[Skylab]

I got the 200g Classic of Patricia Barber's "A Fortnight in France" for XMas - it's terrific.

So is the FridayMusic 180g of America's self-titled debut. WOW.

 

[Larry I]

For familiar material, I like both the Analogue Productions and Music Matters Bluenote reissues. Bluenote recording quality is not really that great, but the music is terrific and these reissues get the most out of the recordings. Almost all of the Cisco reissues of pop/rock and classical recordings are terrific too, but, unfortunately they are gone. Speaker's Corner reissues are terrific too.

For specific recordings that I most often use for demonstrations (when I am picking the music), I submit the following:

Classical:

Wagner: Tannhauser (Solti on Decca)
Wagner: Ring Cycle (Solti on Decca)
Maconchy: Serenade for Strings (on Lyrita)
Mozart: Clarinet Concerto (de Peyer/Maag on King Reissue)
Ramirez:Missa Criolla(original release on Argentine Philips)

Pop/Rock/Folk/Blues:

Ricki Lee Jones: Girl at Her Volcano (Under the Boardwalk)
Kraftwerk: Electric Cafe (Telephone Line)
Thomas Dolby: Aliens Ate My Buick (Pulp Culture)
Michael Jackson: Thriller (Billie Jean)
David Peabody: Americana (Sewing Machine Blues)
Doug MacLeod: Come to Find (almost any track)
Jazz:

Armstrong: Plays W.C. Handy (St. James Infirmary)
Great Jazz Trio: Direct from LA (Night in Tunisia)
Clark Terry: Alternate Blues (first side)
Yamamoto Trio: Midnight Sugar (Midnight Sugar)

 

[cnocmoy]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skylab /img/forum/go_quote.gif I got the 200g Classic of Patricia Barber's "A Fortnight in France" for XMas - it's terrific. So is the FridayMusic 180g of America's self-titled debut. WOW.

Hi Skylab,
If you think that pressing of "America"" is good try the Warner brothers original pressing K46093 produced by Ian Samwell and Jeff Dexter and engineered by Ken Scott. The original Warner Brothers pressing of America's album "History" produced by George Martin is equally good.
If you would like a list of hundreds more I can PM you . (Happy to do this as a small thankyou for all the help and advce you so kindly gave me about portable amps).
Kind Regards,
Cnocmoy.

 

[hew]

I don't have a descent vinyl rig so I avoided collecting audiophile/reference quality pressings. These are the cds I would use for an audition without duplicating those already mentioned. The equivalent vinyl pressings, if they are available, are probably better.

Sonny Boy Williamson - "Keep it to Ourselves" (Analogue Productions)
Mickey Hart - Planet Drum (track 7)
Paquito D'Rivera - Portraits of Cuba
Joe Cocker - Sheffield Steel (MFSL)
ARC Choir - Walk with me (Mapleshade)
Keb' Mo - Keb' Mo

 

[AudioDwebe]

I'm gonna go in the opposite direction (away from "audiophile" label reissues) and suggest "Caverna Magica" by Andreas Vollenweider, be it a US release or European release or...it really doesn't matter. The sound quality and staging is Magica(l).

If you don't have it already, pick up a copy (they're abundant and inexpensive), put on Side 1, sit back, and be prepared to be totally blown away!

This record has been one of my reference recordings for quite a while. Sounds especially, and I do mean ESPECIALLY great on a speaker-based system.

'Dwebe

 

[fatcat28037]

192k/24 bit DSP

 

[LarryK2]

is hard to beat for the "wow" factor. Here are some of my favorites that are currently available.

Espana: LSO/Argenta, Decca/Speakers Corner (various Spanish theme)
Prokofieff: Lt. Kije, CSO/Reiner, RCA/Chesky (Classic Records also, but I haven't heard it)
Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet Suites, MSO/Skrowaczewski, Mercury/Speakers Corner
The Tube (Die Rohre): Stuttgart Chamber Orch, Tacet (Baroque String Orch collection) -Amazing!

 

[Pangaea]

I have an old pressing of Kind of Blue, before they started all the remastering. It was sealed when I got it. Its sound is amazing.

 

[twestby]

RCA Living Stereo, 45 RPM, single-sided, 200g pressing of Offenbach's Gaite Parisienne, by Fiedler and the Pops (4 disks), recorded in 1954 at Symphony Hall. Yes, you have to get up every eight minutes but it's worth it for the glockenspiel, tambourine, snare, wood blocks, etc. and lovely sonic detail of Symphony Hall, in spite of Fiedler's typical heavy-handed style with the Pops. If you've been to the Pops at Symphony Hall, you'll recognize it immediately when the stylus drops. In 45, the dynamic range on these disks comes as close as any to doing the hall justice. Put on the third disk for anyone who's been to the Pops and stand back and get ready to cheer for the Sox.

 

[tuatara]

Raising Sand- Plant/Krauss, 1st release, great dynamics.

Dark Side of the Moon- 30th ann ed.

The Immortal Mississippi John Hurt- original US 60s release picked up a couple of years ago in as new condition, lovely warmth to voice and guitar.



I find that many of the lps I have on labels like Drag City and Secretly Canadian have less surface noise , better dynamics and pressing than alot of the audiophile heavy weight releases.

 

[jp11801]

Quote:

Originally Posted by thejoneser /img/forum/go_quote.gif I use the 45RPM 180g Music Matters pressings. Especially impressive are Hank Mobley's "Soul Station", and Tina Brooks' "True Blue." Amazing sounding LPs... If you haven't heard them, check them out here - Music Matters, Ltd. - The Definitive Blue Note® 45RPM Reissue Series

these are must have LPs for several reasons

first off the sound is some of the best I have heard

the titles that were selected are not thea same old 50 titles that everyone knows from Blue Note, there are many lesser/unknown gems

They have the best presentation of any series I have owned

 

[jp11801]

Atlantic pressing of Terry Reid's the River

oddly while many audiophile pressings are great there are a boatload of used $2-5 LPs that sound stunning. Sometimes you have to buy a few of the same title to find a good one but it is worth it.