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Top 3 songs to evaluate a system

Hi everyone,

So here is the question: what are your Top 3 music pieces to evaluate a system?

The songs should be complementary to cover a wider range of features, but not necessary. If you only listen to one type of music, it would make sense to only evaluate with this type.

Bonus: identify one good part of the piece where you pay extra attention because this is where the difference between systems is more visible.

I'll start:

Holly Cole Trio - Girl Talk - My Baby Just Cares For Me
Highlight: The vibrating cord at 1:59

MaMuse - All The Way - Glorious
Highlight - The clean guitar and the high drum beat that rythm the whole piece

Metallica - ... And Justice for All (Remastered) - One
Highlight - The first drums at 0:53, but the whole guitar as well


Doing this myself, I realize it's very hard to only pick 3!!

papyneau

Showing 3 responses by mitchagain

mitchagain
410 posts
 
From the album "Turn Of The Cards" by Renaissance:

1) Black Flame
2) Running Hard
3) Things I Don't Understand.

All three will feature copious amounts of acoustic piano, harpsicord, Rickenbacker bass and an orchestra. Annie Haslam is an incredible vocalist. The use of the cliche' "sing like a bird" rarely applies or is deserved but, on the song Things I Don't Understand Annie actually sings like a bird from the 5;00 to the 6:50 mark of the song. So, there is much here to challenge any audio system.
mitchagain
410 posts
 
@bgross - Beck's "Morning Phase" album is a fave Sunday morning chill record for me; but, it's also a sonically interesting record. It made me revise my opinion of him.

@bigkidz  - Totally agreed about the importance of good sounding persussion (congas, cymbals & drums). I'll never forget auditioning a speaker that made the drummer sound like he was beating on plastic trash can lids!
mitchagain
410 posts
 
Average White Band - "Schoolboy Crush," for the bass and percussion <sleigh bells!>.

The Bongos - "Skydiving," for the bongos.

Emmerson, Lake & Palmer - "Take a Pebble," for the 3 virtuosos showing off (in a good way) on piano, bass & drums. An early example of prog-rock, before it got too bombastic.

ZZ Top - "Blue Jean Blues," Dusty & Billy's bass and guitar tones are really special on this one.

Rare Earth - "(I Know) I'm Losing You"
Temptations - "Pappa Was a Rolling Stone"
The Chambers Brothers - "Time Has Come Today"

Seek out the long versions of theses three songs. The first two feature stellar musicianship and production, while the latter has a "tinny, 60's garage rock" feel to the production; so, that one provides a different sort of audiophile challenge.
 

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