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Roger Waters' "Amused to Death" gold CD. The entire CD is recorded in Q sound and has sound staging and imaging unlike anything I have heard. You will hear things sound like it is to your far right and left and on some of the tracks , behind you with only 2 stereo speakers. I have had people searching for the other "hidden speakers".. It's amazing. You must be positioned perfectly between the speakers. Let me know if you try it. |
Pink Floyd - The Wall "Happiest Days of Our Lives/Another Brick in the Wall" It's a track everyone knows, but they have usually never experienced the helicopter sound, then the intro anything like that. We pick a lot of jaws up off the floor with that one. Did it yesterday as a matter of fact, with a neighbor who didn't know what a turntable could sound like. He kept trying to listen for the pops and clicks, and freaked when I told him the actual vinyl itself was from 1980. Fun stuff. |
My Show Piece tracks are as follows. For digital playback it’s Pink Floyd - The Wall "Happiest Days of Our Lives/Another Brick in the Wall" taken from the MFSL Gold CD. Mac is right everybody knows it. For vinyl, Katrina And The Waves “Waves” : Lovely Lindsey and The Beach Boys “Surfs Up” all of side two. |
Interesting responses. To be honest, I always prefer that my friends who come over and want to listen to my system, pick their own music. I have found that people tend to be more excited listening to music they know and love, rather than somebody else's favorites. However, when a friend says "Impress me", I will typically throw on a 45 RPM single of Satchmo's "St. James Infirmary". Most people already know and like Satchmo, and this piece only reinforces their fondness for his music. It is very well recorded, and sounds fantastic. My two cents worth. |
I use "High Falls" from the Allman Brothers disc "Win, Loose, or Draw." It features Butch Trucks and J Jaimo Johnson at their dual drumming rhythmic best, as well as Chuck Level on piano and a scorching guitar solo by Dickie Betts. This is a relatively obscure 10 minute instrumental track. The other song that somunds great on my system is "Guns and Roses" by Lucky Dube off of his "Taxman" cd. Lucky has the voice of an angel on this song and if you like reggae, it does not get any better than this. |
Rebekah Del Rio-Llorando. This is an accapella version of Roy Orbison's Crying sung in Spanish. I don't know anything by this singer except this one song from the Mulholland Drive soundtrack. Probably the most beautiful reverb I have ever heard. This silenced the room at an audio gathering I attended a few years ago. |
I agree with Amused to Death (Roger Waters). It is fabulous, even if the Q-sound is a bit gimicky...not to mention the bizarre and depressing lyrics. To me, it is the best recorded rock CD of all time (sonics alone). The last 4 track are the best IMHO. Also try Ricki Lee Jones 1st album...many good tracks such as "Last Chance Texaco" - "Company" and a couple others that are outstanding in both sonics and music. Sarah MaClachlan "Surfacing" is very good (try "I Love You" track or track 5 -- cannot remember the name). Also, Allison Krauss "Forget About It" or "New Favorite" CD's -- stunningly beautiful and recorded impeccably. Neil Young's "Live at Massey Hall" is fabulous. Eric Clapton "Unplugged" is great. Dire Straits "Love Over Gold" CD -- Private Investigations and/or title track are excellent. Last but not least -- Eagles -- Hell Freezes Over "Hotel California" is great. Turn it up..especially the beginning. |
Something from my first pressing copy of the Doobie Bros "Minute By Minute" has slacked a jaw or three. I find that older uber familiar tracks that the subject has heard countless times via radio waves (but probably has never owned in ANY format) heard on vinyl can be impressive. Heck, it still does it for me! |
Take something that was typically heard as low fidelity AM radio fare back in its heyday. "Aquarius" by The Fifth Dimension is one example that comes to mind. OR even things like "Pleasant Valley Sunday" by The Monkees or "Winchester Cathedral" by those New Vaudeville dudes or "Oh Babe What Would You Say" by Hurricane Smith. |
Kurt_tank wrote: To be honest, I always prefer that my friends who come over and want to listen to my system, pick their own music. I have found that people tend to be more excited listening to music they know and love, rather than somebody else's favorites. Indeed! Of course, they have to choose from what I have! Kal |
Kurt_tank wrote: To be honest, I always prefer that my friends who come over and want to listen to my system, pick their own music. I have found that people tend to be more excited listening to music they know and love, rather than somebody else's favorites. Yes Kurt of course you are right and this is my policy. People are generally more interested in the music rather than how it sounds, really audiophiles are 5%ers. I also agree that the 45rpm of St. James Infirmiry is a stunning recording and will suggest it to anyone that shows an interest in jazz in general and Louis in particular. |
Along Map's line: The Theme From Shaft. Not audiophile and panpotted to within an inch of its life, but a pretty "showy" recording that usually gets the desired response. At the other end of the scale, the earlier recommendation of St. James Infirmary is great, as are the Duke Ellington Small Band recordings on Pablo. Choose any cut from Intimacy of The Blues or The Queen's Suite. Marty |
The Theme From Shaft. Glad to see you mention the theme to the "Shaft" movie soundtrack. It is arguably some of the best music ever recorded for a soundtrack. (timeless) I recommend it highly to those of you who are not familar with it. |
"The Theme From Shaft." That is good! It is on this: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000KP62UM/3dgazo391-20 Lots of classics to recommend on this recent and nicely mastered release! Not just "Theme From Shaft" but "Son Of Shaft" to boot! |
"I was playing Stan Getz "The Girl From Ipanema" and my 14 year old son got off his Xbox and walked in the room to see what was playing. That doesn't happen very often! It did sound VERY good!" Then again Mapman it could have been that cool bossa nova/samba rhythm that drew him in. I believe I was about 14 or 15 when I first heard that song and it blew me away, maybe Astrud Gilberto's voice or a longing for far away exotic places, who knows? It is however a great recording. |
to impress non-audiophiles, start with what they're familiar with. 3 things in particular: Rolling Stones: Cant You Hear Me Knocking off their reissue CD. incredible sonics, same reason as below. Guns & Roses: Patience (was miked as a live session w/ band in one room, and it morphs from a familiar tune on the radio into a mind blowing performance of a great band) (though i like "You're Crazy" off G&R Lies MUCH better. absolutely amazing, and their peak as a band. and damn near the best R&R i've heard since ...?) U2: In a Little While off "all you cant leave behind". their best sonics on a track, with a band everyone knows. shout out to Low "Silver Rider" off Great Destroyer...check it out if you want to hear what it sounds like when God starts talking to you... needless to say, play it as loud as possible. good systems should do that without distortion, which is what makes them good systems. |
