[yooper]

For me,

For a powerful bass punch-Ben Harper's Steal My kisses from Burn To Shine CD.

Pin point imaging-Rebecca Pigeon's Spanish Harlem from The Raven CD.

An overall great cut which offers audiophile quality across the board-Janis Ian's Breaking Silence from Breaking Silence CD.

There are many others, but these are more or less my "go to" tracks.

What about you?

Mark

[Wayner]

One of the finest recordings in history is Dire Straights "Brothers in Arms". I use this when I have no other ideas.

W

[zacster]

I'll never understand the 'Brothers in Arms' thing.  I never thought it sounded all that great.  It's not bad, just nothing special to my ears.  It was being played at the NY Audio Rave get together and everyone thought it was great, at very high volume at that, but I couldn't listen. 

As for me, I've been using my AIX DVD-As lately.  They are far superior to any redbook CD in sound quality.  Dr. Waldrep should start sub-contracting out to the big labels and do some better known groups.  If he had been doing DVD-A from the start maybe it would have caught on.  I think I'm going to put one on now.

[tonyptony]

I hate to admit it, but I have to agree. I always thought On Every Street was a better sounding disk. I use it as one of my demo disks. Fortunately I happen to like most of the tunes on it!

Not to everyone's taste, but I also sometimes trot out a Rickie Lee Jones disk; Pop Pop is one most audiogeeks are familiar with.

More often than not I'll go to Bill Evans (Montreaux or Village Vanguard), John Tropea, Frank Kimbrough (although his stuff is usually too closely miked, but it does sound good), Ella or Billie for voice (maybe the Tonester), Oscar Peterson. Selected Mahler and / or Nielsen for classical. The recording quality varies across these disks, but I am years past the point of "listening to notes in their own space" or some such. These disks will generate an emotional response that will tell me when I'm hearing music through a good system.

[Parnelli777]

Patricia Barber - Nightclub, and or Modern Cool. She is right there in the room. Another great one is Stacey Kent's Dreamsville. Ultra sweet.

[warnerwh]

I have a lot of well recorded cds and just grab one.  Everyone has been amazed, audiophile and newbie alike.

[mfsoa]

My "go to" is always Miles_Gurtu.

Hard to classify - World-elecronica I guess.

Buy it, it's really that good IMO. Very transparent, superb soundstaging and imaging.

Another that pops up here is John Scofield - Uberjam, though some of the cuts seem to have the very bottom chopped off.

Also been using Brian Bromberg "Jaco" esp for bass. On Teentown there are often 3 basses playing at once - Acoustic, Nasty-ass funk electric and a piccalo. Cool stuff.

[laserboi]

Patricia Barber - "Cafe Blue"
The String Quartet to A Perfect Circle - ""
Dave Mathews and Tim Reynolds - "Live at Luther College"
Chicago Transit Authority - "Chicago Transit Authority"

There's a bunch more and yes I know you were asking for specific tracks but I think these entire cd's are filled with great demo material.

[zybar]

Here are a few I have been using lately:

Wilco - Sky Blue Sky: Side With Seeds, Hate it Here
Rusted Root - When I Woke: Laugh As the Sun,
Ben Harper & the Blind Boys of Alabama - There Will Be A Light: Mother Pray
Tori Amos - Boys For Pele: Way Down
Dave Matthews Band - Crash:  #41, Say Goodbye
Aimee Mann - The Forgotten Arm:  I Was Thinking I Could Clean Up Before Christmas
Roland Kirk - Domino: Domino, A Stritch in Time
Dire Straits - Sultans of Swing:  Romeo and Juliet, Money for Nothing, Brothers in Arms
Natalie Merchant - Tigerliliy:  Carnival, Cowboy Romance
Whiskeytown - Stranger's Almanac:  Dancing With the Woman at the Bar
Garcia and Grisman - Been All Around This World:  The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Blodd, Sugar, Sex, Magik:  Suck My Kiss, Blood Sugar Sex Magik


George

[TONEPUB]

It depends on whos listening.  I try to get something that I know the listener will really enjoy.

[Thebiker]

Evaluating gear:
Reference Recordings "Symphonic Dances" Rachmaninoff performed by Minnesota Symphony.  The recording is terrific and the dynamic range is stunning.
The Doors :"Soft Parade", the chimes should be crystalline with a good system.
Etta James: any cut from "Blues to the Bone"
Lyle Lovett: "Joshua Judges Ruth"

When I used to work in the trade, Rebecca Pigeon's "Spanish Harlem" could make any system sound at least decent.  So now that I no longer sell mid to low fi, I don't use it.

If I'm showing off my own systems, it depends on the musical taste of the audience.

[TONEPUB]

Good point on evaluating for yourself or demoing for others...

[Housteau]

An overall great cut which offers audiophile quality across the board-Janis Ian's Breaking Silence from Breaking Silence CD.

I just found this recording recently and have to agree that it is very good.  In fact I like the entire CD.

[Eric]

Lyle Lovett - Joshua Judges Ruth
Steeley Dan - Aja
Turtle Creek Choir - Psalms

[zapper7]

Enya                 Watermark             
Queensryche      Empire                 
Michael Buble     Variuos                 
Toni Braxton      Unbreak My Heart   

I always bring "normal" cds from the 80s or so that will tell me if the system can make that "normal" cd sound better. If so, that has huge advantages for those of us who buy what music we like to listen to as opposed to what "sounds" good.

[electricbear]

Here are a few I use in the store.

Yello - Zebra , track 7. Fat Cry
Uri Honing Trio - Star Tracks, track 4 . Walking On The Moon
Fairfield Four - I couldn't hear nobody pray, track 2. These Bones
E. Power Biggs - Bach Great Organ Favorites, track 1+2. Toccata & Fugue, BWV 565