Audiophile Albums

Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms test/sampler cd's from Macintosh, Naim, Linn, Chesky Steely Dan...................Gaucho + Aja Beck...........................Sea Change Clifford Jordan Quartet....Live at Ethels Yes.............................Fragile (Mofi records version) Van Halen....................Van Halen (DCC version) Metallica.....................Master of Puppets / Ride The Lightning (DCC versio ns) Rush...........................Grace Under Pressure (maybe, idk, undecided if it s audiophile or not) Donald Fagen...............Nightfly Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon Eric Clapton - Unplugged Alice in Chains Unplugged Tool - ?nema Alison Krauss Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot Nils Lofgren - Acoustic Live Dream Theater Shpongle Architecture in Helsinki - In Case We Die Genesis - "Selling England by the Pound" Infected Mushroom Radical Face - Ghost The Who - Tommy "Grace" by Jeff Buckley Ana Caram Tortosie - TNT Michael Hedges: Beyond Boundaries Female vocals: Fumbling towards exctasy - Sarah Mclachlen Come away with me - Norah Jones Jazz: Kind of Blue - Miles Davis (Recent Columbia version) Dave Brubeck Quartet - Time Out Van Morisson - Moondance Old school rock: Brothers in arms (dire straits) Appetite for destruction (guns'n roses) Machine head (deep purple) Ten (pearl jam) Some Devil, Dave Matthews Decca recordings of Ashkenazi conducting or playing Rachmaninov first two Nickel Creek David Grisman 100% Handmade Music, Volume 1 Harry Connick, Jr Lofty's Roach Souffle When Harry Met Sally Tuck & Patti A Change of Heart" by John Beasley December - George Winston Pink Martini Cold War kids' "Robbers & Cowards Rocco DeLuca & The Burden's "I Trust You To Kill Me Nine Inch Nails Marillion-Marbles Porcupine Tree's In Absentia and Fear of a Blank Planet Radiohead's Ok Computer PAGANINI-DIABOLUS IN MUSICA by Accardo

I Robot" by Alan Parson's Project Pretty Hate Machine" by Nine Inch Nails Paul Simon - Graceland Patricia Barber, "Modern Cool kate bush - the whole story - 1986 Fleetwood Mac's "The Dance Eagle's "Hell Freezes Over Eric Clapton Unplugged Pink Floyd DSotM (mobile fidelity) or SACD Alan Parsons I Robot Dire Straits Bros. in Arms Supertramp Crime of the Century sarah mclachlen -surfacing allison krauss +union station-live dire straits -brothers in arms the beatle-let it be naked Sophie Zelmani - Memory Loves You Layla and other Assorted Love Songs - Derek and the Dominoes August and Everything After - Counting crows Rage Against The Machine's self-entitled Bernard Herrmann: the Film Scores LAPO/Salonen Jeff Buckley - Grace Miles Davis - Kind of Blue (fantastic quality considering it was recorded in 195 9) and... Rage Against the Machine Roger Waters - Amused To Death E.S Posthumus: Combination of Orchestra (80 Piece), Choir (Worldwide), and Elect ronic Production work Celldweller Audio Fidelity discs mofi Willie Nelson's Stardust Cantate Domino Willie Nelson & Johnny Cash Storytellers Alison Krauss- Pick one Mapleshade Music Fest Seal best Eric Clapton - Unplugged George Winston Violent Femmes - Why Do Birds Sing Cassandra Wilson - New Moon Daughter Barenaked Ladies - All New Revue - Live at the Glenn Gould Studio Michael Bublé - Call Me Irresponsible Babatunde Olatunji - Circle of Drums (Chesky SACD For classical -- any Decca recording of Charles Dutoit conducting the Montreal S ymphony. Especially "The Planets" by Holst, or any of the Ravel and Debussy stuf f. radioheads ok computer Mike Oldfield Tubular bells John Coltrane - Soultrane (MFSL SACD) Hank Shizzoe - Low Budget and Taj Mahal - Dancing The Blues Porcupine Tree - Fear Of A Blank Planet Lightbulb Sun Prince - The Rainbow Children Lindsay Buckingham - Out Of The Cradle Buena Vista Social Club Santana - Caravanserai The Wall & The Final Cut by Pink Floyd

The Eagles - Hell Freezes Over Donald Fagen - The Nightfly Stop Making Sense - Talking Heads DragonForce - Valley Of The Damned Kamakiriad - Donald Fagen Aja - Steely Dan Flashpoint - Rolling Stones (great live recording) Tearing Sky - Piers Faccini LOTR soundtrack Hatful of Hollow - The Smiths Blade Runner OST - Vangelis (incredibly well done) The Way Up - Pat Metheny Group (my main demo disc) Taming the Tiger - Joni Mitchell Cowboy Junkies - Trinity Sessions, Chris Isaak - Heart Shaped World, Lou Reed Transformer Columbia and EMI Jazz and classical releases Bernard Haitink's interpretations of Beethoven's complete symphonies Brubeck's Time Out Hybrid SACD reissues of CAN's Michael Hedges - Aerial Boundaries sounds INCREDIBLE on... Anything. Great album too. The guitar and the way he plays it is so incredible. John Prine - Souvenirs sounds amazing and is a great album for any country fan. Kelly Joe Phelps - Tunesmith Retrofit is also a good sounding album. Audiophile vinyl 1/2 speed mastered LP's, by Audiophile & MoFi , Analogue Productions, Classic R ecords(Blue Note), Verve, Columbia 6 Eye, Decca to recent Japanese pressing from Universal and Fontana. Engineers like Rudy Van Gelder, Alan Parsons, and Brian Eno. Mastering by Steve Hoffman, Stan Richter or houses like RTI & Kundun stampe d in the inner groove. vinyl version of "Icky Thump Erich Kunzel & The Cincinnati Pops Nirvana unplugged Oranages & Lemons - Tribute to Azumanga Diaoh It? Masumi or Ueno Y?ko allison krauss, diana krall, and albums put out by ECM Throwing Copper - Live Mark Knopfler with Emmylou Harris - All The Roadrunning the Beatles remix album Love Tool - "Aenima" Kosheen - Damage Grace Jones Days of the New (self-titled) Loggins and Messina - Sittin In I think Steely Dan - Aja has been mentioned. Fleetwood Mac - Rumors Getz/Gilberto on Verve V6-8545 Iron and Wine - Endless Numbered days The Velvet Underground - Loaded Telivision - Marquee Moon Nuetral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea The Blue Nile - Hats Blackfield I and II Tom Waits (Orphans, Bone Machine for starters) The Pixies (Mofi Doolittle) Almost anything produced by Steve Albini, I like the Nina Nastasia albums.

Primus Sufjan Stevens Kathryn Williams Lou Rhodes Jazz at the Pawnshop e.s.t Tord Gustavsen Dead Can Dance Lisa Gerrard - Duality Hugh Masekela - Hope Hiromi Anything from 2L The Mars Volta Ornette Coleman's 'Tomorrow is the Question Enya MLTR- 19 essential ballads EAGLES- Hell freezes over Eric cplaton- Unplugged CSN- greatest hits Deadsoul Tribe-A Murder of Crows Opeth - Damnation Devin Townsend-Ocean Machine Kronos Quartet - White Man Sleeps Pink Floyd - The Final Cut Michael Jackson - Thriller Faith No More: Angel Dust Corrosion of Conformity: Deliverance Portishead (first album) Sting (Soul Cages DDD) Alan Parsons Try anything Once DDD Tool (Anema), Pink Floyd (Final Cut) Jimmy Eat World (Clarity) and Silverchair (Diorama) Scary Kids Scaring Kids The Killers - Sam's Town Katie Melua - Call Off The Search ( all her album sounds great IMO) Bob James - Ivory Coast Peter White - Perfect Moment Dan Fogelberg & Tim Weisberg - Twin Sons of Different Mother Grover Washington, Jr. - Winelight Lyle Lovett - Joshua Judges Ruth T-Bone Walker - I Got The Blues Harry Belafonte - Live At Carnegie Hall Bill Berry - For Duke Carmen McRae - Sings The American Songbook Janis Ian - Breaking Silence Jazz At The Pawnshop Collective Soul: "From The Ground Up Respighi's Pines/Fountains/Festivals of Rome with Lorin Maazel conducting the Pi ttsburgh Symphony xtc skylarking Jean Luc Ponty"Individual Choice Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman "Aerial Boundaries" - Michael Hedges WEA Group Target Discs Dcc Golds and a few Mfsl Steve Hoffman W/G pressing of The Cars-Heartbeat City Bruce Hornsby's Intersections Boston's "Foreplay/Long Time Mezzanine by Massive attack

Jah Wobble's Mu Miles Davis's Kind of Blue Tord Gustavsen Trio - Being There Emilian Torrini - Fisherman's Woman Vienna Teng - Dreaming Through The Noise Madredeus - Ainda Saint Saens 3rd "Organ" Symphony Dutoit Foo Fighters - Skin & Bones ?ystein Sev?g "Bridge" Miles Davis' "Kind Of Blue", CD in SBM. The LA4's "Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte", the Japanese CD. Porcupine Tree albums Sleep - Dopesmoker Jan Johansson - Jazz p? svenska (Jazz in Swedish) SA-CD.net Pink Floyd - DSOTM Roxy Music - Avalon Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms Miles Davis - Kind of Blue Beck - Sea Change Steely Dan - Gaucho The Who - Tommy The Remasters of the RCA Living Stereo houdini" by the melvins "meddle" by pink floyd. "the soft bulletin" by flaming lips "jukebox" cat power (recently) The Brandenburg Concertos as performed by Tafelmusik on Sony Classical Mahler Symphony No. 2 as conducted by Ivan Fischer on Channel Classics "Someday My Prince Will Come" by Miles Davis Any album with MFSL tag on it T.S. Monk - Monk on Monk N2KE 10017 - Non-Encoded Music 1997 Susan Wong Fleetwood Mac - the Dance Burmester Art for the Ear Melissa Etheridge - s/t Steve Albini. Neurosis "A Sun That Never Sets Skinny Puppy Bjork - Post Meshuggah - Destroy Erase Improve (and Nothing) Death - Symbolic (really airy for death metal) Iron Maiden - Seventh Son (especially Infinite Dreams) Einsturzende Neubauten - various David Gilmour - David Gilmour Ry cooder - Jazz Simply Red - Picture Book Amused to death - Roger Waters Fela Kuti - Tha Black Presedent,Habib Koite and Bamada,Mario Biondi,Frank Sinatr a with Count Basie and if you like something experimental try : Dead Can Dance Eric Clapton - Unplugged Nirvana - MTV unplugged Donald Fagen - Morph the Cat Uncle Tupelo: March 16-20, 1992 Highway 61 New World Flamenco Jazz" by Tomas michaud Muddy Waters-Blues Singer, (MFSL)

Cowboy Junkies, The Trinity Sessions Eric Clapton-Unplugged Opheila-Natalie Merchant (HDCD) Who is Jill Scott? Jill Scott (the best recorded modern R&B album I've heard) Van Morrison-Astral Weeks (I don;t care for him much but this is WOW) Grateful Dead-American Beauty Ryan Adams-Any album of his is awesome...especially the pre Cardinals stuff Jennifer Warnes -My Famous Blue Raincoat (it was just re-released in 45rpm and i s a classic audiophile record) Neil Young-Live at Massey Hall (I can only say SICK) Beck-Odelay Rolling Stones-Beggars Banquet or Let it Bleed or Exile on Main Street Getz & Gilberto Buena Vista Social Club -Live at Carnegie Hall Nirvana-Nevermind (maybe it's not that audiophile but it's awesome) Robert Plant & Allison Krause Led Zeppelin-Teh Song Remains the Same Ricky Lee Jones-Pop Pop Miles Davis-Kind of Blue QUIEX pressing (it's still around) Bob Dylan-Nashville Skyline Sara K, Water Falls Stockfisch-Records Henry Mancini's Music From Peter Gunn, reissued by Speakers Corner on 180g vinyl Live from Blues Alley - Eva Cassidy Court & Spark - Joni Mitchell Nilsson Schmillson - Nilsson Anything on 4AD Lil' Wayne - Tha Carter III AIX Records Laurence Juber - Guitar Noir AIX Records Seven Veils by Robert Rich Safe Trip Home by Dido Jeff Buckley - Grace Jun Fukumachi - At The Steinway (Take 2) DXD (Direct eXtreme Digital) In native Pyramix format: 24-Bit 352.8kHz Blue Coast Collection - The E.S.E. Sessions SACD David Chesky - Area 31 SACD Jazz At The Pawnshop SACD Sound And Vision SACD Sampler Bucky Pizzarelli -Swing Live SACD The Worlds Greatest Audiophile Vocal Recrodings SACD The Sheffield Jazz Experience 24K HDCD Budapest Festival Orchestra's Dvorak Symphonies 8 and 9 on SACD and Michael Wol ff 2 AM Kicking Television by Wilco Jennifer Warnes: "Ballad of the Runaway Horse" on Rob Wasserman's Duets album. S imply amazing. (mp3 sample: http://ed2.elusivedisc.net/audioclips/soncd31049/11. mp3 Rachelle Ferrell: "Sister" Rickie Lee Jones: "Love Junkyard" Rebecca Pidgeon: "Spanish Harlem"

Holly Cole: "Invitation to the Blues" Norah Jones - Not Too Late Ginger Baker Trio "Going Back Home" and "Falling Off The Roof" Dave Brubeck "Time Out" Miles Davis "Kind Of Blue" Eric Clapton "Unplugged" Rolling Stones "Stripped" Jacques Loussier Trio "Play Bach" Vol's 1 and 2 Deep Purple "Made In Japan" Jimi Hendrix "Live at Berkeley Community Centre" Black Sabbath "Live Evil" King Crimson "The Great Deceiver" and "Live on Broadway" Pink Floyd "The Wall" and "Is There Anybody Out There?" Santana "Lotus" Yes "Montreux 2003" Grateful Dead "Fillmore West 1969" Country Joe and the Fish - Electric Music for the Mind and Body Dream Theater - Awake 1) Check out DCC and other Steve Hoffman releases 2) Check out MoFi (Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs) 3) Talk to LFF 4) Come to the National Meet there will be tons of audiophile music floating aro und, and you'll get to meet Steve Hoffman! Some others to check out: Korn - Unplugged (Be a little cautious with MTV unplugged albums, Korn, Clapton, and Nirvana are awesome! Some others totally suck) Cantus - Let Your Voice Be Heard Cantus - Deep River The Tony Bennett / Bill Evans Album (Fantasy Records) Infected Mushroom - It's arguable whether or not their stuff could be considered "audiophile" but I find many of their songs to be very good for testing gear, p articularly bass and dynamic range. Diana Krall's Live in Paris album is also quite well recorded. I often use "A Ca se of You" as a test track. Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz with Elvis Costello is strikingly well recorded. Elvis sounds surprisingly good singing jazz... I think he missed his real callin g. He did marry Diana Krall... Jacintha ...can't really pick a standout, it's all amazing. Jane Monheit is a little hit and miss, but some of the recordings are phenomenal ... Over the Rainbow on Come Dream with Me is staggering. Maybe not quite audiophile, but well recorded and worth checking out would be No rah Jones with the Peter Malik Group and The Little Willies Rebecca Pidgeon's Retrospective is generally pretty well regarded for recording quality and her version of Spanish Harlem is on I believe it's Chesky's test dis c.

Limon (Talk to LFF) Not quite audiophile but very close would be Dixie Chicks - Home. Although, trac k 11 "Godspeed" pushes into audiophile territory IMHO. Many Telarc recordings are also quite good singles from STAX Records 1950's/1960's Alan Parsons Lemon Jelly's 'Lost Horizons' Mannheim Steamroller: Fresh Aire 8 (DVD-Audio) Black Devil Disco Club - The Devil in Us (Elite Technique Remix) Muddy Waters MoFi label Harmonia Mundi Classic Records - Chess LPS-1483 ? DVD-A of Muddy Waters Folk Singer susan wong Radiohead Amnesiac Lightbulb Sun DVD-A Shesmovedon, Last Chance to Evacuate, Russia on Ice Bjork - Vespertine Stevie Wonder - Innervisions Digitata - Daggers II Erykah Badu - Mama's Gun Diana Krall FSOL - Lifeforms B.B. King Live at the Regal Patricia Barbers Modern Cool, Pixies Doolittle Robert Plant and Allison Krauss's new album Raising Sand Nicholas Gunn - Eyes of the Wind 1. The Sound of analog is back: From Mark Levinson - Red Rose Music; 2. CD Master I : Mark Levinson, Audio Engineer - ABC Records; 3. CD Master II: Mark Levinson, Audio Engineer - ABC Records Yes 90125 Remastered Deep Purple - ''Made In Japan Steve Wilsons new album Insurgentes The Lonely Island's debut album Incredibad Harmony Korine Laurie Anderson - Bright Red Crazy by Seal Abbey Road Studios and Air Studios Yanni's Live at the Acropolis and Yanni Live - the Concert Event led zeppelin II rage against the machines debut album pat metheny's the road to you soweto gospel choir live oh and black sabbath's paranoid. with maybe some dream theater Al Di Miola 's Flesh On Flesh The Trans Siberian Orchestra HDTracks.com Copland 100, Eiji Oue: Minnesota Orchestra Reference Recordings Recording Engineer: Keith O. Johnson Sean Mullins-Soul's Core John Mayer - Where the Light is Jack Johnson - En Concert Have a Nice Life, Afterlives, Mount Eerie, Microphones, Onra Blue Note jazz CD's featuring the re-mastering work of Rudy Van Gelder Those are

some of the worst remastering jobs I have ever heard. Stick with the McMasters or better yet - get the Hoffman/Gray remasters. Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto - Stan/Getz (the 24-bit remastered version) Methany/Medhlau diana krall/norah jones Herbie Hancock - The Joni Letters Tubular Bells 1973 by Mike Oldfield, great for clarity and presentation. Thriller by Michael Jackson, check out the intro of Thriller! 93 Till'Infinity (Acoustic Version) by Souls Of Mischief, the normal version is good too although I prefer their instrumentals. Toxicity by System of a Down, their musical transitions really surprise you some times. The Mix-Up by the Beastie Boys, it's a simple album with purely instrumentals. (Mos Def and Talib Kweli are) Black Star - Black Star Pink Floyd the wall and Beatles Love mapleshade or chesky Fourplay Hank Mobley's Roll Call I see I have the issue with John Coltrane's Lush Life. I have the RVG version. I was able to track down the DCC Gold version (don't ask me how). BIG difference between the 2. The RVG version, you can hear "clicking" on the opening track's h orns. I always thought I just had a bad copy. It's not present in the DCC Gold v ersion. This is a shame. All Ted Templeman produced Van Halen albums please do not try any Remastered ser ies CDs Fun Lovin' Criminals: Mimosa Kroungine, Fyuti and Gnayse Talk Talk: Spirit of Eden Brian Transeau Periphery - Periphery flying lotus www.audiophilerecord.com/ For Classical and Jazz I would recommend "The Absolute Sound TAS" series in hybr id SACD format. For vocals try hybrid SACD "Closer to the Music" Vol. 1 to 3 f rom Stockfisch Records. Sibelius Osmo Vanska RATM-RATM Analogue Productions and Mobile Fidelity masterings Analogue Productions version of Nat King Cole's Love is the Thing The Who - Who's Next (SHM-SACD) Hesperion XXI / Jordi Savall - Estampies & Danses Royales (SACD) Fritz Reiner / Chicago Symphony Orchestra: Rimsky-Korsakov - Scheherazade; Strav insky - Song of the Nightingale (SACD) Hilary Hahn / Jeffrey Kahane / LA Chamber Orchestra - J.S.Bach: Violin Concertos (88kHz/24bit) John Coltrane - A Love Supreme (SACD) Stan Getz and Jo?o Gilberto - Getz/Gilberto (SACD) Diana Krall - The Look Of Love (96kHz/24bit) Melody Gardot - My One And Only Thrill (2-CD Deluxe Edition) Reference recordings for classical Moving by Bugge Wessletoft Naim and Linn labels Gerry Rafferty Steve Hoffman mastering for City to City

MoFi remaster of Faith No More's 'Angel Dust' Emma Shapplin - Carmine Meo MoFi's Ultradisc UHR SACD versions of Marvin Gaye's What's Going On and Let's Get It On, among others... mo-fi version of The Yes Album Audio Fidelity's version of Billy Joel's Glass Houses Diverse Vinyl online The Absolute Sound TAS Stockfish Blue October - 'Foiled' JVC's XRCD Dunhill Compact Classics Private Dancer by Tina Turner Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms is a well known reference CD (16/44 better on XR CD Norah Jones - Come Away With Me (16/44) Steely Dan - Gaucho (SACD @ 88.2) Diana Krall - The Girl in the Other Room (24/96) Kelly Joe Phelps - Lead Me On (15 Anniversary Remaster) Elgar's Enigma Variations (Menuhin/RPO) Marvin Gaye - What's Going On Remastered MoFi/SACD version Steve Hoffman Forum http://www.opus3records.com/artists/blues/19401.htm Blu-Ray of Return To Forever Live at Montreaux Rush Moving Pictures Blu-Ray Jeff Beck - Performing This Week - Live At Ronnie Scott's https://www.hdtracks.com Quincy Jones - Gula Matari Quincy Jones - You've Got It Bad Girl Power Of The Orchestra - Rene Leibowitz It's basically Moussorgsky's Night On Ba re Mountain & Pictures At An Exhibition with the RPO Holst - The Planets Eric Bibb Bookers Guitar and Diamond Days Another 2 SACDs that I recommend on vocal are Stockfisch Records Closer to the M usic Vol. 2 (as well as Vol 1 and 3 but I love Vol. 2 more) and Chesky's The Wor ld's Greatest Audiophile Vocal Records. David Foster produced records Michael Buble Eric Bibb, Jennifer Warnes (The Hunter and The Well), Alison Krauss, Diana Krall (Girl in the Other Room), Beth Neilsen Chapman Katie Melua Easy star all Stars - Dub side of the Moon Bill Evans: The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings Norah Jones: Not Too Late BECK Sea Change Alice In Chains: Greatest Hits DSOM - Pink Floyd Steely Dan "Two Against Nature" SONNY CLARK - COOL STRUTTIN' (XRCD) 1958 Hard-Bop Set is Clark's Tour de Force Alan Yoshida-mastered XRCD Wayne Garcia, The Absolute Sound Sea Change from Beck mfsl Reference Recordings and Telarc Clark Terry: Live at the Village Gate on Chesky Records The Great Fantasy-Adventure Album - Kunzel / Cincinnati Pops

Aja by Steely Dan Dire Straits "Brothers In Arms" Santana - Abraxas MFSL vinyl Dark Side of the Moon Propellerheads - Decksandrumsandrockandroll Diana Krall www.mapleshaderecords.com Reference Recording RR-96CD Rachmaninoff: Symphonic Dances Reference Recording RR-101CD Felix Hell: Pipe Organ Sensation Telarc CD-83534 Marcus Miller: M? Reference Recordings RR-109 The Hot Club of san francisco Yerba buena bounce Reprise 49965-2 Guster: Ganging up on the sun Candyrat Records Antoine Dufour: Naissance Rachel Podger's La Stravaganza on SACD Brubeck's Time Out on SACD Ana Caram's Blu Bossa on SACD Incubus SACD herbie hancock headhunters Mapleshade recordings Famous Blue Raincoat by Jennifer Warnes Donald Fagan, Morph the Cat - Male vocals, good bass and cymbals. Diana Krall or Nora Jones - Piano (check for natural sound). Celtic Woman DVD - Female Vocals, various bass drums, piano. Jack Johnson CD - Male vocals, good seperation of instruments, something current ly on the radio. Jennifer Warnes - Nice Vocals, nice all around sound. I need little reason to li sten listen to JW. Mahler's Resurrection Symphony#2 with Gilbert Kaplan conducting the Vienna Philh armonic Acappella The The The The

House Jacks- Drive Nylons- Fabric of Life Nylons- Play On Nylons- Hits of the 60's Acappella Style

Big Band/Vocal The Manhattan Transfer- The Anthology: Down In Birdland The Manhattan Transfer- Tonin' Michael Buble'- Michael Buble' Michael Buble'- It's Time Westlife- Allow Us to Be Frank Blues BB King- Blues on the Bayou Eric Clapton- One More Car One More Rider Hamilton Loomis- Ain't Just Temporary Jeff Healey Band- Get Me Some Jeff Healey- Mess of Blues Jimmy Rogers- All Stars John Mayall and Friends- Along for the Ride Kid Jonny Lang and the Big Bang- Smokin' Tommy Castro- Right as Rain Crossover Classical

Bond- Born Bond- Shine Hooked on Classics 3 Electronica Yello- Baby Yello- Zebra Jazz Peter White- Glow (SACD) Peter White- Confidential Spyro Gyra- In Modern Times (SACD Hybrid) New Age Jan Hammer- Beyond the Mind's Eye New Flamenco Esteban- All My Love Govi- Havana Sunset Jesse Cook- Gravity Jesse Cook- Vertigo Johannes Linstead- Cafe' Tropical Johannes Linstead- Mediterranea Steve Stevens- Flamenco A Go Go Strunz & Farah- Heat of the Sun Strunz & Farah- Stringweave R&B/Soul Human Nature- Reach Out The Motown Record Human Nature- Dancing in the Street/The Songs of Motown 2 James Hunter- People Gonna' Talk Reggae UB40- The Very Best of UB40 Rock/Pop Cesar Rosas- Soul Diguise Chris Issak- Baja Sessions Christopher Cross- The Very Best of Christopher Cross Richard Marx- Flesh and Bone Eagles- Hell Freezes Over Eagles- Long Road Out of Eden John Fogerty- Blue Moon Swamp Toto- Mindfields Toto- Through the Looking Glass SACD's The Edgar Winter Group-They Only Come Out At Night[MOFI] ORCHESTRAL Mahler Symphony No. 2 / Vienna Philharmonic / Kaplan / DG 474 594-2 SACD Mussorgsky Pictures at an Exhibition / Cleveland Orchestra / Telarc CD-80042 Stravinsky The Rite of Spring / Kirov Orchestra / Gergiev / Philips 468 035-2 CD

PIANO Bach / Goldberg Variations / Perahia / SONY Classical SS89243 SACD CHAMBER Brahms Piano Quintet & String Quartet / Takacs Quartet / Hyperion CDA67551 Vivaldi Four Seasons / Drottningholm Baroque Ensemble / Sparf / BIS CD-275 Andreas Vollenweider Book of Roses jappanese 1/2speed master audiophile pressing of Breakfast in America by Supert ramp Aja by Steely Dan, Arc of a Diver by Steve Winwood Stockfisch Closer to the music vol2 http://www.elusivedisc.com/prodinfo.asp?number=SFSA4006 Mark Knoffler - Shangri-la DVD-A for male vocals, guitar and strong bass. Spyro Gyra - the Deep End SACD for instrumentals that shine Linda Ronstadt - Don't Cry SACD for female vocal Jane Monheit - Come Dream with Me DVD-A female vocal also, different style Live at Massey Hall 1971--------Neil Young Blood Sweat And Tears---------Blood Sweat And Tears (SACD) Chicago Transit Authority---------Chicago Transit Authority (SACD) Blue Country Heart---------Jorma Kaukonen The Best Of Johnny Winter----------Johnny Winter (SACD) Jah Wobble aNoo - The Luckless Land of the North Vaya con Dios' "What's A Woman" - Best of the Best Gold album Dancehall Divas; 10000 Maniacs LP version Hateful Hate and Trouble Me Celtic Woman, Barbra Streisand - Memory, Sarah Brightman- Piano, Cyndi Lauper's The World Is Stone (only released in Japan) Alison Krauss and Union Station's New Favorite Album Zenph Goldberg Variations release Toadies - Backslider from their excellently recorded Rubberneck CD Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue SACD Buena Vista Social Club - S/T DVD-Audio newly released Pixies SACD's Sigur Ros Chicane Tiesto Layo and Bushwacka; Night Works Louis Armstrong: Satch Plays Fats (year 2000 release Dire Straights, Brothers In Arms 20th Anniversary (Not all tracks mind you) Pink Floyd DSOTM Deep Purple, Machine Head (Showing my age here) Elton John, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Erica Bahdu, Bahdusim Moe, The Conch Dianna Krall, The Girl In The Other Room DVD's; Both of Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festivals (A well recorded guitar orgy. ) Elton John, Live at The Royal Opera House (This recording really captured the am biance of the hall.) Dianna Krall, Live in Montreal (See Above) Rory Gallagher, Live at Montreaux (Not particularly well recorded in the earlier years' tracks but one of the most under-rated blues/rock guitarists IMO.)

Blu Ray; Pat Metheney Group, The Way Up Live (In DTS HD MA, probably the best quality rec ording in any media I've ever heard - I'm not big on jazz without vocals but thi s is a must hear.) Audiophile Vocal Recordings - Chesky (Redbook) Gerry Mulligan meets Ben Webster - MoFi (Redbook) Art Pepper + Eleven (SACD) Mingus Ah Um - Charles Mingus (SACD) Live at Blues Alley - Eva Cassidy (Redbook) The E.S.E. Sessions - Blue Coast Collection (SACD) Flim & the BB's - Tricycle (SACD) Steven Davis - Quality of Sound (SACD) DMP Label Yellow Jackets - Lifecycle (SACD) Benny Carter - Jazz Giant (SACD) Milt Jackson - Invitiation (SACD) MoFi Mark Knopfler - Shangrai-La (SACD) Amanda McBroom - Live from Rainbow and Stars (Redbook) Diana Krall - Love Scenes (SACD) Tierney Sutton - Dancing in the Dark (SACD - Telarc) - Superb sonics - really me llow music... Joe McQueen - 10 at 86 - (SACD) ISO-Mike For Classical - all on SACD Britten/Elgar - Paavo Jarvi RCA Living Stereo - Sherherazade (JVC XRCD sounds better, but the 3 CH RCA just gives a better sound stage) RCA Living Stereo - Pictures at an Exhibition (also MoFi version) Mozart Violin Concertos 3 & 4 - Julia Fisher (Pentatone Label) Mozart Youth Symphonies - 3 & 4 sound the best Boston Symphony Chamber - Mozart Chamber Music for Winds and Strings Haydn - The Fry Street Quartet - ISO-Mike Recording by Ray Kimber Bach: Brandenburg Concertos Nos. 1-6 Fasolis (SACD - Arts Music) Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms The Beatles -Abbey Road Dire Straits-Brothers In Arms Donald Fagen-Morph The Cat Sarah McLachlan-Surfacing Jennifer Warnes-Famous Blue Raincoat Little Feat-Waiting For Columbus Esteban-Enter The Heart Pink Floyd-DSOTM Sultans of Swing - The Very Best of Dire Straits Dick Hyman, From the Age of Swing Flim Tricycle Quality of Silence by Steve Davis Project Knopfler's release with Emmy Lou Trinity Sessions by Cowboy Junkies and in surround it's got to be: Deadwing by Porcupine Tree Tea for the Tillerman Timbaland-shock Value (explicit) KT Tunstall-eye of the telescope KT-tunstall Drastic fantastic Hans Zimmer, nick Glennie smith,trevor rabin, and harry gregson-williams - "the rock" original motion picture soundtrack Fragma-embrace

Lasgo-somethings Lasgo- Far away Cascada- everytime we touch Michelle branch-hotel paper Michelle Branch-the spirit room Genesis- turn it on again the hits, Hinder-Extreme behavior (explicit) DrumSex, by Brent Lewis Eagles Hell Freezes Over - XRCD Talk Talk - Colour of Spring - SACD Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms - XRCD Dire Straits - On Every Street - CD (Warner Remasters) Chris Isaak - Baja Sessions - CD Patricia Barber - Cafe Blue - SACD Bill Frisell - Gone, Just Like a Train - CD The Bassface Swing Trio plays Gershwin - Stockfisch Records Clark Terry - The Chicago Sessions 1995-96 on Reference recordings Cat. #RR-111 Windminister - Bootsmann Hybrid SACD Alicia Keys unplugged On that note, I must list a few my favorite albums to bring. Sigor Ros - ( ) :is a fantastic album to test dynamics. Mono (Japanese) - Are you there? :is even more dynamic than Sigor Ros. Isis - Panopticon :Personal favorite, lots of organic warm tube guitar tones, an d lots and lots of layered sounds. Bjork - Homogenic :Another personal favorite. If you have heard this CD you will know why its on the list. High on fire - Blessed black wings :When i want to hurt some speakers Aphex Twin - Windowlicker :Another really mean one Squarepusher - Big Loda :The bass tones in this really Really work out the mid-l ow's Fink - Distance and time :Acoustic and male vocals, very warm and organic. Nobuo Uematsu - Final Fantasy VII Piano Collections :I have listened to this one more times than i can even begin to count. Tori Amos - Little earthquakes :Some of the piano stuff here is really great. Hugh Masekela - Hope Nobuo Uematsu Fairfield Four (anything) King Crimson "Three of A Perfect Pair" 30th anniversary Emmylou Harris, Wrecking Ball Massive Attack, "Protection" August Rush OST and Bliss Quiet Letters Redbook CD: Larry Carlton, "Fingerprints"; Bob Marley, "Legend" HDCD CD: Jonathan Butler, "Do You Love Me"; "Jonathan" SACD: Al Jarreau, "All I Got"; Natalie Cole, "Ask a Woman Who Knows" DVD-A: Seal, "Seal IV"; Sting, "Sacred Love" Concert DVD: Sade, "Sade Live"; Eagles, "Hell Freezes Over" KMFDM - Angst /Sounds phenomenal, "The Problem" is awesome for vocals and deep b ass. -original pressing KMFDM - Light /Great dynamics and deep bass on some mixes -original pressing

>>>Any KMFDM album-single before 1999, unfortunately the rereleased remasters SU CK >:{ Excessive Force - Gentle Death /Several great dynamic songs. NIN - The Fragile /Specifically "La Mer" and "The Great Below" Leftfield - Leftfield /Awesome dynamics and sweet bass. -original pressing Future Sound of London - Lifeforms /Great dynamics and interesting instrumentati on. Brilliant -Vol1-vol4 /Some sweet grooves, nice instrumentation and of course sol id bass. The Best of Metropolitan /Well produced Trance Tresor Vol2 / A sample of some great German/Detroit Techno Depeche Mode - Violator/SOFAD -SACDs. /The multichannel is phenomenal, don't car e for the remastered CD versions though -too much treble, original pressings are better. ATB - Two Worlds /Specifically "Love Will Find You" and "Feel You Like a River" Enya - Watermark/Shepards Moon /Classics need I say more? Boy tons more. These I know most have overall fantastic sound engineering and no clipping, over compression, but with great dynamics. Best Regards KvE PS Almost forgot Moby - Play Oh, Peter Gabriel - Up Finally, I like BT - Monster OST DTS 5.1 Rage Against The Machine Rodrigo Y Gabriela Jack Johnson - Sleep Through the Static - great separation and you can really he ar the music, flaws n all John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola, Paco De Lucia - Friday Night in San Francisco [ENH ANCED] [LIVE] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REISSUED] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED] Mast ers of Guitar, great sound quality. Rodrigo y Gabriela - metal masters turned world darlings Getz/Gilberto [ORIGINAL RECORDING REISSUED] [ORIGINAL RECORDING REMASTERED] - Fr eaking AMAZING http://bsidesrus.blogspot.com/2008/0...-rip-flac.html Beatles - Love soundtrack Mario Lanza, Enrico Carusso Steely Dan - Gaucho SACD Yes - Fragile and Magnification DVD-A Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms SACD Beck - Sea Change SACD Queen fan, there DVD-a editions of Night at the Opera & the Game sound elton john yellow brick road sacd -chris botti sacd DVD-A Eagles - Hotel California Queen - The Game Queen - Night at the opera Ryan Adams - Gold (4.0 or 4.1 can't remember) Sheryl Crowe - Globe Sessions Flaming Lips - Not into all their music but really shows off a 5.1 system

Sacd Beck - Sea Change Elton John - Any of them Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms Pink Floyd - DSOTM (who doesn't like this?) HDCD's (Can't say for sure how much difference vs Redbook CD but these ones soun d really good) Tracy Chapman - Telling Stories & New Beginning Monster Blues Redbook CD's Anything Ben Harper (very talented artist) Anything Jack Johnson (I think Ben Harper got him started) Vinyl is even better Check out the Drive-by Truckers for a southern style sound, pretty good. Kyuss - Welcome to sky valley Nobuo Uematsu Sonia Dada - A Day At the Beach The Flaming Lips Saint-Saens: Symphony No. 3 "Organ" by Christoph Eschenbach and the Philadelphia Orchestra on SACD I like MTV Unplugged: Nirvana live in New York, in fact all of the MTV unplugged series is extremely well recorded as is Stripped by The Rolling Stones, Wild Ho rses is a particularly good track. Me and Mr. Johnson and the Sessions for Robert J. CD are similarly excellent IMH O. Secret Garden - Songs from a Secret Garden Acoustic Alchemy - The very best of David Arkenstone - Best of Johnny winter - Progressive Blues Experiment Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie - Bird & Diz Remember Shakti - Saturday night in Bombay (Live) Miles Davis - Kind of Blue Louis Armstrong - Greatest hits (RCA Victor) Steve Vai - Alive in an ultra world (live) Tool - Lateralus (hdcd) Jeff Beck's from Blow by Blow Allison Krauss and Union Station Live - SACD Diana Krall, The Look of Love - SACD Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon - SACD Eagles, Hell Freezes Over - DTS DVD http://www.audiodiscs.com.au/index.php Michael Jackson's Thriller on SACD Stina Nordenstam Jennifer Warnes: Famous Blue Raincoat Michael Franks: Sleeping Gypsy Clifford Jorden: Live at Ethell's Bob Marley "Natural Mystic" "Roots Rock Reggae" "Crazy Baldhead" Level 42 - World Machine

Steely Dan - Aja Alison Krauss - Now That I've Found You Van Halen (Not the greatest recording, but the guitar tone is forward and distin ctive enough to be a great midrange reference - at higher volumes, of course) Alan Parsons - Turn of a Friendly Card If I'm auditioning a system or separates, I would take a number of discs. Includ ing: Bartok- Concerto for Orchestra (Reiner/Chicago SO/ RCA) An early stereo disc (al so available as an SACD), this 1955 recording is still cited for its "near demon stration" quality. In fact, 15 years ago when receiver-shopping I listened to a Pioneer vs. an HK. In the 5th movement tuba and string basses smack a low note t hat made the HK literally go through an audible volume-reduction "flinch." The P ioneer stayed "in your face." Luis Gasca- "Little Giant" (Atlantic, 1969- re-issued on a Rhino "Collectables" cd). Really good stereo separation, the legendary session players (drummer) Bern ard Purdie and (bassist) Chuck Rainey are on one cut, the rest features Mongo's band (Gasca was a member then). So there's some thickly layered latin textures. Granted, it's an unkown disc and really under-rated. Mitsuko Uchida- Debussy Etudes (Philips). Wonderful solo piano recording. Springsteen- "Live in NYC" (Columbia). In particular, "Atlantic City", and the " Youngstown" into "Murder Inc" medley. Thelonius Monk w/ John Coltrane @ Carnegie Hall (Blue Note). Although taken from an archived live/mono 1957 concert recording, the sound is still very good. Sha dow Wilson's cymbal work on "Epistrophy" is a very good test. If a system sounds good on the above variety, it will sound good with anything, in my humble opinion...:-) Lyle Lovett - Joshua Judges Ruth - North Dakota Niels Lofgren Live - Keith Don't Go Fairfield Four - I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray - Those Bones Patricia Barber -> Modern Cool -> Constantinople Nirvana 180G's SACD- Bob Dylan: Blood on the Track George Benson and Al Jarreau 2000 remaster/reissue of Pink Floyd's The Wall Live at Massey Hall 1971,Neil Young Neil Young s Harvest Jennifer Warnes - The Hunter - Gold CD Kodo - Mondo Head score CD for the film Bullitt. It is a 2000 re-recording conducted by the compo ser himself, Lalo Schifrin Holly Cole's Temptation Rosanne Cash's "Rules of Travel" Clair Marlo CD - Let it go Steve Roach Al Gromer Khan Byron Metcalf Wachuma's Wave Al Gromer Khan Tantra Drums Ten Years After: A Space In Time Eagles "Hell Freezes OVer" Diana Krall Cowboy Junkies MArk Knopfler's "Local Hero" soundtrack is wonderful elegant guitar and celtic s

ounds. Beatles "Love" has some great stuff to test a system. I also like the music to l isten to for general purposes. I listened to the Beatles Mono remastered CD's an d they blew me away. The Vaughan Brothers: Family Style. Tick Tock is my favorite song, and has great sound. Robert Cray: Strong Persuader David and David: Boomtown. Maybe not the greatest sound, but very good, excelent dynamics and I now it like the back of my hand. Bob Dylan: Time Out of Mind. Phil Collins - Face Value Godsmacks accoustic album "The Other Side", Floyds "Brick in the wall" Best of Led Zeppelin Doubl cd set. Alice in Chains unplugged Nirvana unplugged B.B. King & Eric Clapton - Riding with the King. Santana: Supernatural The 9 Symphonies(Bruno Walter) out of production box set, re mastered from vinyl to cd in 1989. The Classical Jazz channel on Dish network. Talking Heads/Speaking In Tongues (dualdisc) Eva Cassidy An excellent track for solid imaging is Harry Connick - A Nightingale Sang in Be rkeley Square, from We Are In Love (I have the CD). If you don't like this music , your wife probably will if you want to make her a romantic dinner. Roxy Music - Avalon in SACD surround - they said this remix was the mix they act ually had in mind when they conceived the album, had the technology been availab le. If you want a break from audiophile imaging of a front row concert seat, jus t enjoy being in the middle of this sound. Pink Floyd - Dark Side in SACD surround is kind of similar in that sense. Rob Wasserman - Duets is a good CD. The tracks are hit and miss, but I really li ke the simplicity (lack of overengineering and just voice, guitar and bass) of h is tune with Lou Reed. Cowboy Junkies - Classic records vinyl, the 45 rpm is even better. Always a mell ow sonic pleasure. Osmo Vanska - the SACD Beethoven Symphony set. I listen in 2-channel, because in surround there is no bass channel, which means my front speakers are playing fu ll range and I lose out on my subwoofer without reconfiguring my receiver settin gs. Neil Young - Massey Hall on vinyl - possibly the best live concert sound I've he

ard (solo, acoustic) Queen - Night at the Opera - if you can find a copy of the DCC vinyl, the sound has never been better (even if the original recording isn't comparable to modern state of the art). The Prophet's Song is very cool. Rolling Stones - Beggar's Banquet SACD - I didn't know the Stones could sound th is good (even if the original recording isn't comparable to modern state of the art). Ella Fitzgerald - on Classic Records - Let No Man Write My Epitath and Clap Hand s Here Comes Charlie. I have the original test pressings, but I assume the regul ar copies are about the same. Super smooth, intimate sound. Reference Recordings - First Sampler, there is a track from Star of Wonder - Nat ivity Carol, which has outstanding vocal choir sound, as well as some deep organ accompaniment. There is some other good stuff on this sampler as well, such as Berlioz, Symphony Fantastique (Dream...). I have those 2 full albums on vinyl as well, but I prefer the sound on this sampler, so I will probably buy those CDs and sell the vinyl copies. Lindsay Buckingham - Out of the Cradle Jennifer Warnes - Famous Blue Raincoat Dire Straits - Love Over Gold (West German, Vertigo) Living Stereo SACD's Stanley Turrentine - Don't Mess with Mr. T - incredible jazz saxophone HDCD title track is just so clean Stanley Turrentine & Milt Jackson - Cherry - japanese pressing, saxophone and vi bes what could be better Papa Mali - Do your Thing - blues, great album overall, but Sugarland is excepti onal, the short dead quiet passages, into vocals, into the full band for bass set up (and it annoys the people in the store a lot) Voivod - Nothingfa ce in particular Astronomy Domine, the pink floyd cover Pink Floyd Dark Side and Steely Dan Aja everyone seems to use, me too Melody Gardot Janis Ian - Breaking Silence Lyle Lovett - Joshua Judges Ruth - Also Flying Shoes from Step inside this house Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms SACD Roxy Music - Avalon SACD Jennifer Warnes - Famous Blue Raincoat SACD: James Taylor "Hourglass", Diana Krall "The Look Of Love" DVD-Audio: Diana Krall "When I Look In Your Eyes" CD: Patricia Barber "Cafe Blue", Dire Straits "Brothers In Arms" mofi.com "Special Beat Service" by The English Beat System Demo-Sheffield Track Record/Drum Record (the crystal clear clarity and impact brought upon by the utmost attention to si gnal path purity holds up to anything even three decades later, also the musicia nship is beyond reproach. .... ie Jim Keltner's drumming, Nathan East's bass pla ying, the premise was total attention to detail wrt the signal path, no compress ion, op amps etc, stunning result. As with any recording made w/o compression, i t really comes to life played at live levels) Listen to track 2, Higher You Rise Bass articulation demo-Black Uhuru's Slippin' Into Darkness If you combined Donald Fagan's tight, studio sound, and combined it with a kille r reggae band and they cover the War classic, track 14,

Slippin' Into Darkness, the results are fantastic. Some reggae material has a "l ow-fi" feel, not this track. The vocals are tremendous, and the production techn ique is superb. Chesky's Bizarre SACD offers better, lower demo material for sub-woofer demonstr ation, than any other material I own. It opens with a shuttle launch superbly ca ptured, then proceeds with an all out surround, and LFE assault. Tom Jung's recording of Flim and the BBs-Tricycle Steely Dan's Gaucho-SACD, likely the finest recording I own Bob Dylan (yep, hard to believe, I know) Gotta Serve Somebody SACD, simply super b production. No other recording he ever made has the style that the Slow Train Coming release had. I'd guess an entire direction change was made wrt engineerin g/recording. The entire release is smooth as silk and some splendidly catchy son gs. These are a handful of my demos, there's more. Like the classic Telarc canon fir e on the original Soundstream recorded 1812,... the new release in multi channel I don't care for. The Gaucho SACD above is prolly the best go to disc, it has a broad appeal. My kids turn me on to all kinds of new stuff, however when played at live levels, a significant amount of it sounds nasty, with harsh artifacts. I don't know if it's mastering compression or what. That said, some of it is ver y well done, and I'm always listening to current music. Polydor CD of Cream, "The Very Best of Cream" The SACD title "The Nordic Sound" on the 2L label. "Cream Live at the Royal Albert Hall 2005" SACD: Diana Krall: When I look into Your Eyes Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald James Taylor: JT CD: Norah Jones: Come Away With Me (love it- should get in SACD) Diana Krall: The Look of Love Angels and Airwaves: We Don't Need to Whisper Evanescence: Origins (I love Amy Lee's Voice) Most Relaxing Jazz Piano in the Universe When I'm evaluating new gear, anything from Mapleshade, Chesky, or Telarc usuall y does the trick. Other good stuff: CD: Cowboy Junkies -- Trinity Session Revisited Shirley Horn -- You Won't Forget Me Paul Simon -- You're the One Talking Heads -- Stop Making Sense SACD: Diana Krall -- The Look of Love Beck -- Sea Change "Ramirez: Kyrie, Mercedes Sosa, Misa Criola". Notice the extention of the bass d rum in a good room, and the crisp voice. "Keith don't go, Nils Lövgren, Acoustic Live". Ahhhh. The guitars, the vocals...an d my childhood friend is in the band "Motherless Child, Blind Boys of Allabama, Spirit of the Sentury". Voices! "Anthem Without Nation, Nitin Sawheny, Beyond Skin". Deeeep bass. Voice! "Stimela, The Dowry Song, Hugh Masekela, Hope". Great live recording. "A Case of You, Live, Diana Krall, Live In Paris". Spatial soundstage.

"Fever, Ray Charles, Natalie Cole, Genous Loves Company". A little "dark" in the soud perhaps, but the soundstage is exeptional on a decent rig. Tutti!, Orchestral Sampler The World's Greatest Audiophile Vocal Recordings Barry Adamson - Back to the Cat Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Murder Ballads Beck - Sea Change Fiona Apple - Tidal Bob Dylan - Blonde on Blonde Yonder Mountain String Band - Live at the Fox Theater, Boulder, CO Jack Johnson - Sleep Through the Static While Dianna Krall is quite pleasant to look at, I find her music flat, dull and soulless (my opinion, I don't treat it as fact). Everytime I go to any retailer , that's always what they want to play..... This sums it up well..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqMTkJjeqbI Miles Davis - Kind of Blue (Legacy Edition) Radiohead - Kid A Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest Bonnie Prince Billy - The Letting Go Jeff Buckley - Grace (non remastered version) Ray Charles - Come Rain Or Come Shine (just that song) Wilco - Being There Beethoven - Largo from Piano Concerto No. 3 in C Minor, Op. 37 (on Linn Records) Aimee Mann - Lost In Space Grant Lee Phillips - Mobilize Beck - Sea Change Super Furry Animals - Rings Around The World Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger Gillian Welch - Time (The Revelator) Emmylou Harris - Wrecking Ball Kings Of Convenience - Declaration of Dependence Terry, Hubbard & Gillespie - Alternate Blues WYWH has come out on SACD Analogue Productions BOP TILL YOU DROP-RY COODER-WARNER BROTHERS CD 3358-2 BEETHOVEN SYMPHONY #9- PETER MAAG- ORCHESTRA DE PADUA ET VENETO (THE ULTIMATE RE CORDING OF THE 9TH-INCOMPARABLE)-ARTS CD 27248 SOUND OF AUSTRIA; ALPINE FOLK MUSIC-DORIAN 80116 OPUS 3 TEST CD #4 AND #5 TOMAS ORNBERG'S BLUE FIVE WITH KENNY DAVERN-OPUS3 CD-8003 THE CIVIL WAR; ITS MUSIC AND SOUNDS; FENNEL AND THE EASTMAN WIND ENSEMBLE-MERCUR Y 432591 JAZZ--RY COODER-WARNER BROTHERS CD 3197-2 THE KING OF INSTRUMENTS-VARIOUS PIPE ORGANS-DELOS CD 3503 DAVE BRUBECK; TIME OUT AND GONE WITH THE WIND CD'S THE NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND (AND MANY OTHERS)-VOLUME 2-MCA UVLD-12500 ANY OPUS 3 CD OR LP Good day to all This is really a very interesting thread, I hadn't noticed it till now. I did no t go through all posts, however from a random reading, I saw some very interesti ng discs.

I would like to place my opinion (I should rather say: "my preferences") here, b ased of course on my musical background, cultivation and - consequently - cultur e, developed through the musical listenings of mine for more than 5 decades. These preferences correspond, not only to the quality of the recordings, but als o to the music events themselves. Besides, there would be no meaning to have a q uality recording, if the music was just - excuse my wording - crap. Initially, a smal introduction about Greek music, which comes first in my prefer ences. Greek music has had several periods. The most important one was from the late 50 s till the late 70s. We call it the period of the "Artistic Popular Music". The Artisitic Popular Music had to be distinguished from the common Popular Music. Greek Popular Music started at the beginning of the 20th Century, when large mas ses of Greek population migrated from the west coast of Turkey, a traditonally G reek territory, called Ionia. Those Greeks had their own long music tradition an d they carried it, among with a lot of other cultural characterisitics to the ma inland of Greece. Popular music was then developed throughout the whole 20th cen tury, in parallel with Greek folk music, but it remained most of the time in the dark, as it was never officilally recognized. Its main characterisitics were: - Short poemic lyrics, usually speaking about love, the everyday worries and tro ubles of the people and their "blues" - Singing of the lyrics by a man or woman, in a long-drawling voice. - The accompanying instruments were mainly string instruments, violin and lute ( this is similar to balalaika, but larger and it has more bass) and then lyre (th is is an instrument, similar to violin, but it rests on the thigh/leg of the pla yer, not on the shoulder, like the violin) and finally the Bouzouki. The Bouzouk i was actulally introduced later and very often was used in conjunction with the violin and some shorts of drums. The Artistic Popular Music was somehow "invented" and created by two great Greek composers, both of which used the traditional Popular Music as their basis and inspiration, but then they made their own school, which swept the musical events in the country (and much more beyond the country borders) like a storm and afte rwards became extremely well known worldwide. These two composers had a parallel life, each one with his own class, sometimes collaborating together, but never competing one against the other. The first, well known all over the world, mainly of his music to the film "Never on Sunday", is the late Manos Hatzidakis. A great composer, who has made thousa nds of music works, presented either in albums or in single 45rpm discs. Also, a composer of film music, dressing with his music more that 80 films. The second is Mikis Theodorakis. He is also well known to the world, mainly with his music to the films "Zorba the Greek", "Phaedra", "Serpico" and "Z", but als o well known for the composing of the poem "Axion Esti" (word-by-word it means: "It is Worthy", but the meaning is much more than that) of the Nobel prized poet Odysseus Elytis. His work is also huge, thousands of songs and discs, almost in every format. He did not only composed Artistic Popular Music, but also Classic and other formats. From those two composers, I can (hardly) select two works, mainly for their musi c. From Manos Hatzidakis my mostly beloved work is his instrumental work: "Giokonda 's Smile". I was lucky one to get it in vinyl, when it was recently re-issued by the producing company. It is a wonderful orchaestral work, where the music flow

s and flies, and the recent re-issue is very well recorded. From Mikis Teodorakis, who takes the first place in my heart, between these two equals, I choose of course his magnificent oratorium "Axion Esti". I also have i t in vinyl, although it is from its first issuing in the early seventies, but I keep it well preserved. Its recording is not very special, it reflects the means and the limited technology, available then, during the production of the disc. However, its unique execution, especially because it was recorded live in a a la rge theater, with the vocals of Gregoris Bithikotsis (Theodorakis's most signifi cant singer), the chorus of Thaleia Byzantiou and Theodore Dimitrief as the chan ter. From this disc, I can only offer you the picture of its cover and a link to one of most significant music parts, named: "Temples to the scheme of the Sky". Here they are:

And the link with the music. I susggest for someone, who may be curious enough, to open it and listen carefully to the music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aFxVyvj34AU Apart from the above, I consider the following as first class music pieces and r ecordings: Telarc's Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture SACD and DVD-Audio discs, with Erich Kunzel & Cincinnati Pops Orchestra Bedrich Smetana's Ma Vlast (My homeland), containing the extraordinary piece: Di e Moldau (The Moldava River). I have it in vinyl, with the Chech Philarmonic Orc hestra, conducted by Vaclav Neumann. It is a wonderful recording, but most of al l, a wonderful piece of music art. Have a nice afternoon. Bob James / David Sanborn Double Vision This seems like the right thread to pose this question: What is the most realistic sounding piano recording you've heard? By that, I mean a CD or SACD that, when played on a good/great sound system, is realistic enough to be mistaken for a real piano by a blindfolded listener? The closest thing I've found so far is this: Art Lande's While She Sleeps, Piano Lullabies http://www.amazon.com/While-She-Slee...9387023&sr=1-2 When I close my eyes, played back at medium volume, it actually sounds like some one playing a real Steinway in the room, except it sounds like the room is large r than my listening room. The tone, reverberations and harmonics, it's all there . The one thing about the recording that spoils the illusion for me somewhat is that the pedals are too audible. I have 2 Diana Krall CD's/SACDs, but personally speaking, with my eyes closed, t here is no way I could be fooled into believing that someone was playing a real piano live. It's simply a good recording of music with someone singing and playi ng a piano, but there's no doubt that it's a recording.

Until the Art Lande SACD, I could never be sure if it was simply an inadequacy o f my system that resulted in me never being able to believe that I was listening to a real piano being played live, but hearing this album was a revelation. It struck me especially when I stepped out of the room the second time I was lis tening to it; even hearing it through the doorway, it actually sounded like ther e was someone playing a real Steinway live in the room, except that the recordin g made it sound like the room was bigger than the room my system is actually in. It actually sounded even more realistic hearing it through the doorway because I could no longer hear the pedaling. It sounded exactly like my friend's parents house with him playing on the Steinway in their Great Room. It got me thinking about this article regarding the Steinway Lyngdorf Model D sp eakers: http://www.6moons.com/industryfeatures/steinway/1.html and this particular paragraph Quote: When the Steinway Lyngdorf System D was ready for its first unveiling in Moscow, the stage hosted five Model D Steinway grands. At the sides were the loudspeake rs, in the front seats was the full management of Steinway & Sons. Ten talented young pianists opened the concert with quattre main works. The second part of th e score was played above the keys where the electronics of Model D playback took over. Nobody in the audience noticed the playback half or in this case the hand sync until the pianists gave a show of hands whilst the music continued. That's when the Steinway Lyngdorf system received a standing ovation from those presen t. When Peter recounted this anecdote a twinkle appeared in his eyes. I realized that this required not only a system capable of realistically reprodu cing the sound of a real piano (or in that case, pianos plural?), but also a rec ording that realistically captured the sound of a piano being played. So let's hear your recommendations folks. What have you heard that's realistic e nough to potentially make a person believe they were hearing a real piano being played right there in front of them? Neither SACD or CD. DVD-A of DSOTM Bap Kennedy - Lonely Street Bap Kennedy - Howl On John Hiatt - Alone in the Dark Dire Straits - BIA Mark Knopfler - Shangri La or Get Lucky Flight of the Cosmic Hippo by Bela Fleck And The Flecktones Trinity Sessions by Cowboy Junkies Mendelssohn String Quartets by Emerson String Quartet The Coryells by Larry Coryell and Sons Friday Night in San Francisco Keb Mo' by Keb Mo > SACD (2-Ch) Dave Alvin "Blackjack Davld" (MFSL) > SACD (Multi) Junior Wells "Come On In This House" (Telarc) Seal - Seal Yo Yo Ma's Soul of the Tango Marcus Roberts' Portraits in Blue (his take on Gershwin) Schindler's List OST - John William's score and Itzhak Perlman on solo violin Fiona Apple's When the Pawn Sarah McLachlan's Solace Maura O'Connell's A Real Life Story Fairground Attraction's The First of a Million Kisses

Alicia Keys' Songs in A minor (especially track one, for an exceptional blend of R&B with Classical piano) Royal Crown Revue's The Contender Zubin Mehta's Richard Wagner excerpts with the New York Philharmonic In the court of the Crimson King -- King Crimson HDCD Avalon -- Roxy Music SACD Rajaz -- Camel HDCD Stimela --Hugh Masekela CD Talking Timbuktu -- Ali Farka Toure @ Ry Cooder CD Love is the thing -- Nat King Cole SACD Swinging at the fences -- Big Phat Band CD Orient and Occident -- Jordy Savall @ Hesperion XXI SACD The Rosary Sonatas -- H.I. Biber -- Andrew Manze @ Richard Egarr CD Easter Oratorio -- J.S. Bach -- Bach Collegium Japan SACD Jesse Cook's Free Fall SACD: Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms Norah Jones - Come Away With Me

CD: Dire Straits - On Every Street Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman (1988 album) Tears For Fears - The Seeds of Love Natalie Merchant - Ophelia Chris Botti Jennifer Warnes' "The Well" on SACD SACD, Nora Jones "Come away with me". I also have this on CD and wow what a diff erence. http://www.sa-cd.net/home http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Audio_CD#Copy_protection Dream Theater - Images and Words Dave Brubeck Quartet - Time Out Primus Pink Floyd - DSOTM Tenacious D - Tenacious D Ben Harper and the Innocent - Live from Mars Brothers In Arms DSOM Hell Freezes Over Aja Days of Future Passed Steely Dan - Gaucho Bruce Cockburn - Stealing Fire Genesis - A Trick of the Tail Loggins and Messina - Full Sail Neville Brothers - Live from Planet Earth George Benson - Breezin Dan Fogelberg/Tim Weisberg - Twin Sons of Different Mothers Jamie Cullum - Twentysomething John Mayer - Battle Studies Josh Groban - You Raise Me Up Buble Neil Young's Live At Massey Hall

Michael Jackson's Thriller Diana Krall "All For You" Ether of the 1st two ramones albums, rocket to russia and/or road to ruin Jacques Loussier Trio Satie Car Audio Nationals II - Official Alpine Reference CD (Audio System Competition Evaluation CD) gaucho steely dan mercury fallin sting bali run fourplay Metallica - Ride the lightening MegaDeth - Rust in Pieces or That One Special Night Pantara - The Best Of Testament - Formation of the Damnation Slayer - Reign in Blood Metal Church - Metal Church Dream Theatre - Images & Words Iron Madien - Number of the Beast Judas Priest - Hell Bent for Leather Queensryche - Operation Mindcrime Motley Crue - Shout at the Devil Fleetwood Mac - Rumours (SACD) Pink Floyd's "The Final Cut" Supertramp's Breakfast in America http://www.dr.loudness-war.info/index.php?search_artist=iron+maiden&sort=dr&orde r=desc Pet Sounds - Beach Boys (MFSL SACD) Beth Nielsen Chapman - Beth Nielsen Chapman (CD) You Hold the Key - Beth Nielsen Chapman (CD) Sand and Water - Beth Nielsen Chapman (CD) Singles 1969-1981 - Carpenters (A&M SACD) Lead Me On - Amy Grant (Original CD release, not the remastered EMI release that destroyed all ambience, grrr ) Just A Little Lovin - Shelby Lynne (CD) Fresh Aire II, III and V - Mannheim Steamroller (Original CDs, not the HDCD rema sters) The Complete Reprise Studio Recordings - Frank Sinatra & Count Basie (Frank Sina tra Collection 2011 Remaster CD) As explained to me... In the early 1980's, at the beginning of CD's, many (most) recording studios wer e using 6" monitors which emulated your typical car speaker (of the day). Most m usic was being listened to in the car while cruising and...eek.gif Engineers had been making the sound "right" to be heard from radio, cassette and 8 track tape s on car stereos. It wasn't until people, building home stereo systems (to repla ce the ol' "console"), and added the new CD player, that it was realized how bad the resolution and dynamics of the medium was on CD when played back on "real" speakers. It was said that, "CD's would never replace LP's!" The studio monitors were seriously up-graded, the sampling rates went up and a d ecent CD was then produced, which was a serious contender to the LP! It's funny that 30 years later, the quality of CD is dropping again because "people" seem t o be happy listening to MP3's (why spend money to put quality into a CD?), so LP 's are making a come back! (not that they ever left) Another reason to beat your children.biggrin.gif My kids would rather listen to MP3's on headphones from their computers or I-pod s than to my McIntosh system, because of convenience. My son HAS admitted that t he Mac does sound better so has started to use FLAC's...on his I-pod and headpho nes instead of ear buds. Sigh. But he has bought one LP...of game sound tracks

Dave Brubeck - the song "Take Five" on vinyl, if you want an introduction to wha t Jazz can be! Fresh Aire on the original "direct to disk" vinyl Ian Kelly - "Speak Your Mind" album on CD Buckingham/Nicks album on vinyl (there is a repressing) Cowboy Junkies - "Studio" on CD Jennifer Warren - "Famous Blue Raincoat" First heard this on the first pair of R ibbon Speakers that I had heard. In 1987 I couldn't afford the $40,000 speakers, or the mono blocks, but I bought the CD! Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon Al Stewarts Year Of The Cat Steely Dan's Aja and Trick Of The Tail by Genesis 1.Peter Erskine trio: As it Is, (ecm) 2.Frank Sinatra Only the Lonely(capitol) 3 Joni Mitchel Travelogue(amazon) 4.Pieter Wispelwey Bach cello suites (3rd recording)(amazon) 5.Carmen Gomes inc. Thousand Shades of Blue http://www.soundliaison.com/ "Blue Mind" by Anne Bisson One of my favorite Diana Krall recordings is "Love Scenes", but it has some reco rding artifacts, so I don't put it among the very best (just as a recording). Fo r one thing, Love Scenes has quite some background white noise. While it's perfe ctly bearable, for example in "I don't stand a ghost of a chance with you", if y ou listen closely you can hear that background noise go significantly higher rig ht before her voice first appears in the song, she sings "I love you oooohh so.. . madly...", and then right afterwards the background noise goes down. Right bef ore her voice comes back again, background noise goes up, she sings her second p hrase "I need your love so... badly...", and then right afterwards background no ise goes down again. This happens a few more times, as if her mic (or the corres ponding channel) was being completely shut off when she wasn't singing, or as if the mixing simply showed different levels of background noise in the different channels being mixed. (Has anyone noticed these issues I'm mentioning in this CD btw?) Whatever technique caused this, maybe it lowers the noise in some parts o f the song, but it introduces these unnatural imbalances in the background white noise that clearly remind you that you are just listening to a recording that w ent through some stuff in a studio etc. Despite all this nitpicking, that is a g reat CD too, hugely recommended. 40yr aniversary re-mastering of King Crimson's "In The Court of The Crimson King " by Steven Wilson and Robert Fripp is absolutely wonderful and a perfect exampl e of what remastering should be all about. heck out guys like Diament, Gastwirt, Hoffman, and the rest to hear how good the silver disc can sound.