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Best female vocal recording on CD?

i am a sucker for great warm rich smooth female vocalists, especially on tube gear and speakers that image well. but i am almost always faced with a great voice/song but a sonically inferior recording (examples too numerous to list) or a great recording of a mediocre voice.  rickie lee jones (pop pop) comes to mind- fab recording, but come on lets be honest about her voice. however, i will almost always pick great recordings and leave the bad recordings for the car.

 so i am asking for what you use as a reference female vocal recording/track. right now i come back tp bonnie raitt "you cant make me love you" from luck of the draw.  big, warm, strong voice. not a perfect recording. but hmmmm that voice.

my only requirement is it has to be on CD. and we all know of great vinyl that did not translate into great CDs.  so help me out here, what should be my next music purchase 
meiatflask

Showing 5 responses by folkfreak

folkfreak's avatar
folkfreak
1,349 posts
 
Finally I must give a shout out for Judith Owen, all her recordings are first rate, maybe start with this ("Train out of Hollywood")

https://youtu.be/7RavSWS_pso
folkfreak's avatar
folkfreak
1,349 posts
 
Surprised btw that no-one has mentioned Janis Ian "Breaking Silence" yet -- I know it’s an audiofool chestnut but it really is a superb recording

And finally here’s one to mess with your head




folkfreak's avatar
folkfreak
1,349 posts
 
@meiatflask 

I think you're obsessing about recording quality a bit too much -- the true measure of a system should be how well it presents the musical event irrespective of the recording (i.e. it finds all that can be found even in a mediocre recording)

Having said that to address your specific questions
  • "Stones in the Road" is an OK recording, nothing special -- personally I actually prefer the live versions of many of these tracks on "Party Doll and Other Favorites" -- this is an honest live recording
  • "Between Here and Gone" is an impeccable pop record, highly produced but very well done
  • Regarding Nanci -- I agree on Storms (you need to get the Alto Analog LP btw) -- of her more recent stuff I picked out "Other Voices" as it is a very intimate and real sounding recording, if again you prefer a pop production then chose "Flyer"
  • "Airs and Graces" is a true vocal master disc, but recognize that this is acapella solo british folk voicing, so may not be to your taste - I never owned a CD of this so cannot goide you to which to choose
  • "Against the Streams" is again very nice, realistic recording
  • "The Elizabethan Sessions" is a stellar recording throughout -- beware it has men singing on it as well!
  • Finally Sandy and Mandy -- the recordings are of their time (early 70s though 80s) -- personally things like "Fotheringay" are my all out reference and the 3CD Hannibal set is as nice a CD as you can hope to find, only bettered by paying through the nose for an Island pink label -- but this is all in the context of your liking Joe Boyd's production style

ps Speaking of Joe Boyd go and dig this out - you'll like it (Songhai 2) -- And frankly you won't go much wrong by buying everything on this list of his work, especially this (The Hank Dogs, Half Smile, which has some more lovely female vocal)

pps Thanks for making me look that last one up, I never even knew the video existed!


folkfreak's avatar
folkfreak
1,349 posts
 
Some suggestions from the folk genre (as you might expect)
  • Mary Chapin Carpenter -- maybe start with "Between Here and Gone" or "Stones in the Road"
  • Nanci Griffith -- "Other Voices, Other Rooms: her covers CD is a great mix, or try "Flyer" if you want a more pop mastering
  • Sandy Denny -- invest in the "Who Knows Where the Time Goes" 3CD box on Hannibal or the more recent 19CD (!) complete box set
  • Mandy Morton -- we're now getting more obscure, first came to fame with Spriguns but well worth looking for the "Sea of Storms/Valley of Light" combo CD
  • June Tabor -- a classic folk voice -- start with "Airs and Graces" then maybe jump forward to "Against the Streams" (I love "Apples and Potatoes")
  • And finally to bring you bang up to date invest in a copy of "The Elizabethan Session" and get into Bella Hardy and Nancy Kerr in some impeccably well recorded new songs inspired by the Elizabethan age


folkfreak's avatar
folkfreak
1,349 posts
 
@glennewdick -- good pick with Ruth Moody

Check out her work with the Wailin' Jennys (this is "Arlington" from "40 days")

And while your at it try Heather Masse (another member of the Jennys) with Dick Hyman


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