Best Sounding LPs


Well, after years of chasing a truly satisfying digital sound to little avail, I've finally taken the vinyl plunge. Boy, is it great! It's like listening to music for the first time again.

I have found, however, that LP quality varies widely and unpredictably. When they're good they're magical. When they're bad you might as well be listening to crummy redbook.

Can anyone recommend great sounding lps to search for? I listen to everything, especially rock, jazz, folk, county, acoustic music, plus symphonic and chamber music.

Recommendations would be greatly appreciated!
bsal

Showing 2 responses by rushton

My primary focus is on classical music, so that's what I'll focus on in answering your request. In my experience, you can rarely go wrong with the sound quality and musical aesthetic from the following record labels. It's well worthwhile to explore their catalogues.

..Argo
..Archiv
..Astree
..Audiofon
..BIS
..CRD
..Decca (any of the Speakers Corner reissues)
..EMI (avoid Angel LPs)
..Harmonia Mundi
..Hyperion
..Lyrita
..Mercury (the Speakers Corner reissues are superb)
..Nonesuch (especially Aubort/Nickrenz productions)
..Northeastern
..Opus 3
..Proprius
..Telefunken
..Titanic

Recording engineers who almost always deliver outstanding sound quality, and whose recordings I will buy without hesitation, include:

..Mark Aubort (Nonesuch and others)
..Bob Auger (CRD, ASV, Hyperion and others)
..Tony Faulkner (Decca, Hyperion and others)
..Antony Howell (Hyperion and others)
..Peter McGrath (Audifon, Harmonia Mundi)
..Jean-Francois Pontefract (Harmonia Mundi)
..Kenneth Wilkinson (Decca, Lyrita)

As to some specific recommendations of excellent performances in superb sound, I'll offer the following random recommendations for you to consider:

~ Vivaldi, Flute Concertos, McGegan/PhilBarO/J.See, Harmonia Mundi HMC 5193
~ Mozart, Horn Concertos, McGegan/PhilBarO/Greer, Harmonia Mundi HMU 7012
~ Stravinsky, Firebird, Dorati/LSO, Mercury SR 90226 (Classic Records reissue)*
~ Sibelius, Sym 2, Barbirolli/RPO, Chesky CR3
~ Berlioz, Symphonie Fantastique, Freccia/RPO, Chesky CR1 (one of the great symphonic recordings, and greatly overlooked)
~ Rachmaninov, Piano Concerto 3, Dorati/B.Janos, Mercury SR 90283 (Speakers Corner reissue)*
~ Respighi, Ancient Airs and Dances, Dorati/PhilHung, Mercury (the Golden Imports pressing sounds just fine)
~ Holst, The Planets, Previn/LSO, EMI ASD 3002
~ Charpentier, Te Deum, Christie/Les Arts Florissants, Harmonia Mundi
~ Prokofiev, Scythian Suite, Dorati/LSO, Mercury Classic Records reissue)*
~ Mendelssohn, Sym 3 (Scottish)/Hebrides Overture (Fingal's Cave), Maag/LSO, Decca SXL 2246 - 45 (Speakers Corner reissue)*

...* Currently available new; the others you'll have to find used.

Also, for an extended listing of recommended LPs based on sound quality, I agree almost point for point with Aurthur Salvatore's "Supreme Records" list. This list matched my record collection to a very high degree and I think he hits the mark consistently with his recommendations: http://www.high-endaudio.com/index_ac.html

For Jazz, look at the reissues coming from Analogue Productions, Speakers Corner and Classic Records.

Sidssp has presented a good list of recordings; I concur with his recommendations as well.

Good luck in your explorations.
.
The Speakers Corner reissues of the Decca and Mercury classical catalogs is not to be missed by classical music listeners. And all are currently available. In another forum I offered my thoughts as to the best of the Speakers Corner Decca reissues. Since Sbank reactivated this thread, I thought I should come back and add those thoughts here for any who might have an interest.

First, BUY ALL OF THE SPEAKERS CORNER MERCURY CLASSICAL REISSUES.

Then, for the Speakers Corner Decca reissue series, you can literally scroll through Speakers Corner's website picking out the music you like and order that. You simply will not go wrong. But asked to chose those that I consider at the very "top of the pile" both musically and sonically, I would chose the following:

Mendelssohn, Sym 3 (Scottish), Maag/LSO, Decca SXL 2246-45rpm
...(one of the great Decca recordings - Wilkinson at his best)
...(an absolute "must buy")
Chabrier, Espana, Argenta/LSO, Decca SXL 2020
...(a beautiful Kingsway Hall recording by Gordon Parry)
Debussy, Images pour orchestra, Argenta/OrchSuisseRom, London CS 6013
Debussy, Prelude a l'apresmidi d'un faune, Monteux/LSO, Decca SXL 2312
...(a Kenneth Wilkinson, Kingsway Hall recording)
de Falla, El Amor Brujo, de Burgos/NPO, Decca SXL 6287
...(a Kenneth Wilkinson, Kingsway Hall recording)
Grieg, Piano Concerto, Boult/LSO, Curzon -pf, Decca SXL 2173
...(a Kenneth Wilkinson, Kingsway Hall recording)
Kodaly, Hary Janos Suite/Galanta Dances, Kertesz/LSO, Decca SXL 6136
...(a Kenneth Wilkinson, Kingsway Hall recording)
Prokofiev, Sym 6, Weller/LPO, Decca SXL 6777
...(a Kenneth Wilkinson, Kingsway Hall recording)
Rossini, Overtures, Gamba/LSO, Decca SXL 2266
Schubert, Sym 9, Krips/LSO, Decca SXL 2045
...(a Kenneth Wilkinson, Kingsway Hall recording)
Shostakovich, Str Qt 8, Borodin Qt, Decca SXL 6036
Stravinsky: Le Sacre Du Printemps, Solti/CSO, Decca SXL 6691
...(Kenneth Wilkinson, Medinah Temple, Chicago)
Varese, Ionisation/Integrales/Arcana, Mehta/LAPO, Decca SXL 6550

http://www.speakerscorner.de/Speakerscorner/newsite/E/index1.htm

Good luck