Audiogon "RECORDINGS TO DIE FOR" list

Phish--Junta
Jane's Addiction--Ritual de lo Habitual
Pink Floyd--Dark Side of the Moon
Stereolab--Cobra and Phases
Stone Temple Pilots--Core

Here are some of my favorites:

Ella and Louis, Analogue Production's 45rpm LP. Great recording and music.

Blood, Sweat & Tears, their 2nd album on ORG label, 45rpm LP. In a word, dynamic. Great music as well.

Mary Black, No Frontiers, Pure Pleasure Records, LP

Eric Clapton, Unplugged, LP version.

I got the new album from the Sound Liaison label,
After Silence,with the trumpet master Andre Heuvelman
and it has immediately made it to my top 5 of show of my system music.It is just like the above mentioned albums a Studio Master Wav download but for some reason now in 24/88.2 instead of 24/96, I wonder why they have gone down in resolution but it is nevertheless
everything a true audiophile recording should be. It has loads of space,depth, natural decay, black background and a wide almost visual Sound Stage.
AND GOOD MUSIC! not to forget.

Mr Heuvelmans liner notes shows that he is an artist with a concept of the music he chooses to record:

"Sometimes you find what you are not looking for and that is especially true for the music on this album. The music on After Silence crossed my path, by meeting people or visiting places, events taking place or just materializing in my mind, but the one unifying factor for all 11 compositions is that they appeared after a moment of silence.
Silence is the most important part of my music making.
Silence is there, foregoing every first note I play.
Silence being the place for inspiration.
Silence which lets me start each piece of music as a child hearing it for the first time.
Silence keeping me from automatically following the beaten path."...... Andre Heuvelman

http://soundliaison.com/products-from-our-studio-masters/71-andre-heuvelman
Higly recommended

The records that really amazed me beyond all the others I have are:
Water Falls by Sara K.
Folk Singer by Muddy Waters on MSN
All Or Nothing At All and Songs For Distingue' Lovers by Billie Holiday 45 RPM pressed by Analogue Productions
Close To The Edge by Yes MFSL
The Doors by The Doors MFSL

I have some others that are also very good, but these are the ones that I use to show off my system first to show non-audiophiles what stereo is supposed to sound like.

1. Dvorak Symphony no 9. It is like discovering it for the first time, not just my choice: American Record Guide said:
“The great historical recording of this work [Dvořák] is Talich’s from the early 50s. This is as good a performance, and the sound [ ] is far superior to the Talich. It has a lightness and clarity that is amazing for its age [This disc] is worth buying for both the Dvořák and the Novák.”
—Carl Bauman, American Record Guide , July/August 2010 OCCDs CD1/2008
2. Campoli/Katin The greatest English violinist of all time and an underrated pianist. My choice and that of 'Fanfare', as quoted here:
“ I’ve never heard [Campoli’s] fabled tone (nor perhaps anyone else’s) in such vivid fidelity; a similar lushness characterizes the piano’s tone as well even if the performance didn’t flow so smoothly as it does, the recorded sound would magnify all the reading’s virtues in ratio in which many recordings diminish them.”
“At moments, Campoli’s sound could freeze a windsock in a hurricane these live performances sound communicative as well as brilliant This issue deserves to be a part of most collections Very strongly recommended.”
—Robert Maxham, Fanfare 33:4, March/April 2010 OCCDs CD3/2009
3. Brahms Symphony no 1 coupled with the Kodaly Dances of Galanta, the Hungarian State Symphony Orchestra conducted by Janos Ferencsik, OCCDs CD5/2009 my thoughts were echoed by Audiophile Audition
“ a thoroughly sympathetic reading from Ferencsik The huge orchestral tuttis impress us with their singing intensity Tumultuous applause [from] a slightly hysterical mob of Londoners who thought this concert a smashing success.” [Rating ★★★★]
—Gary Lemco, Audiophile Audition, 4th November 2009
4. This Tchaikovsky 5th Symphony was awarded the prestigious 'Best Historic Recording' by the German Record Critics Association when the jury stated that 'the sound technique is sensational'. The Warsaw Philharmonic conducted by the brilliant Witold Rowicki. From OCCDs, CD12/2011.
5. Shostakovich 10th The dynamics and orchestral balance are the finest that exist. Sends a cold chill up my spine. The Prague Symphony Orchestra conducted by Vaclav Smetacek. Can your system cope, is it good enough?? OCCDs CD14/2011
You will notice that all the CDs of my choice are from the same source, Orchestral Concert Cds, in fact no matter what other recordings I hear I always return to the 'Virtual Concert Hall Series' and each time I hear the music once more it is fresh and I marvel at the natural sound with its wide dynamics and perfect balance.
Geoffrey