What are your top 1-5 favorite well recorded songs?


As I upgrade components, I always strive to find more and more songs and artists that have excellent recording quality. There is no greater feeling than finding that perfect song that just makes your speakers sing. I know there are thousands of songs that I have yet to discover and therefore I want to explore what my fellow music listeners use as their 'reference songs', so to speak.

For this forum, post your favorite 1-5 song names, the artist name, and a brief description of why you like this particular song and/or artist. I will begin the process.

1. 'September In Montreal' by Anne Bisson (the studio version that starts with the piano). Pretty much a near perfect recording with one of the blackest/quietest backgrounds I have ever heard.

2. 'Window' by Gogo Penguin. Excellent and extremely well recorded. The double bass is so unique and the clearness/timing is unlike anything else. Same goes for the piano and drummer.

3. 'Funk Joint' by Marcus Miller. One of my favorite songs to listen to and show people. Well recorded and one of best songs Marcus has ever made IMHO.

4. 'Skylark' by Renee Olstead. Her voice is so well recorded and the imaging is outstanding. The double bass and the piano have some of the best dynamics I've ever heard.

5. 'Ride Across the River' by Dire Straits. This song is a classic. The bass line is simple, but sounds great and the drums have a great punch to them. The guitar is well recorded and the singer fits the music perfectly.
bassfreak373
***Please note: all are on vinyl. There is no such thing as best of anything when played back on CD. Sorry, but them's the facts. And I'm eliminating direct-to-disc as I feel that would be cheating.***

Janice Ian, Some Peoples Lives. Every track on Breaking Silence is superbly recorded with an all-analog signal path, but Some Peoples Lives is just Janice and piano recorded direct to 2-track. Pretty sure the liner notes even mention the cool tube microphone used. This whole recording is so good it makes even a car stereo sound high-end.

Michael Ruff, More Than You'll Ever Know. Sheffield Labs. Again, everything on Speaking in Melodies is sonic perfection, but More Than You'll Ever Know is just Michael Ruff on piano, direct to 2-track. 

Terry Evans, Puttin' It Down. Audioquest. I forget which is the best track, the whole album is awesome. But I had a friend one time say you know, I think that one track sounded even better than the others. When we looked at the liner notes, guess what? That one track was recorded live to 2-track! Just get this one. If you can. I notice what I paid $30 for new years ago is now $150 on discogs. No wonder. Great blues, superb recording.

Doug MacLeod, Serious Woman. Reference Recording. The 45rpm 2-LP set. Reference Recording, the one label that best exemplifies truth in advertising. Everything on Exactly Like This is to die for, but MacLeod's performance of Serious Woman, is recorded in studio yet feels so incredibly you-are-there-and-this-is-just-for-you live you can hardly believe it.

Jennifer Warnes, The Well. Impex. This may be the best of them all. I don't know how they did it, or how much is recording technique or is it just Warnes fabulous voice, but her palpable vocal presence is just incredible. I mean its like you can feel her in the room. The 45 rpm 3 LP box set does indeed sound better, but you get plenty of the she-is-here chills even with the single 33 LP. 
 
Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here (SACD only)
Dire Straits - The Man’s Too Strong from Brother’s in Arms (SACD only)
U2 - Running To Stand Still (180 gram anniversary pressing)
Melody Gardot - "My One and Only Thrill"
Patricia Barber - Cafe Blue entire album (unremastered SACD)
You would probably like 

Da Fonk - Nils Landgren
Keith Don’t Go Live - Nils Lofgren 
Hommage to Duke - David Grusin (entire album)
Endangered Species - Lynyrd Skynrd (entire album)
The Man in the Long Black Coat - Bob Dylan