WHAT RECORDINGS MAKE YOUR SYSTEM SHINE?


I love Natalie Cole's Take a Look and Diana Krall's Love Scenes Track 11 My Love The finger snap and stand up bass blows me away. What recordings do you listen to when you want your equipment to shine? Also looking for great recordings that have great acoustic sounds? Thanks Greg
gdush
King Crimson's "Three of a Perfect Pair", Zappa "Broadway The Hard Way", Can "Rite Time", Yello "Racing Song", Ed Mann "Get Up", Pierre Moerlen's "Gong", Lounge Lizards, Carla Bley, National Health, Ginger Baker, Jane Sibbery, Fela Kuti... The list needs 20 more pages to complete.
Sheffield Labs, 'Track & Drum Record'(DTD).
Sheffield Labs, 'I Got The Music In ME'(DTD). Crystal Clear, 'San Francisco Ltd'(45RPM, DTD). Analogue Productions, 'Folk Singer'(45RPM, 200g). Sheffield Labs, 'Growing Up In Hollywood Town'(DTD). Nautilus, 'Dreamboat Annie'(1/2 speed mastered). ORG/VERVE, 'Diana Krall Live In Paris'(45RPM,180g). Columbia, 'Take Five' & 'Time Further Out'(original, early pressings).
Reference Recordings Copland 3rd symphony
Eva Cassidy-Live at blues Alley
Kitenko-Tchaikovsky Manfred Symphony
Alan
* Antonio Forcione & Sabina Sciubba - Meet Me In London (NAIM Records)
* B-Tribe - 5
* Dead Can Dance - Into The Labyrynth (Mo-Fi reissue)
* Dead Can Dance - Spiritchaser (Mo-Fi reissue)
* Cassandra Wilson - Glamoured
* Sade - Lover's Rock
* Keiko Matsui - The Road
* Mussorgsky - Pictures at An Exhibition (Dorian Recordings)
* Michel Petrucciani - Trio In Tokyo
B-side of Little River Band - Diamantina Cocktail
Sneaker Pimps - Becoming X (45rpm)
Peter Gabriel - So
Allman Brothers "Second Set".... acoustic Elizabeth Reed.
Sonny Rollins..... "Way Out West."
Joni Mitchell......anything
Eva Cassidy..... "Live @ Blues Alley."
Rob Wasserman......."Duets."
Frank Sinatra......"Live at the Sands."
Nils Lofgren......."Acoustic Live."
Muddy Waters....."Folk Singer."
Neil Young......"Massey Hall."
Bill Evans....."Sunday @ the Village Vanguard."
Patricia Barber.......anything
Jerry Garcia and Dave Grisman......"So What."
....and about a million other of my favorite records.
Jennifer Warnes-"The Well"
Allison Krause and US- anything
Nickle Creek-"Nickle Creek"
Mumford and Sons-"Sigh No More"
Patricia Barber
Melody Gardot- "My One and Only Thrill"
To name a few
If I had to pick one track it would be Alison Krauss & US "It Doesn´t Matter" from So Long So Wrong.
A few stand out in my mind. As far as vinyl goes, Bob Dyan's Man In A Long Black Coat, John Mayer's No Such Thing, Queensryche's Silent Lucidity, Ray LaMontigne' Trouble, Just about everything on Adele's 21 album and the Lumineer's self titled album sound pretty spectacular. From a CD standpoint, Professor Longhair's Rockand Roll Gumbo, Maceo Parker's Roots Revisited, Mary Black's Babes In The Woods, John Stevens Red and Allison Kkrauss' A New Favorite are all exceptional recordings in my opinion and my stereo seems to leap to life when these are played!
Goose bumps all over when I play these:

Sara K - Made in the shade
Strunz And Farah - Primal Magic
Melody Gardot - My one and only thrill
Sting - Soul Cages
Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong - Porgy and Bess
Jessica Williams - Live at Yoshi vol 1
Joni Mitchell - Both Sides Now
Keb Mo - Slow Down
James Taylor - JT
Dulce Pontes and Ennio Morricone - Focus
Jazz in an R&B groove
HighNote 6012

SACD, great sonics, and has the added advantage of being great music.
Stevie Ray Vaughan "Tin Pan Alley"
Johnny Adams "One Foot in the Blues"
Ray Sings*Basie Swings "Georgia on My Mind"
Porcupine Tree "Russia on Ice"
A useful list to look out. The really outstanding albums for me are;
Sara K "Waterfalls" on Stockfisch
Mark Murphy "Love is what it says" Verve

I use both on demos and every time I have, the dealer has kept the details to buy them himself. The music and recording are such that you know you are for something special, after the first few bars
Dylan's Oh, Mercy, Steve Miller Band's Circle of Love, Dead Can Dance's Spirit Chaser, New Jersey Percussion All Stars on Nonesuch label, Mercury Living Presence Paul Paray conducting Saint Saens Symphony No. 3.
If you system doesn't shine with pretty much anything you play, then what's the point? Some records sound better than others due to recording/manufacturing techniques, but my system shines regardless. And I'm not using any cables in series, although I do have parallel ears.
This should come under the "guilty pleasures " category, but give Kasey Chambers "Pony " a shot. Sounds awesome.
Charley Haden & Pat Metheny, "Blue Missouri Sky"; Jennifer Warnes, "Famous Blue Raincoat"
Of late:

Betty Davis - They Say I'm Different
Taylor Deupree - Shoals
Cars - Complete Greatest Hits (the Rhino collection)
all of the Sakamoto/Noto collaborations

...and, much to my surprise:

Guided By Voices - Under The Bushes, Under The Stars

Marantz CD6004
Adcom GFP-565
McCormack DNA-1
Polk LSi9 speakers
@ Zmanastronomy: Yes, I have, on cd. But it's been quite a while since I have...
The San Francisco Symphony Orchestra on the S&M CD really sets this Metallica piece apart from the rest.
Great depth and imaging with a driving force that has several of my friends wanting to hear it again and again.
Agree with Zman. This is the place for audiophiles curious about MEtallica to start.
Jennifer Warnes "The Hunter" (CLP7063)
The Whole of the Moon
Way Down Deep
Somewhere Somebody
Let the neighbors call the police. It'll be worth it!
Dave Grusin, Sheffield Labs Discovered Again LP
Fourplay (first CD)
Jeff Beck, Live at Ronnie Scott's- 'Cause we've ended as lovers, Stratus
Elaine Elias, A Long Story
Marcio Montarroyos, Samba Solstice
Chris Botti, Night Sessions