What's the LP you would spin for the vinyl naysayer?

[Jimmy C]

My choice might be something from Dave Grisman. I don't have thousands of LPs, but he is definitely in the top 2% for recording quality in my collection.

It was kinda dreary here in New York today, so I didn't work. I knew I had to drive my sis and bro-in-law to the rail for a N.Y.C. trip, but I was up early and had some time to dispose of. Guess what I did? Yup... bought a few more records. As the crow flies, the store is about 1.2 miles from my place. How can you NOT go in?

Anyway, to make a long story longer, one record I found was Grisman's "Quintet '80". Sure, the music is great, but the sonic quality is a bonus - can't imagine too much better. All instruments are perfectly delineated, resolution is amazing, super clean and clear. Each mandolin, violin, cello, whatever, has a nice velvety texture against quiet, black background. All this from an archaic medium! It's a WB album, Bill Wolf did the mixing. Surface noise is almost non-existent... only very slight "tics" or "pops", none audible when the music is playing.

At any rate, that LP would be one of my "show-off" picks. What's yours?

[dean_martin]

the first one that popped into my head was the Mobile Fidelity version of REM's Murmur. It would be easy to compare it to the "tinny" cd.

[royphil345]

For others I'd play something based on what they like. I was cranking up a Led Zep album today that sounded a heck of a lot better than I think the newer CD copies sound. I've got some Pink Floyd and Black Sabbath albums that sound pretty good when cranked up for a demo.

I like listening to classical on old Living Stereo records. Mine seem to distort during some louder passages. Not sure if it's just the way they were, or if I'm buying other people's "rejects". They sound so "organic" and spacious though... Love them.

I'll have to keep my eyes open for some Dave Grisman.

[markw]

Either Linda Ronstat's Greatet Hits on Mo-Fi or Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Eexhibition on RCA Living Stereo.

[tin ear]

Yeah, Linda would be great! There was a new guy here a couple months ago from Arizona (can't find his moniker right now). Suggested Heart's Dreamboat Annie. So I bought one - Nautilus half-speed mastered, and WOW!

BTW, play that or Linda on tubes and watch your buddy start spending a lot of money.

Jon

[SlumpBuster]

Great question. I can tell you not just what I would play, but what I have played. A turntable is always a conversation starter. Depending on the audience I like a couple different methods. I generally stay away from half speed mastering and special pressings. You can impress the pants off people with the run of the mill pressings.

Sometimes I like to use late 70s early 80s "corporate" rock. These are songs people have heard countless times on crappy car radios, so they are familiar but have never been heard like this. Favs are:
REO Speedwagon - Tuna Fish
.38 Special - Southern Boys
Boston- Boston
Fleetwood Mac - Rumours (after my presentation of "I Don't Wanna Know" my boomer father-in-law went home and dug out his records and turntable out of the attic. The doofus has Dynaudio towers and has been skrewing around with XM)
Its like they're hearing these very familiar records in a whole new light.

Yaz - Upstairs at Erics and Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Pleasuredome work out the sub frequencies and demo that a good set up will have no feedback problems or volume limitations. Yaz at 110 db is a religious experience.

There are just so many choices. I've used Beastie Boys- license to ill; Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Various; Blondie - Various; The Blasters - Various; . Along that Linda Rondsat line, I like Juice Newton. Those records actually peels paint from the walls.

Two of my stranger favorites are Harry Belefonte and Roger Whitaker. Those guys made some crazy good sounding records. I never pass up new finds of theirs in record shops.

Regardless though, I always like to round out a presentation with recent releases (i.e. anything less than 10 years old). People alway say, "I didn't know they still made records?" I've used Ash, Gwen Stefani, Oasis, The Donnas; Smashing Pumkins, Green Day, MXPX.
Also, its important to keep your records well organized and accessable. Whenever people are diggin' on my rig, they inevitably head over to the shelves and start flipping through. The comments are always positive. Things like "I haven't heard this in years!" "I forgot that the original cover was banned!" "Can we hear this one!" and of course the granddaddy of them all, "Why did we stop listening to our records?" But if your wax is all out of sorts or, heaven forbid out of their sleeves and dirty, they'll instantly remember why they stopped listening.

[jrhymeammo]

It would have to be an older recording.

Friday Night in San Francisco w' Demeola and DeLucia!!! McLaughlin is aight..

JRA

[JoeE SP9]

These LP's always bring out comments like "You're kidding that's not an LP".

Direct To Disk
For Duke The Bill Berry All Stars M&K RealTime Records
Class Of 78 The Buddy Rich Big Band Great American Gramophone Company

Great regular LP's
Give Me The Night George Benson Japanese Import
The Firebird Suite (1919) Stravinsky Robert Shaw & The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
The Nightfly Donald F*gen

[squeegy200]

Artist - LP Album Title

Jennifer Warnes "Famous Blue Raincoat"
Supertramp "Breakfast in America"
Pink Floyd "Dark Side of the Moon"
David Benoit "Every step of the way"
Norah Jones "Come Away with Me"

[Jimmy C]

It would have to be an older recording.

Friday Night in San Francisco w' Demeola and DeLucia!!! McLaughlin is aight..

JRA

...awesome performance AND sound quality.

[Dusty Chalk]

Steve Hackett, Voyage of the Acolyte, side two

[jrhymeammo]

For some reason audiophiles dont think that is a good live recording. The album can make people crap their pants. It should sound pretty good on SACD, but I think I'll just replace it with a cleaner copy.

another live recording

Neil Young and the CH - Rust Never Sleeps, but not YES Songs by.....YES. It's just terrible...

JRA

[Jimmy C]

For some reason audiophiles dont think that is a good live recording. The album can make people crap their pants. It should sound pretty good on SACD, but I think I'll just replace it with a cleaner copy.

another live recording

Neil Young and the CH - Rust Never Sleeps, but not YES Songs by.....YES. It's just terrible...

JRA

...either in here, or over at AA (forgot which) say the same thing about that LP... I can't figure that out at all.

I have a few good live recordings... Cash's "Live at San Quentin", the Dead's "Dead Set", and Simon & Garfunkle's "Live in NY" (1980ish) to name a few.

Bad ones are out there as well... yesterday I picked up a live Charlie Parker - sounds like an AM radio :^(

[JohnMichael]

These LP's always bring out comments like "You're kidding that's not an LP".

Direct To Disk
For Duke The Bill Berry All Stars M&K RealTime Records
Class Of 78 The Buddy Rich Big Band Great American Gramophone Company

Great regular LP's
Give Me The Night George Benson Japanese Import
The Firebird Suite (1919) Stravinsky Robert Shaw & The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
The Nightfly Donald F*gen

Yes, the "For Duke, The Bill Berry All Stars" is excellent.

[jrhymeammo]

That's why I'm glad I dont own Ultra-Fi gears...LOL.

Another Live recording..

Live at the LightHouse - Grant Green

So much better than a CD copy.

[Woochifer]

My list of vinyl naysayer debunkers is pretty similar to the ones I used 20 years ago ...

James Newton Howard and Friends (Sheffield Lab direct-to-disc) - This is a tour de force demo for anyone who wants to hear how percussion instruments and digital keyboards are supposed to sound! Sound is very pure with a great amount of punch dialed in. And the music is pretty damn good for an audiophile label, featuring some exceptional studio musicians at work (including Jeff Porcaro, David Paich, and Howard himself). The LP version absolutely blows away the CD version (although Sheffield Lab had been accused of purposely making their CDs inferior sounding in order to suit their anti-digital agenda).

Bill Meyers - Images (Live to two-track studio recording) This keyboardist/composer worked as music director/arranger for both Madonna and Earth, Wind, and Fire, and his debut album was a wildly ambitious jazz/new age concept album recorded live-in-studio with over 40 musicians. Side 1 uses a full horn section, while Side 2 features a full string section, with both sides using multiple percussionists and keyboardists along with a guitarist, bass player, and featured soloists. This is probably LA jazz producer Jeffrey Weber's best sounding session (but, nearly all of his productions have excellent sound quality). The vinyl sounds immaculate, and it too bests the CD version.

Supertramp - "Cannonball" (Direct-to-disc 45 RPM 12" single) This recording has an overly glossy sound typical of mid-80s recordings, but it also has a huge amount of detail and spine-tingling lifelike quality to the horns especially. The 12" single has a noticeably more dynamic sound than either the LP or CD versions (the 12" single was mastered direct to disc by Bernie Grundman, while the other versions were mastered by Bob Ludwig, so all versions were handled by master disc cutters).

Rob Mullins - One Night in Houston Very talented keyboardist that I used to see everywhere on the L.A. jazz scene. He recorded this album for Audioquest Music (yes, the cable guys actually used to have a music label), and I recently found it at a used vinyl store. Geez, this is a great sounding album! Crystal clear, very well mixed, and a good amount of dynamic range cut into the LP.

[JohnMichael]

Weather Report "Heavy Weather"

Columbia Half Speed

[Jimmy C]

Weather Report "Heavy Weather"

Columbia Half Speed

...overall favorite band. Warm everything up, pick your fave beverage, turn the lights down and enjoy the show. Sick stuff, right?

I missed the Jaco years, but at least I got to see Zawinul at IMAC in Huntington, NY. Amazing show, hope they come around again.

[basite]

erm, *thinks*

probably the one that's spinning now, Bonobo - Days to come (especially side D, best tracks of them all)

Quincy Jones - The Dude
and George Benson - Give me the night
if he's not impressed by then, i'll find some others and play a cd to compare.

[basite]

The Nightfly Donald F*gen

cool, I only have the album on cd, can't find it anywhere on vinyl *looks sad*
i do want it on vinyl though...


Greetings,
Bert.

[Jimmy C]

cool, I only have the album on cd, can't find it anywhere on vinyl *looks sad*
i do want it on vinyl though...


Greetings,
Bert.

...that you are not allowed to say "Donald ***an" in here! I love it! Isn't a "***" a cigarette or something? British slang? I'm not sure.

By the way Bert, the LP sounds great... the CD does as well. If you happen to come across the vinyl...

[basite]

i don't know for sure, but i think that when you say f@g in "you're a f@g" it means that you're gay...

not sure though,

the cd sounds great indeed, very lively to listen to, somewhat warm, not tiring at all, i always get that feeling with old warner bros recordings.

Greetings,
Bert.

[jrhymeammo]

i don't know for sure, but i think that when you say f@g in "you're a f@g" it means that you're gay...

not sure though,

Greetings,
Bert.

Yes it is. Alot of insecure and ignorant adults use that word. I love asking people why they use such word in a serious manner(face to face of course). They never have anything to say except for "What are you a ***?". I just smile and go hit on girls.

JRA

[Jimmy C]

i don't know for sure, but i think that when you say f@g in "you're a f@g" it means that you're gay...

not sure though,

the cd sounds great indeed, very lively to listen to, somewhat warm, not tiring at all, i always get that feeling with old warner bros recordings.

Greetings,
Bert.

...for "gay". I was being facetious (sp?)

Jimmy simply thought it odd you can't say that word...

Hey - doesn't "gay" mean happy?

[hifitommy]

the sheffields such as the harry james ones, dave grusin, and thelma huston & pressure cooker. the wagner and prokofiev discs are also quite good.

on century-woody herman's 'road father' is tremendous, along with the buddy rich-class of '78.

conventional LPs are no slouch either. nearly ANY concord vinyl is audiophile quality at regular prices. the LA4 recordings are all top notch.

for a nice treat try sergio mendes' 'primal roots'. weather report's 'sportin life' is another nice surprise.

on telarc, the pictures by lorin maazel and the cleveland orch is a must. first, its a great performance but the recording is minimally miked and the dynamics and low frequencies are superb. remember, this is a digital recording that was pre-CD and you are hearing the benefit of the soundstream recorder without being sullied by 44.1/16bit conversion.

if youre lucky enough to have a vinyl copy in good condition, the planets by zubin mehta and the LA phil from about '72 is a true reference disc.

we could all go on and on but these should get a guy started.