Must have audiophile music thread

[PV Audio 5,000+ posts]

I figured since that's what this forum is ultimately about, I wanna get some input on what you guys think is necessary listening, or just good tracks to test your setup. When you answer, state artist and album and why it's good. If anyone posts any rap made after 2000, I'll personally find a way to ban you (that's coming from a devout hip-hop lover too). I'll start with a few choices:

Gerald Albright - Live at Birdland West

This CD is one of my two reference albums. The most important track is song 2, Georgia on my Mind. This song has some of the most insane dynamics and impact that you've ever heard. It'll stretch your system from low to high. If you cringe at the sax notes, your tweeters need to be attenuated, and if you think the bass sounds muddy, it isn't; your woofers are just sloppy. No speaker I've ever heard on this track has ever been without fault.

Diana Krall - Girl in the Other Room / Look of Love / Live in Paris

All three of these albums are phenomenal. The vocals are what you want to look for, as Krall will test your mids for weakness, and if its there, she'll sound hollow or will screech. The only speakers to ever produce her voice ideally are some large Definitives I tried to clone and my 871s full ranges. Nothing else comes close

Fourplay - Elixir

This album, especially "Why Can't It Wait Till Morning" are wonderful for full range sounds that you wouldn't expect. WCIWTM's opening consists of light and airy flutes, plucked guitar, jazz guitar, bass and Phil Collins. All in all, WCIWTW akes this album my other reference album. The track after WCIWTM is straight dynamics and impact like you've never seen or imagined.

Click to read more...

 

[NeverEnuffBass 10+ year member]

*waits for someone to list some random rap songs*

 

[Fast1one 10+ year member]

Loreena McKennitt-Nights at the Alhambra

Specifically "All souls night" is a phenomenal track. If the dynamics, sound stage, and instrument variety don't get you, her incredible voice will, trust me. Really, any of her albums are a must listen.

Eric Clapton-Unplugged

Not the greatest recording of all time, but the guitar still sounds incredible in this album. Once again great dynamics.

Norah Jones-Come away with me/Not too Late

Both of these albums are amazing in my opinion. Her voice is just addicting. The songs "Little Room", "Wish I could", and "Broken" literally made me fall in love with her.

Radiohead-In Rainbows

A little unorthodox to be labeled as an "Audiophile" album, but I think the production quality of this one is just great. Lots of variety here.

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Thats it for now. Theres plenty more, but those are the ones that stick out. I have listen to them dozens of times...

BTW flippin awesome thread. Should have thought of this before //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

[joetama 5,000+ posts]

I'll add to this and why later.

But, here is some of my list now.

Peter Gabriel - Up

Stevie Ray Vaughn - Couldn't Stand the Weather

Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon

Donald Fagen - The Nightfly

Holly Cole - [Will put the album name in later I don't remember it]

Tower of Power - What is Hip?

Santana - Abraxas

Dire Straits - Communique

Will add more later when my brain is functioning...

 

[Dozy_production 10+ year member]

All of these I use to test vocals and figure out where the high end peaks are. The Led Zepplin is a kinda of all around one.

David Bowie - It ain't easy

Led Zepplin - Heart Breaker

Jimmie Hendrix - national anthem

Flaming Lips - Yoshimi battles the pink robots pt. 1

Wishbone Ashe - Queen of Torture.

 

[crzystng 10+ year member]

Here are a few of the songs that I regularly use to help see things more clearly;

Tracy Chapman New Beginning, Give me one good reason, Tell it like it is

Evanescence Haunted (at higher volume levels will produce some resonances that are hard to get rid of)

Joe Satriani, Oriental Melody, Surfing with the Alien, Tears in the Rain, well a lot of his stuff really

Los Lonely Boys, Señorita

Celine Dion The power of love

Sarah McLachlan, Angel, Witness

Prodigy, Climbatize

Stevie Ray Vaughan, Lenny

The Eagles, Hotel California live; well most anything from them live is well recorded

ZZ TOP, Rythmeen

Dave Matthews Band, So Much to Say

Joe Walsh, Rocky Mountain way

Vince Gill, Go rest high on that mountain (love ya Q)

Dilbert McClinton, Old weakness (coming on strong), Too much stuff

Enigma, Pretty much the whole album LSD, Love Sensuality and Devotion

Primus, Hellbound 17 1-2 about 1:18 Try that one while driving on the interstate or at an intersection //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif Wounded Knee, Hail Santa

Van Halen, Finish what you started, Running with the devil,

Steve Vai, For the love of god, Bad horsie, There’s a fire in the house, Bangkok

Massive Attack, Angel, and the mad professor angel remix

Clannad - The Kiss (Last of the Mohicans Soundtrack)

Beethoven - Moonlight Sonata (Trance Remix) //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

Mos Def & Massive Attack, I Against I (Blade 2 Soundtrack)

Native Flute Ensemble, Courtship Melody

David & Steve Gordon, Return Journey

Loreena Mckennitt, The Mystics Dream

 

[bose301s 5,000+ posts]

Pink Floyd - The Wall

Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon

Pink Floyd - Wish You Were Here

Tool - 10,000 Days

Nine Inch Nails - The Fragile

The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour

The Moody Blues - In Search of the Lost Chord

The Moody Blues - Days of Future Past

The Moody Blues - On the Threshold of a Dream

Many others but these will work for now.

 

[gymfreak101 10+ year member]

Sevendust- Southside Double Wide Live

Not common to most of you but awesome double disc and recorded very well ecspecially Johnny Cash/ Nine Inch Nails cover of Hurt.

 

[Hydrastas 10+ year member]

machinae supremacy - elite

is an interesting one. got a nice combo of instruments and or electro made sounds.

 

[mokedaddy 5,000+ posts]

Dire straights - Brothers in arms

Eagles - Hotel California

Madonna - Almost any album

Some Rage against the Machine is good to test for dynamics and range.

 

[PsychoTheRapist 5,000+ posts]

Tricky - Pre-Millennium tension (album)

Nelly Furtado - Turn off the lights

Jeff Buckley - Hallelujah

God Lives Underwater - Life in the so called space age (album)

The Black Crowes - Shake your money maker (album)

Stevie Ray Vaughn - Texas flood

Joe Firstman - The war of woman (album) One of my favorites.

Fleetwood Mac - Rumours (album)

 

[BIGsherm7272]

pink floyd - welcome to the machine

 

[donpisto 5,000+ posts]

Yael Naim - Yael Naim (album name same as the artist). Check out the remix she did of Brittney Spears' Toxic. Great vocals, lots of instruments.

 

[stuckinok 5,000+ posts]

Young Jezzy- hypnotize

Just kidding

The Blue Man Group-Any of thier live recordings are FTW

 

[Custom98Monte 10+ year member]

off the top of my head

citizen cope - son's gonna rise

citizen cope - sideways

audioslave - show me how to live

tantric - break down

everclear - santa monica

flobots - handlebars