Best sounding and also best music on an LP

audiobat · « **on:** 27 Nov 2011, 06:59 pm »

I think many people would like to know what the Vinyl Circle has to say about the LP you like best out of all your LP's.
There are two parts to this question, best sounding and best music (to your tastes).

SOUND:
Now, best sound may fall into several categories, quietest pressing, most dynamic, best sound stage, whatever.
HOWEVER, pick your best overall.

MUSIC:
Music is subjective but I am sure that there will be "someone" interested in knowing what the best bagpipe recording is so don't let music style hold you back. It does not have to be jazz or classical, it can be anything that you like best from all your LP's and feel someone would want to buy.

SteveFord · « **Reply #1 on:** 27 Nov 2011, 07:22 pm »

Best Sound: 25th Anniversary DSOTM was really impressive on my set up.
Best Music: 150gm Who's Next (great sound, too!)

There's really an awful lot to choose from, though.
Doors collection from Rhino, Jefferson Airplane collection from Sundazed, 200gm Hot Rats, the recent Stones reissues, on and on.

roscoeiii · « **Reply #2 on:** 27 Nov 2011, 09:58 pm »

Best Sound: QRP's new pressing of "Tea for the Tillerman"
Best Music: that will take some thought...

decal · « **Reply #3 on:** 27 Nov 2011, 10:15 pm »

Depends on my mood most of the time and how my system sounds at others. I am kind of partial to my copy of Joni Mitchell's "Court and Spark" most of the time. A phenomenal recording.

Wayner · « **Reply #4 on:** 27 Nov 2011, 10:24 pm »

Anything by Andreas Vollenweider. CBS records. Awesome music, awesome recordings, awesome sound-stage. It is oriental sounding music, using harps and other stringed (and otherwise) instruments.

Wayner

audiobat · « **Reply #5 on:** 27 Nov 2011, 10:43 pm »

Andreas Vollenweider I have never heard, just listened online to some of his stuff and I like it.
I see some sealed LP's on Ebay I'm gonna grab.
Good call.

I assume you have checked out Dead Can Dance?
The original LP's are in my opinion the best.

vortrex · « **Reply #6 on:** 27 Nov 2011, 11:30 pm »

Beck - Sea Change. Incredible.

orthobiz · « **Reply #7 on:** 27 Nov 2011, 11:38 pm »

Vollenweider is great. I have some LP's with poly-lined sleeves; I think they came that way. They are not too difficult to come by used.

I have a Jap import Kitaro Silk Road that is also great.

If only there were a spreadsheet in the thread where each member could put in just TWO records as a recommendation. Bet we'd all be buying them and we'd all be the better for it!

Paul

Photon46 · « **Reply #8 on:** 28 Nov 2011, 01:12 am »

If you are into classical music, any British pressed Decca lp from the 60's or 70's has had extremely pleasing audio qualities to my ears. Even Decca's digitally recorded lps from the 80's sound great. I've been buying digitally recorded 80's Stravinsky London FFrr lps that sound mighty fine as well. Generally, as I learn more, I find audio engineers on the classical side of the music business set a high standard. In popular repertoire, Michael Hedge's guitar lps sound killer and the music is great as well. "Live from the Double Planet" and "Aerial Boundaries" are his two best lps IMO. Don't let the "New Age" label often applied to his music scare you off, it transcends that genre. As does Vollenweider, I like his music as well. If you like Dead Can Dance, "Spleen and Ideal" and all after that have extremely high production values and great sound. Stevie Ray Vaughn's lps sound great on all the copies I own. Roxy Music's "Avalon" is great rock music (IMO) and a great recording. In newer material of good musical quality, Broken Bells and Fleet Foxes have good sounding lps.

Wayner · « **Reply #9 on:** 28 Nov 2011, 12:54 pm »

+2 for Dead Can Dance
+1 for Roxy Music's Avalon

Also Thomas Dolby, anything, but I really like Astronauts and Heretics, The Aliens Ate My Buick, Wireless and The Flat Earth.

Supertramp, Live in Paris, Crime of the Century.
Any Depesche Mode
Genesis Box set 1970-1975
Pat Matheny
Pink Floyd, The Final Cut, Momentary Lapse of Reason, Division Bell
Rodger Waters, The Pros and Cons of Hitchhicking.
XTC, Nonsuch
Niel Young, Prairie Wind
Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Welcome to the Pleasure Dome
FM, City of Fear
Beck, Sea Change (+1)
Moody Blues, Days of Future Passed
Peter Gabriel, So
The Cars, all of them

w

LeeH · « **Reply #10 on:** 28 Nov 2011, 01:25 pm »

Sound - Paul Simon Graceland
Music - Led Zeppelin I

audiobat · « **Reply #11 on:** 28 Nov 2011, 02:33 pm »

I have had issues with some London Decca and FFrr pressings being noisy, even sealed copies.
I do agree with the sound quality, just am wondering why I keep encountering this surface noise?

MFSL Sibelius is some nice classical music with great sound, also am liking the MFSL Also Spake Zarathustra.
After the pomp and circumstance of the opening of Zarathustra and the violins come in they sound wonderful on the MFSL LP, quite moving. Some of the old MFSL LP's can be quite nice, although at a price.

Photon46 · « **Reply #12 on:** 28 Nov 2011, 04:36 pm »

Quote from: audiobat on 28 Nov 2011, 02:33 pm

I have had issues with some London Decca and FFrr pressings being noisy, even sealed copies.
I do agree with the sound quality, just am wondering why I keep encountering this surface noise?

MFSL Sibelius is some nice classical music with great sound, also am liking the MFSL Also Spake Zarathustra.
After the pomp and circumstance of the opening of Zarathustra and the violins come in they sound wonderful on the MFSL LP, quite moving. Some of the old MFSL LP's can be quite nice, although at a price.

I guess I've been very lucky, no unusual noise issues have ever surfaced for me on London & Decca. Many of the recent 60's & 70's Decca purchases I've made have come from the collection of a record distributor rep that I stumbled into, so perhaps they are cherry picked copies. I've got perhaps twenty MFSL classical releases and I think they sound much better than any of their rock releases I've heard. However, the prices usually asked for them are excessive IMO. The best sounding classical releases I've heard so far have been on the Chesky label. High priced when you can find them, but beautiful sound.

Kinger · « **Reply #13 on:** 28 Nov 2011, 04:42 pm »

Wayner - Is the vinyl version of Roger Water's Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking pretty quiet? I've always loved the CD and thought it might sound great on vinyl, but unfortunately unless I can come across it used somewhere I don't think I'll get the opportunity to hear it.

Devil Doc · « **Reply #14 on:** 28 Nov 2011, 05:54 pm »

I'm suprised no one has mentioned RCA Shaded Dogs. I'm not crazy about most of the music, but when I want to show off the system, it's what I reach for.

Wayner · « **Reply #15 on:** 28 Nov 2011, 07:16 pm »

Quote from: Kinger on 28 Nov 2011, 04:42 pm

Wayner - Is the vinyl version of Roger Water's Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking pretty quiet? I've always loved the CD and thought it might sound great on vinyl, but unfortunately unless I can come across it used somewhere I don't think I'll get the opportunity to hear it.

It's scary quiet! Barking dogs, and all. If you can find a clean copy, you will be hitting some of the best rock recording of that era. It's a treasure. I will keep an eye out for you. I think I remember seeing a copy somewhere? I'll ask my buddy L10 if he can find one, clean for you.

Wayner

Kinger · « **Reply #16 on:** 28 Nov 2011, 07:20 pm »

Thanks Wayne. Guess I need to keep my eye out for a good used copy............

Photon46 · « **Reply #17 on:** 28 Nov 2011, 08:36 pm »

I imagine most of us frequenting this site are aware of Arthur Salvatore's opinionated reviews of equipment and music, but if you're not, this link to his page about the best sounding vinyl is interesting reading even if you don't agree with him. Be warned, he takes lots of shots at holy cows and emperors with no clothing.

http://www.high-endaudio.com/supreme.html

decal · « **Reply #18 on:** 29 Nov 2011, 02:26 pm »

Quote from: Photon46 on 28 Nov 2011, 08:36 pm

I imagine most of us frequenting this site are aware of Arthur Salvatore's opinionated reviews of equipment and music, but if you're not, this link to his page about the best sounding vinyl is interesting reading even if you don't agree with him. Be warned, he takes lots of shots at holy cows and emperors with no clothing.

That's just one man's take on what sounds good to him.

audiobat · « **Reply #19 on:** 29 Nov 2011, 03:27 pm »

MFSL Rock:
I think some of the rock sounds good, like but not limited to, the following.

Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers
Jethro Tull - Acquilung
Alan Parsons - I Robot
Jackson Browne - The Pretender
Supertramp - Crime of the Century
The Doors

These just off the top of my head, and as I think about it there are many rock MFSL LP's I like.
The old MFSL that is.