Best sounding albums in your collection . .

WGH · « **Reply #20 on:** 4 Dec 2014, 04:57 am »

Zubin Mehta, Holst's The Planets, L.A. Philharmonic, London CS 6734 (one of HP's faves)
Yello, One Second, Mercury 422-832675-1
John Lee Hooker, The Healer
Rob Wasserman, Duets, MCA Records 7674-22131-1

ACHiPo · « **Reply #21 on:** 4 Dec 2014, 04:58 am »

Oh and +1 to Talking Heads Stop Making Sense. Hadn't listened to it in years and it's really good.

Edit: Just finishing the second side and I take it back. Music is decent, record is quiet, but it is definitely giving me a headache! Guessing it is an early digital recording?

S Clark · « **Reply #22 on:** 4 Dec 2014, 05:29 am »

Walton's Façade on Victrola, Casino Royale on Colgems, Manhattan Jazz Quintet "My Funny Valentine" on King all come quickly to mind.

ElliottStudio · « **Reply #23 on:** 4 Dec 2014, 06:05 am »

Alan Parsons Project - Pyramid. Great recording, great music.

jimtranr · « **Reply #24 on:** 4 Dec 2014, 07:46 am »

One of them: Morton Gould, Gould Ballet Music ("Fall River Legend", "Interplay", two movements from his "Latin-American Symphonette"), RCA Living Stereo LSC-2532. Produced by Joseph Habig, engineered by Lewis Layton, 1961.

BobM · « **Reply #25 on:** 4 Dec 2014, 02:10 pm »

Rock
Bridge of Sighs original was good, but the Friday Music re-release is better.
Alan Parsons - I Robot, Edgar Allen Poe, Turn of a Friendly Card
Cat Stevens - all of them + the re-releases
Stevie Ray Vaughn - Couldn't Stand the Weather
Dire Straits - all of them
Ambrosia - 1st 2 albums
Moody Blues - everything up to Every Good Boy Deserves Favor
Santana - Abraxas, Moonflower (reissue)
Traffic - most of them
Van Morrison - Moondance
CSNY - So Far, CSN,
Simon & Garfunkel - all of them
Steely Dan - all of them
James Taylor - all of them
Robert Plant - Raising Sand
Pink Floyd - all of them
The Who - Who's Next
Joni Mitchell - all the early & mid-period ones

Jazz - there seems to be more consistently fine recordings in this category, almost all jazz from the 50's - 60's will sound damn good, just pick your guy and go with it
Oregon - all of them (Damn near everything on the ECM label sounds awesome)
Andreas Vollenweider - all of them
Eberhard Weber - all of them
Pat Metheny - all of them
Acoustic Alchemy - most of them
Count Basie - most of them, but especially 88 Basie Street
Oscar Peterson - anything on the Pablo label (most Pablo recordings are awesome)
Ray Charles - Ray Sings Basie Swings
The Rippingtons - consistently good "studio" sound
David Benoit - all of them
Lee Ritenour - all of them
Dave Gruisin - all of them (anything on the GRP label is good)
Getz/Gilberto - s/t
Chet Baker - most of them
Jimmy Smith - most of them

Blues
hell, they all seem to sound good

orientalexpress · « **Reply #26 on:** 4 Dec 2014, 03:19 pm »

sweet ,keep it coming

simoon · « **Reply #27 on:** 4 Dec 2014, 06:03 pm »

This is off the top of my head. I am sure there are many more.

Prog-rock:

Genesis - The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway (Japanese pressing)
King Crimson - Islands, Lark's Tongue in Aspic (Japanese)
Banco - Io Sono Nato Libero (original Italian release)
Universe Zero - Ceux Du Dehors
FM - Head Room (also known as 'Direct to Disc'. Canadian prog-rock trio recorded this direct-to-disc live in the studio)

Jazz:

Return to Forever - Romantic Warrior (Japanese pressing. Great dynamics!)
Weather Report - Heavy Weather (half speed master)
Art Ensemble of Chicago - Nice Guys (ECM)
Azymuth with Ralph Towner (ECM)
Ralph Towner - Old Friends, New Friends (ECM)
Oh hell... almost anything on ECM.
John Coltrane - A Love Supreme (180 gram reissue)
Iceberg - Arc-En-Ciel (amazing fusion from Spain)

Classical:

Excerpts from Romeo and Juliet - Prokofiev
Direct-to-disc on Sheffield Labs, the LA Phil with Eric Liensdorf conducting. Recordings don't get much better. Dynamics, transparency, imaging, detail...

Pictures at an Exhibition - Mussorgsky/Ravel
Analog Productions reissue of the RCA 'Shaded Dog'. Fritz Reiner and the Chicago Symphony. Can't wait to get the Bartok!

In the mid 70's, budget label Nonesuch released quite a few LPs of contemporary and avant-garde classical chamber music by the likes of Stefan Wolpe, Joseph Schwantner, Druckman, Rochberg, etc.

I'm not going to list them all, but the entire series is universally great, musically and recording quality. Especially if you want to to test imaging. Musically they are kind of 'thorny' and most are atonal, so YMMV.

Stravinsky conducts Stravinsky - L'histoire du soldat (The Soldiers Tale)

roscoeiii · « **Reply #28 on:** 4 Dec 2014, 06:24 pm »

That RL Led Zeppelin II is stunning. Deserving of its rep. Other faves are the QRP Tea for the Tillerman, and 45 RPM QRP Love Supreme. 45 RPM Mingus is also stunning, as is Out to Lunch.

Albums that may not be the absolute best sounding but which are useful for evaluation purposes include James Blake's first LP, Fleet Foxes S/T, and Radiohead Hail to the Thief.

orthobiz · « **Reply #29 on:** 4 Dec 2014, 06:35 pm »

Quote from: BobM on 4 Dec 2014, 02:10 pm

Rock

Moody Blues - everything up to Every Good Boy Deserves Favor

I was unhappy with Days of Future Passed until I found an old MoFi. I'd bet the British releases best the US stuff...

Paul

rofo · « **Reply #30 on:** 4 Dec 2014, 06:42 pm »

Quote from: simoon on 4 Dec 2014, 06:03 pm

Prog-rock:

FM - Head Room (also known as 'Direct to Disc'. Canadian prog-rock trio recorded this direct-to-disc live in the studio)

I'll second the FM album. It is one of my all time favourites.

and I'll add.

Rough Trade Live! Direct to Disc
Thelma Houston & Pressure Cooker ‎– I've Got The Music In Me (direct to disc)
Rob McConnell And The Boss Brass ‎– Big Band Jazz (direct to disc)

At the time this was one of the best live recordings.

The Tubes - What Do You Want from Live

BobM · « **Reply #31 on:** 4 Dec 2014, 07:04 pm »

There are also the standard audiophile show stand-by's

Belefonte at Carnegie Hall
Friday Night in San Francisco - McLaughlin, DeLucia, DeMeola
any female singer in the last 10 years, like Dianne Krall, Patricia Barber

etc., you know, the stuff that you hear once, buy and never listen to again at home

Wayner · « **Reply #32 on:** 4 Dec 2014, 08:14 pm »

Quote from: orthobiz on 4 Dec 2014, 06:35 pm

I was unhappy with Days of Future Passed until I found an old MoFi. I'd bet the British releases best the US stuff...

Paul

You didn't like the Duram DSS version? (SML 707)

Wind Chaser · « **Reply #33 on:** 4 Dec 2014, 08:16 pm »

Quote from: vortrex on 4 Dec 2014, 01:43 am

Alice In Chains Unplugged is my go-to album now, incredible.

+1 ...that is a great disc.

Currently listening to "One Second" by Yello.

turnovertherecord · « **Reply #34 on:** 4 Dec 2014, 10:04 pm »

Alan parsons group
Dan hill

woodsyi · « **Reply #35 on:** 4 Dec 2014, 10:23 pm »

This is a great thread. I will make it a sticky.

Stevie Ray Vaughan-Texas Hurricane 45 RPM Box Set is really good.

Wind Chaser · « **Reply #36 on:** 4 Dec 2014, 10:41 pm »

oops - my reco wasn't even vinyl - do cds / digital sources count or is that going to be another thread?

woodsyi · « **Reply #37 on:** 4 Dec 2014, 11:00 pm »

Quote from: Wind Chaser on 4 Dec 2014, 10:41 pm

oops - my reco wasn't even vinyl - do cds / digital sources count or is that going to be another thread?

Vinyl for sure. Different mastering for digital, you know. You can start the best sounding digital recording thread on another circle.

ElliottStudio · « **Reply #38 on:** 12 Dec 2014, 10:36 pm »

Currently listening to "One Second" by Yello.

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Great album, great recording. Have One Second, Flag and another one I can't remember, all on vinyl.

jimdgoulding · « **Reply #39 on:** 12 Dec 2014, 11:40 pm »

Well, here's a few more from a memo to my local audio society sent yesterday:

"I've had a few of you over and to my modest listening room- tho recent changes abide- and never knew just what to play. As my guest you may have rummaged thru my collection of analog and CD sides and ask me to play this and that and that's cool, but I have painstakingly zeroed in on some music to showcase what I have to advantage and would like to share. Five sides . .

For tonal purity and richness you may listen to a hard-to-find recording of music by The Carter Chamber Ensemble (harp, flute and viola) on the Sound Storage Recording Company label playing Debussy's Sonata no. 2. For female vocal and very clean solo piano accompaniment, Fairytales from the Norwegian label ODIN (in English) by Radka Toneff. A jazz trio outing from Mark Levinson on his label, Jazz at Long Wharf for transparency and spaciousness, and a live in the club standby that's about as live in the club as it gets, ye olde Jazz at the Pawnshop, again on a Scandanavian label, Proprius. Some of you may have heard or even own that one as it was famous for good sound years back. Lastly, Tchaikovsky's Francesca de Rimini on a Chesky re-master of Munch conducting the Royal Philharmonic. And whatever you might care to bring should you visit one day.

And wouldn't I be remiss to not have at least one R&R album included, ok then, one my daughter bought me, Lungs - Florence + The Machine.

Consider yourself invited most anytime, but please make it during the colder months so we don't have to listen around that damned air conditioning.

Oh, I'd like to visit you, too, btw."