The best and worst "audiophile music"


Being iced in here in Dallas and feeling inspired after reading Art Dudley's "Listening" column in the new Stereopile, I've been reconsidering why I buy the recordings I do. You know the disks I'm talking about. The ones recommended in the audio rags and by dealers and other audiophiles. I've bought a bunch of them, and most are just lousy. The original music (and/or the performers) may or may not be any good, but the recordings are often quite strange. Are there any that you actually enjoy for the music? Which ones do you think are the worst, and why?
thsalmon

Showing 2 responses by marakanetz

Most of these albums you're describing more oriented to the sonics and give no damn about music or musicians.
I dig onto experimental and avantgarde music that pretty often recorded on the small studios or by the musicians themselves with great quality that is very close to the audiophile grade.
It's been a long time when I've already listened almost all the albums an audio dealers offer long time ago in regular format but realy nothing pulls me back to buy them again and to listen in better recordings. I listen to that mainstream every day on the radio as well and these copies will cost a penny after I pay for them above $25 each.
Jazz88 Newark station plays that original music from records on the turntable. I'd get their collection if I were too much into the mainstream jazz.
As to the classical performances also not very often the best recording label has the best orchestra and conductor.
I found that non-audiophile Angel label has realy the best performers recorded.
Chesky label has its own musicians and they're OK but mainly it's oriented to the sonics over the musician's performance.
Our favourite Patricia Barber on few of her latest albums has very high level of an acoustic bass that doesn't sound real in comparison to the live or in comparison to her previous albums.
Most classical and so the jazz performances and performers on Chesky label sound all like a lulliby or funeral chant. Great before you go to bed or the bedroom system.
To the unfortunate situation most passionate and spiritual performers of classical music might not even know what the hell Chesky is.
One of my favourite classical conductors for instance Von Karajan is usually on Deutche Gramophon(a terrible digital recordings)