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Your Not-So-Obvious Best Fidelity LPs

I’ve spent over three years building up to the system I have now.  I’m really happy with it and my wife and I love sitting in our listening room spinning various vinyl most evenings.  Rather than researching and testing gear, I want to spend this year adding great recordings to our collection.

So what are the albums you have that every time you play it you're continually amazed at its fidelity?  You might have spent $80 on it or just $1 or maybe it was a hand-me-down decades ago.  Any genre really.

And if we can please avoid the most obvious choices (which are truly wonderful) such as Pink Floyd, The Eagles, Diana Krall, etc.  I’m looking for albums, (vinyl only please) that probably fly under the radar for most folks.

I'll start….

James Taylor - Dad Loves His Work - this was just given to me by a friend a couple of weeks ago as he had an extra copy.  I have plenty of JT albums but I didn’t have this one yet.  As soon as I put it on I could tell it was special.

Edie Brickell - Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars - My wife requested this one so I found a NM copy on Discogs for a reasonable price.  This kind of blew my socks off.  Sounds really wonderful and present and the music still holds up.

Counting Crows - August and Everything After - I surprised my wife with this one as it’s one of her favorite albums.  They really nailed the recording and pressing on this one.  It’s quite impressive. 

Ben Folds - What Matters Most - He’s one of our favorite songwriters but trying to find a copy of anything of his or Ben Folds Five for under $80 is nearly impossible.  This album was released just last year and they obviously paid special attention to the recording quality.  Sounds just phenomenal. 

Steely Dan - Northeast Corridor - Obviously everyone knows how amazing their studio recordings are but this album might be unknown to some as it came out just a few years ago.  I bought it on a whim knowing nothing about it.  It’s amazing.  As if they would release an album with less than stellar fidelity.  If you’re a Dan fan, this album is a no-brainer.

REM - Automatic for the People - Completely hypnotic.  Stunning recording.

OK, that’s enough from me.  

paulietunes
nkphoto
43 posts
 

What a great thread, making notes and planning to pick up several recommended lps.

A couple not much talked about records I love:

  1. The New Folk Sound of Terry Callier. I bought the reissue on Amazon a few years ago when I got back into vinyl. Goosebumps from the start, right when his vocals kick in on the first track, 900 Miles. Anyone unfamiliar hearing this on a good system for the first time will certainly raise an eyebrow or two… Gorgeous haunting vocals, spacious sound.
  2. Seu Jorge & Roge - Nightdreamer direct-to-disc Sessions: Brazilian music, another sparse acoustic gem with gorgeous male vocals - albeit Terry Callier’s voice can be mistaken for that of a woman.
fleschler
2,015 posts
 

See Robert Pincus record review posts on Positive Feedback for dozens of extra obscure great sounding recordings (records).  He is known as Mr. Record for his extreme knowledge on LP recordings. Also, best man at my wedding.

mckinneymike
89 posts
 

@coltrane1 

Couldn't agree more with your soul selections.  I love this period of music and especially what the groups you mentioned mean to me.  I don't have any of these on vinyl, but can't understand why many have not been re-released/remastered as they are utter classics!

coltrane1's avatar
coltrane1
792 posts
 

@mckinneymike to be honest there are so many soul hits between 1963 and 1979. Between Motown, Stax, and Philadelphia International Music, for those of us who grew up during this period our musical experience was unequivocal. And to top it off we had the best of RR during this same period too. We lived a blessed existence never thinking that it would someday end. The period of the 80’s and 90’s was interesting too, for who could ever forget Whitney. But the days of who is killing who, or the disrespect of women, replaced some of the most positive music ever created. And did I even mention 3 of my favorite groups, Chicago, Tower of Power, and EWF?!

paulietunes OP
66 posts
 

@dorkwad @coltrane1 This weekend I was able to listen to my new copies of Eva Cassidy Live at Blues Alley and Allison Russell The Returner as well as my new-to-me copy of 360 Degrees of Billy Paul.  All fabulous albums that I'm thrilled to have now.  Thank you for the recommendations! 

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