audiophile albums

7/22/2019 Audiophile Albums

1/28

Dire Straits - Brothers in Armstest/sampler cd's from Macintosh, Naim, Linn, CheskySteely Dan...................Gaucho + AjaBeck...........................Sea ChangeClifford Jordan Quartet....Live at EthelsYes.............................Fragile (Mofi records version)Van Halen....................Van Halen (DCC version)Metallica.....................Master of Puppets / Ride The Lightning (DCC versions)Rush...........................Grace Under Pressure (maybe, idk, undecided if its audiophile or not)Donald Fagen...............NightflyPink Floyd's Dark Side Of The MoonEric Clapton - UnpluggedAlice in Chains UnpluggedTool - ?nemaAlison KraussWilco - Yankee Hotel FoxtrotNils Lofgren - Acoustic LiveDream TheaterShpongleArchitecture in Helsinki - In Case We DieGenesis - "Selling England by the Pound"Infected Mushroom

Radical Face - GhostThe Who - Tommy"Grace" by Jeff BuckleyAna CaramTortosie - TNTMichael Hedges: Beyond BoundariesFemale vocals: Fumbling towards exctasy - Sarah MclachlenCome away with me - Norah Jones

Jazz: Kind of Blue - Miles Davis (Recent Columbia version)Dave Brubeck Quartet - Time OutVan Morisson - Moondance

Old school rock:Brothers in arms (dire straits)Appetite for destruction (guns'n roses)Machine head (deep purple)Ten (pearl jam)Some Devil, Dave MatthewsDecca recordings of Ashkenazi conducting or playing Rachmaninovfirst two Nickel CreekDavid Grisman100% Handmade Music, Volume 1Harry Connick, JrLofty's Roach SouffleWhen Harry Met Sally

Tuck & PattiA Change of Heart" by John BeasleyDecember - George WinstonPink MartiniCold War kids' "Robbers & CowardsRocco DeLuca & The Burden's "I Trust You To Kill MeNine Inch NailsMarillion-MarblesPorcupine Tree's In Absentia and Fear of a Blank Planet Radiohead's Ok ComputerPAGANINI-DIABOLUS IN MUSICA by Accardo


2/28

I Robot" by Alan Parson's ProjectPretty Hate Machine" by Nine Inch NailsPaul Simon - GracelandPatricia Barber, "Modern Coolkate bush - the whole story - 1986Fleetwood Mac's "The DanceEagle's "Hell Freezes OverEric Clapton UnpluggedPink Floyd DSotM (mobile fidelity) or SACDAlan Parsons I RobotDire Straits Bros. in ArmsSupertramp Crime of the Centurysarah mclachlen -surfacingallison krauss +union station-livedire straits -brothers in armsthe beatle-let it be nakedSophie Zelmani - Memory Loves YouLayla and other Assorted Love Songs - Derek and the DominoesAugust and Everything After - Counting crowsRage Against The Machine's self-entitledBernard Herrmann: the Film Scores LAPO/SalonenJeff Buckley - GraceMiles Davis - Kind of Blue (fantastic quality considering it was recorded in 1959)

and... Rage Against the MachineRoger Waters - Amused To DeathE.S Posthumus: Combination of Orchestra (80 Piece), Choir (Worldwide), and Electronic Production workCelldwellerAudio Fidelity discsmofiWillie Nelson's StardustCantate DominoWillie Nelson & Johnny Cash StorytellersAlison Krauss- Pick oneMapleshade Music FestSeal best

Eric Clapton - UnpluggedGeorge WinstonViolent Femmes - Why Do Birds SingCassandra Wilson - New Moon DaughterBarenaked Ladies - All New Revue - Live at the Glenn Gould StudioMichael Bubl - Call Me IrresponsibleBabatunde Olatunji - Circle of Drums (Chesky SACDFor classical -- any Decca recording of Charles Dutoit conducting the Montreal Symphony. Especially "The Planets" by Holst, or any of the Ravel and Debussy stuff.radioheads ok computerMike Oldfield Tubular bellsJohn Coltrane - Soultrane (MFSL SACD)

Hank Shizzoe - Low Budget and Taj Mahal - Dancing The BluesPorcupine Tree - Fear Of A Blank Planet Lightbulb SunPrince - The Rainbow Children

Lindsay Buckingham - Out Of The Cradle

Buena Vista Social Club

Santana - CaravanseraiThe Wall & The Final Cut by Pink Floyd


3/28

The Eagles - Hell Freezes OverDonald Fagen - The NightflyStop Making Sense - Talking HeadsDragonForce - Valley Of The DamnedKamakiriad - Donald FagenAja - Steely DanFlashpoint - Rolling Stones (great live recording)Tearing Sky - Piers FacciniLOTR soundtrackHatful of Hollow - The SmithsBlade Runner OST - Vangelis (incredibly well done)The Way Up - Pat Metheny Group (my main demo disc)Taming the Tiger - Joni MitchellCowboy Junkies - Trinity Sessions, Chris Isaak - Heart Shaped World, Lou Reed -TransformerColumbia and EMI Jazz and classical releasesBernard Haitink's interpretations of Beethoven's complete symphoniesBrubeck's Time OutHybrid SACD reissues of CAN'sMichael Hedges - Aerial Boundaries sounds INCREDIBLE on... Anything. Great albumtoo. The guitar and the way he plays it is so incredible.

John Prine - Souvenirs sounds amazing and is a great album for any country fan.

Kelly Joe Phelps - Tunesmith Retrofit is also a good sounding album.Audiophile vinyl1/2 speed mastered LP's, by Audiophile & MoFi , Analogue Productions, Classic Records(Blue Note), Verve, Columbia 6 Eye, Decca to recent Japanese pressing fromUniversal and Fontana. Engineers like Rudy Van Gelder, Alan Parsons, and BrianEno. Mastering by Steve Hoffman, Stan Richter or houses like RTI & Kundun stamped in the inner groove.vinyl version of "Icky ThumpErich Kunzel & The Cincinnati PopsNirvana unpluggedOranages & Lemons - Tribute to Azumanga DiaohIt? Masumi or Ueno Y?koallison krauss, diana krall, and albums put out by ECM

Throwing Copper - LiveMark Knopfler with Emmylou Harris - All The Roadrunningthe Beatles remix album LoveTool - "Aenima"Kosheen - DamageGrace JonesDays of the New (self-titled)Loggins and Messina - Sittin In

I think Steely Dan - Aja has been mentioned.

Fleetwood Mac - Rumors

Getz/Gilberto on Verve V6-8545Iron and Wine - Endless Numbered daysThe Velvet Underground - LoadedTelivision - Marquee MoonNuetral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the SeaThe Blue Nile - HatsBlackfield I and IITom Waits (Orphans, Bone Machine for starters)The Pixies (Mofi Doolittle)Almost anything produced by Steve Albini, I like the Nina Nastasia albums.


4/28

PrimusSufjan StevensKathryn WilliamsLou RhodesJazz at the Pawnshope.s.tTord GustavsenDead Can DanceLisa Gerrard - DualityHugh Masekela - HopeHiromiAnything from 2LThe Mars VoltaOrnette Coleman's 'Tomorrow is the QuestionEnyaMLTR- 19 essential balladsEAGLES- Hell freezes overEric cplaton- UnpluggedCSN- greatest hitsDeadsoul Tribe-A Murder of CrowsOpeth - DamnationDevin Townsend-Ocean MachineKronos Quartet - White Man SleepsPink Floyd - The Final Cut

Michael Jackson - ThrillerFaith No More: Angel DustCorrosion of Conformity: DeliverancePortishead (first album)Sting (Soul Cages DDD)Alan Parsons Try anything Once DDDTool (Anema), Pink Floyd (Final Cut)Jimmy Eat World (Clarity) and Silverchair (Diorama)Scary Kids Scaring KidsThe Killers - Sam's TownKatie Melua - Call Off The Search ( all her album sounds great IMO)Bob James - Ivory CoastPeter White - Perfect Moment

Dan Fogelberg & Tim Weisberg - Twin Sons of Different MotherGrover Washington, Jr. - WinelightLyle Lovett - Joshua Judges RuthT-Bone Walker - I Got The BluesHarry Belafonte - Live At Carnegie HallBill Berry - For DukeCarmen McRae - Sings The American SongbookJanis Ian - Breaking SilenceJazz At The PawnshopCollective Soul: "From The Ground UpRespighi's Pines/Fountains/Festivals of Rome with Lorin Maazel conducting the Pittsburgh Symphonyxtc skylarking

Jean Luc Ponty"Individual ChoiceTracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman"Aerial Boundaries" - Michael HedgesWEA Group Target DiscsDcc Golds and a few MfslSteve HoffmanW/G pressing of The Cars-Heartbeat CityBruce Hornsby's IntersectionsBoston's "Foreplay/Long TimeMezzanine by Massive attack


5/28

Jah Wobble's MuMiles Davis's Kind of BlueTord Gustavsen Trio - Being ThereEmilian Torrini - Fisherman's WomanVienna Teng - Dreaming Through The NoiseMadredeus - AindaSaint Saens 3rd "Organ" Symphony DutoitFoo Fighters - Skin & Bones?ystein Sev?g "Bridge"Miles Davis' "Kind Of Blue", CD in SBM.The LA4's "Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte", the Japanese CD.Porcupine Tree albumsSleep - DopesmokerJan Johansson - Jazz p? svenska (Jazz in Swedish)SA-CD.netPink Floyd - DSOTMRoxy Music - AvalonDire Straits - Brothers in ArmsMiles Davis - Kind of BlueBeck - Sea ChangeSteely Dan - GauchoThe Who - TommyThe Remasters of the RCA Living Stereohoudini" by the melvins

"meddle" by pink floyd."the soft bulletin" by flaming lips"jukebox" cat power (recently)The Brandenburg Concertos as performed by Tafelmusik on Sony ClassicalMahler Symphony No. 2 as conducted by Ivan Fischer on Channel Classics"Someday My Prince Will Come" by Miles DavisAny album with MFSL tag on itT.S. Monk - Monk on MonkN2KE 10017 - Non-Encoded Music 1997Susan WongFleetwood Mac - the DanceBurmester Art for the EarMelissa Etheridge - s/t

Steve Albini.Neurosis "A Sun That Never SetsSkinny PuppyBjork - PostMeshuggah - Destroy Erase Improve (and Nothing)Death - Symbolic (really airy for death metal)Iron Maiden - Seventh Son (especially Infinite Dreams)Einsturzende Neubauten - variousDavid Gilmour - David GilmourRy cooder - Jazz

Simply Red - Picture BookAmused to death - Roger Waters

Fela Kuti - Tha Black Presedent,Habib Koite and Bamada,Mario Biondi,Frank Sinatra with Count Basie andif you like something experimental try : Dead Can DanceEric Clapton - UnpluggedNirvana - MTV unpluggedDonald Fagen - Morph the CatUncle Tupelo: March 16-20, 1992Highway 61New World Flamenco Jazz" by Tomas michaudMuddy Waters-Blues Singer, (MFSL)


6/28

Cowboy Junkies, The Trinity Sessions

Eric Clapton-Unplugged

Opheila-Natalie Merchant (HDCD)

Who is Jill Scott? Jill Scott (the best recorded modern R&B album I've heard)Van Morrison-Astral Weeks (I don;t care for him much but this is WOW)Grateful Dead-American BeautyRyan Adams-Any album of his is awesome...especially the pre Cardinals stuffJennifer Warnes -My Famous Blue Raincoat (it was just re-released in 45rpm and is a classic audiophile record)Neil Young-Live at Massey Hall (I can only say SICK)Beck-OdelayRolling Stones-Beggars Banquet or Let it Bleed or Exile on Main StreetGetz & GilbertoBuena Vista Social Club -Live at Carnegie HallNirvana-Nevermind (maybe it's not that audiophile but it's awesome)Robert Plant & Allison KrauseLed Zeppelin-Teh Song Remains the SameRicky Lee Jones-Pop PopMiles Davis-Kind of Blue QUIEX pressing (it's still around)Bob Dylan-Nashville Skyline

Sara K, Water FallsStockfisch-RecordsHenry Mancini's Music From Peter Gunn, reissued by Speakers Corner on 180g vinylLive from Blues Alley - Eva CassidyCourt & Spark - Joni MitchellNilsson Schmillson - NilssonAnything on 4ADLil' Wayne - Tha Carter IIIAIX RecordsLaurence Juber - Guitar Noir AIX RecordsSeven Veils by Robert RichSafe Trip Home by DidoJeff Buckley - Grace

Jun Fukumachi - At The Steinway (Take 2) DXD (Direct eXtreme Digital) In nativePyramix format: 24-Bit 352.8kHzBlue Coast Collection - The E.S.E. Sessions SACDDavid Chesky - Area 31 SACDJazz At The Pawnshop SACDSound And Vision SACD SamplerBucky Pizzarelli -Swing Live SACDThe Worlds Greatest Audiophile Vocal Recrodings SACDThe Sheffield Jazz Experience 24K HDCDBudapest Festival Orchestra's Dvorak Symphonies 8 and 9 on SACD and Michael Wolff 2 AMKicking Television by Wilco

Jennifer Warnes: "Ballad of the Runaway Horse" on Rob Wasserman's Duets album. Simply amazing. (mp3 sample: http://ed2.elusivedisc.net/audioclips/soncd31049/11.mp3

Rachelle Ferrell: "Sister"

Rickie Lee Jones: "Love Junkyard"

Rebecca Pidgeon: "Spanish Harlem"


7/28

Holly Cole: "Invitation to the Blues"Norah Jones - Not Too LateGinger Baker Trio "Going Back Home" and "Falling Off The Roof"Dave Brubeck "Time Out"Miles Davis "Kind Of Blue"Eric Clapton "Unplugged"Rolling Stones "Stripped"Jacques Loussier Trio "Play Bach" Vol's 1 and 2Deep Purple "Made In Japan"Jimi Hendrix "Live at Berkeley Community Centre"Black Sabbath "Live Evil"King Crimson "The Great Deceiver" and "Live on Broadway"Pink Floyd "The Wall" and "Is There Anybody Out There?"Santana "Lotus"Yes "Montreux 2003"Grateful Dead "Fillmore West 1969"Country Joe and the Fish - Electric Music for the Mind and BodyDream Theater - Awake1) Check out DCC and other Steve Hoffman releases

2) Check out MoFi (Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs)

3) Talk to LFF

4) Come to the National Meet there will be tons of audiophile music floating around, and you'll get to meet Steve Hoffman!

Some others to check out:

Korn - Unplugged (Be a little cautious with MTV unplugged albums, Korn, Clapton,and Nirvana are awesome! Some others totally suck)

Cantus - Let Your Voice Be Heard

Cantus - Deep River

The Tony Bennett / Bill Evans Album (Fantasy Records)

Infected Mushroom - It's arguable whether or not their stuff could be considered"audiophile" but I find many of their songs to be very good for testing gear, particularly bass and dynamic range.

Diana Krall's Live in Paris album is also quite well recorded. I often use "A Case of You" as a test track.

Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz with Elvis Costello is strikingly well recorded.Elvis sounds surprisingly good singing jazz... I think he missed his real calling. He did marry Diana Krall...

Jacintha ...can't really pick a standout, it's all amazing.

Jane Monheit is a little hit and miss, but some of the recordings are phenomenal... Over the Rainbow on Come Dream with Me is staggering.

Maybe not quite audiophile, but well recorded and worth checking out would be Norah Jones with the Peter Malik Group and The Little Willies

Rebecca Pidgeon's Retrospective is generally pretty well regarded for recordingquality and her version of Spanish Harlem is on I believe it's Chesky's test disc.


8/28

Limon (Talk to LFF)

Not quite audiophile but very close would be Dixie Chicks - Home. Although, track 11 "Godspeed" pushes into audiophile territory IMHO.

Many Telarc recordings are also quite goodsingles from STAX Records 1950's/1960'sAlan ParsonsLemon Jelly's 'Lost Horizons'Mannheim Steamroller: Fresh Aire 8 (DVD-Audio)Black Devil Disco Club - The Devil in Us (Elite Technique Remix)Muddy Waters MoFilabel Harmonia MundiClassic Records - Chess LPS-1483 ?DVD-A of Muddy Waters Folk Singersusan wongRadiohead AmnesiacLightbulb Sun DVD-AShesmovedon, Last Chance to Evacuate, Russia on IceBjork - VespertineStevie Wonder - InnervisionsDigitata - Daggers IIErykah Badu - Mama's Gun

Diana KrallFSOL - LifeformsB.B. King Live at the RegalPatricia Barbers Modern Cool, Pixies DoolittleRobert Plant and Allison Krauss's new album Raising SandNicholas Gunn - Eyes of the Wind1. The Sound of analog is back: From Mark Levinson - Red Rose Music;

2. CD Master I : Mark Levinson, Audio Engineer - ABC Records;

3. CD Master II: Mark Levinson, Audio Engineer - ABC RecordsYes 90125Remastered Deep Purple - ''Made In Japan

Steve Wilsons new album InsurgentesThe Lonely Island's debut album IncredibadHarmony KorineLaurie Anderson - Bright RedCrazy by SealAbbey Road Studios and Air StudiosYanni's Live at the Acropolis and Yanni Live - the Concert Eventled zeppelin IIrage against the machines debut albumpat metheny's the road to yousoweto gospel choir liveoh and black sabbath's paranoid. with maybe some dream theaterAl Di Miola 's Flesh On Flesh

The Trans Siberian OrchestraHDTracks.comCopland 100, Eiji Oue: Minnesota OrchestraReference RecordingsRecording Engineer: Keith O. JohnsonSean Mullins-Soul's CoreJohn Mayer - Where the Light isJack Johnson - En ConcertHave a Nice Life, Afterlives, Mount Eerie, Microphones, OnraBlue Note jazz CD's featuring the re-mastering work of Rudy Van Gelder Those are


9/28

some of the worst remastering jobs I have ever heard. Stick with the McMastersor better yet - get the Hoffman/Gray remasters.Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto - Stan/Getz (the 24-bit remastered version)Methany/Medhlaudiana krall/norah jonesHerbie Hancock - The Joni LettersTubular Bells 1973 by Mike Oldfield, great for clarity and presentation.Thriller by Michael Jackson, check out the intro of Thriller!93 Till'Infinity (Acoustic Version) by Souls Of Mischief, the normal version isgood too although I prefer their instrumentals.Toxicity by System of a Down, their musical transitions really surprise you sometimes.The Mix-Up by the Beastie Boys, it's a simple album with purely instrumentals.(Mos Def and Talib Kweli are) Black Star - Black StarPink Floyd the wall and Beatles Lovemapleshade or cheskyFourplayHank Mobley's Roll CallI see I have the issue with John Coltrane's Lush Life. I have the RVG version. Iwas able to track down the DCC Gold version (don't ask me how). BIG differencebetween the 2. The RVG version, you can hear "clicking" on the opening track's horns. I always thought I just had a bad copy. It's not present in the DCC Gold version. This is a shame.All Ted Templeman produced Van Halen albums please do not try any Remastered ser

ies CDsFun Lovin' Criminals: MimosaKroungine, Fyuti and GnayseTalk Talk: Spirit of EdenBrian TranseauPeriphery - Peripheryflying lotuswww.audiophilerecord.com/For Classical and Jazz I would recommend "The Absolute Sound TAS" series in hybrid SACD format. For vocals try hybrid SACD "Closer to the Music" Vol. 1 to 3 from Stockfisch Records.Sibelius Osmo VanskaRATM-RATM

Analogue Productions and Mobile Fidelity masteringsAnalogue Productions version of Nat King Cole's Love is the ThingThe Who - Who's Next (SHM-SACD)

Hesperion XXI / Jordi Savall - Estampies & Danses Royales (SACD)

Fritz Reiner / Chicago Symphony Orchestra: Rimsky-Korsakov - Scheherazade; Stravinsky - Song of the Nightingale (SACD)

Hilary Hahn / Jeffrey Kahane / LA Chamber Orchestra - J.S.Bach: Violin Concertos(88kHz/24bit)

John Coltrane - A Love Supreme (SACD)

Stan Getz and Jo?o Gilberto - Getz/Gilberto (SACD)

Diana Krall - The Look Of Love (96kHz/24bit)

Melody Gardot - My One And Only Thrill (2-CD Deluxe Edition)Reference recordings for classicalMoving by Bugge WessletoftNaim and Linn labelsGerry Rafferty Steve Hoffman mastering for City to City


10/28

MoFi remaster of Faith No More's 'Angel Dust'Emma Shapplin - Carmine MeoMoFi's Ultradisc UHRSACD versions of Marvin Gaye's What's Going On and Let's GetIt On, among others...mo-fi version of The Yes AlbumAudio Fidelity's version of Billy Joel's Glass HousesDiverse Vinyl onlineThe Absolute Sound TASStockfishBlue October - 'Foiled'JVC's XRCDDunhill Compact ClassicsPrivate Dancer by Tina TurnerDire Straits - Brothers in Arms is a well known reference CD (16/44 better on XRCD

Norah Jones - Come Away With Me (16/44)

Steely Dan - Gaucho (SACD @ 88.2)

Diana Krall - The Girl in the Other Room (24/96)Kelly Joe Phelps - Lead Me On (15 Anniversary Remaster)Elgar's Enigma Variations (Menuhin/RPO)Marvin Gaye - What's Going On Remastered MoFi/SACD version

Steve Hoffman Forumhttp://www.opus3records.com/artists/blues/19401.htmBlu-Ray of Return To Forever Live at MontreauxRush Moving Pictures Blu-RayJeff Beck - Performing This Week - Live At Ronnie Scott'shttps://www.hdtracks.comQuincy Jones - Gula Matari

Quincy Jones - You've Got It Bad GirlPower Of The Orchestra - Rene Leibowitz It's basically Moussorgsky's Night On Bare Mountain & Pictures At An Exhibition with the RPOHolst - The PlanetsEric Bibb Bookers Guitar and Diamond Days

Another 2 SACDs that I recommend on vocal are Stockfisch Records Closer to the Music Vol. 2 (as well as Vol 1 and 3 but I love Vol. 2 more) and Chesky's The World's Greatest Audiophile Vocal Records.David Foster produced recordsMichael BubleEric Bibb, Jennifer Warnes (The Hunter and The Well), Alison Krauss, Diana Krall(Girl in the Other Room), Beth Neilsen ChapmanKatie MeluaEasy star all Stars - Dub side of the MoonBill Evans: The Complete Village Vanguard RecordingsNorah Jones: Not Too LateBECK Sea ChangeAlice In Chains: Greatest Hits

DSOM - Pink FloydSteely Dan "Two Against Nature"SONNY CLARK - COOL STRUTTIN' (XRCD)1958 Hard-Bop Set is Clark's Tour de ForceAlan Yoshida-mastered XRCDWayne Garcia, The Absolute SoundSea Change from Beck mfslReference Recordings and TelarcClark Terry: Live at the Village Gate on Chesky RecordsThe Great Fantasy-Adventure Album - Kunzel / Cincinnati Pops


11/28

Aja by Steely DanDire Straits "Brothers In Arms"Santana - Abraxas MFSL vinylDark Side of the MoonPropellerheads - DecksandrumsandrockandrollDiana Krallwww.mapleshaderecords.comReference Recording RR-96CD Rachmaninoff: Symphonic DancesReference Recording RR-101CD Felix Hell: Pipe Organ SensationTelarc CD-83534 Marcus Miller: M?Reference Recordings RR-109 The Hot Club of san francisco Yerba buena bounce

Reprise 49965-2 Guster: Ganging up on the sun

Candyrat Records Antoine Dufour: NaissanceRachel Podger's La Stravaganza on SACDBrubeck's Time Out on SACDAna Caram's Blu Bossa on SACDIncubus SACDherbie hancock headhuntersMapleshade recordingsFamous Blue Raincoat by Jennifer WarnesDonald Fagan, Morph the Cat - Male vocals, good bass and cymbals.Diana Krall or Nora Jones - Piano (check for natural sound).

Celtic Woman DVD - Female Vocals, various bass drums, piano.Jack Johnson CD - Male vocals, good seperation of instruments, something currently on the radio.Jennifer Warnes - Nice Vocals, nice all around sound. I need little reason to listen listen to JW.Mahler's Resurrection Symphony#2 with Gilbert Kaplan conducting the Vienna PhilharmonicAcappella

The House Jacks- DriveThe Nylons- Fabric of LifeThe Nylons- Play OnThe Nylons- Hits of the 60's Acappella Style

Big Band/Vocal

The Manhattan Transfer- The Anthology: Down In BirdlandThe Manhattan Transfer- Tonin'Michael Buble'- Michael Buble'Michael Buble'- It's TimeWestlife- Allow Us to Be Frank

Blues

BB King- Blues on the BayouEric Clapton- One More Car One More Rider

Hamilton Loomis- Ain't Just TemporaryJeff Healey Band- Get Me SomeJeff Healey- Mess of BluesJimmy Rogers- All StarsJohn Mayall and Friends- Along for the RideKid Jonny Lang and the Big Bang- Smokin'Tommy Castro- Right as Rain

Crossover Classical


12/28

Bond- BornBond- ShineHooked on Classics 3

Electronica

Yello- BabyYello- Zebra

Jazz

Peter White- Glow (SACD)Peter White- ConfidentialSpyro Gyra- In Modern Times (SACD Hybrid)

New Age

Jan Hammer- Beyond the Mind's Eye

New Flamenco

Esteban- All My LoveGovi- Havana SunsetJesse Cook- Gravity

Jesse Cook- VertigoJohannes Linstead- Cafe' TropicalJohannes Linstead- MediterraneaSteve Stevens- Flamenco A Go GoStrunz & Farah- Heat of the SunStrunz & Farah- Stringweave

R&B/Soul

Human Nature- Reach Out The Motown RecordHuman Nature- Dancing in the Street/The Songs of Motown 2James Hunter- People Gonna' Talk

Reggae

UB40- The Very Best of UB40

Rock/Pop

Cesar Rosas- Soul DiguiseChris Issak- Baja SessionsChristopher Cross- The Very Best of Christopher CrossRichard Marx- Flesh and BoneEagles- Hell Freezes OverEagles- Long Road Out of EdenJohn Fogerty- Blue Moon Swamp

Toto- MindfieldsToto- Through the Looking Glass

SACD's The Edgar Winter Group-They Only Come Out At Night[MOFI]ORCHESTRAL

Mahler Symphony No. 2 / Vienna Philharmonic / Kaplan / DG 474 594-2 SACDMussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition / Cleveland Orchestra / Telarc CD-80042Stravinsky The Rite of Spring / Kirov Orchestra / Gergiev / Philips 468 035-2 CD


13/28

PIANO

Bach / Goldberg Variations / Perahia / SONY Classical SS89243 SACD

CHAMBER

Brahms Piano Quintet & String Quartet / Takacs Quartet / Hyperion CDA67551Vivaldi Four Seasons / Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble / Sparf / BIS CD-275Andreas Vollenweider Book of Rosesjappanese 1/2speed master audiophile pressing of Breakfast in America by SupertrampAja by Steely Dan, Arc of a Diver by Steve WinwoodStockfisch Closer to the music vol2http://www.elusivedisc.com/prodinfo.asp?number=SFSA4006Mark Knoffler - Shangri-la DVD-A for male vocals, guitar and strong bass.Spyro Gyra - the Deep End SACD for instrumentals that shineLinda Ronstadt - Don't Cry SACD for female vocalJane Monheit - Come Dream with Me DVD-A female vocal also, different styleLive at Massey Hall 1971--------Neil YoungBlood Sweat And Tears---------Blood Sweat And Tears (SACD)Chicago Transit Authority---------Chicago Transit Authority (SACD)Blue Country Heart---------Jorma KaukonenThe Best Of Johnny Winter----------Johnny Winter (SACD)

Jah WobbleaNoo - The Luckless Land of the NorthVaya con Dios' "What's A Woman" - Best of the Best Gold albumDancehall Divas; 10000 Maniacs LP version Hateful Hate and Trouble MeCeltic Woman, Barbra Streisand - Memory, Sarah Brightman- Piano, Cyndi Lauper'sThe World Is Stone (only released in Japan)Alison Krauss and Union Station's New Favorite AlbumZenph Goldberg Variations releaseToadies - Backslider from their excellently recorded Rubberneck CDMiles Davis - Kind Of Blue SACDBuena Vista Social Club - S/T DVD-Audionewly released Pixies SACD'sSigur Ros

ChicaneTiestoLayo and Bushwacka; Night WorksLouis Armstrong: Satch Plays Fats (year 2000 releaseDire Straights, Brothers In Arms 20th Anniversary (Not all tracks mind you)Pink Floyd DSOTMDeep Purple, Machine Head (Showing my age here)Elton John, Goodbye Yellow Brick RoadErica Bahdu, BahdusimMoe, The ConchDianna Krall, The Girl In The Other RoomDVD's;Both of Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festivals (A well recorded guitar orgy.

)

Elton John, Live at The Royal Opera House (This recording really captured the ambiance of the hall.)

Dianna Krall, Live in Montreal (See Above)

Rory Gallagher, Live at Montreaux (Not particularly well recorded in the earlieryears' tracks but one of the most under-rated blues/rock guitarists IMO.)


14/28

Blu Ray;Pat Metheney Group, The Way Up Live (In DTS HD MA, probably the best quality recording in any media I've ever heard - I'm not big on jazz without vocals but this is a must hear.)Audiophile Vocal Recordings - Chesky (Redbook)Gerry Mulligan meets Ben Webster - MoFi (Redbook)Art Pepper + Eleven (SACD)Mingus Ah Um - Charles Mingus (SACD)Live at Blues Alley - Eva Cassidy (Redbook)The E.S.E. Sessions - Blue Coast Collection (SACD)Flim & the BB's - Tricycle (SACD)Steven Davis - Quality of Sound (SACD) DMP LabelYellow Jackets - Lifecycle (SACD)Benny Carter - Jazz Giant (SACD)Milt Jackson - Invitiation (SACD) MoFiMark Knopfler - Shangrai-La (SACD)Amanda McBroom - Live from Rainbow and Stars (Redbook)Diana Krall - Love Scenes (SACD)Tierney Sutton - Dancing in the Dark (SACD - Telarc) - Superb sonics - really mellow music...Joe McQueen - 10 at 86 - (SACD) ISO-Mike

For Classical - all on SACD

Britten/Elgar - Paavo JarviRCA Living Stereo - Sherherazade (JVC XRCD sounds better, but the 3 CH RCA justgives a better sound stage)RCA Living Stereo - Pictures at an Exhibition (also MoFi version)Mozart Violin Concertos 3 & 4 - Julia Fisher (Pentatone Label)Mozart Youth Symphonies - 3 & 4 sound the bestBoston Symphony Chamber - Mozart Chamber Music for Winds and StringsHaydn - The Fry Street Quartet - ISO-Mike Recording by Ray KimberBach: Brandenburg Concertos Nos. 1-6 Fasolis (SACD - Arts Music)Dire Straits - Brothers in ArmsThe Beatles -Abbey RoadDire Straits-Brothers In ArmsDonald Fagen-Morph The Cat

Sarah McLachlan-SurfacingJennifer Warnes-Famous Blue RaincoatLittle Feat-Waiting For ColumbusEsteban-Enter The HeartPink Floyd-DSOTMSultans of Swing - The Very Best of Dire StraitsDick Hyman, From the Age of SwingFlim TricycleQuality of Silence by Steve Davis ProjectKnopfler's release with Emmy LouTrinity Sessions by Cowboy Junkiesand in surround it's got to be:Deadwing by Porcupine Tree

Tea for the TillermanTimbaland-shock Value (explicit)

KT Tunstall-eye of the telescope

KT-tunstall Drastic fantastic

Hans Zimmer, nick Glennie smith,trevor rabin, and harry gregson-williams - "therock" original motion picture soundtrackFragma-embrace


15/28

Lasgo-somethings

Lasgo- Far away

Cascada- everytime we touch

Michelle branch-hotel paper

Michelle Branch-the spirit room

Genesis- turn it on again the hits,

Hinder-Extreme behavior (explicit)DrumSex, by Brent LewisEagles Hell Freezes Over - XRCDTalk Talk - Colour of Spring - SACDDire Straits - Brothers in Arms - XRCDDire Straits - On Every Street - CD (Warner Remasters)Chris Isaak - Baja Sessions - CDPatricia Barber - Cafe Blue - SACDBill Frisell - Gone, Just Like a Train - CDThe Bassface Swing Trio plays Gershwin - Stockfisch RecordsClark Terry - The Chicago Sessions 1995-96 on Reference recordings Cat. #RR-111

Windminister - Bootsmann Hybrid SACDAlicia Keys unpluggedOn that note, I must list a few my favorite albums to bring.Sigor Ros - ( ) :is a fantastic album to test dynamics.Mono (Japanese) - Are you there? :is even more dynamic than Sigor Ros.Isis - Panopticon :Personal favorite, lots of organic warm tube guitar tones, and lots and lots of layered sounds.Bjork - Homogenic :Another personal favorite. If you have heard this CD you willknow why its on the list.High on fire - Blessed black wings :When i want to hurt some speakersAphex Twin - Windowlicker :Another really mean oneSquarepusher - Big Loda :The bass tones in this really Really work out the mid-low's

Fink - Distance and time :Acoustic and male vocals, very warm and organic.Nobuo Uematsu - Final Fantasy VII Piano Collections :I have listened to this onemore times than i can even begin to count.Tori Amos - Little earthquakes :Some of the piano stuff here is really great.Hugh Masekela - HopeNobuo UematsuFairfield Four (anything)King Crimson "Three of A Perfect Pair" 30th anniversaryEmmylou Harris, Wrecking BallMassive Attack, "Protection"August Rush OST and Bliss Quiet LettersRedbook CD: Larry Carlton, "Fingerprints"; Bob Marley, "Legend"

HDCD CD: Jonathan Butler, "Do You Love Me"; "Jonathan"

SACD: Al Jarreau, "All I Got"; Natalie Cole, "Ask a Woman Who Knows"

DVD-A: Seal, "Seal IV"; Sting, "Sacred Love"

Concert DVD: Sade, "Sade Live"; Eagles, "Hell Freezes Over"KMFDM - Angst /Sounds phenomenal, "The Problem" is awesome for vocals and deep bass. -original pressingKMFDM - Light /Great dynamics and deep bass on some mixes -original pressing


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>>>Any KMFDM album-single before 1999, unfortunately the rereleased remasters SUCK >:{Excessive Force - Gentle Death /Several great dynamic songs.NIN - The Fragile /Specifically "La Mer" and "The Great Below"

Leftfield - Leftfield /Awesome dynamics and sweet bass. -original pressingFuture Sound of London - Lifeforms /Great dynamics and interesting instrumentation.Brilliant -Vol1-vol4 /Some sweet grooves, nice instrumentation and of course solid bass.The Best of Metropolitan /Well produced TranceTresor Vol2 / A sample of some great German/Detroit Techno

Depeche Mode - Violator/SOFAD -SACDs. /The multichannel is phenomenal, don't care for the remastered CD versions though -too much treble, original pressings arebetter.ATB - Two Worlds /Specifically "Love Will Find You" and "Feel You Like a River"Enya - Watermark/Shepards Moon /Classics need I say more?

Boy tons more.These I know most have overall fantastic sound engineering and no clipping, overcompression, but with great dynamics.

Best Regards

KvE

PS Almost forgot Moby - PlayOh, Peter Gabriel - UpFinally, I like BT - Monster OST DTS 5.1Rage Against The MachineRodrigo Y GabrielaJack Johnson - Sleep Through the Static - great separation and you can really hear the music, flaws n all

John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola, Paco De Lucia - Friday Night in San Francisco [ENHANCED] [LIVE] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REISSUED] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED] Masters of Guitar, great sound quality.

Rodrigo y Gabriela - metal masters turned world darlings

Getz/Gilberto [ORIGINAL RECORDING REISSUED] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED] - Freaking AMAZINGhttp://bsidesrus.blogspot.com/2008/0...-rip-flac.htmlBeatles - Love soundtrackMario Lanza, Enrico CarussoSteely Dan - Gaucho SACDYes - Fragile and Magnification DVD-ADire Straits - Brothers in Arms SACDBeck - Sea Change SACDQueen fan, there DVD-a editions of Night at the Opera & the Game sound

elton john yellow brick road sacd -chris botti sacdDVD-A

Eagles - Hotel CaliforniaQueen - The GameQueen - Night at the operaRyan Adams - Gold (4.0 or 4.1 can't remember)Sheryl Crowe - Globe SessionsFlaming Lips - Not into all their music but really shows off a 5.1 system


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Sacd

Beck - Sea ChangeElton John - Any of themDire Straits - Brothers in ArmsPink Floyd - DSOTM (who doesn't like this?)

HDCD's (Can't say for sure how much difference vs Redbook CD but these ones sound really good)

Tracy Chapman - Telling Stories & New BeginningMonster Blues

Redbook CD's

Anything Ben Harper (very talented artist)Anything Jack Johnson (I think Ben Harper got him started) Vinyl is even better

Check out the Drive-by Truckers for a southern style sound, pretty good.Kyuss - Welcome to sky valleyNobuo UematsuSonia Dada - A Day At the BeachThe Flaming Lips

Saint-Saens: Symphony No. 3 "Organ" by Christoph Eschenbach and the PhiladelphiaOrchestra on SACDI like MTV Unplugged: Nirvana live in New York, in fact all of the MTV unpluggedseries is extremely well recorded as is Stripped by The Rolling Stones, Wild Horses is a particularly good track.

Me and Mr. Johnson and the Sessions for Robert J. CD are similarly excellent IMHO.Secret Garden - Songs from a Secret GardenAcoustic Alchemy - The very best ofDavid Arkenstone - Best of

Johnny winter - Progressive Blues Experiment

Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie - Bird & DizRemember Shakti - Saturday night in Bombay (Live)Miles Davis - Kind of BlueLouis Armstrong - Greatest hits (RCA Victor)Steve Vai - Alive in an ultra world (live)Tool - Lateralus (hdcd)Jeff Beck's from Blow by BlowAllison Krauss and Union Station Live - SACDDiana Krall, The Look of Love - SACDPink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon - SACDEagles, Hell Freezes Over - DTS DVDhttp://www.audiodiscs.com.au/index.phpMichael Jackson's Thriller on SACD

Stina NordenstamJennifer Warnes: Famous Blue Raincoat

Michael Franks: Sleeping Gypsy

Clifford Jorden: Live at Ethell'sBob Marley "Natural Mystic""Roots Rock Reggae""Crazy Baldhead"Level 42 - World Machine


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Steely Dan - AjaAlison Krauss - Now That I've Found YouVan Halen (Not the greatest recording, but the guitar tone is forward and distinctive enough to be a great midrange reference - at higher volumes, of course)Alan Parsons - Turn of a Friendly CardIf I'm auditioning a system or separates, I would take a number of discs. Including:

Bartok- Concerto for Orchestra (Reiner/Chicago SO/ RCA) An early stereo disc (also available as an SACD), this 1955 recording is still cited for its "near demonstration" quality. In fact, 15 years ago when receiver-shopping I listened to aPioneer vs. an HK. In the 5th movement tuba and string basses smack a low note that made the HK literally go through an audible volume-reduction "flinch." The Pioneer stayed "in your face."

Luis Gasca- "Little Giant" (Atlantic, 1969- re-issued on a Rhino "Collectables"cd). Really good stereo separation, the legendary session players (drummer) Bernard Purdie and (bassist) Chuck Rainey are on one cut, the rest features Mongo'sband (Gasca was a member then). So there's some thickly layered latin textures.Granted, it's an unkown disc and really under-rated.

Mitsuko Uchida- Debussy Etudes (Philips). Wonderful solo piano recording.

Springsteen- "Live in NYC" (Columbia). In particular, "Atlantic City", and the "

Youngstown" into "Murder Inc" medley.

Thelonius Monk w/ John Coltrane @ Carnegie Hall (Blue Note). Although taken froman archived live/mono 1957 concert recording, the sound is still very good. Shadow Wilson's cymbal work on "Epistrophy" is a very good test.

If a system sounds good on the above variety, it will sound good with anything,in my humble opinion...:-)Lyle Lovett - Joshua Judges Ruth - North Dakota

Niels Lofgren Live - Keith Don't Go

Fairfield Four - I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray - Those Bones

Patricia Barber -> Modern Cool -> ConstantinopleNirvana 180G'sSACD- Bob Dylan: Blood on the TrackGeorge Benson and Al Jarreau2000 remaster/reissue of Pink Floyd's The WallLive at Massey Hall 1971,Neil YoungNeil Youngs HarvestJennifer Warnes - The Hunter - Gold CDKodo - Mondo Headscore CD for the film Bullitt. It is a 2000 re-recording conducted by the composer himself, Lalo SchifrinHolly Cole's TemptationRosanne Cash's "Rules of Travel"

Clair Marlo CD - Let it goSteve RoachAl Gromer KhanByron Metcalf Wachuma's WaveAl Gromer Khan Tantra DrumsTen Years After: A Space In TimeEagles "Hell Freezes OVer"Diana KrallCowboy JunkiesMArk Knopfler's "Local Hero" soundtrack is wonderful elegant guitar and celtic s


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ounds.

Beatles "Love" has some great stuff to test a system. I also like the music to listen to for general purposes. I listened to the Beatles Mono remastered CD's and they blew me away.

The Vaughan Brothers: Family Style. Tick Tock is my favorite song, and has greatsound.

Robert Cray: Strong Persuader

David and David: Boomtown. Maybe not the greatest sound, but very good, excelentdynamics and I now it like the back of my hand.

Bob Dylan: Time Out of Mind.Phil Collins - Face ValueGodsmacks accoustic album"The Other Side",

Floyds "Brick in the wall"

Best of Led Zeppelin Doubl cd set.Alice in Chains unplugged

Nirvana unplugged

B.B. King & Eric Clapton - Riding with the King.

Santana: Supernatural

The 9 Symphonies(Bruno Walter) out of production box set, re mastered from vinylto cd in 1989.

The Classical Jazz channel on Dish network.Talking Heads/Speaking In Tongues (dualdisc)Eva CassidyAn excellent track for solid imaging is Harry Connick - A Nightingale Sang in Be

rkeley Square, from We Are In Love (I have the CD). If you don't like this music, your wife probably will if you want to make her a romantic dinner.

Roxy Music - Avalon in SACD surround - they said this remix was the mix they actually had in mind when they conceived the album, had the technology been available. If you want a break from audiophile imaging of a front row concert seat, just enjoy being in the middle of this sound.

Pink Floyd - Dark Side in SACD surround is kind of similar in that sense.

Rob Wasserman - Duets is a good CD. The tracks are hit and miss, but I really like the simplicity (lack of overengineering and just voice, guitar and bass) of his tune with Lou Reed.

Cowboy Junkies - Classic records vinyl, the 45 rpm is even better. Always a mellow sonic pleasure.

Osmo Vanska - the SACD Beethoven Symphony set. I listen in 2-channel, because insurround there is no bass channel, which means my front speakers are playing full range and I lose out on my subwoofer without reconfiguring my receiver settings.

Neil Young - Massey Hall on vinyl - possibly the best live concert sound I've he


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ard (solo, acoustic)

Queen - Night at the Opera - if you can find a copy of the DCC vinyl, the soundhas never been better (even if the original recording isn't comparable to modernstate of the art). The Prophet's Song is very cool.

Rolling Stones - Beggar's Banquet SACD - I didn't know the Stones could sound this good (even if the original recording isn't comparable to modern state of theart).

Ella Fitzgerald - on Classic Records - Let No Man Write My Epitath and Clap Hands Here Comes Charlie. I have the original test pressings, but I assume the regular copies are about the same. Super smooth, intimate sound.

Reference Recordings - First Sampler, there is a track from Star of Wonder - Nativity Carol, which has outstanding vocal choir sound, as well as some deep organaccompaniment. There is some other good stuff on this sampler as well, such asBerlioz, Symphony Fantastique (Dream...). I have those 2 full albums on vinyl aswell, but I prefer the sound on this sampler, so I will probably buy those CDsand sell the vinyl copies.Lindsay Buckingham - Out of the CradleJennifer Warnes - Famous Blue RaincoatDire Straits - Love Over Gold (West German, Vertigo)Living Stereo SACD's

Stanley Turrentine - Don't Mess with Mr. T - incredible jazz saxophone HDCDtitle track is just so clean

Stanley Turrentine & Milt Jackson - Cherry - japanese pressing, saxophone and vibes what could be better

Papa Mali - Do your Thing - blues, great album overall, but Sugarland is exceptional, the short dead quiet passages, into vocals, into the full band

for bass set up (and it annoys the people in the store a lot) Voivod - Nothingface in particular Astronomy Domine, the pink floyd cover

Pink Floyd Dark Side and Steely Dan Aja everyone seems to use, me too

Melody GardotJanis Ian - Breaking SilenceLyle Lovett - Joshua Judges Ruth - Also Flying Shoes from Step inside this houseDire Straits - Brothers in Arms SACDRoxy Music - Avalon SACDJennifer Warnes - Famous Blue RaincoatSACD: James Taylor "Hourglass", Diana Krall "The Look Of Love"DVD-Audio: Diana Krall "When I Look In Your Eyes"CD: Patricia Barber "Cafe Blue", Dire Straits "Brothers In Arms"mofi.com"Special Beat Service" by The English BeatSystem Demo-Sheffield Track Record/Drum Record(the crystal clear clarity and impact brought upon by the utmost attention to si

gnal path purity holds up to anything even three decades later, also the musicianship is beyond reproach. .... ie Jim Keltner's drumming, Nathan East's bass playing, the premise was total attention to detail wrt the signal path, no compression, op amps etc, stunning result. As with any recording made w/o compression, it really comes to life played at live levels)Listen to track 2, Higher You Rise

Bass articulation demo-Black Uhuru's Slippin' Into DarknessIf you combined Donald Fagan's tight, studio sound, and combined it with a killer reggae band and they cover the War classic, track 14,


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Slippin' Into Darkness, the results are fantastic. Some reggae material has a "low-fi" feel, not this track. The vocals are tremendous, and the production technique is superb.

Chesky's Bizarre SACD offers better, lower demo material for sub-woofer demonstration, than any other material I own. It opens with a shuttle launch superbly captured, then proceeds with an all out surround, and LFE assault.

Tom Jung's recording of Flim and the BBs-Tricycle

Steely Dan's Gaucho-SACD, likely the finest recording I own

Bob Dylan (yep, hard to believe, I know) Gotta Serve Somebody SACD, simply superb production. No other recording he ever made has the style that the Slow TrainComing release had. I'd guess an entire direction change was made wrt engineering/recording. The entire release is smooth as silk and some splendidly catchy songs.

These are a handful of my demos, there's more. Like the classic Telarc canon fire on the original Soundstream recorded 1812,... the new release in multi channelI don't care for. The Gaucho SACD above is prolly the best go to disc, it has abroad appeal. My kids turn me on to all kinds of new stuff, however when playedat live levels, a significant amount of it sounds nasty, with harsh artifacts.I don't know if it's mastering compression or what. That said, some of it is ver

y well done, and I'm always listening to current music.Polydor CD of Cream, "The Very Best of Cream"The SACD title "The Nordic Sound" on the 2L label."Cream Live at the Royal Albert Hall 2005"SACD:Diana Krall: When I look into Your EyesLouis Armstrong and Ella FitzgeraldJames Taylor: JT

CD:Norah Jones: Come Away With Me (love it- should get in SACD)Diana Krall: The Look of LoveAngels and Airwaves: We Don't Need to Whisper

Evanescence: Origins (I love Amy Lee's Voice)Most Relaxing Jazz Piano in the UniverseWhen I'm evaluating new gear, anything from Mapleshade, Chesky, or Telarc usually does the trick. Other good stuff:

CD:Cowboy Junkies -- Trinity Session RevisitedShirley Horn -- You Won't Forget MePaul Simon -- You're the OneTalking Heads -- Stop Making Sense

SACD:

Diana Krall -- The Look of LoveBeck -- Sea Change"Ramirez: Kyrie, Mercedes Sosa, Misa Criola". Notice the extention of the bass drum in a good room, and the crisp voice."Keith don't go, Nils Lvgren, Acoustic Live". Ahhhh. The guitars, the vocals...and my childhood friend is in the band"Motherless Child, Blind Boys of Allabama, Spirit of the Sentury". Voices!"Anthem Without Nation, Nitin Sawheny, Beyond Skin". Deeeep bass. Voice!"Stimela, The Dowry Song, Hugh Masekela, Hope". Great live recording."A Case of You, Live, Diana Krall, Live In Paris". Spatial soundstage.


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"Fever, Ray Charles, Natalie Cole, Genous Loves Company". A little "dark" in thesoud perhaps, but the soundstage is exeptional on a decent rig.Tutti!, Orchestral SamplerThe World's Greatest Audiophile Vocal RecordingsBarry Adamson - Back to the CatNick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Murder BalladsBeck - Sea ChangeFiona Apple - TidalBob Dylan - Blonde on BlondeYonder Mountain String Band - Live at the Fox Theater, Boulder, COJack Johnson - Sleep Through the Static

While Dianna Krall is quite pleasant to look at, I find her music flat, dull andsoulless (my opinion, I don't treat it as fact). Everytime I go to any retailer, that's always what they want to play.....This sums it up well.....http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqMTkJjeqbI

Miles Davis - Kind of Blue (Legacy Edition)Radiohead - Kid AGrizzly Bear - VeckatimestBonnie Prince Billy - The Letting GoJeff Buckley - Grace (non remastered version)Ray Charles - Come Rain Or Come Shine (just that song)

Wilco - Being ThereBeethoven - Largo from Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37 (on Linn Records)Aimee Mann - Lost In SpaceGrant Lee Phillips - MobilizeBeck - Sea ChangeSuper Furry Animals - Rings Around The WorldRyan Adams - Easy TigerGillian Welch - Time (The Revelator)Emmylou Harris - Wrecking BallKings Of Convenience - Declaration of DependenceTerry, Hubbard & Gillespie - Alternate BluesWYWH has come out on SACDAnalogue Productions

BOP TILL YOU DROP-RY COODER-WARNER BROTHERS CD 3358-2BEETHOVEN SYMPHONY #9- PETER MAAG- ORCHESTRA DE PADUA ET VENETO (THE ULTIMATE RECORDING OF THE 9TH-INCOMPARABLE)-ARTS CD 27248

SOUND OF AUSTRIA; ALPINE FOLK MUSIC-DORIAN 80116OPUS 3 TEST CD #4 AND #5TOMAS ORNBERG'S BLUE FIVE WITH KENNY DAVERN-OPUS3 CD-8003

THE CIVIL WAR; ITS MUSIC AND SOUNDS; FENNEL AND THE EASTMAN WIND ENSEMBLE-MERCURY 432591JAZZ--RY COODER-WARNER BROTHERS CD 3197-2THE KING OF INSTRUMENTS-VARIOUS PIPE ORGANS-DELOS CD 3503

DAVE BRUBECK; TIME OUT AND GONE WITH THE WIND CD'STHE NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND (AND MANY OTHERS)-VOLUME 2-MCA UVLD-12500

ANY OPUS 3 CD OR LP

Good day to all

This is really a very interesting thread, I hadn't noticed it till now. I did not go through all posts, however from a random reading, I saw some very interesting discs.


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I would like to place my opinion (I should rather say: "my preferences") here, based of course on my musical background, cultivation and - consequently - culture, developed through the musical listenings of mine for more than 5 decades.

These preferences correspond, not only to the quality of the recordings, but also to the music events themselves. Besides, there would be no meaning to have a quality recording, if the music was just - excuse my wording - crap.

Initially, a smal introduction about Greek music, which comes first in my preferences.

Greek music has had several periods. The most important one was from the late 50s till the late 70s. We call it the period of the "Artistic Popular Music". TheArtisitic Popular Music had to be distinguished from the common Popular Music.

Greek Popular Music started at the beginning of the 20th Century, when large masses of Greek population migrated from the west coast of Turkey, a traditonally Greek territory, called Ionia. Those Greeks had their own long music tradition and they carried it, among with a lot of other cultural characterisitics to the mainland of Greece. Popular music was then developed throughout the whole 20th century, in parallel with Greek folk music, but it remained most of the time in thedark, as it was never officilally recognized. Its main characterisitics were:- Short poemic lyrics, usually speaking about love, the everyday worries and tro

ubles of the people and their "blues"- Singing of the lyrics by a man or woman, in a long-drawling voice.- The accompanying instruments were mainly string instruments, violin and lute (this is similar to balalaika, but larger and it has more bass) and then lyre (this is an instrument, similar to violin, but it rests on the thigh/leg of the player, not on the shoulder, like the violin) and finally the Bouzouki. The Bouzouki was actulally introduced later and very often was used in conjunction with theviolin and some shorts of drums.

The Artistic Popular Music was somehow "invented" and created by two great Greekcomposers, both of which used the traditional Popular Music as their basis andinspiration, but then they made their own school, which swept the musical eventsin the country (and much more beyond the country borders) like a storm and afte

rwards became extremely well known worldwide. These two composers had a parallellife, each one with his own class, sometimes collaborating together, but nevercompeting one against the other.

The first, well known all over the world, mainly of his music to the film "Neveron Sunday", is the late Manos Hatzidakis. A great composer, who has made thousands of music works, presented either in albums or in single 45rpm discs. Also, acomposer of film music, dressing with his music more that 80 films.

The second is Mikis Theodorakis. He is also well known to the world, mainly withhis music to the films "Zorba the Greek", "Phaedra", "Serpico" and "Z", but also well known for the composing of the poem "Axion Esti" (word-by-word it means:"It is Worthy", but the meaning is much more than that) of the Nobel prized poet

Odysseus Elytis. His work is also huge, thousands of songs and discs, almost inevery format. He did not only composed Artistic Popular Music, but also Classicand other formats.

From those two composers, I can (hardly) select two works, mainly for their music.

From Manos Hatzidakis my mostly beloved work is his instrumental work: "Giokonda's Smile". I was lucky one to get it in vinyl, when it was recently re-issued bythe producing company. It is a wonderful orchaestral work, where the music flow


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s and flies, and the recent re-issue is very well recorded.

From Mikis Teodorakis, who takes the first place in my heart, between these twoequals, I choose of course his magnificent oratorium "Axion Esti". I also have it in vinyl, although it is from its first issuing in the early seventies, but Ikeep it well preserved. Its recording is not very special, it reflects the meansand the limited technology, available then, during the production of the disc.However, its unique execution, especially because it was recorded live in a a large theater, with the vocals of Gregoris Bithikotsis (Theodorakis's most significant singer), the chorus of Thaleia Byzantiou and Theodore Dimitrief as the chanter. From this disc, I can only offer you the picture of its cover and a link toone of most significant music parts, named: "Temples to the scheme of the Sky".Here they are:

And the link with the music. I susggest for someone, who may be curious enough,to open it and listen carefully to the music:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFxVyvj34AU

Apart from the above, I consider the following as first class music pieces and recordings:

Telarc's Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture SACD and DVD-Audio discs, with Erich Kunzel& Cincinnati Pops Orchestra

Bedrich Smetana's Ma Vlast (My homeland), containing the extraordinary piece: Die Moldau (The Moldava River). I have it in vinyl, with the Chech Philarmonic Orchestra, conducted by Vaclav Neumann. It is a wonderful recording, but most of all, a wonderful piece of music art.

Have a nice afternoon.

Bob James / David Sanborn Double Vision

This seems like the right thread to pose this question:

What is the most realistic sounding piano recording you've heard?

By that, I mean a CD or SACD that, when played on a good/great sound system, isrealistic enough to be mistaken for a real piano by a blindfolded listener?

The closest thing I've found so far is this: Art Lande's While She Sleeps, PianoLullabieshttp://www.amazon.com/While-She-Slee...9387023&sr=1-2

When I close my eyes, played back at medium volume, it actually sounds like some

one playing a real Steinway in the room, except it sounds like the room is larger than my listening room. The tone, reverberations and harmonics, it's all there. The one thing about the recording that spoils the illusion for me somewhat isthat the pedals are too audible.

I have 2 Diana Krall CD's/SACDs, but personally speaking, with my eyes closed, there is no way I could be fooled into believing that someone was playing a realpiano live. It's simply a good recording of music with someone singing and playing a piano, but there's no doubt that it's a recording.


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Until the Art Lande SACD, I could never be sure if it was simply an inadequacy of my system that resulted in me never being able to believe that I was listeningto a real piano being played live, but hearing this album was a revelation.

It struck me especially when I stepped out of the room the second time I was listening to it; even hearing it through the doorway, it actually sounded like there was someone playing a real Steinway live in the room, except that the recording made it sound like the room was bigger than the room my system is actually in.It actually sounded even more realistic hearing it through the doorway becauseI could no longer hear the pedaling. It sounded exactly like my friend's parentshouse with him playing on the Steinway in their Great Room.

It got me thinking about this article regarding the Steinway Lyngdorf Model D speakers:http://www.6moons.com/industryfeatures/steinway/1.htmland this particular paragraphQuote:

When the Steinway Lyngdorf System D was ready for its first unveiling in Moscow,the stage hosted five Model D Steinway grands. At the sides were the loudspeakers, in the front seats was the full management of Steinway & Sons. Ten talentedyoung pianists opened the concert with quattre main works. The second part of the score was played above the keys where the electronics of Model D playback took

over. Nobody in the audience noticed the playback half or in this case the handsync until the pianists gave a show of hands whilst the music continued. That'swhen the Steinway Lyngdorf system received a standing ovation from those present. When Peter recounted this anecdote a twinkle appeared in his eyes.

I realized that this required not only a system capable of realistically reproducing the sound of a real piano (or in that case, pianos plural?), but also a recording that realistically captured the sound of a piano being played.

So let's hear your recommendations folks. What have you heard that's realistic enough to potentially make a person believe they were hearing a real piano beingplayed right there in front of them?

Neither SACD or CD. DVD-A of DSOTMBap Kennedy - Lonely StreetBap Kennedy - Howl OnJohn Hiatt - Alone in the DarkDire Straits - BIAMark Knopfler - Shangri La or Get LuckyFlight of the Cosmic Hippo by Bela Fleck And The FlecktonesTrinity Sessions by Cowboy JunkiesMendelssohn String Quartets by Emerson String QuartetThe Coryells by Larry Coryell and SonsFriday Night in San FranciscoKeb Mo' by Keb Mo

> SACD (2-Ch) Dave Alvin "Blackjack Davld" (MFSL)> SACD (Multi) Junior Wells "Come On In This House" (Telarc)Seal - SealYo Yo Ma's Soul of the TangoMarcus Roberts' Portraits in Blue (his take on Gershwin)Schindler's List OST - John William's score and Itzhak Perlman on solo violinFiona Apple's When the PawnSarah McLachlan's SolaceMaura O'Connell's A Real Life StoryFairground Attraction's The First of a Million Kisses


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Alicia Keys' Songs in A minor (especially track one, for an exceptional blend ofR&B with Classical piano)Royal Crown Revue's The ContenderZubin Mehta's Richard Wagner excerpts with the New York PhilharmonicIn the court of the Crimson King -- King Crimson HDCDAvalon -- Roxy Music SACDRajaz -- Camel HDCDStimela --Hugh Masekela CDTalking Timbuktu -- Ali Farka Toure @ Ry Cooder CDLove is the thing -- Nat King Cole SACDSwinging at the fences -- Big Phat Band CDOrient and Occident -- Jordy Savall @ Hesperion XXI SACDThe Rosary Sonatas -- H.I. Biber -- Andrew Manze @ Richard Egarr CDEaster Oratorio -- J.S. Bach -- Bach Collegium Japan SACDJesse Cook's Free FallSACD:Dire Straits - Brothers In ArmsNorah Jones - Come Away With Me

CD:Dire Straits - On Every StreetTracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman (1988 album)

Tears For Fears - The Seeds of LoveNatalie Merchant - Ophelia

Chris BottiJennifer Warnes' "The Well" on SACD

SACD, Nora Jones "Come away with me". I also have this on CD and wow what a difference.

http://www.sa-cd.net/homehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Audio_CD#Copy_protection

Dream Theater - Images and WordsDave Brubeck Quartet - Time OutPrimusPink Floyd - DSOTMTenacious D - Tenacious DBen Harper and the Innocent - Live from MarsBrothers In ArmsDSOMHell Freezes OverAjaDays of Future PassedSteely Dan - GauchoBruce Cockburn - Stealing Fire

Genesis - A Trick of the TailLoggins and Messina - Full SailNeville Brothers - Live from Planet EarthGeorge Benson - BreezinDan Fogelberg/Tim Weisberg - Twin Sons of Different MothersJamie Cullum - TwentysomethingJohn Mayer - Battle StudiesJosh Groban - You Raise Me UpBubleNeil Young's Live At Massey Hall


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Michael Jackson's ThrillerDiana Krall "All For You"Ether of the 1st two ramones albums, rocket to russia and/or road to ruinJacques Loussier Trio SatieCar Audio Nationals II - Official Alpine Reference CD (Audio System CompetitionEvaluation CD)gaucho steely danmercury fallin stingbali run fourplayMetallica - Ride the lighteningMegaDeth - Rust in Pieces or That One Special NightPantara - The Best OfTestament - Formation of the DamnationSlayer - Reign in BloodMetal Church - Metal ChurchDream Theatre - Images & WordsIron Madien - Number of the BeastJudas Priest - Hell Bent for LeatherQueensryche - Operation MindcrimeMotley Crue - Shout at the DevilFleetwood Mac - Rumours (SACD)Pink Floyd's "The Final Cut"Supertramp's Breakfast in Americahttp://www.dr.loudness-war.info/index.php?search_artist=iron+maiden&sort=dr&orde

r=descPet Sounds - Beach Boys (MFSL SACD)Beth Nielsen Chapman - Beth Nielsen Chapman (CD)You Hold the Key - Beth Nielsen Chapman (CD)Sand and Water - Beth Nielsen Chapman (CD)Singles 1969-1981 - Carpenters (A&M SACD)Lead Me On - Amy Grant (Original CD release, not the remastered EMI release thatdestroyed all ambience, grrr)Just A Little Lovin- Shelby Lynne (CD)Fresh Aire II, III and V - Mannheim Steamroller (Original CDs, not the HDCD remasters)The Complete Reprise Studio Recordings - Frank Sinatra & Count Basie (Frank Sinatra Collection 2011 Remaster CD)

As explained to me...

In the early 1980's, at the beginning of CD's, many (most) recording studios were using 6" monitors which emulated your typical car speaker (of the day). Most music was being listened to in the car while cruising and...eek.gif Engineers hadbeen making the sound "right" to be heard from radio, cassette and 8 track tapes on car stereos. It wasn't until people, building home stereo systems (to replace the ol' "console"), and added the new CD player, that it was realized how badthe resolution and dynamics of the medium was on CD when played back on "real"speakers. It was said that, "CD's would never replace LP's!"

The studio monitors were seriously up-graded, the sampling rates went up and a d

ecent CD was then produced, which was a serious contender to the LP! It's funnythat 30 years later, the quality of CD is dropping again because "people" seem to be happy listening to MP3's (why spend money to put quality into a CD?), so LP's are making a come back! (not that they ever left) Another reason to beat yourchildren.biggrin.gif

My kids would rather listen to MP3's on headphones from their computers or I-pods than to my McIntosh system, because of convenience. My son HAS admitted that the Mac does sound better so has started to use FLAC's...on his I-pod and headphones instead of ear buds. Sigh. But he has bought one LP...of game sound tracks


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Dave Brubeck - the song "Take Five" on vinyl, if you want an introduction to what Jazz can be!Fresh Aire on the original "direct to disk" vinylIan Kelly - "Speak Your Mind" album on CDBuckingham/Nicks album on vinyl (there is a repressing)Cowboy Junkies - "Studio" on CDJennifer Warren - "Famous Blue Raincoat" First heard this on the first pair of Ribbon Speakers that I had heard. In 1987 I couldn't afford the $40,000 speakers,or the mono blocks, but I bought the CD!Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the MoonAl Stewarts Year Of The CatSteely Dan's Aja and Trick Of The Tail by Genesis1.Peter Erskine trio: As it Is, (ecm)

2.Frank Sinatra Only the Lonely(capitol)

3 Joni Mitchel Travelogue(amazon)

4.Pieter Wispelwey Bach cello suites (3rd recording)(amazon)

5.Carmen Gomes inc. Thousand Shades of Blue http://www.soundliaison.com/"Blue Mind" by Anne Bisson

One of my favorite Diana Krall recordings is "Love Scenes", but it has some recording artifacts, so I don't put it among the very best (just as a recording). For one thing, Love Scenes has quite some background white noise. While it's perfectly bearable, for example in "I don't stand a ghost of a chance with you", if you listen closely you can hear that background noise go significantly higher right before her voice first appears in the song, she sings "I love you oooohh so... madly...", and then right afterwards the background noise goes down. Right before her voice comes back again, background noise goes up, she sings her second phrase "I need your love so... badly...", and then right afterwards background noise goes down again. This happens a few more times, as if her mic (or the corresponding channel) was being completely shut off when she wasn't singing, or as ifthe mixing simply showed different levels of background noise in the differentchannels being mixed. (Has anyone noticed these issues I'm mentioning in this CD

btw?) Whatever technique caused this, maybe it lowers the noise in some parts of the song, but it introduces these unnatural imbalances in the background whitenoise that clearly remind you that you are just listening to a recording that went through some stuff in a studio etc. Despite all this nitpicking, that is a great CD too, hugely recommended.

40yr aniversary re-mastering of King Crimson's "In The Court of The Crimson King" by Steven Wilson and Robert Fripp is absolutely wonderful and a perfect example of what remastering should be all about.

heck out guys like Diament, Gastwirt, Hoffman, and the rest to hear how good thesilver disc can sound.

audiophile albums

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