Outstanding Demo CD's etc...

Frans · « **Reply #1160 on:** 1 Mar 2012, 09:50 pm »

I didn't see anybody mention Steven Wilson's superb BluRay-Audio disc "Grace for Drowning." It's a true Reference Quality full HD resolution recording natively conceived for 5.1 Surround.

I know this is not a CD, but we are talking kick-ass audio for demos right? There are a handful of other BluRay Audio CDs out there, such as Rush "Moving Pictures" and Tom Petty "Damn the Torpedoes." Also mighty fine examples, but not originally conceived for the format.

adydula · « **Reply #1161 on:** 2 Mar 2012, 05:43 pm »

Hi Frans,

Thanks for the recommendation....there is a place for Blu Ray stuff as well.

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=77085.0

I have several multi-channel dvds , hd dvd and blu-rays my self...and most are really neat in there own way...

But this is a 2 ch red book old school thread....

All the best!

Alex

Frans · « **Reply #1162 on:** 3 Mar 2012, 01:18 am »

Aha, well, there is also a 2 channel audio CD available and it's also system demo quality. It's just that when you have something even more mindblowing available that you reach for that!

On the redbook CD front I really like the moody sounds of Depeche Mode's Violator. Especially "Personal Jesus" is a nice workout for the speakers. I have a first-run of Dire Straits "Love Over Gold" that is the most analog sounding CD I have - it's just stunningly warm. When they "remastered" it they stripped all the warmth that made it great. Still an excellent CD I'm sure, but not when you compare it to the original CD that was released in 1982.

More recently I really like the CD track "Marty and the Magic Moose" by DeeExpus off "The King of Number 33." Just a kicking tune that make your speakers sound great!

Saturn94 · « **Reply #1163 on:** 3 Mar 2012, 05:36 pm »

Quote from: Frans on 3 Mar 2012, 01:18 am

...............More recently I really like the CD track "Marty and the Magic Moose" by DeeExpus off "The King of Number 33." Just a kicking tune that make your speakers sound great!

There's some cool stuff on that site. Thanks for the recommendation.

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #1164 on:** 3 Mar 2012, 07:28 pm »

Digging thru my Cd's again Alex....good one here.....not mentioned...but well worth owning....it's "Simply Grand".

Irma Thomas - "Simply Grand"

" I Think It's Going to Rain Today "

"River Is Waiting"

http://www.allmusic.com/album/simply-grand-r1400239/review

Enjoy.....

J Fallows · « **Reply #1165 on:** 4 Mar 2012, 12:05 am »

Listened to the samples.
What great music, Thanks

Art_Chicago · « **Reply #1166 on:** 4 Mar 2012, 09:20 pm »

Quote from: Frans on 1 Mar 2012, 09:50 pm

I didn't see anybody mention Steven Wilson's superb BluRay-Audio disc "Grace for Drowning." It's a true Reference Quality full HD resolution recording natively conceived for 5.1 Surround.

I know this is not a CD, but we are talking kick-ass audio for demos right? There are a handful of other BluRay Audio CDs out there, such as Rush "Moving Pictures" and Tom Petty "Damn the Torpedoes." Also mighty fine examples, but not originally conceived for the format.

Frans
Excellent suggestion! I just picked up a CD version from the local library. Great stuff, no compression et all. Music reminds me of King Crimson to some extent ( I understand that he was part of their more recent recordings).
Thanks

Chromisdesigns · « **Reply #1167 on:** 4 Mar 2012, 09:56 pm »

I like the Telarc Mazel/Cleveland recording of Night on Bald Mountain and Pictures at an Exhibiton.

http://www.amazon.com/Moussorgsky-Night-Mountain-Pictures-Exhibition/dp/B000003CSH

Saturn94 · « **Reply #1168 on:** 4 Mar 2012, 10:08 pm »

Quote from: Chromisdesigns on 4 Mar 2012, 09:56 pm

I like the Telarc Mazel/Cleveland recording of Night on Bald Mountain and Pictures at an Exhibiton.

http://www.amazon.com/Moussorgsky-Night-Mountain-Pictures-Exhibition/dp/B000003CSH

+1

I've owned that recording since it was released on vinyl (later bought the CD) many, many years ago.

baxtr · « **Reply #1169 on:** 7 Mar 2012, 03:10 am »

I just picked up the new Andrew Bird: Break it Yourself. I think it is is the best CD I have heard on my HT2-TL speakers so far. The RAAL tweeter just sounds amazing with this disc.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/mar/01/andrew-bird-break-yourself-review

Austin08 · « **Reply #1170 on:** 7 Mar 2012, 04:27 am »

Man, this thread has all the good stuff. Here are my 2cts. These are some of my favorite old red book cd in addition to the list.

Hayley Westenra - Celtic Treasure for vocal. Her voice is beautiful.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000MTDRJA/ref=mp_s_a_2?qid=1331093735&sr=8-2

Ana Caram - Blue Bossa. When you need a little quite jazz momment.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/cr/B00005Q46M/ref=aw_d_cr_music?qid=1331093887&sr=8-5

Austin08 · « **Reply #1171 on:** 7 Mar 2012, 07:45 am »

Here is another good one

Eden Atwood: Waves, Bosa Nova section

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00006AFJB/ref=mp_s_a_7?qid=1331106082&sr=8-7-spell

Saturn94 · « **Reply #1172 on:** 12 Mar 2012, 02:22 am »

"American Adagios" on the Telarc label.

http://www.amazon.com/American-Adagios-Samuel-Barber/dp/B000009RCU/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1331518714&sr=1-1

Track 9 is especially beautiful! It's a choral piece based on Barber's "Adagio for Strings".

WGH · « **Reply #1173 on:** 19 Mar 2012, 04:33 pm »

Alternesia was mentioned in a recent Stereophile review so I had to check it out. Jon Iverson plays his compositions on Indonesian Gamelan instruments. The album has a clarity that most recordings lack because it was recorded A-D with no intermediate mixing deck.

The music swells and fills the room with interesting and complex rhythms played on traditional Gamelan instruments like the a ugal (photo below), a large gong, the ceng ceng, smaller gongs and cymbals of various sizes; a small selection of wooden suling, or flutes; a set of bamboo angklung (tuned bamboo rattles); several large bamboo jegogan (bamboo xylophone); a wooden kendang drum; several small hand drums; and a bamboo genggong (similar to a Jew's harp), and more. The bass is deep and humungous.

From the website:

"Created, Recorded and Produced by Jon Iverson at the remote Dog Bark Recording Camp in California. Everything you hear are actual instruments recorded directly one at a time (no mixing board) to a specially modified MCI JH100 2" 16 track analog recorder. With the exception of a wee bit of sampled bass in just a couple of tiny spots, there were no sequencers, synthesizers or fancy computer editors used—all was multitracked in person with microphones.

Mastering accomplished by Robert Rich at Soundscape. Robert Rich also played the Bamboo Flute on track 7. All other instruments coaxed to life and banged on by Jon Iverson."

The album is available as a free download in .flac, aiff, and .wav formats at the Alternesia website:
http://www.alternesia.com/

Wayne

lonewolfny42 · « **Reply #1174 on:** 21 Mar 2012, 05:40 am »

Thanks for the download link Wayne....

History...

Saturn94 · « **Reply #1175 on:** 21 Mar 2012, 02:27 pm »

Quote from: WGH on 19 Mar 2012, 04:33 pm

Alternesia was mentioned in a recent Stereophile review so I had to check it out. Jon Iverson plays his compositions on Indonesian Gamelan instruments. The album has a clarity that most recordings lack because it was recorded A-D with no intermediate mixing deck.

The music swells and fills the room with interesting and complex rhythms played on traditional Gamelan instruments like the a ugal (photo below), a large gong, the ceng ceng, smaller gongs and cymbals of various sizes; a small selection of wooden suling, or flutes; a set of bamboo angklung (tuned bamboo rattles); several large bamboo jegogan (bamboo xylophone); a wooden kendang drum; several small hand drums; and a bamboo genggong (similar to a Jew's harp), and more. The bass is deep and humungous.

From the website:

"Created, Recorded and Produced by Jon Iverson at the remote Dog Bark Recording Camp in California. Everything you hear are actual instruments recorded directly one at a time (no mixing board) to a specially modified MCI JH100 2" 16 track analog recorder. With the exception of a wee bit of sampled bass in just a couple of tiny spots, there were no sequencers, synthesizers or fancy computer editors used—all was multitracked in person with microphones.

Mastering accomplished by Robert Rich at Soundscape. Robert Rich also played the Bamboo Flute on track 7. All other instruments coaxed to life and banged on by Jon Iverson."

The album is available as a free download in .flac, aiff, and .wav formats at the Alternesia website:
http://www.alternesia.com/

Wayne

Thanks for the link. I downloaded it last night and hope to see how it sounds on my HT2-TLs later this week.

Update: Listened to it last night....sounds great! Thanks.

WGH · « **Reply #1176 on:** 21 Mar 2012, 02:55 pm »

Quote from: Saturn94 on 21 Mar 2012, 02:27 pm

.... hope to see how it sounds on my HT2-TLs later this week.

Remember to buckle your seat belt so you're not knocked out of your chair when the bass come in.

rick_reynolds40 · « **Reply #1177 on:** 21 Mar 2012, 03:01 pm »

Hey guys, just wanted to share an album that I have been listening to lately.

Chris Taylor's latest...Nocturnal

http://www.amazon.com/Nocturnal-Chris-Taylor/dp/B004RQ3F0A/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1332341710&sr=1-1

Chris Taylor is pretty amazing. The first review on Amazon pretty much nails it.

Sounds AMAZING on my ST-RT's

Cheers

Rick

Frans · « **Reply #1178 on:** 23 Mar 2012, 02:58 am »

Quote from: WGH on 19 Mar 2012, 04:33 pm

The album is available as a free download in .flac, aiff, and .wav formats at the Alternesia website:
http://www.alternesia.com/

Good call, it sounds exquisite!

adydula · « **Reply #1179 on:** 23 Mar 2012, 02:39 pm »

Hey Guys! (and Gals!)...

Been really busy with life, but glad to see the latest recommendations!

We are approaching 100,000 views!!!

Keep those recommendations coming in!!

All the best
Alex!