylvian recommendations. Here's a few off the top of my head, that I listened to recently: Return to Forever - Romantic Warrior / Great dynamics and clarity. Lenny White's drums sound killer on this. Oregon - Out of the Woods / Anything on the album. Sounds like real musicians, playing in a real acoustic space. Beautiful chamber-jazz. 'Waterwheel' is a standout. Andy Milne and Dapp Theory - Trickle Down / Rhythmically complex jazz, but still kind of funky. The percussion is very accurate and detailed. Milne is one of the best current jazz pianists.
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Audio quality -- as you define it. Sound quality -- as you define it. The lack of a universal definition for these things has not kept dozens of people from weighing in, so the lesson here may ultimately be about definition, itself. (Paging Wittgenstein...) |
Early Stones. Because they recorded on Decca in the golden period. Plus most later Stones is crap. But OP appears to posit the original recordings. If you listen to LPs you have to look at MFSL (and some other reissues, very carefully chosen) for greatly improved SQ in many cases. I would cite for instance Beatles for Sale and Revolver as astonishing, and the original EMIs were good. Listen to I'm a Loser - Lennon is right there in front of you, his grainy voice perfectly reproduced. |
One you might not expect. Madonna - I'm breathless. I ignored the album for years. Thought it was the soundtrack for the movie Dick Tracy. Only, I think, one song from the movie. Did some reading and found she was simply inspired by music from the 30's. Two things... Remarkably high quality recording. Madonna can sing! Who knew? This album actually will make you grin from time to time. Listen to the song "Hanky Panky" - it is Madonna at her best. Delightfully tawdry! It is easy to forget the fact that Madonna has a true sense of humor. It is all over this album. Rarely do I say listen to the whole album. This one is a true exception. Start to finish it is a riot and a sonic delight. Btw.... This album ends with the most unexpected song- Vouge. We ALL know that one. Funny after all these years I never thought about where that song came from. It was just ... there... and from that point forward, never went away. I was surprised (sort of) that when I was looking up info on this album, quite a few people agree with me in regards to the high quality of the recording . Anyway, I have enjoyed the crap out of this album! |
@ronboco The Bonfire and River Plate live versions of Shoot to Thrill sound just as good or maybe better than the studio version to me, somehow. I pretty much always prefer studio albums, but not with AC/DC. |
@curiousjim The album is called Blue Sun. The first track, Barcelona, is great too. Note, it’s Mark Isham. |
I take this CD to shows...Exibitors go Nuts when they hear it....If you’re a Pink Floyd fan , You’ve NEVER heard "Wish you were here" like this....This makes SACD sound like an 8 track......Redbook CD .Album: SEGURIDAD SOCIAL........group: Furia Latina ...Song # 11.....If you are an audiophile....you must have this. |
Some of my favorites. I can go on but as requested only three. 1. Katja Werka, Music is the Only Language (I Know), Contact Myself 2.0, Stockfish Records. Virtuoso guitar work, phenomenal voice, excellent composition, and Stockfish recording engineering leaves nothing to want.
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when i change any thing in my system i normally play a few songs to see how things have changed
Yello Live in Berlin song called "Magma"
if you watch the you tube video of this live performance you can see the left & right presentation of the horns in your system you should be able to hear this in your soundstage you should be able to hear and visualize the players in the left and right on the stage, also the power in the drum beat at the end of the song should sound weightly but not boomy. 2nd song i use even though i dont care for Madonna is her song Vogue, when played there should be a wide soundstage outside the outer edges of your left and right speakers the finger clapping should be outside the left speaker and the drum beat should present itself on the outside of the right speaker with her vocals directly centered.
3rd song "Hey Now" from London Grammer, just for the overall presence of her voice, should be room filling without any harness
4th song Yello "vanishing of Peter Strong great song to play loud center presentation of voice should be erie sounding
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Little Wing by Sting. The drum skins are pulled so tight they make an incredible popping sound on my Maggies. Rhythm of the Rain by Dan Fogelberg. Sounds like you could hear a pin drop in the studio. How Deep is Your Love by the Bee Gees. Their voices come so far forward into the room when they all sing this in harmony: 'Cause we're living in a world of fools |
King Crimson Live in Chicago: Lizard Suite; The Construkction of Light; Pictures of a City. that's three, (of a perfect pair) from one live album. The musicianship is out of this world and the recording is tight. Would love to throw in some Zappa, Watermelon in Easter Hay is fantastic off Joe's Garage. Also some of the newer Rush recordings off Counterparts like "Leave that thing Alone" - super test for your equipment. |
“Liberty” - Anette Askvik “Antiphone Blues” - Arne Domneros/Gustav Sjokvist ”We Never Win” - Nathaniel Rateliff “When You’re Here - Nathaniel Rateliff “S.O.B” - Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats And these 3 by Natalie Merchant: “The Peppery Man” “The Janitor’s Boy” “The Blind Men and the Elephant” |
@mrmb "It is as impossible to pick just 3-tracks, as it is meaningless to try. " I’m not asking you to rank them. Just to name 3. Others have not found it impossible. They have not found it meaningless. If I asked you to name three fruits, I bet you could do it. It’s really that easy. Perhaps have a drink first so you can relax into it. ;-) |