Name 3 songs where audio quality and song quality completely align


Lately I’ve found myself alternating between music I love (but sounds mediocre) and music I don’t know well or only like (but sounds incredible).

Occasionally, I stumble across a track where the song could both serve as a great show off piece for my gear and I love the music.

If you can, name up to 3 songs where the audio and song quality take you over the moon with pleasure.

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Almost any release on the ECM jazz/new music, label.

From their earliest in the early 70’s, up through their current releases.

Even with their studio recordings, there is a very real sense of real musicians, all playing at the same time, in the same acoustic space.

Also, they used very high quality vinyl on their original releases, so they were dead quiet. I’ve also noticed with used copies I have bought recently, a very high percentage of them seem to be in very good condition.

On their CD releases, they never fell into any bad digital habits, like: excessive compression, noise gating, etc. Their CD’s are consistently very good.

And musically, extremely good. Creative without being on the extreme avant-garde side. They always seem to find lesser known musicians, with world class chops.

A very easy label to buy blind.

And let me add, they hardly ever sound like they are trying to be a 'jazz nostalgia' label. They always seem to artists with a fresh take on jazz. 

@12many @mitch2 

 

Fink has a lot of really good stuff, especially a few of his acoustic session albums "Resurgam Acoustic Session" and "Bloom Innocent - Acoustic."

 

Trouble's What You're In is one of my original reference tracks when first getting into 2 channel.

Lonely Boy from Andrew Gold really makes me and my rig smile.

Baker Street by Gerry Rafferty

Lido Shuffle by Boz Scaggs

 

 

 

 

Here ya go.

Bebop (Victor Feldman vibes, Scott LaFaro bass, Stan Levy drums 1958)

I Thought About You (Wesla Whitfield vocal)

La Vallee des Cloches (composed AND performed by Maurice Ravel 1922)

This last recording is special because it was originally recorded by Maurice Ravel on a Duo Art recording piano, which gets every nuance of the artist. Many of the great performers and composers of the day recorded on that system. What you are hearing is a Duo Art player piano recorded with modern equipment. You’re quite literally listening to one of the Great Composers performing his own music, in a fully modern playback system.

Visit Dal Segno Recordings to check out these amazing recordings from a half century before modern Hi-Fi.

And as an added extra bonus, take a listen to Donny's Harley.  Crank this one up a bit.

Pink Floyd - The Wall particularly the latest remaster on vinyl

Jack Johnson - In Between Dreams

Rush - Permanent Waves

Honorable Mention:

Norah Jones - Come Away With Me

Miles Davis - Kind of Blue

Emmylou Harris - Wrecking Ball