An easy recommendation are the Haydn "named" symphonies by Neville Marriner & The Academy Of St.Martins on Philips. All analog from the '70s on European pressings! Can be found on Discogs.
Your favorite excellent quality/sounding LPs
I am pretty new to vinyl. Am already addicted. Maybe great digital has great detail and great qualities, but nothing, except reel to reel, has the organic, “real” sound of vinyl! Especially during these times, I listen for hours and “enjoy the music”. As we know, there are only some few great recordings. Seems most of the 180 gram LPs, even if old recordings, have, at least, lovely mid range. I am not a rock or electronic guy. All analog instrument, mostly unprocessed are my favorite. Singer/songwriter, Pop or Jazz, small scale Classical. Stuff that does well with my SET-like taste. Hard to describe what is an enjoyable recording but when an LP is well made and “musical” they seem to really stand out.
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Here are some suggestions from my current rotation, the focus is more on enjoyable music and good on vinyl then perfect pressing and mastering in some cases. Arleta - 2 Very intimate recording, hard to find a perfect copy but once you clean it and play it the music is great. Paul Simon - The Ultimate Collection Great pressing, as good as I have heard any of these songs before. Karen Dalton - In My Own Time Great folk record and good pressing as well. Julia Holter - In The Same Room Live studio recording, good pressing with great dynamics. Space Echo - Space Echo - The Mystery Behind The Cosmic Sound Of Cabo Verde Finally Revealed! One of my favorite records, it’s just fun! Great pressing as well. Dessa - Castor, The Twin Usually not my type of music but this is a great record and great pressing as well. Anouar Brahem - Blue Maqams Good quality good music Buena Vista Social Club - Buena Vista Social Club Superb album, and the pressing is flawless as well. Sibelius / Heifetz / Hendl / Chicago Symphony – Violin Concerto In D Minor, Op. 47 Stellar recording Vlatko Stefanovski + Miroslav Tadić - Krushevo Great guitar record, also pressing is amazing Nima Ben David - Résonance Excellent gamba recording, same goes for pressing Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin, Paco De Lucia - Friday Night In San Francisco Another guitar record, just wow! Gregorio Paniagua - Atrium Musicae De Madrid - La Spagna, Music From The XV, XVI, And XVII Centuries Not sure what to say about this, it’s relaxing and interesting music. Anything from MA Recordings |
- Any and all direct-to-disk LP’s (Sheffield labs, M & K, Crystal Clear, etc). - Water Lily Records (start with A Meeting On The River with Ry Cooder). - Audioquest Records (lots of Blues and Singer/Songwriter). - Lots of albums on the labels Rounder and Sugar Hill (Bluegrass, Folk, Roots). - Harmonia Mundi, both France and U.S.A. (Early Music, Baroque, Classical). |
If you want to listen to RECORDINGS, there are a lot of good to excellent recommendations being presented here. If you want to listen to really good MUSIC, recorded well, then start exploring the world of mono LPs recorded prior to the age of stereo. Granted, not all mono recordings sound great, but the great ones surely do. With stereo, you are there. With mono, they are here. Try the Dave Brubeck Quartet's "Jazz Impressions of The U.S.A" for starters. Frank |
I have found the following labels to have provided excellent sounding classical recordings on LP with a high degree of consistency, although unfortunately a number of them no longer exist or no longer produce LPs. Accent Astrée Audiofon Chesky Dorian Harmonia Mundi France Harmonia Mundi USA Hyperion Lyrinx M&K Realtime North Star Pierre Verany Proprius Reference Recordings Sheffield Labs Syrinx Valois Wilson Audio For small scale classical music I would particularly single out pretty much anything on the Harmonia Mundi labels (also recommended above by @bdp24 ), and (if you can find them, perhaps on eBay) the Astrée LPs released during the 1970s and 1980s featuring Paul Badura-Skoda performing on an early 19th century fortepiano. The latter are simply amazing. Regards, -- Al |
