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
+1 blue-magoo

Missed Hans Theessink? I had - before I joined here. Still time to make up for that :-) Find the tracks where he uses tuba for the bass.
I see a couple of Fleetwood Mac suggestions...
One observation I have on Dreams.  It is very important to be able to hear Stevie's hum just after the drum/bassline intro.
It goes unnoticed in most systems.

One not mentioned is Classical Gas by Mason Williams. 

+1 for the Beatles. So many of their recordings are excellent quality

Heart... Crazy on you... First part of song

Dire Straits/Knopler.....many

Joe Cocker...Unchain My heart... First part

Diana Krall.... Vocals..... Pick one.

Jack Johnson..... Broken.. Excellent recording 

Only full orchestral music can test the dynamics of your system. Your sound pressure level meter tells the tale. Full orchestral music goes from a whisper to a roar in a second in a way that no other music does. Plus the need to accurately reproduce all the instruments in a full orchestra will test the tonality of your system. That said you really only need Decca's recording of Holst's Planets with Mehta conducting the LA Phil. On the first track Mars you should feel you're about to be invaded. Yes it's bombastic. That's the point.

And now for something completely different.

Who knew there were so many Shelby Lynne fans on Audiogon? I stalked her from Boston to Knoxville. Her sound completely changed once she crossed the Mason Dixon line becoming even more heartfelt and moving once she was home showing that music is a product of the noivous system. She is great on Daryl's House on YouTube.

I been listening to some 80s, 90s hits on repeat, and they sound good

1. Linda Ronstadt - Bay Bayou

2. Toto - Africa

3 Joan Baez 75th birthday anniversary - House of the Rising Sun