[jarcher]

Back in college I'd consistently seek out from the music library the Deutsche Grammophon, and daughter label Archiv Produktion, along with the more rare Harmonia Mundi albums, partly because of Van Karajan (DG), but also because it seemed like they had the good recordings. Those yellow, blue, and black + white labels respectively just seemed to pop out to me.

Jazz : it would be too obvious to give props to Blue Note, but I have to anyway.

On the blues side, I've been partial to Alligator Records, for all the great artists and mostly good recordings.  Their 20th anniversary album introduced me to a whole world of blues artist outside of the "big names" that merited listening to.  From greats like Albert Collins & Koko Taylor, to lesser knowns like Roy Buchanan.

Touch & Go and SST Records for the non-mainstream stuff - e.g. Butthole Surfers, Big Black for the former, Black Flag, Sonic Youth, etc for the latter.

So let's hear it for the great record labels - past & present.  Whose worthy of praise in your opinion & why?

[Wayner]

MOFI, CBS (not to be confused with Columbia), EMI, Epic, some Island, some Polydor.....

Wayner

[Devil Doc]

RCA Shaded Dogs. Because no one has done it better since.

Doc

[poseidonsvoice]

Music on Vinyl.

Anand.

[thunderbrick]

RCA Shaded Dogs. Because no one has done it better since.

Doc

+1!

After that MoFi, Reference, Lyrita, Shanachie, Telarc LPs, Rhino

[rockadanny]

Blue Note, ECM, and Legacy (for their superb reissues).

[PierreB]

ECM for cd
Classic Reissues and MoFi  for lp.

[S Clark]

RCA Shaded Dogs. Because no one has done it better since.

Doc

In classical RCA SD, RCA WhiteD, Mercury Living Presence, Decca/London, Chandos, EMI, early Angel, some Columbia 6 eye, older DG with tulip circle label can all be stunning lps. CD, Chesky and Mapleshade make some stunning recordings. I think that many of the mid 50's-early 60's era mono sound better than the stereo. 
I'd like to hear more jazz recommendations.  Everyone likes Blue Note (me too) but what else?

Scott

[richidoo]

My fav classical labels are BIS, Cedille, Pentatone, Naxos, EMI.  Great music, talent, sound quality.

[SteveFord]

RCA, Verve, Capitol, Barking Pumpkin, Sundazed, London/Decca.

Why?  You can usually count on good to great sound quality. 

[Guy 13]

Hi all Audio Circle members.

Telarc LPs & CDs

Guy 13

[liddown]

Stockfisch.... Some of the best sound going

[S Clark]

I reluctantly mention a great bargain label-- the maroon Victrola are usually the equal of the RCA SD & WD. Also early stampers are easier (and cheaper) to find.  Avoid the later crap pink labels.
Scott

[*Scotty*]

I like Decca, Deutsche Grammaphone and the RCA RedSeal labels. I am also partial to the classical recordings produced by Charles Gerhardt and engineered by Kenneth Wilkinson for Readers Digest. Very good quality recordings and excellent performances. Kenneth Wilkinson was also responsible for the "Decca Sound" and was the inventor of the Decca tree.
Scotty

[medium jim]

Vocalion Pre-WWII Blues!



Jim

[brooklyn]

GRP

Grusin and Rosen Productions

[S Clark]

I like Decca, Deutsche Grammaphone and the RCA RedSeal labels. I am also partial to the classical recordings produced by Charles Gerhardt and engineered by Kenneth Wilkinson for Readers Digest. Very good quality recordings and excellent performances. Kenneth Wilkinson was also responsible for the "Decca Sound" and was the inventor of the Decca tree.
Scotty

Red Seal went through a period of poor quality starting in the late 60's through the mid 70"s.  Very flimsy vinyl- usually marked "Dynaguard'.  I stay away from those.  There is a pamplet entitled "The Golden Era of RCA Records" by James Mitchell- about 30 pages of excellent info.  I've never heard a Decca I didn't like, and heard so many noisy Deutsche that I usually don't buy them.  And that's a good tip on the Reader's Digest. They can be very high quality.

[elasticnorseman]

BIS, Nonesuch, ECM, and Stiff

[thunderbrick]

Red Seal went through a period of poor quality starting in the late 60's through the mid 70"s.  Very flimsy vinyl- usually marked "Dynaguard'.  I stay away from those.  There is a pamplet entitled "The Golden Era of RCA Records" by James Mitchell- about 30 pages of excellent info.  I've never heard a Decca I didn't like, and heard so many noisy Deutsche that I usually don't buy them.  And that's a good tip on the Reader's Digest. They can be very high quality.

+1!