What cd's/lp's are always in your player? [Archive] - Audio & Video Forums

PDA

View Full Version : What cd's/lp's are always in your player?



topspeed
03-17-2004, 12:28 AM
Yeah, yeah, I know this should be in the Rave Recording forum but hey, I don't hang out there.

Everyone has them. You know, the albums/cd's that are always the first to be put into your disc carrier before you go on a road trip. I'm not talking about your demo discs that you load up before hitting Al's Audiobarn (although I'm not excluding them either). What albums do you think are terrific from beginning to end? What cd's have you listened to thousands of times yet aren't burned out on?

For me, a brief list would include:
1) Steve Winwood, "Back in the High Life"; he had what? 5 releases off this album? Not a clunker or filler in the bunch.
2) Peter Gabriel, "So"; see above in addition to it being a great demo disc. Very clean production.
3) AC/DC, "Back in Black"; sh*tty sound but who cares?!
4) Level 42, "World Machine"; more straight ahead than their earlier stuff but Mark King is still one of the premiere bassists in the world. Ridiculously fun if you have a system in your car.
5) John Mayer, "Room for Squares"; just saw him in concert. He lists SRV as one of his primary influences. Don't let the pop status fool you, this kid can rip! Exceptionally clean recording too, great as a demo.
6) Rush, "Moving Pictures"; Neil Peart is a god...Neal Peart is a god...Neil P...
7) Dave Mathews Band, "Crash"; Carter Beuford is a god...Carter...nevermind.
8) Stevie Ray Vaughn, "Live Alive"; duh.
9) Pink Floyd, "Wish you were Here"; Better than Dark Side imo, although I'm sure I'm in the minority.

Worf101
03-17-2004, 06:31 AM
Here's what runs around my head...

1. "What's Goin On?" - Marvin Gaye

2. "Warm Covers" - A homemade compilation of cover songs by the late Laura Nyro

3. "The Best of The Dells" - 2 CD compliation of one of the best vocal groups ever to come
ChiTown.

4. "Curtis Mayfield, an Anthology" - A 2 CD anthology of the music of a sorely missed
master.

5. "What is Hip?" - 2 Cd Rhino Anthology of perhaps the greatest rock/soul horn band of
all times... "Ladies and Gentlemen Tower of Power!!!

6. "Mingus" - An anthology of the mystical master....

That's about it for now....

Da Worfster :D

Jack
03-17-2004, 06:31 AM
Good question, partial list in no particular order depending on mood....

1) Eagles..Greatest hits 2
2) Bob Seger..Greatest hits 1 and 2
3) Fleetwood Mac..Rumours
4) Tom Petty..any one of his cd's
5) AC/DC..Back in Black (especially in the car)
6) Simon and Garfunkel..Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme (brings back good memories)
7) Neil Young...After the Goldrush
8) Van Morrison..Moondance
9) Sheryl Crow..Tuesday Night Music Club
10) Keiko Matsui..home burned cd (excellent background music)

dph1965
03-17-2004, 09:55 AM
I guess if I had a 5 disc changer, this is what I would start with:
Rolling Stones - Exile on Main Street
Marvin Gaye - What's Going On
Tom Petty - Wildflowers
Ryan Adams - Heartbreaker
George Harrison - All Things Must Pass

next pass would be:
Rolling Stones - Let It Bleed
Faces - Good Boys....When they're sleeping
White Stripes - Elephant
Ben Harper - Live From Mars
Pink Floyd - Wish you were here

These 10 aren't neccessarily my "top 10 of all time" - just ones I have a hard time finding a bad track on.
There would always be a Stones CD in there (Can't help myself) & I would probably have at least 2 compilations in the mix - DANG that's why I paid $2500 for this computer in the first place!

Hairsonfire
03-17-2004, 12:11 PM
Yes, gentlemen. Nice choices. I like all that stuff. However, most of it is not, in a manner of speaking, my idea of "audiophile quality." I have reached a point where I really only enjoy Live-to-two-track classical and jazz music. You know, where you can really listen between the notes and a soundstage that is actually palpable is created. It's funny, I have all the albums mentioned - not the Mingus though (yet). It really is great music - I just rarely play that kind of stuff in my system - maybe in the car or at work on the computer.

dph1965
03-17-2004, 12:29 PM
JUST KIDDING! I rarely have time to sit and enjoy or listen critically anymore. Most of the time it's background music, doing yardwork and housework!

Jack
03-17-2004, 01:30 PM
More power to you. I'm not quite at that point yet. I still just enjoy listening to the music and artists in all their non audiophilic glory, and if I can make it sound a little sweeter with a modest upgrade or two, even better. One thing I have going for me is that as I get older, my hearing is not as sharp, and therefore the perceived flaws in the music are less conspicuous. To each their own, there are no rights or wrongs as long as you enjoy....Jack

topspeed
03-17-2004, 03:16 PM
What is "audiophile" quality anyway? To me, an audiophile quality album is anything where the production quality is so clean and pure that there isn't anything to get in the way of the music. This can be applied to any type of music from Hovaness to Huey Lewis, as long as the music draws you in. Take the John Mayer cd I mentioned. There are so many layers within the music to discover and enjoy you could easily sit and dissect it or just put it on for background and go with the flow. Contrarily, I've yet to find a decent Frank Sinatra recording that doesn't have so much hiss and garbage so I can enjoy the music (btw, any suggestions would be appreciated).

It's funny because on the rare occassions that I get to sit down and really do some critical listening, I'm reaching for the jazz first and everything else second. However, in my car or at the office it's almost always rock because I rarely have time to focus on the music, it's just there to invigorate me. A lot of it has to do with my mood too, of course.

All great stuff guys, most of it I have except that Tower of Power disc. I'm writing that one down now!

Woochifer
03-17-2004, 04:52 PM
TS -

Great topic for the off-topic. Nice to see someone mention Level 42, I agree that Mark King is a bassist extraordinaire. They are one of the few pop bands that like to do a lot of creative things with rhythm. Anyway, here's my list (the car that I borrow whenever I'm traveling down in SoCal has a six-disc changer, so I'll go with that).

Miles Davis - The Compete B*tches Brew Sessions
Yes, I cheated, this is a four-disc set that chronicles all of the takes and sessions that ultimately created what IMO is a seminal jazz creation by Miles. Amazing album in its original form, and even more amazing to hear what did not make its way onto the album.

Jazzanova - The Remixes: 1991-2000
One of my audio test discs, but also great beats to chill with. Lot of complex African and Latin rhythms to go with house and jazz-inspired tracks as well as live jazz musicians. Very creative and far reaching stuff. One of the more influential bands on the rare groove scene as the sound/terminology evolved from acid jazz to downbeat to I guess what they're now calling "nujazz."

Bruce Springsteen - Darkness On The Edge of Town
Old standby for cruising around rural desert towns. Had it on while I was driving from San Diego to Yuma, and it all clicked.

Brian Setzer Orchestra - Guitar Slinger
Ultracool big band rocker, with not a weak link in the entire chain. Still retained a bit of the post-punk attitude that the neoswing bands had before the whole thing erupted into fad and crashed back down to earth a few years later.

This Is Acid Jazz v.2
An obscure compilation of London-based acid jazz bands that's got a load of gems from bands that I've never heard of. It includes a bonus CD with all of the tracks done in a DJ mix, and wow is that ever great road music.

Pat Metheny Group - Letter From Home
Huge PMG fan, and this seems to be the album that I always go back to. Never get tired of it.

And if I could do a pit stop and pop in a second CD carrier, here are the others that would make the cut.

Swingers soundtrack or Royal Crown Revue - Mugsy's Move
That movie is probably the truest to life depiction of the dating life in L.A. that I've ever seen. (And yes guys, women on the caliber of a Heather Graham did hang around the bar scene at the Derby, and if you knew your steps, they would dance with you) The soundtrack is great, ranging from big band to neoswing to lounge to straight up jazz. The only drawback is that they did not include RCR in the first Swingers soundtrack (it was their Wednesday night residency at the Derby in the mid-90s that inspired the movie, and they were subsequently added onto the second Swingers soundtrack), so I included their album in the mix as an alternate. If you're into that gangster bop variety of swing music (like I am), then RCR has no equal.

Underworld - Second Toughest In The Infants
As far as I'm concerned, the definitive statement of electronica. Incredible cross-section of dance rhythms and melodic pieces that teeter between the DJ world of mixing and beat matching with more conventional song structures.

Joe Sample - Ashes to Ashes
Underrated album from Joe. Not much of the funk from Joe's stuff with The Crusaders, but for road tunes, this is ideal. Sometimes you want a smooth brew.

Metallica - And Justice for All
Probably Metallica's most controversial album because it features one LONG song after another, and goes into these long almost epic sprawls that wind the songs from one episode into another. Definitely not taut and tight music, but for the road stuff that goes off on tangents can be a good thing.

Paul Oakenfold - Tranceport 1
Oakie's frequently cited as the top club DJ in the world, and having seen him a few times, I will agree that he's dang good. That said, technically this is not his best mix, some of the beat matches are sloppy and the transitions lack creativity. But, this features some of the best trance tunes ever, so I'll take that.

Mark111867
03-18-2004, 06:25 AM
Hi folks. Night Train by Bill Morrissey is pretty much a mainstay in my player. Sandstone Cathedrals by Bill Staines is another cd that stays in the rotation. There is usually a Vivaldi cd in there as well. Have a great day.
-Mark

dph1965
03-18-2004, 07:07 AM
Just got turned on to Laura Nyro. What dic what you recommend?

bturk667
03-18-2004, 07:19 AM
This is almost an impossinble question to answer, too many variables, but here goes in no particular order!
1. Kind of Blue: Miles Davis
2. Born to Run: Bruce Springsteen
3. 2112: Rush
4. The Wall: Pink Floyd
5. Tigerlily: Natalie Merchant
6. All That You Can't Leave Behind: U2
7. Amused to Death: Roger Waters
8. A Rush of Blood To The Head: Coldplay
9. The Bends: Radiohead
10. Anything by the Beatles!

I leaving out about another fifty, minimum.

topspeed
03-18-2004, 10:02 AM
I love how open everyone's mind is. Of course, I've yet to see any rap/hip hop or country. Hmmm, a common thread?

Wooch, man I had that exact disc in my had at Border's this past weekend and I was trying to decide whether or not I should get it. You answered that for me. I'm a PMG fan too and was really into him during college. Great for chillin'. As for Swingers, oh man I was actually yelling "Good God man...STOP!" during the infamous answering machine scene. That movie is sooo money! I'm a big ska/swing fan. You should try Big Bad Voodoo Daddys and Let's Go Bowling. You might like 'em.

Bturk, the only one I don't have on that list is Springsteen. Just never bought it. What's the world coming to when a Sooner and Trojan can agree on the same things? Next thing you know cats and dogs will be getting married in San Fran :)

Woochifer
03-18-2004, 11:43 AM
Wooch, man I had that exact disc in my had at Border's this past weekend and I was trying to decide whether or not I should get it. You answered that for me. I'm a PMG fan too and was really into him during college. Great for chillin'. As for Swingers, oh man I was actually yelling "Good God man...STOP!" during the infamous answering machine scene. That movie is sooo money! I'm a big ska/swing fan. You should try Big Bad Voodoo Daddys and Let's Go Bowling. You might like 'em.

TS -

Which disc did you have in mind? If it's the Miles Davis one, I definitely recommend it if you're into his B*tches Brew phase because it documents nearly all of the recorded sessions that that particular ensemble did together. I would also recommend The Complete In A Silent Way Sessions because it takes a similar approach of documenting the alternative takes and original sessions that would later get overdubbed into the songs that ultimately made it onto the original album.

Oh geez, I was totally cringing in my seat the first time I saw that answering machine scene from Swingers as well, and most guys I've talked to about the movie seem to bring that scene up because WE'VE ALL DONE THAT! In this day and age of e-mail and cellphones, people who didn't live through the "answering machine era" don't know how good they've got it right now! I've seen BBVD a few times live, and they're pretty good. They also totally lucked out in getting the Swingers gig because Royal Crown Revue had grown their following enough to go on tour and subsequently that Wednesday night residency at the Derby got turned over to BBVD who also got the movie part (and spot on the soundtrack) because RCR was unavailable at the time of filming. Haven't heard of Let's Go Bowling, so I'll have to track it down! BTW, ESPN posted a brilliant column on Swingers and sports a year ago, give it a read, it's hilarious.

http://espn.go.com/page2/s/simmons/021230.html
http://espn.go.com/page2/s/simmons/021231.html

brigrizzme
03-18-2004, 01:15 PM
Here are the top five March CDs that always seem to escape the clutches of the library.

1. The J.B.s - Anthology "A"
2. The J.B.s - Anthology "B"
3. Mike Oldfield - Tubular Bells
4. Blood Sweat and Tears - Spinning Wheel
5. Traffic - The low spark of high heeled boys

It all depends upon my mood. Next month it may be another classical phase. That's the great part of owning a decent system.....right?

Good Post!

topspeed
03-18-2004, 02:58 PM
Thanks Wooch, I needed that.

BTW, yeah it was Miles and I'm getting it this weekend.

Jimmy C
03-19-2004, 05:26 AM
...you and Wooch (is that proper English?) mentioned Level 42... I agree. Too bad they weren't a huge sucess here in the States, but they are quite popular in England and Japan. A friend of mine that plays bass turned me on to them (natch!)

Lessee... LPs usually found on the table:

1) Any Miles Davis (this music is way better on LP)
2) Any Weather Report
3) Solo Zawinul stuff
4) Solo Jaco stuff
5) Yellowjackets
6) Chuck Mangione
7) Jimmy Buffet
8) Greatful Dead
9) Simon and Garfunkel
10) Supertramp

And yeah, I have to admit the same 20 (or so) CDs are usually played. Some of them:

1) Bela Fleck (hard to find on LP)
2) Female vocals
3) A lot of other Jazz (John Pattitucci, Metheny, Spyro Gyra, etc.)
4) A tiny bit of Yo-Yo Ma
5) Assorted music I have tepid feelings for

The list may seem like a big slant toward the LP, but due to laziness and/or being tired, the CDP is playing 75% of the time.

DMK
03-19-2004, 07:39 PM
Just got turned on to Laura Nyro. What dic what you recommend?

...when we need some noise? Nice picture by your moniker! And since you like the Igster as I do, I found it humorous that you asked what "dic" someone recommends. :)

P.S Raw Power has just been remastered. It now sounds totally grungy instead of just mostly grungy. In other words, it's awe inspiring! Sorry, no help on Laura Nyro.

DMK
03-19-2004, 07:57 PM
Well, it changes from week to week but these are the ones that never seem to stray too far from the turntable (or CD player)

1) Sun Ra Arkestra - Live at Montreaux. My #1 album of all time has recently been reissued on CD. Buy the CD and miss all of the well written liner notes and half the music. But it will tide you over until you can find the LP which has been out of print since...oh, 1978 or so.
2) Steve Lacy Quintet - The Way. ME listening to jazz vocals?? And crappy vocals at that? Something about this disc leaves me totally in awe.
3) ROVA Saxophone Quartet with Henry Kaiser - Daredevils. Still hasn't seen the light of day on CD. The sound is better off for it. How these guys can keep me totally interested and my jaw agape with no rhythm section is amazing. I'm probably one of at least 30 people that bought this disc. :)
4) Metallica - Master of Puppets. Intelligent and downright fun heavy metal. These guys are masters of the genre. Wanna talk best rhythm guitarists in the land? James Hetfield's name better be on that (short) list!
5) Fear - For The Record. Recorded before these punkers decided that 10 beer songs on one CD was de rigeur. Punk rock at its finest and most hilarious.
6) Box Set - Sex Pistols. Ok, THIS is punk rock at its finest, not to mention its angriest. As wimpy as Mr Rotten looked, his on stage snarl would scare anyone and his band was both tight and loose and freakin' powerful! Calling pansies like Blink-182 punks makes me wanna stomp somebody!
7) Box Set - Muddy Waters. More Led Zeppelin songs that any CD that isn't... well... a Led Zeppelin CD. As much as I like Zep, Muddy ate guys like them for breakfast and washed 'em down with a fifth of whiskey.

Currently listening to a used CD I just picked up by a band called Snot. So far, the music doesn't quite measure up to the name. BTW, since punk is supposed to be offensive, is there any band with a name more so than the Dead Kennedys? Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables might be on my list next week....

Worf101
03-19-2004, 09:27 PM
Just got turned on to Laura Nyro. What dic what you recommend?

If I were giving you just two I'd say these...

"Eli & the Thirteenth Confession" - Her most complete album. Some of her greatest songs..

"Gonna Take a Miracle" - Laura and Labelle (that Patti Labelle and friends) do a tribute to soul before tributes became the fashion. A very sparse production by Gamble and Huff of Philly International fame BEFORE they blew up with the Ojay's and Spinners...

If you get either... get the REMASTERS!!!!
One of the rare times they remaster's are superior to the originals...

Da Worfster :cool:

kexodusc
03-20-2004, 06:20 AM
I have a 5 disc cd player so here goes:

1. Dream Theater - anything and everything
2. Rachmaninoff (spelling?) Piano concertos 1-4
3. Norah Jones - can't get enough of this songbird
4. Pearl Jam - Vs.
5. Metallica - ...And Justice For All, this signalled the end of Metallica's progressive metal days and if it wasn't for the crappy studio job, could possibly be the greatest metal album of all time.

LP's (what the heck I'll throw 5 on)
1. Led Zeppelin IV
2. Miles Davis - again, anything
3. B.B. King - Live at the Regal, best live blues album ever
4. Rush - 2112 (now on my third LP)
5. Jimi Hendrix - Are You Experienced (U.K version)

dph1965
03-20-2004, 09:16 AM
Of course I meant what disc what you recommend! LOL

DMK
03-20-2004, 11:26 AM
Of course I meant what disc what you recommend! LOL

Yep, I knew that! Of course, Iggy can certainly inspire such Freudian slips :)