What are your go to LP's for evaluating new gear or new tubes?

@dmk_calgary 

Umbrella was a surprise to me. All thrift store finds. Really good recordings and pressings. Have one that I won't really listen to, not my kind of music but I had to admire that it was well recorded "crap". 

Sheffields are really good, have a few. 

Didn't know Original Source but have quite a few DG's. Always good.

Going to have to look for AP stuff. It keeps coming up and I can't think of any that I have.

Pat Metheny From This Place.

@billpete

I would assume the reason for splitting the album up into two vinyl disks with only two or three songs per side would be to avoid using the inner grooves of the record. The sound deteriorates as the circumference becomes smaller. The linear distance in which the information is carved is much greater at the outer grooves than the inner grooves. So it becomes more difficult carve the same amount of information into a smaller linear distance. The higher frequencies begin to suffer as a result. I believe it is known as "inner groove distortion". Someone such as Allan Parsons, an audio engineer himself, would be aware of that. And my guess would be that he chose to avoid that issue by splitting it into two disks. Thus avoiding the inner grooves for fidelity reasons. That would be my guess.

Great suggestions! Thanks. I rediscovered October Project for one.

As for my go-to albums, they're all vinyl -- here they are:

1. Sara K -- Waterfalls (check out the track All Your Love Turned to Passions -- outstanding)

2. Marc Cohn -- Marc Cohn (album title) -- Great piano, guitar, vocals. 

3. Hugh Masekela -- Hope (by now, it's an old audio show demo but the range on the track "Stimela" by itself makes it a great listen. I like the AP's 4 LP Box set)

4. The AP 45 RPM re-issue of the Nat King Cole series is outstanding for quality voice and arrangements.

5. Yes, Cat Stevens -- Tea for the Tillerman is an all-time favorite. I have several copies but after reading all the posts, I'm going to do some research on which versions I actually own! 

Happy listening everyone! 

@flash56 

I have thought about that regarding inner groove distortion. Especially when it is common to leave a best song for last. Not always but it is common so that thought is probably the main reason. I don't always hear IGD but sometimes it is evident. Not sure how or why that could be. You'd think the physics of it would make it a constant. Just sayin"

And yes, Alan Parsons being an AE, is very particular and it shows. This new album of his "Time Machine" is really very good. Probably not new at all but new to me. I hadn't bought a new AP album in many years. Glad I picked this one up. New/sealed around $30, money well spent.