What's your best sounding CD?

[3-LockBox]

I know I have my favorites, but not all my favorites are the best sounding CDs I've ever heard. I do keep some CDs around that, although I rarely listen to them, I like to use them to demo a system or just because they sound so good. Here are a few:

<b>Steely Dan</b> <i>Aja</i>- Right up through <i>Royal Scam</i>, Steely Dan was a band that played jazz-tinged rock, but 77's <i>Aja</i> was a real jazz album and its sound was sumptuous, and still is.

<b>Donald ***en</b> <i>The Nightfly</i>- This has got to be the best jazz album of the '80s. No rock-n-roll on the whole album, but its got the punch that so many jazz albums since has copied. Considering the pablum that passed for so much of the '80s jazz, this might be why this album has stood out for so long.

<b>Bob James Trio</b> <i>Straight Up</i>- Although he is responsible for continuing the tradition of vanilla jazz ala David Grusin, this is a cool CD, and its production is better than anything else he's done.

<b>James Taylor</b> <i>That's Why I'm Here</i> -Not his best work, by far, but one of the best sounding CDs of the mid '80s

<b>Paul Simon</b> <i>Graceland</i>- Yes, this CD got way over-exposed, but it still sounds superb

<b>Steve Winwood</b> <i>Back In The High Life</i>- Another from the same era as <i>Graceland</i> that got way over played, but I just listened to this one a few weeks ago and had forgotten how good it sounded.

<b>Grover Washington Jr</b> <i>Winelight</i>- I was only about 15 when I first heard this 'album' on vinyl at an upscale stereo/audiophile shop in Memphis. It was one of the first CDs I bought.

<b>Dire Straits</b> <i>Brothers In Arms</i>- The first 'must have' CD

<b>Tears For Fears</b> <i>Seeds Of Love</i>- Still have the original release (not the remaster) and I can't hear any room for improvement. This is their last album in my opinion.

<b>Garth Brooks</b> <i>No Fences</i>- I know, I know...but this CD raised the bar in country western music as far as production value and content. Really.

<b>Andreas Vollenwieder</b> <i>White Winds</i>- Yes, that deep resonant bass is actually made with a big old bass harp. I know you huys are probably starting to wince, but this CD still astounds, considering it uses no synthesizers. He never made another album that came close to this one.

<b>Black Sabbath</b> <i>Paranoid</i>- While not too many hard rockers made the transition from vinyl to CD very well, this CD sounded like an epiphany to those revisiting it on CD. Maybe that was because most people were just throwing away their 8-track copies of it. But, for a dark forboding album, its still their most musical, their tightest performance, the protypical heavy metal album. And it sounds superb, even in its first issue. My brother won over many a judge in car stereo competitions with <u>Iron Man</u>.

<b>Supertramp</b> <i>Crime Of The Century</i>- the perfect pop/rock album, with a sound that matched. The production on this album exceeds anything in its genre for a decade after its release (<i>Even In The Quiestest Moments</i> wasn't as good sonically IMO)

Of course all of these albums have one thing in common, they were well written and well performed, but the level of attention to detail in every aspect of production is what I think seperates them from other albums <i>or</i> CDs. What are some your favorites?

[Dave_G]

Queensryche - EMPIRE - DCC version

This baby sounds way excellent.

Peter Gabriel - Melt - remaster - clean as crud, absolutley zero background.

The Who - Who's Next - MFSL cd - a sonic beauty.

Pallas - The Cross and the Crucible - stunning music and sound quality.

The Fixx - Reach the Beach - regular cd, but a Japanese pressing. Muy excellente. Phantoms, too, sounds excellent.

Devo - Shout - Japanese Warner pressing - great clean stuff

Dave

[-Jar-]

I'd agree on AJA.. I have a Mo-fi cd of that.. nice.. though it's not that different than the version in the Citizen Box set.. just a but quieter.. maybe a little softer around the edges..

I have NIGHTFLY on vinyl... Love the sounds on there..

GRACELAND is nice recordingwise (I love the music), but I think it sounds kind of dated, esp. the drums. They just don't always sound really natural. Very 80's.


My favorites:

Hum - DOWNWARD IS HEAVENWARD
Layers and layers of wonderful crashing waves of thick, distorted guitars.. but every instrument in the mix shines through.. yes it is very much a "production" .. but an awesome one.

Mahler - Symphony No 1. Florida Philharmonic, James Judd on Harmonia Mundi. Wonderfully beautiful sounding orchestral recording.. huge wide dynamic range. Makes my stereo seem 10 times bigger.

Pat Metheney Group - FIRST CIRCLE
Another "production" - (Albini would not approve) but I love this sucker. Sounds just awesome at high volumes. I just love how the wordless vocals merge with Pat's guitar and Lyle's keys, esp in the tour-de-force "The First Circle" - I have STILL LIFE (TALKING) (his next release) on vinyl.. that one is amazing too.. "Minuano (SIX EIGHT)" and "Last Train Home" just totally take me back 15 years their live set that blew me away so much..

Rain Tree Crow - RAIN TREE CROW
Basically, this is a Japan reunion that came out in 1990.. Sparse, but beautifully colorful.. the cover art of rock trails and the desert at night perfectly reflects the music.. A wonderful space-jazz-improvisation set that is still pretty difficult to describe, but I like this more than just about anything I've heard from David Sylvian. Definately an aural painting if there ever was one.

back to work.. might post more later.

-jar

[Hyfi]

Bob James- Grand Piano Canyon, which is Fourplay just before they became Fourplay.

Craig Chaquico- Acoustic Highway

Los Lonely Boys is surprisingly well recorded.

Chesky 10th anniversary disk is way good as they have a great recording setup.

Carl Filipiak- all of em are recorded well and they are on his own Geometric label.

I'm sure there is more in the stack but they came to mind first.

Hyfi

[Mr MidFi]

These days, I usually play my Steely Dan Gaucho DTS 5.1 CD when demo-ing my system for guests. Especially the title track...the sax just leaps out of the speakers and wraps around your head like sonic cellophane.

I made a disc out of a few well-recorded tracks, to use as a system demo. I can only remember a few tracks, but The Eagle "Hotel Califonia" live acoustic track, Sting's "Fragile" and Mark Knopfler's "Speedway in Nazareth" are standouts. That Norah Jones disc and all of Annie Lennox's discs are great for female vox.

Dave's right about that Gabriel remaster. Probably the best remastering job I've heard so far.

[Dave_G]

Ya, Aja and Gaucho on MFSL cd are excellent too, and so is Nightfly on regular cd.

When I used to play vinyl I remember a great sounding one was Jefferson Starship's killer "Dragon Fly".

If I had the dough I would buy a new cartridge for my TT but I can't afford it right now.

Dave

[Worf101]

1. Prince's latest jammy sound's real good and real modern. Well produced. Not a masterpiece but it kicks his 80's production all to hell.

2. "MisEducation of Lauren Hill" is still a masterful work and it'll kill a less than manly subwoofer.

3. Outkast's Grammy winner is a wonderfully produced work. Worth all the accolades.

jJust what sounds good to me. I listen to a lot of old school stuff from the 50's up but the production is so "uneven" as to be unnerving on "good gear". When I want to soothe my soul, modern stuff is just so well produced.

Da Worfster :cool:

[tentoze]

Lessee here, quickly and all from just memory, since I'm not near my cd's:


Dire Straits, Brothers In Arms- my personal "reference" cd
J. Armatrading, The Shouting Stage- huge soundstage
James Taylor, New Moon Shine- Frozen Man is my favorite JT tune of all time, and this whole cd is really fine-sounding
V. Morrison, Enlightenment- just about all of his stuff sounds pretty well-recorded to me, though.
Leo Kottke, Great Big Boy- shimmering guitars and Leo's trademark "geese farts on a foggy day" vocals.

[Slosh]

I guess I'm a little spoiled by LP. I find it kind of ironic that LPs tend to have more dynamic range than CD, even though CD's s/n spec is something like 40+ dB better! That aside I like these CDs' sound:

Grandaddy - Sumday
A bit bright but never harsh. Detail abounds.

Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels On A Gravel Road
Yeah, there's tape hiss but otherwise it's superb.

Andrew Bird's Bowl Of Fire - The Swimming Hour
Some tape hiss here too but not quite as loud as the above.

McLusky - The Difference Between Me And You Is I'm Not On Fire
Has that dry Albini sound but very open and clean.

Alice In Chains - Jar Of Flies
Just listened to this for the first time in a couple of years and just now noticed how well-recorded this one is.

NP: Enon - High Society (this one sounds pretty nice as well but too much compression :( )

[KRiTiKaL]

My personal choices are:

Joe Satriani - Flying in a blue dream
Spro Gyra - anthing live by them
Metallica - And justice for all
Stevie Ray Vaughn - Sky is crying
Crystal Method - Most all
Norah Jones - both cds
there are so many great cds and bands out there.

[Dusty Chalk]

Einstürzende Neubauten, Silence is Sexy -- I've said it before, and I'll say it again, this is the closest I've heard to a live recording. Now, compared to a lot of bands that I see live, that's not saying much, but these guys sound extremely good live, so in this case, it is saying something.

Alan Parson's Project, I, Robot -- I did a mixdown of the DAD, and it sounds pretty good, though not as good as the DAD. But pretty much anything this guy touches is golden. In fact, even some of the things he doesn't touch are golden. (For example, on the Sound test disk that he did for MFSL includes Yello, which sounds pretty dang good.)

The recent Peter Gabriel and Rupert Hine/Thinkman reissues -- talk about black backgrounds!

Haven't picked up Diamond Dogs yet.

[Jack in Wilmington]

Had a hard time not including DVD-A's.

Queen - A Night At The Opera, always pull this one out when someone comes over to hear my system for the first time.

Allman Brothers Band - Hittin The Note , Just when I had about given up on these guys, they come out with something like this.

Renaissance - Prologue on any one of a half dozen CD's. When Annie starts to sing people usually sit down and listen.

As for live recordings

Porcupine Tree - Coma Divine , You guys who have seen them live are so lucky

[DPM]

Well, here are a few that have perked up my ears.

1) Yokeshire/Masque Of Shadows--Absolutely the best sounding rock CD I have.
2) Landberk/Indian Summer
3) Isildurs Bane/Mind Volume 1 and Mind Volume 2
4) Al DiMeola/Kiss My Axe and Flesh On Flesh
5) Supertramp/Brother Where You Bound
6) Ambrosia/Ambrosia--Engineered by Alan Parsons
7) Aquarium Rescue Unit/Mirrors Of Embarassment
8) Dire Straits/Brothers In Arms
9) Bela Fleck & The Flecktones/UFO TOFU and Flight Of The Cosmic Hippo
10) Tool/Lateralus
11) Kate Bush/Hounds Of Love
12) Neil Young/Freedom
13) Robbie Robertson & Red Rd. Ensemble/Music For The Native Americans

Dave M

[cam]

ZZ Top greatest hits. Not every song but holy mack, Gimme All Your Lovin, Sharp Dressed Man, Got Me Under Pressure, and Sleeping Bag are absolute reference songs for when sampling new speakers.

[DarrenH]

All 1300 of 'em.

Well, except that godawful Leonard Cohen thing so it's 1299.

Seriously, anything done by DCC. I can't say enough good things about this label. Hard to come by as everything is oop but some titles can be found in the brick and mortar stores if you look hard enough.

Mofi titles are hit and miss and very subjective but here's what I like:

Tull - A Passion Play. Nice job separating out the different edits. Great sound.
Tull - Thick As A Brick
Tull - Living In The Past. The BEST! Finally, every track ever released from the various versions of this album both LP and CD, US and UK are now together. And believe me, they were all different.
Pink Floyd - Meddle and Atom Heart Mother. Ok, so AHM may be an acquired taste but the mofi is a schweeet taste for me. I wish they had done Animals.
Rod Stewart - Every Picture Tells A Story. Probably the best version you will ever hear.
Elton John - Tumbleweed Connection. Along with Madman Across The Water, this is perhaps Elton's best work. Great sound as well.

The recent Tull remasters of "A" and "Stormwatch" are very well done. In fact, I've been impressed by all of the Tull remasters thus far. Bursting Out still bugs me though.

Darren

[3-LockBox]

<i>Out Of The Cradle</i> is a great album and superb sounding CD.

Same for <b>Dire Straits</b> <i>On Every Street</i> is a sonic marvel IMO, even though it is essentially, a Mark Knofler solo album.

[Toady]

Hum - DOWNWARD IS HEAVENWARD
Layers and layers of wonderful crashing waves of thick, distorted guitars.. but every instrument in the mix shines through.. yes it is very much a "production" .. but an awesome one.


yup. an all time favorite album from an all time favorite band. a mind numbing wall of sound.

[Javier]

Roger waters amused to death great Q sound recording.
Dead can dance intho the labyrinth.
Cat Stevens mona bone jackon remastered.
Stelly dan Aja.
Gladiator soundtrack
Speaking of Wollenveider i will add book of roses.
Bjork vespertine
Pink floyd the final cut.
Jethro tull nigthcap.

and some others that scape from my head at this moment.

[Pat D]

”The Dante Troubadours,” Martin Best Mediaeval Ensemble. Nimbus 5002

“Songs of Chivalry,” Martin Best Mediaeval Ensemble. Nimbus 5006

“Chominciamento di gioia” (dance music from the time of Boccacio’s Decamerone),. Naxos 8.553131

Praetorius, Dances from the Terpsichore, Westra nos Pijpare. Naxos 8.553865

“:On the Way to Bethlehem” (music of the medieval pilgrim), Ensemble Oni Wytars, Ensemble Unicorn. Naxos 8.553132

Arnold Bax, Tone Poems (November Woods, The Happy Forest, The Garden of Fand, and Summer Music), Bryden Thomson, Ulster Orchestra. Chandos CHAN 8307

Debussy, “La Mer,” “Le Martyre de saint Sébastien,” “Prélude de l’après-midi d’un faune,” Dutoit, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, London 430 240-2

Feeney, “Dracula,” John Pryce-Jones, Northern Ballet Theatre Orchestra. Naxos 8.553964

Ferde Grofé, “Grand Canyon Suite;” George Gershwin, arr. Bennett, “Porgy and Bess, A Symphonic Picture,” Antal Dorati, Detroit Symphony Orchestra. London 410 110-2

Holst, “The Planets,” Dutoit, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, London 417 553-2 (also on Penguin Classics, Decca 460 606-2)

Ippolitov-Ivanov, “Caucasian Sketches,“ Christopher Lyndon Gee, Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Marco Polo 8.220369

Toshiro Mayuzumi, “Samsara” (tone poem), Baccanales, Phonologie Symphonique, Yoshikazu Fukumura, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. Marco Polo 8.220297 Many people may not like this music, which is often percussive and rather clangy.

Mozart, Overtures and “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik,” Bruno Weil, Tafelmusik. Vivarte SK 46695

Mussorgsky, Pictures at an Exhibition, Lorin Maazel, Cleveland Orchestra. Telarc CD-80042

Prokofiev, Alexander Nevsky cantata, Lt. Kijé, Charles Dutoit, Choeur et Orchestre symphonique de Montréal. London 430 506-2

Prokofiev, Scenes from the “Romeo and Juliet” ballet, plus Ravel, “Boléro,” etc., Jan Pascal Tortelier, London Symphony Orchestra. Castle CIDC 1001

Respighi, “Pines of Rome,” “Fountains of Rome,” “Feste Romane,” Dutoit, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, London 410 145-2 (also Decca 430 729-2).

Rossini, Overtures, Roger Norrington, London Classical Players. EMI CDC 554091

Smetana, “Ma Vlast“ (“My Homeland“), Antoni Wit, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra. Naxos 8.550931

Stravinsky, Firebird Suite plus Borodin Music from Prince Igor, Shaw, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Telarc CD-80039

Deems Taylor, “Through the Looking Glass,” plus Charles Griffes, various orchestral works, Gerard Schwarz, Seattle Symphony Orchestra. Delos DE 3099

Wagner, “The Ride of the Valkyries,” “Siegfried Idyll,” “Overtures,“ Vernon Handley, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Durkin Hayes DHM008 (or Tring Digital TRP008)

Beethoven, Symphonies nos. 4, 8, Otmar Suitner, Berlin Staatskapelle Orchestra. Denon 198C37-7254

Beethoven, Symphony no. 9, Otmar Suitner, Staatskapelle Berlin. Denon 198C37-7256

Brahms, Symphony no. 1, Jascha Horenstein, London Symphony Orchestra. Reissued on Chesky CD19

Brahms, Symphony no. 4, Fritz Reiner, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Reissued on Chesky CD6

Bruckner, Symphony no. 4, Tintner, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Naxos 8.55412869

Bruckner, Symphony no. 7, Tintner, RSNO, Naxos 8.554269

Dvorak, Symphony no. 9, “New World,” plus Wagner, Siegfried Idyll, Flying Dutchman Overture, Jascha Horenstein, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Reissued on Chesky CD31

Haydn, Symphonies 23, 24, and 61, Nicholas Ward, Northern Chamber Orchestra. Naxos 8.550723

Haydn, Symphonies 77,78, and 79, Nicholas Ward, Northern Chamber Orchestra. Naxos 8.553363

Haydn, Symphonies 96, 102, Adam Fischer, Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra. Nimbus 5135

Mahler, Symphony no. 4, Lorin Maazel, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. CBS WDMK-44908

Toshiro Mayuzumi, Nirvana Symphony, Hiroyuki Iwaki, Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra; plus Buddhist Chant of the Yakushiji Temple, Nara. Denon CO 78839

Mozart, Symphonies nos. 35, 41, Haydn Symphony no. 104,. Josef Krips and René Leibowitz, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Reissued on Chesky CD16

Mozart, Symphonies nos. 39, 41, Colin Davis, Staatskapelle Dresden. Philips 410 046-2

Mozart, Symphonies nos. 31, 40 and 34, 41, Christopher Hogwood, The Academy of Ancient Music. L’Oiseau-Lyre 410 197-2 and 411 658-2

Schubert, Symphony no. 8, “Unfinished,” and Mendelssohn, Symphony no. 4, “Italian,” Giuseppe Sinopoli, Philharmonia Orchestra. DG 410 862-2

Sibelius, Symphonies 4, 5, Lorin Maazel, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Sony SK 46499

Vaughan Williams, Symphonies nos. 7 (Sinfonia antartica) and 8, Kees Bakels, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Naxos 8.550737

Beethoven, The Five Piano Concertos, Rudolf Serkin, piano, Seiji Ozawa, Boston Symphony Orchestra. Telarc CD-80061-5

Brahms, Piano Concerto no. 2, Gina Bachauer, piano, Antal Dorati, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Reissued on Chesky CD36

Chopin, 4 Ballades and 4 Scherzi, Earl Wild, piano. Chesky CD44

Liszt, Années de Pèlerinage, 3 volumes, Jeno Jando, piano. Naxos 8.550548, 8.550549, 8.550550 Box set is 8.503004

Berlioz, Requiem, Robert Shaw, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. Telarc CD-80109-2

Brahms, Ein deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem), Robert Shaw, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. Telarc CD-80092

Handel, Messiah, Robert Shaw, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus. Telarc CD80093-2

“En la fête de Noël. - O Holy Night,” Martin Dagenais, La petite bande de Montréal. Naxos 8.554435

“The Mystery of Christmas,” Noel Edison, The Elora Festival Singers. Naxos 8.554179

“Let the Organs Thunder,” music for chorus, brass and two organs, William Ferris, William Ferris Chorale (Chicago). WFC 588289

“The World of Wagner,” Georg Solti, various soloists, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. London 440 069-2

Renée Fleming, soprano, The Beautiful Voice, Jeffrey Tate, English Chamber Orchestra. London 289 458 858-2

Brahms, Serenade no. 1, and Wagner, Siegfried Idyll, Academy of St. Martin in the Fields’ Chamber Ensemble. Philips 426 298-2

Dvorak, Quartets nos. 10, 14, Opus. 51 and 105, Vlach Quartet of Prague. Naxos 8.553374

Laura Jeppesen, “Music for Viola da Gamba,” (Le Sieur de Machy, Schaffrath, Abel, Mozart). Titanic Ti-183

Jean-Jacques Kantorow, violin, Romantic Violin Miniature, Michi Inoue, New Japan Philharmonic. Denon DC-8077

Schubert, Piano Quintet in A, “The Trout,” Ingrid Haebler, piano, Jacques Cazauran, double-bass, Grumiaux Trio. Philips 422 838-2

The Wallace Collection brass ensemble, “Gabrieli & St. Mark’s,” John Wallace, trumpet, Simon Wright, conductor. Nimbus 5236

J. S. Bach, Passacaglia in C Major, Toccata in F, Fantasia and Fugue in G Minor, Michael Murray, the Great Organ in Methuen Hall. Telarc CD-80049

“The World of the Organ,” Simon Preston, organ. London 430 091-2

Rag Jhinjhoti, Rag Pilu. Imrat Khan, sitar; Vajahat Khan, sarod; Shafaatullah Khan, tabla. Nimbus 5195

Rag Shankara, Rag Mala in Jogia, Ram Narayan, sarangi, Anindo Chatterjee, tabla. Nimbus 5245

Rag Bhimpalasi, Hariprasad Chaurasia, flute, Fazal Quereshi, tabla. Nimbus 5298

[Mr MidFi]

Jeez Pat, is that all ya got? (just kidding)

Hey, thanks again to you and whoever else recommended the Telarc/Maazel/Cleveland Pictures at an Exhibition. I'd like to add that one to my list as well. Good dynamics on that disc. Especially the "big finish" (Great Gates of Kiev).

[Pat D]

Jeez Pat, is that all ya got? (just kidding)

Hey, thanks again to you and whoever else recommended the Telarc/Maazel/Cleveland Pictures at an Exhibition. I'd like to add that one to my list as well. Good dynamics on that disc. Especially the "big finish" (Great Gates of Kiev).
You're welcome.

The criteria for this old list were excellent recording quality and at least good performances. I should revise it sometime.

The Maazel Pictures is a very good one, but not my favorite, Ansermet with the Suisse Romande Orchestra, which does not have such spectacular sound, though the sound is quite good.

[Mike]

Red House Painters – Ocean Beach, really spacious recording
Robert Rice – 7 Veils, top to bottom huge soundstage
Elysian Fields – Bleed Your Cedar
Dzihan & Kamien – Freaks and Icons if you fancy a bit of electronica
Gordon Goodwin – XXL
Grandaddy – Sumday great chugging basslines
The Glands – The Glands, overlooked gem
Blue Man Group – Complex
Joan Osborne – How Sweet It Is
Jack Johnson – On and On
Damien Rice – O
Govt Mule - Dose
Tosca - Suzuki In Dub
Beck - Sea Change

Cheers
Mike

[danw]

Dupre, Franck, Widor by Michael Murray (Telarc CD-80516)
Franck complete organ works by Jean Guillou (Dorian)
Marcel Dupre Organ Music by John Scott/ St. Paul's Cathedral (Hyperion CDA66205)
Organ Music by Marcel Dupre - 2 (Hyperion CDA67047)

[Walker]

These sound great on my system:

Prince - Diamonds and Pearls
The Tubes - What do you want from live
Kruder & dorfmeister - The K&D sessions
Elvis Costello and Burt Bacharach - Painted from memory
Boy George - A night with Boy George
Roby Robertson - Music for the Native American
Level 42 - Level 42
Radiohead - OK Computer
Tosca - Dehli9
Don Juan Demarco - Soundtrack
Tears for Fears - The seeds of love
Tony Bennett - Steppin' Out
Paul Weller - Heavy Soul

[Demetrio]

These are some of the best sounding recordings I have ever heard:

DADAVA - Sister Drum [XRCD 20-bit K2] => think of chinese/tibetan drums materializing right there in your room

HAROLD FARBERMAN - Grooving Classics [XRCD 24-bit]

HE XUN-TIAN - Paramita [XRCD - K2]

DIRE STRAITS - Brothers in Arms [XRCD]

JAMES NEWTON HOWARD & FRIENDS - S/T [XRCD 24-bit]

DAVE GRUSIN - Discovered Again Plus [XRCD 24-bit]


And now some normal CDs with incredible sound quality too:


MARK KNOPFLER - Wag the Dog [HDCD]

XTC - Nonsuch [24-bit Remaster]

AL DI MEOLA - Kiss My Axe

TREY GUNN - Raw Power

STEVE KHAN & ROB MOUNSEY - You Are Here

ANDREW BIRD - Armchair Apocrypha

MOONBABIES - The Orange Billboard

THE NOTWIST - Neon Golden

ELECTRELANE - Axes, Power Out & No Shouts No Calls

STEELY DAN - Aja & Two Against Nature

DONALD ***EN - Morph the Cat

PORCUPINE TREE - In Absentia

BOZZIO LEVIN STEVENS - Black Light Syndrome

DREDG - El Cielo & The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion

Cheers,
Demetrio.

[Mr MidFi]

Wow! Demetrio!

Thanks for the blast from the past, man. :thumbsup:

[Hyfi]

Well, here are a few that have perked up my ears.

1) Yokeshire/Masque Of Shadows--Absolutely the best sounding rock CD I have.

Dave M

This disk is awesome! It lights up the HDCD light on my Rotel but it is not marked as such but you can tell that it sounds way better than most.

[Demetrio]

Thank you guys!!

I remember "Lovers Rock" by SADE sounding pretty good to my ears too...

My question is: which other CDs by Sade sound also that good? Remaster or original edition?

Demetrio.

[bobsticks]

Thank you guys!!

I remember "Lovers Rock" by SADE sounding pretty good to my ears too...

My question is: which other CDs by Sade sound also that good? Remaster or original edition?

Demetrio.

To answer your question, in a word, yes...all of her albums have strong production. In fact, her older works have lowered mixes before the volume wars took over the industry. Diamond Life is a pleasing example of this.

Good to see you around these parts.

[3LB]

Yes, Masque of Shadows is not only a superb sounding CD, but also a badass retro-rock album. And I believe it was Mr D who brought this recording to our attention way back when.

How are you doing D? I have that latest Dredg CD (with the too long name) and its constantly in rotation - their best IMO.

[MasterCylinder]

I have many of the CDs already reflected above, especially the MFSL releases.........but if I had to choose just one it is a Japanese Remaster of the ROMANTIC WARRIOR.......a great re-do of an already great-sounding original CBS release.

[Demetrio]

Yes, Masque of Shadows is not only a superb sounding CD, but also a badass retro-rock album. And I believe it was Mr D who brought this recording to our attention way back when.
Hi, 3LB, that's a pretty nice prog recording indeed (listening to it right now while I write this message).


How are you doing D? I have that latest Dredg CD (with the too long name) and its constantly in rotation - their best IMO.
I'm fine, and even better now that I am back to this great community. That DREDG cd with the long name (The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion) is brilliant indeed.

Best regards,
Demetrio.

[3LB]

You should pop in over to PE, Demetrio - lots a new prog coming out, even involving a few PE members. Did you get the new Izz? Did you ever hear Pineapple Thief? Katatonia? Frogg Cafe? Umphrey's McGee?

[Demetrio]

You should pop in over to PE, Demetrio - lots a new prog coming out, even involving a few PE members.
For some reason I don't like that forum as much as I like this one, for example. They seen to want to talk ONLY about prog there, and I like to talk about other genres too, especially now that I am very interested in great sounding recordings and we both know that this is something not so easy to find in prog (some few exceptions I can recall at the moment are Pink Floyd, Cressida, Camel, Isildurs Bane, Dredg, Porcupine Tree, Ozric Tentacles, Gazpacho and Yoke Shire, with some brilliant sounding recordings in their discographies indeed).


Did you get the new Izz? Did you ever hear Pineapple Thief? Katatonia? Frogg Cafe? Umphrey's McGee?
Who??!!...

Serious, from these I know IZZ and Pineapple Thief only. I listened to some samples of the new IZZ, but I didn't buy the CD yet. Pineapple Thief is one of my current favorites.

Cheers,
Demetrio.

[poppachubby]

Funny, I just posted about the YokeShire album, not realising it's all over this thread. nobody recently sent it to me.

In regards to Sade, IMO nothing is as good as Love Deluxe. Their best songwriting and production.

[Demetrio]

Some few other greats I can recall at the moment, in addition to my previous list:


=> MIKE KENEALLY - The Universe Will Provide

=> ISILDURS BANE - Mind Vol. 1 & 2

=> MICKEY HART - Mystery Box [HDCD]

=> UAKTI - I Ching & Trilobyte

=> TERJE RYPDAL - If Mountains Could Sing

=> KETIL BJORNSTAD - The Sea

=> BRUFORD LEVIN - Upper Extremities


In regards to Sade, IMO nothing is as good as Love Deluxe. Their best songwriting and production.
Thank you. To my wish list right now!!

Demetrio.

[Demetrio]

Just found another great sounding CD in my collection:

THE APARTMENTS - A Life Full of Farewells

Demetrio.

[ForeverAutumn]

I just got that new IZZ disk a couple of weeks ago and it's very good. I still think that I Move is their best IMO, but the new one is really growing on me.

As for best sounding disks, Canadian artists Colin James and Rik Emmett always put out disks with superior sound quality.

I used Ayreon's Actual Fantasy as one of our audition disks when we were buying speakers and the sound quality on this disk gives me chills, it's so damn good (especially on the right speakers :)).

[Demetrio]

A few other greats I can recall:

10cc - How Dare You & Deceptive Bends

GRATEFUL DEAD - Terrapin Station

BRYAN FERRY - Béte Noire, Boys and Girls & Mamouna (HDCD)

Cheers,
Demetrio.

[bobsticks]

BRYAN FERRY - Béte Noire, Boys and Girls & Mamouna (HDCD)



Both of those remasters are significant improvements over the original release.

[Demetrio]

Two other greats:

=> GRYPHON - Treason

=> JEFF BECK - Who Else

Cheers,
Demetrio.

[Swish]

...the prog comp I received from Demetrio a number of years ago. :smile5:

[Demetrio]

...the prog comp I received from Demetrio a number of years ago. :smile5:

Hey, Swish, I'm glad you like it. It has been so much time since then that I don't even remember the tracks on it...

Cheers,
Demetrio.

[Swish]

Hey, Swish, I'm glad you like it. It has been so much time since then that I don't even remember the tracks on it...

Cheers,
Demetrio.

...since you know my history with prog. I actually kinda sorta liked the one where you designed the cover with a man's head that turned into a tree.

[Demetrio]

A few other great sounding CD's I have discovered in recent weeks:


=> DRUID - Fluid Druid (perhaps the BEST sounding cd I own?)

=> DADA - Puzzle (produced by Ken Scott)

=> HEART - Dreamboat Annie

=> MUSICAL WITCHCRAFT - Utopia

=> UNIVERS ZERO - Ceux du Dehors

=> NINE HORSES - Snow Borne Sorrow

=> IAN CARR with NUCLEUS PLUS - Labyrinth


Demetrio.

[rakeford]

I didn't see these listed.

SANTANA - Supernatural
ZZ TOP - Mescalero
FLEETWOD MAC - Peter Green's Fleetwod Mac, Blue Horizon 90001-2
FLEETWOD MAC - Mr. Wonderful, Blue Horizon 90002-2
SANTANA - Shaman

And yes,
DIRE STRAIGHTS - Brothers in Arms (SACD)

[PeruvianSkies]

1. Don Henley's BUILDING THE PERFECT BEAST (Mobile Fidelity)
2. Roy Orbison's GREATEST HITS (Mobile Fidelity)
3. Jewel's SPIRIT (HDCD)
4. Alan Parsons Project TALES OF MYSTERY AND IMAGINATION (Deluxe Edition)
5. Sarah McLachlan FUMBLING TOWARDS ECSTASY (Gold Disc)
6. John Lennon PLASTIC ONO BAND (Mobile Fidelity)
7. RadioHead OK COMPUTER (reissue)
8. The Flaming Lips YOSHIMI BATTLES THE PINK ROBOTS

[Demetrio]

Hi everybody, glad to be here again.

I was doing a search over the Net about great sounding CDs when I found the link to this old thread and so I thought, let's say hello to the guys and then get the chance to list my current favorites again.

I still enjoy the CDs I listed on some previous posts, but of course that, in the meantime, I was introduced to lots of other great sounding CDs, so I want to say that, at the moment, these are my top reference CDs:

=> MERCEDES SOSA - Mercedes Sosa (1983) --> my current number ONE, because it sounds absolutely stunning!!!!!

=> BILL CALLAHAN - Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle and Apocalypse

=> HANS THEESSINK - Slow Train

=> DONALD ***EN - Morph the Cat

=> STEVE KHAN & ROB MOUNSEY - You Are Here

=> DAVID TORN / MICK KARN / TERRY BOZZIO - Polytown

=> OYSTEIN SEVAG – Global House

=> DANIEL LANOIS – Shine

=> DADA - Puzzle

=> XTC – Nonsuch

=> JELLYFISH – Bellybutton

=> JAH WOBBLE – Umbra Sumus

=> JAH WOBBLE & BILL LASWELL - Radioaxiom: A Dub Transmission


Best regards,
Demetrio.

[Davey]

Best sounding? Who knows anymore, what I care about most are cool sounding albums that I can listen to over and over, and that usually means they can't have all the life squashed out of them. A couple fitting that description that have been in rotation lately ...

American Analog Set-1997-From Our Living Room To Yours

http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0000/142/MI0000142826.jpg

Durutti Column-1979-The Return of the Durutti Column [1996 Factory Once Remaster]

http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0001/861/MI0001861225.jpg

[Davey]

=> BILL CALLAHAN - Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle and Apocalypse

Those do sound pretty good, though pretty compressed too. Makes his voice really big, and bass is pretty high in the mix, gets kind of congested when it gets louder. If you don't know his previous work, I'd suggest Red Apple Falls by Smog. Much better dynamics, and probably my favorite of all his records, though darker, and maybe not as "fun" sonically as these later ones. Wish we were an eagle is really, really good, just wish it wasn't quite so loud.

<img src="http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_1080/MI0000/150/MI0000150236.jpg" width="500">

[Demetrio]

Those do sound pretty good, though pretty compressed too. Makes his voice really big, and bass is pretty high in the mix, gets kind of congested when it gets louder. If you don't know his previous work, I'd suggest Red Apple Falls by Smog. Much better dynamics, and probably my favorite of all his records, though darker, and maybe not as "fun" sonically as these later ones. Wish we were an eagle is really, really good, just wish it wasn't quite so loud.

<img src="http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_1080/MI0000/150/MI0000150236.jpg" width="500">

Hi, Davey, thank you for the great tip. I will check this out as soon as possible.

Demetrio.

[Davey]

Hi, Davey, thank you for the great tip. I will check this out as soon as possible.

Lossless sample at my song of the day if you want to try (and the ones I mentioned in the other post too).

His early Smog records are somewhat different than the ones under his own name, and the later Smog records for that matter, though I think the change to a fuller production started with Red Apple Falls, and it matches pretty well with Wish We Were and Eagle.

[Demetrio]

Lossless sample at my song of the day if you want to try (and the ones I mentioned in the other post too).

I found a cut from that disc (I Was a Stranger) in the "Troy's Mixdown" comp, that Chrisnz sent me a while back.

Demetrio.

[Davey]

I found a cut from that disc (I Was a Stranger) in the "Troy's Mixdown" comp, that Chrisnz sent me a while back.

Demetrio.

Hehehe, if you ripped all the comps that used to fly out of this place, you could probably have a 10,000 song Rave Recs playlist, at least. Of course, depending on your taste, there might only be a few you'd care to hear more than once :)


Rave Recs Group Comps (http://forums.audioreview.com/rave-recordings/rave-recordings-group-comps-2084.html)

comp4trade (http://dl.dropbox.com/u/22278349/comp4trade.htm)

[Demetrio]

This is another reference CD I discovered today:

SERÁ UNA NOCHE - S/T

<img src="http://pds.exblog.jp/pds/1/201207/29/28/e0267928_18234652.jpg" width="500">

Recorded live in a monastery in Argentina, 1998.

[Demetrio]

I read somewhere that the band Gomez have some great sounding CDs too. Which is the best sounding in your opinion?

Thanks,
Demetrio.

[Demetrio]

Another very nice sounding CD:

STEVE WINWOOD - Back in the High Life

<img src="http://www.mondopop.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/back-in-the-high-life.jpg" width="500">


Demetrio.

[Demetrio]

Another great find:

ORCHESTRA BAOBAB - Specialist in All Styles

<img src="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/ciu/fa/9f/0f41eb6709a0098d34a73110.L.jpg" width="500">


Demetrio.

[Jack in Wilmington]

This disk is awesome! It lights up the HDCD light on my Rotel but it is not marked as such but you can tell that it sounds way better than most.

I guess I can thank Demetrio also for reviving this old post. I bought this CD solely on your and Dave M. recommendations and it is a great CD. They get so much music out of a three piece band. They can go from sounding like a Scottish folk band to a power rock trio in the blink of an eye. Do you have any more of their music?

[Demetrio]

Three more recent finds:

=> FINLEY QUAYE - Maverick a Strike

=> POCO - Legend

=> FRIEDEMANN - Aquamarine


Demetrio.

[MasterCylinder]

Three more recent finds:

=> FINLEY QUAYE - Maverick a Strike

=> POCO - Legend

=> FRIEDEMANN - Aquamarine


Demetrio.

I still have a POCO vinyl album from the early 70s that is touted as QUADRAPHONIC............and it still sounds good.

[audiobill]

Thanks for the comp list Davey.

This list brings back many memories. Those group comps were a ton of fun! What blows my mind is how long ago our little group of music maniacs got together to share/discuss music. Very cool.

Thanks-a-ton,
audiobill