Best Record You Have Ever heard


Thought I would start this thread for all you vinyl lovers out there.

The rules are simple:
1. Only post one album, the absolute best you have heard.
2. It must be something you have heard on VINYL.
3. Both the recording AND musical content must be impeccable
and I do mean BOTH!
4. Try to be as specific as possible i.e/ version, year, re-issue, original, 45RM,direct to disc, half speed mastered etc...

Here is mine.

Artist: John Frusciante
Album: Curtains
Release: Record COllection
Date: 2005
Recording: It was done in his living room, fully acoustic album. Mastered by Bernie Grundman Hollywood CA.
dfelkai
Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington
Recording Together For The First Time
Classic Records 4 LP - 45 RPM Clarity Vinyl

As close as we'll ever get to being in the room with these gentlemen. 
For some music from this century, Glass Animals self titled LP on their Wolf Tone label in conjunction with Caroline is amazing. Incredibly quiet with excellent dynamics. A beautiful world of sound!
My kids moved recently, and among the vinyl that surfaced was my favorite of all time. I’m listening to it now via Spotify but I sure remember this in vinyl from the 80s--wish I had the system then that I have now (though it's all CD and digital). I need a hi res download...

Title: The Fantasy of Indian Drums
Artist: Pandit Vijay Raghav Rao
Label: Polydor of India 2392 913 Stereo
Year: 1980, I believe. It has also been reissued, though I haven't heard the reissue.

Sound-staging on this album is hallucinatory--there’s no other word for it. Especially side 2. People are all around me playing different instruments. Bells behind the lamp, drums on the stairs, tablas moving across the wall. A violin on the couch next to my chair.  On the couch!

"There are times when reality comes closer. In a field, in the actual air"


I am a jazz guy so for me the best of the best is going to be jazz, and as anyone who knows anything about jazz will concede, the first and foremost jazz performer of all time was Louis Armstrong.  The rarest of his early recordings is "Cake Walking Babies from Home" with Clarence Williams' Blue Five, OKEH, January 8, 1925.  The cleanest reproduction of it on vinyl can be found on the Time-Life Giants of Jazz, Louis Armstrong set, record 1, side 1, which also has excellent copies of the more famous Hot Five and Hot Seven recordings.  As an audiophile recording, this is a non-starter, but as music, in the words of Duke Ellington, it is beyond category.
Hello,

Angelo Branduari -IL Ladro (1990 Ariola Label)
Dynamic open Sound, One of my Top 5

Best Regrets 
Stephan
Some above already mentioned I also like and agree with I don't think anyone has commented on Gino Vannnelli "Powerful People" MFSL Half Speed Mastering on Japanese vinyl.
The best Night on Bald Mountain is on Chesky Sir Adrian Boult Concert favorites.  I have not seen this record on vinyl but a few times but it is amazing.
The best Night on Bald Mountain is on Chesky Sir Adrian Boult Concert favorites.  I have not seen this record on vinyl but a few times but it is amazing.
Artist: The Grateful Dead
Album: Reckoning
Issue: First & original

This one is excellent all the through

I unfortunately can’t think of a single "Pop" album I love both musically and sonically. Those two qualities seem to be mutually exclusive in Popular music, at least as far as my taste in that music is concerned. Cat Stevens Tea For The Tillerman is great sonically, but musically? No thanks!

Classical LP’s are different---there are a fair number I own excellent in both regards. A lot of the Harmonia Mundi titles, both French and U.S., are imo really fine musically and sonically. There is a U.K. label that specialized in Baroque (whose name escapes me at the moment, and my LP’s are still in cartons, waiting for me to set up my new racks---IKEA’s EKET) that issued a series of recordings by Brit Trevor Pinnock. Solo performances on harpsichord of Baroque material---excellent performances in great sound. Listened to through QUAD ESL’s, the harpsichord appears right before my eyes and ears, I feeling as if I am in the room in which the performances took place, the enveloping recording-venue room sound filling my listening room. Fantastic!

If you ever see any of the Ark label LP's, grab 'em. Speaker designer Robert Fulton (R.I.P.) recorded local Minnesota amateur church choral groups, and the sound is absolutely amazing---very transparent, delicate, natural. Maybe the most lifelike recorded vocals I've ever heard, including any and all direct-to-disc LP's, the sound of which I love. And I find the musical groups charming, even if not of professional caliber. I would much rather listen to some amateurs than many pro's I could mention! Steve Perry, Michael McDonald, Geddy Lee, or Kevin Cronin, anyone?

Hard to choose between the entire catalogs of Sonny & Cher and The Partridge Family.
Sorry, I’m breaking the rules as I have only heard this digitally and it is fantastic, but it IS available for pre-order on vinyl:

Trombone Shorty : Parking Lot Symphony
Release date: 2017
http://amzn.to/2pjTV3i

Fat and tight, has the greatest combination of being a fun musical experience with superb musicianship AND a great recording. Fat because the sound is HUGE dynamically and soundstage wise.... tight because there is nothing loose, sloppy or maudlin about the performance. Every note struck with precision.
Crime of the Century, UHQR. 

Tonight I'll put the TV on mute, watch my Toronto Maple Leafs play Washington, and crank Supertramp.
Allman Brothers Band Live at Fillmore East on Pink Label Capricorn
Released July 1971
Capricorn Records

Uriah Heep´s first 3 albums really, UK originals - my first ones were actually original c-cassettes, bought the vinyls shortly after
- David Byron can sing everything with huge manly & clean vocal style from heartbreaking ballads "Come Away Melinda", pop, blues "Lucy Blues", heavy rock "July Morning" rock´n´roll, jazz/prog "Wake Up, Set Your Sights", soft jazz/rock "The Park", folk, to operatic heavy metal "Bird of Pray" with ease. 1st album is an incredible mix of many rock styles and "Salisbury" completes the flawless union/fusion of a rock group and a symphony orchestra. And "Look at Yourself" is the ultimate heavy metal album. And frankly all 7 first albums still the best for me since the incredibly versatile 70´s. Musically I mean.

David Byron and Gary Thain, the greatest musicians forever ´cos they lived only for the music
Thanks guys and my dear Dad who bought me my first humble Island c-cassette that changed my life forever
RIP
so many to choose from, however, one that I would recommend that I do not believe has been mentioned is :
Rob Wasserman ‎– Duets
Label: MCA Records ‎– MCA-42131
Year - 1988 
Style : Jazz (free, smooth, contemporary)

A bit off the beaten path the Decca recording of the complete Stravinsky Pulcinella done by Ansermet and the Suisse Romande. Not the suite.

I have it on a London Stereo Treasury re-release and that Decca sound is rich, 3 dimensional and Stravinsky neo-classical astringent. Great impact. I think it's '66.

For those who love Stravinsky and Pergolesi it's a must have. The little known vocalists are wonderful and sing in a characterful way that no longer exists in classical vocalists.

I brought it to Stereo Exchange to test out a turntable and the young salesman was really impressed by the sound after we had listened to some pop lps.

The Decca / London recording of the Solti / Vienna performance of Wagner's Ring Cycle, particularly "Gotterdammerung".  The entire box set.  Hands down the VERY BEST vinyl I've heard.  Even the CDs (with a very good DAC) are better than most vinyl. 
A new acquisition that leap-frogged all the rest is Dire Straits "On Every Street".  
Previous champs included Joni Mitchell "Court and Spark", Alan Parsons Project "Turn of a Friendly Card" and Dire Straits "Love Over Gold".  
Honorable mention- Linda Ronstadt "Simple Dreams".  
@schubert Agree that Exotic Dances From The Opera on Reference Recordings is one of the best for sure! 
But my favorite is
Gary Karr - Adagio D'Albinoni - Cisco LP

Cheers,
Spencer

Post removed 
As above;
to match w/ the Alice in Chains Unplugged, Nirvana Live in New York (Unplugged).
The 2lp reissue Mono & Stereo  of the first David Bowie album 1967.

Sound quality is excellent . Stand out track Come and buy my Toys. Btw I couldn't care less if the transfer is analog or digital it sounds good to my ears and thats my criteria.


Pink Floyd 'Wish You were here' on Columbia Half-speed mastered extended range recording. also says CBS MASTERSOUND.
Toto IV, Japanese pressing, CBS Master Sound.

Its the best sounding LP I have heard and am fortunate enough to own a pristine copy.
Rachmaninov; Symphonic Dances/Vocalise

Reference Recordings RM1504

Eiji Oue & Minnesota Orchestra.

A true reference recording..

I'll pick one of my favorites, which I don't believe has yet been mentioned.


Maria Muldair, Richland Woman Blues, Grooveland.  It's wonderful music and an incredible sounding record.   

To many to name EMI and Decca records also Muddy waters Folk Singer i have Original as well wonderful records. 
Muddy Waters Folk Singer. Original release. 
As real an acoustic environment wihh human voices, real musical instruments that I have ever heard in a recording.
Uncanny.
bluewolf,

I agree; Very good choice. May I suggest the 45rpm MFSL pressing.

 I am still trying to find out if the AFI Flat is compatible with USA electric and if it will be made available in the future. Still very interested in both flattening and RELAX function .
It is impossible for me to pick one best record but I am going to go with one that I have enjoyed consistently for the longest period of time, both musically and sonically. I bought the disc new when it was released in 1979.

Rickie Lee Jones' self-titled album, Australian pressing


I’ve got over 600 vinyl albums (and 800 CDs/SACDs) and there are quite a few I think are stunning, but my favorite is:

William Russo, Street Music, Op. 65, A Blues Concerto
San Francisco Symphony Orchestra, Corky Siegel/Harmonica, Russo/Piano
Deutsche Grammophon 1977 - 2530 788

Side B is Gershwin’s - An American in Paris which is almost as good as Side A.

The vinyl pressing itself is dead silent. Dynamics are full and non-compressed.
Thomas Dolby - Aliens Ate My Buick
Frank Zappa - One Size Fits All
Talk Talk - Colour of Spring
Loudon Wainwright lll - Love Songs

Er...I broke the rules. Sorry .





All the Sheffield Lab direct to disc recordings produced by Doug Sax are just excellent and among the very best recordings ever made but the music can leave you wanting. Certainly not this one and a few others including the superb Thelma Houston and Pressure Cooker mentioned above.

"The King James Version"
Harry James and his Big Band
Sheffield Labs Direct to Disc 1976
Produced by Doug Sax and Lincoln Mayorka
Stanley Clark "If this bass could talk"
1988 CBS Recordings
Mastered by Bernie Grundman
incredibly dynamic, excellent recording
my favorite version of "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat"

mmakshak,

Quicksilver; Happy Trails. Great record!!!!!! 
Back to the OPs rule; to many to pick one. I have most that are mentioned so far.

Casino Royal, Dusty Springfield, Burt Bacharach is everything HP said it was; if you have the right copy/ pressing. Have (4) copies, only (2) are right.
 My vote for recently released is:
Santana Abraxas , MFSL, UD1S - 001. Absolutely Spectacular 
I'm going to hi-jack this thread for just a moment, as this record loses out on the sound quality, but for the musical ideas, and the number of people who haven't heard it, Quicksilver Messenger Service, "Happy Trails". Note: this is a mostly electric guitar album, and probably is not for most people's tastes. It also gives away it's age(the era it was made). Maybe it's the best record you "never" heard. It definitely is not an "audiophile" recording.
Happened just recently, actually. Knocked me out so much I posted a review of it in the Music section.

"Things Are About to Get Weird," by Pinebender. 2x33 rpm, on Lovitt Records, released in a limited edition of 200. Released in 2000, engineered by Steve Albini at Electrical Audio.

Simply put, I have seen this band many times. This recording recreates that experience, in state-of-the-art analog (Albini is nuts about that) sound.
mark lanegan..."ill take care of you"...i think theres no repressing...you can check it on discogs...for true music lovers...cya
Since we're talking sound and performance, I'd vote for Prokofiev PC #2 w/ Frager and Leibowitz on RCA, Alto reissue for what it's worth. I'm glad to see that someone above also likes it. Decca was pretty hit and miss with the PCO, (and luckily it seems someone finally bought the orchestra a decent bass drum for the Prokofiev)< but this recording is stunning. Just listen to trombone pedal notes with bass drum in 5th mov't. Luckily a stunning performance by all as well. Leibowitz is on fire for once as well; I wish I could feel the same enthusiasm for his (own orchestration) of Night on Bald Mountain, apparently included on the 45RPM.

For sound alone, Sheffield Lab's direct to disc of Leinsdorf conducting Debussy's Faun and Stravinsky's Firebird, sooooooo far better than their other D2D offerings, (new hall?) but what a snoozefest performance-wise.
I think I"m going to vote for:

Oscar Peterson Trio, "We Get Requests"
Verve V6-8606
1964

45 RPM 200g vinyl
reissued by Analogue Productions/Quality Record Pressings 10/2011
mastered by Sterling Sound
ser. # 0489

the bass of Ray Brown is tastier than ever
Sheffield Labs Direct to Disc, 1980; Growing up in Hollywood Town, Amanda McBroom and Lincoln Mayorga. Lovely and fun to listen to. Lesser tone arms will self destruct as Amanda sings "The Rose

11-11-11: Dfelkai
Bernie Grundman is serious. Look for the BG on the record and chances are that you will not be disappointed.
Absolutely!

Every time I get a reissue I check the lead-out groove. If I see a little blocky-looking "BG" I go "YES!" Standouts include the Classic/Everest Pines/Fountains of Rome I just got Wednesday, "Come Away with Me" by Norah Jones, "Temptation" and "Don't Smoke in Bed" by Holly Cole, "L.A. Woman" and "Morrison Hotel" by The Doors, and several Diana Krall albums including "From This Moment On."

I also have the Speakers Corner reissue of Janos Starker Bach Suites on Mercury Living Presence. I grew up listening to the originals; my brother is a professional cellist. I have an original pressing of the mono. It's a little munged from being played on a poorly tracking console, which is what inspired me to pay up and get the reissue, which is fabulous in every way. Starker set the gold standard for the Bach Suites on this one, and 45 years later it still is.