PS - one could argue Bluegrass vs Americana.
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jafant thanks for the nod. Funny, it was your post that inspired me to write mine! Correction for my post: The insanely fantastic Dolly Parton tracks are 13 and 14– not 12 and 13. For those scratching your head (Dolly Parton? Really?) I admit it sounds crazy... BUT... This is not your radio-hit or country-twang Dolly on these two tracks... rather, they’re a couple of hidden DSD treasures featuring Allison Krauss’ (often) guest dobro player Jerry Douglas and a crack engineering team reaching for sonic perfection. It was created in the hey-day of DSD engineering and development of the Sony’s state of the art Sonoma multi-track studio system. If you have tubes or planars you’ll be pressed to find a better sounding set of pure DSD test tracks for image, surround, voice and string (violin close-mic and acoustic guitar dynamics). Footnote... I was not really a big fan of Dolly or her recordings until I heard these tracks. They changed everything. |
Lots of great suggestions above! Here are some lesser-known audiophile SACD surprisers if you have an above average DSD DAC and a decent surround setup— Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Raise Your Spirit Higher. Won a Grammy 2004. Stunning clarity. Track 1 as best demo ever. Voice only so no one can make judgement or get hung up by the message/lyrics of the song... Dolly Parton Little Sparrow. Biggest Surpriser if them all. Wide open, pure DSD from mics to your DAC. Tracks 12&13 as demos in that order. Solid state for 12; tubes for 13. Stevie Ray Vaughn Couldn’t Stand The Weather. Even though stereo only disc w analog transfer, this is a masterpiece of analog engineering. Track 6 Tin Pan Alley as demo. Best Fender Strat guitar soloing you’ll ever hear. Seriously, EVER. Steely Dan Gaucho. Babylon Sister track 1... Trade show and test track for decades (AES/Cedia, etc.) Same with track 1 Gaslighting Abby from Two Against Nature. Required tracks for 99% of all pro engineers tool kit... stage or studio! Wish You Were Here Pink Floyd. James Guthrie outdid himself on this one. Just insane sonics on Welcome to the Machine. If you have a well-balanced correctly setup surround system and have the ability to crank this one up, turn off the lights and be ready for an absolutely incredible, epic experience. Everything is stunning on this SACD except the drums which in my opinion are marginal and the only instrument that dates this recording. |
Any of the Moody Blues.I’ll second that. So glad I got the entire set, much better than my MoFi gold versions. But, they’re nothing I’d whip out for a demo at a show. A lot of the usual suspects here, I’ll add some more:
And not yet mentioned in the Mofi catalog:
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Just a general vote for Blue Coast Records. Small ensemble jazz and folk. No particular favorite yet but the latest from Jenna Mammina is outstanding. Fabulous attention to detail, and a lot of it is straight to DSD, as opposed to coming from analog masters. http://bluecoastrecords.com/artists Of course, since they are local to San Francisco, I’m a huge fanboy. :) Best, Erik |
It would be great if we could put together a list of SACDs that are well recorded. I recently purchased two SACDs -Pink Floyd, The Dark Side of the Moon, and Santana, Supernatural - and they were extremely poor recordings. I am trying to build a collection of more mainstream music SACDs but it seems I have to go through quite a few bad ones to get to the keepers. |
03-06-10: Onemalt Chuck Ainlay was behind this landmark production, which was done at Mark Knopfler's Studio |
Just because a disc is SACD doesn't mean it's that great. I have many, many SACD's and some are very good and some aren't. I have exchanged emails with a half dozen or so audiophiles who prefer the popular Allison Krause Live CD over the uber expensive collectible SACD - so go figure. I have found over the years that many of my non-SACD discs by First Impression Music, Sony Red's, Telarc, Mapleshade, EMI Classics, etc. are every bit as good or better than many of my SACD's. There are well known SACD review websites I need not mention here, you know them or will find them. I don't know your music tastes, but give these non-SACD's a test drive and hear what think: Grieg, Peer Gynt, Sir Thomas Beecham, EMI Classics Jacques Loussier Trio, The Brandenburgs, Telarc Jazz Mozart Symphonies 38 & 41, Rene Jacobs, Harmonia Mundi Brian Bromberg, Wood, Artisan Music Sonny Rollins, A Night at the Village Vanguard, Blue Note Melodia Para Congas, Jungle and the Saxophone, Mapleshade Master of Chinese Percussion, Yim Hok-Man, FIM It's about the music (the source) above all else! |
Like the above posters some that I truly enjoy are: Beck - Sea Change Elton John - Madman across the Water Bob Dylan - Nashville Skyline Alison Kraus & Union Station - Live. Los Lobos - This Time Ryan Adams - Heartbreaker I am a casual classical listener and the SACD of living stereo's Heifetz double concertos is pretty amazing. A friend has the (red rose) Levison Demo disc and some Chesky Sacd's that are fun to listen to. Tpreaves asks a good question. Find what you like and try it (IF it is available on SACD), otherwise, what's the point? Have Fun! |
Best recording: Prières sans Paroles, French music for Trumpet and Organ, played by Håkan Hardenberger, Simon Preston (on the BIS label) Favorite Recording: tough, but a few might be the Benjamin Britten Cello Suites played by Peter Wispelwey (Channel Classics), the Mercury reissues (several, but the Janos Starker Bach cello suites is excellent); and personally I like Appalachian Journey |
