amazing music suggestions?
February 19, 2019 5:59 AM Subscribe
We splurged in a spectacular sound system and have been rediscovering music. What are some mind-blowing tracks?
I'm looking for loose tracks that are *amazing*, no constraints in genre. Things that have left us speechless so far:
-Papa was a rolling stone (Temptations)
-Touch me I'm going to scream pt. II (My Morning Jacket)
-A Day in the Life (Beatles)
Preferably no whole albums, simply tracks that will take us on a trip to far away lands. Can be bombastic or trippy, as long as they are not too subtle. Classical, rock, jazz, anything will do.
I'm looking for loose tracks that are *amazing*, no constraints in genre. Things that have left us speechless so far:
-Papa was a rolling stone (Temptations)
-Touch me I'm going to scream pt. II (My Morning Jacket)
-A Day in the Life (Beatles)
Preferably no whole albums, simply tracks that will take us on a trip to far away lands. Can be bombastic or trippy, as long as they are not too subtle. Classical, rock, jazz, anything will do.
You might search the links pointed from Sony's site here.
Good Vibrations - Beach Boys Pet Sounds album
posted by blob at 6:16 AM on February 19, 2019 [4 favorites]
Good Vibrations - Beach Boys Pet Sounds album
posted by blob at 6:16 AM on February 19, 2019 [4 favorites]
Oh cripes. Try dark side of the moon 1-3 (speak to me, on the run, time) especially time. And I know you said not a whole album but good thing dark side of the moon is short because you'll listen to the whole album.
posted by chasles at 6:19 AM on February 19, 2019 [3 favorites]
posted by chasles at 6:19 AM on February 19, 2019 [3 favorites]
Oh and also reelin in the years by steely Dan. And anything else by steely Dan.
posted by chasles at 6:19 AM on February 19, 2019 [5 favorites]
posted by chasles at 6:19 AM on February 19, 2019 [5 favorites]
Nautilus - Anna Meredith
Bachianas Brasilieras - Heitor Villa-Lobos
posted by moonmilk at 6:23 AM on February 19, 2019
Bachianas Brasilieras - Heitor Villa-Lobos
posted by moonmilk at 6:23 AM on February 19, 2019
Miles Davis' Concierto de Aranjuez or Kieth Jarrett's The Köln Concert
posted by gyusan at 6:30 AM on February 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by gyusan at 6:30 AM on February 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
3rd movement of Beethoven's Moonlight sonata as interpreted by Valentina Lisitsa
posted by alchemist at 6:33 AM on February 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by alchemist at 6:33 AM on February 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
also "Derezzed" by Daft Punk from the Tron:Legacy soundtrack
posted by alchemist at 6:35 AM on February 19, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by alchemist at 6:35 AM on February 19, 2019 [2 favorites]
I always test my stereo system with Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon, but if you only want single tracks, do Speak to Me/Breathe.
posted by rachaelfaith at 6:38 AM on February 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by rachaelfaith at 6:38 AM on February 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
Sigur Ros - Starálfur
Thomas Newman - Meet Joe Black Soundtrack / That Next Place
Joshua Bell - Pur ti Miro from 'L'incoronazione di Poppea
posted by pjsky at 6:39 AM on February 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
Thomas Newman - Meet Joe Black Soundtrack / That Next Place
Joshua Bell - Pur ti Miro from 'L'incoronazione di Poppea
posted by pjsky at 6:39 AM on February 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
It doesn't need to be said again but, come on, Dark Side of the Moon is the quintessential stereo-system-testing album. Start at the beginning and stop it whenever you want.
posted by The Deej at 6:44 AM on February 19, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by The Deej at 6:44 AM on February 19, 2019 [4 favorites]
You can do this by shopping producers, too. Pretty much anything Brian Eno or Daniel Lanois touched sounds AMAZING. My go-to might be the beautifully spare sounds of Willie Nelson's Teatro, from 1998, at least partly because lots of folks snoozed on it so it's under-exposed.
Because I am a nearly 49-year-old man, I will also note that some of the early CD-native albums can sound pretty spectacular -- many a system has been put through its paces with Dire Straits' 1985 Brothers in Arms; to keep it novel, skip the first 3 tracks (the hits) and start with "Your Latest Trick."
Basically everything from Steely Dan is immaculately recorded, but if you're going in that direction maybe pick Donald Fagan's solo record The Nightfly instead.
I think this is probably not widely appreciated by folks who weren't around when it was released, but Thriller is amazingly well engineered (and, well, catchy as FUCK). Even if it's old hat, it'll be new to you now that you've made this equipment leap.
More recently, The War On Drugs' A Deeper Understanding has had me turning up the volume or reaching for the fancy headphones. It's really great.
Pretty much everything Radiohead has ever done rewards great equipment.
Finally, it's kind of cheesy almost ot mention, but What's Going On will blow you away if you haven't spent time with it ever, or recently.
(PS: And then there's more or less all classic jazz. Seriously.)
posted by uberchet at 6:54 AM on February 19, 2019 [7 favorites]
Because I am a nearly 49-year-old man, I will also note that some of the early CD-native albums can sound pretty spectacular -- many a system has been put through its paces with Dire Straits' 1985 Brothers in Arms; to keep it novel, skip the first 3 tracks (the hits) and start with "Your Latest Trick."
Basically everything from Steely Dan is immaculately recorded, but if you're going in that direction maybe pick Donald Fagan's solo record The Nightfly instead.
I think this is probably not widely appreciated by folks who weren't around when it was released, but Thriller is amazingly well engineered (and, well, catchy as FUCK). Even if it's old hat, it'll be new to you now that you've made this equipment leap.
More recently, The War On Drugs' A Deeper Understanding has had me turning up the volume or reaching for the fancy headphones. It's really great.
Pretty much everything Radiohead has ever done rewards great equipment.
Finally, it's kind of cheesy almost ot mention, but What's Going On will blow you away if you haven't spent time with it ever, or recently.
(PS: And then there's more or less all classic jazz. Seriously.)
posted by uberchet at 6:54 AM on February 19, 2019 [7 favorites]
The first time I heard "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" on high-end equipment I was blown away. I'm not even a huge fan of the song but I was riveted.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 6:56 AM on February 19, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by rabbitrabbit at 6:56 AM on February 19, 2019 [2 favorites]
The surround sound DTS version of Duran Duran - Ordinary World. I found a copy floating around the internet and it's been a favourite of mine for testing out new sound systems ever since.
posted by Eleven at 7:00 AM on February 19, 2019
posted by Eleven at 7:00 AM on February 19, 2019
I’m not sufficiently audiophilic to feel confident answering this, but several tracks on Upstairs at Eric’s by Yaz (AKA Yazoo, apparently) blew me away on my late-80’s cassette Walkman. Try Too Pieces.
posted by jon1270 at 7:02 AM on February 19, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by jon1270 at 7:02 AM on February 19, 2019 [2 favorites]
The Stray Cats' album Built For Speed is beautifully recorded and worth a listen on high-end equipment.
Also, it probably doesn't need to be said, but for the greatest reward don't listen to anything streamed and compressed.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 7:02 AM on February 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
Also, it probably doesn't need to be said, but for the greatest reward don't listen to anything streamed and compressed.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 7:02 AM on February 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
Rhapsody in Blue, Gershwin.
posted by Leon at 7:04 AM on February 19, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by Leon at 7:04 AM on February 19, 2019 [2 favorites]
A few tracks that I've found are really enhanced by nicer equipment:
The Court of the Crimson King by King Crimson
All of The Lights by Kanye West (Or just the whole MDBTF album)
Orchestral Intro by Gorillaz
Building Steam with a Grain of Salt by DJ Shadow
All epic movie scores -- Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, etc.
posted by matrixclown at 7:06 AM on February 19, 2019 [2 favorites]
The Court of the Crimson King by King Crimson
All of The Lights by Kanye West (Or just the whole MDBTF album)
Orchestral Intro by Gorillaz
Building Steam with a Grain of Salt by DJ Shadow
All epic movie scores -- Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, etc.
posted by matrixclown at 7:06 AM on February 19, 2019 [2 favorites]
I used to build recording studios in NYC and the my brilliant boss used to use an Alan Parsons Project album when it came time to to "tune" the room towards the end. It's sort of what people are saying about Dark Side of the Moon above.
Prog rock is a whole genre that Pink Floyd was sort of a subset of- there's so much there to discover, some of which you'll have heard of and some of which is more obscure. It's all extra-amazing on a good sound system.
In other musics:
genres:
prog rock
classical music (duh)
choral stuff
various forms of electronic music that are more melodic (I'm not an expert here but there are some amazing things in this field)
very highly skilled vocal performances such as Indian classical music, Turkish and other Middle Eastern musics, traditional/folk music masters, etc
specific artists and albums to find songs off of:
Mike Oldfield Tubular Bells
Pink Floyd Echoes (or watch the video version from the Live At Pompeii film)
Jean-Michele Jarre (link to an FPP about a year ago)
Schpongle
les mystere des voix bulgares and various other Bulgarian women's vocal groups, plus various collaborations some choir members made with other fusion world artists in the 90's
world music-check out a bunch of the Putumayo label collections, which are all meant as a sampler/introduction to different musical traditions
The Tahitian Choir-Rapa Iti album (oh my god, I'd kill to hear this on a good sound system)
Huun-Huur-Tu and other Tuvan throat singing artists
Balkan brass band such as the Boban Markovic Orkestar
posted by twoplussix at 7:18 AM on February 19, 2019 [5 favorites]
Prog rock is a whole genre that Pink Floyd was sort of a subset of- there's so much there to discover, some of which you'll have heard of and some of which is more obscure. It's all extra-amazing on a good sound system.
In other musics:
genres:
prog rock
classical music (duh)
choral stuff
various forms of electronic music that are more melodic (I'm not an expert here but there are some amazing things in this field)
very highly skilled vocal performances such as Indian classical music, Turkish and other Middle Eastern musics, traditional/folk music masters, etc
specific artists and albums to find songs off of:
Mike Oldfield Tubular Bells
Pink Floyd Echoes (or watch the video version from the Live At Pompeii film)
Jean-Michele Jarre (link to an FPP about a year ago)
Schpongle
les mystere des voix bulgares and various other Bulgarian women's vocal groups, plus various collaborations some choir members made with other fusion world artists in the 90's
world music-check out a bunch of the Putumayo label collections, which are all meant as a sampler/introduction to different musical traditions
The Tahitian Choir-Rapa Iti album (oh my god, I'd kill to hear this on a good sound system)
Huun-Huur-Tu and other Tuvan throat singing artists
Balkan brass band such as the Boban Markovic Orkestar
posted by twoplussix at 7:18 AM on February 19, 2019 [5 favorites]
My uncle is a stereo nerd with an insane "listening room," and my little brother and I have a running list of all the best, most impressive stuff we've listened to in that room over the years:
Echoes - Pink Floyd
Until the Real Thing Comes Along - Coleman Hawkins
Brother Sport - Animal Collective
My Foolish Heart - Bill Evans Trio
Carpet Crawlers - Genesis
Right Down the Line - Gerry Rafferty
Speed of Sound - Chris Bell
Honey Bucket - Melvins
Black Cat - Gentle Giant
My Ship - Miles Davis
SpottieOttieDopaliscious - Outkast
Maggot Brain - Funkadelic
Summer Madness - Kool and the Gang
Solo Dancer - Charles Mingus
The Wanton Song - Led Zeppelin
Moanin' - Charles Mingus
Introduction, Largo (from Rites of Spring) - Stravinsky (I think the version my uncle has was the Boston Symphony Orchestra? It's good as hell whatever it is)
Reverie - Claude Debussy (as played by Pascal Roge; basically any of his Debussy or Ravel or Satie is perfect)
Julie With... - Brian Eno
Death on Two Legs - Queen
Pyramid Song - Radiohead
Fight the Power - The Isley Brothers
Washer - Slint
Third Eye - Tool
Moving in Stereo - The Cars
Hunter - Bjork
Prelude #16 in B Flat Minor - Chopin (as played by Marta Argerich)
Cheap Sunglasses - ZZ Top
Close to the Edge - Yes
Piano Concerto #23: Adagio - Mozart (I can't remember what version, but holy shit when the full orchestra hits)
Sunday Afternoon in the Park - Van Halen
Adagio for Strings - Barber (I can't remember what version)
Mean Mistreater - Grand Funk Railroad
Violin Concerto in E - Bach (as performed by Hilary Hahn)
New World Rising/Ocean Breakup - ELO (but really anything off of "The Third Day," that album rules and through a good stereo it's thrilling)
Ballade #4 in F Minor - Chopin (as played by Rubinstein)
And ditto on A Day in the Life!
posted by saladin at 7:25 AM on February 19, 2019 [23 favorites]
Echoes - Pink Floyd
Until the Real Thing Comes Along - Coleman Hawkins
Brother Sport - Animal Collective
My Foolish Heart - Bill Evans Trio
Carpet Crawlers - Genesis
Right Down the Line - Gerry Rafferty
Speed of Sound - Chris Bell
Honey Bucket - Melvins
Black Cat - Gentle Giant
My Ship - Miles Davis
SpottieOttieDopaliscious - Outkast
Maggot Brain - Funkadelic
Summer Madness - Kool and the Gang
Solo Dancer - Charles Mingus
The Wanton Song - Led Zeppelin
Moanin' - Charles Mingus
Introduction, Largo (from Rites of Spring) - Stravinsky (I think the version my uncle has was the Boston Symphony Orchestra? It's good as hell whatever it is)
Reverie - Claude Debussy (as played by Pascal Roge; basically any of his Debussy or Ravel or Satie is perfect)
Julie With... - Brian Eno
Death on Two Legs - Queen
Pyramid Song - Radiohead
Fight the Power - The Isley Brothers
Washer - Slint
Third Eye - Tool
Moving in Stereo - The Cars
Hunter - Bjork
Prelude #16 in B Flat Minor - Chopin (as played by Marta Argerich)
Cheap Sunglasses - ZZ Top
Close to the Edge - Yes
Piano Concerto #23: Adagio - Mozart (I can't remember what version, but holy shit when the full orchestra hits)
Sunday Afternoon in the Park - Van Halen
Adagio for Strings - Barber (I can't remember what version)
Mean Mistreater - Grand Funk Railroad
Violin Concerto in E - Bach (as performed by Hilary Hahn)
New World Rising/Ocean Breakup - ELO (but really anything off of "The Third Day," that album rules and through a good stereo it's thrilling)
Ballade #4 in F Minor - Chopin (as played by Rubinstein)
And ditto on A Day in the Life!
posted by saladin at 7:25 AM on February 19, 2019 [23 favorites]
I'm going to go in a different direction and recommend:
A Spoonful Weighs a Ton by the Flaming Lips - the changes will really test your bass response.
house/trance music - my favorite is Paul Oakenfold - but it has a huge amount of dynamic range.
posted by The_Vegetables at 7:27 AM on February 19, 2019
A Spoonful Weighs a Ton by the Flaming Lips - the changes will really test your bass response.
house/trance music - my favorite is Paul Oakenfold - but it has a huge amount of dynamic range.
posted by The_Vegetables at 7:27 AM on February 19, 2019
Rick Wakeman - Anne of Cleves
Santana - Soul Sacrifice (Woodstock 1969)
Joe Cocker - Cry Me a River
Zappa Plays Zappa - Trouble Every Day
Tangerine Dream - Phaedra
posted by flabdablet at 7:27 AM on February 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
Santana - Soul Sacrifice (Woodstock 1969)
Joe Cocker - Cry Me a River
Zappa Plays Zappa - Trouble Every Day
Tangerine Dream - Phaedra
posted by flabdablet at 7:27 AM on February 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
I recently picked up Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue" on vinyl. You probably know every tune as background music.
Holy shit. When you're *in* the mix, it's awe-inspiring.
posted by notsnot at 7:29 AM on February 19, 2019 [3 favorites]
Holy shit. When you're *in* the mix, it's awe-inspiring.
posted by notsnot at 7:29 AM on February 19, 2019 [3 favorites]
Johannes Ockeghem "Requiem" performed by The Hilliard Ensemble.
Since you're asking for recommendations I'm going to assume you're streaming. Please for heavens sake use a lossless streaming service (Tidal, Qobuz) instead of one of the common cheaper ones (so not Spotify, Apple Music, Youtube, or Google). Especially on good equipment it's like the difference between a painting and its photocopy.
posted by noloveforned at 7:48 AM on February 19, 2019 [3 favorites]
Since you're asking for recommendations I'm going to assume you're streaming. Please for heavens sake use a lossless streaming service (Tidal, Qobuz) instead of one of the common cheaper ones (so not Spotify, Apple Music, Youtube, or Google). Especially on good equipment it's like the difference between a painting and its photocopy.
posted by noloveforned at 7:48 AM on February 19, 2019 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: Thank you so much!
This is not so much for testing, more to have a varied playlist to celebrate a good purchase that required lots of budgeting and patience.
I think I like the variety and change in pace of a mixed track-list, but we definitely like actual whole albums and listen to them all the time. Dark Side of the Moon was one of the first we listened to! Homework by Daft Punk was amazing as well.
posted by Tarumba at 7:50 AM on February 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
This is not so much for testing, more to have a varied playlist to celebrate a good purchase that required lots of budgeting and patience.
I think I like the variety and change in pace of a mixed track-list, but we definitely like actual whole albums and listen to them all the time. Dark Side of the Moon was one of the first we listened to! Homework by Daft Punk was amazing as well.
posted by Tarumba at 7:50 AM on February 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
Any decent performance of Parry's setting of "Jerusalem". This came on KUSC just as I read the question!
posted by Logophiliac at 7:52 AM on February 19, 2019
posted by Logophiliac at 7:52 AM on February 19, 2019
Mandatory for any new stereo system:
Michael Flanders and Donald Swann - A Song of Reproduction
posted by flabdablet at 7:57 AM on February 19, 2019
Michael Flanders and Donald Swann - A Song of Reproduction
posted by flabdablet at 7:57 AM on February 19, 2019
Grandaddy - Now It's On. This song is a real delight on high end stereo systems, from the crackling sounds that dart from one speaker to the other in the intro, to the anthemic chorus, to the guitars that start in one channel and then break through to the other later in the song.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:06 AM on February 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:06 AM on February 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
Glenn Gould’s Bach: The Goldberg Variations. You could compare the 1955 and 1981 recordings.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 8:09 AM on February 19, 2019
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 8:09 AM on February 19, 2019
Jane's Addiction - Up the Beach. I actually found out about Jane's from an issue of Crutchfield magazine years ago when they were recommending this track as a way to blow the doors out with a high end stereo. It's huge, expansive and just builds and builds.
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:13 AM on February 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by DirtyOldTown at 8:13 AM on February 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
I used a 7" vinyl copy of Too Nice To Talk To by The Beat for auditions when I was looking for a new turntable a couple of years ago. You can tell whether you've got a good one within the first four bars.
If you'd asked for whole albums, I'd have said Ys by Joanna Newsom.
posted by rd45 at 8:14 AM on February 19, 2019
If you'd asked for whole albums, I'd have said Ys by Joanna Newsom.
posted by rd45 at 8:14 AM on February 19, 2019
I'm not going to link to youtube, that's a frigging crime, you need to find tracks on a high quality streaming service you pay for, or buy them outright.
I know you said no albums but their tracks relate to each other and stand better together than apart.
Kate Bush's remastered The Other Sides is pretty great.
Daft Punk's complete Tron: Legacy is as far as I'm concerned their best album, and amazing on a stereo that can handle it.
Massive Attack, Mezzanine, might knock you out.
Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Welcome to the Pleasuredome. You're under the bed.
The Seatbelts, Cowboy Bebop Soundtrack. Astonishing in virtuosity & variety.
Poncho Sanchez, A Night at Kimball's East. Front row centre with a conga master.
posted by seanmpuckett at 8:16 AM on February 19, 2019 [3 favorites]
I know you said no albums but their tracks relate to each other and stand better together than apart.
Kate Bush's remastered The Other Sides is pretty great.
Daft Punk's complete Tron: Legacy is as far as I'm concerned their best album, and amazing on a stereo that can handle it.
Massive Attack, Mezzanine, might knock you out.
Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Welcome to the Pleasuredome. You're under the bed.
The Seatbelts, Cowboy Bebop Soundtrack. Astonishing in virtuosity & variety.
Poncho Sanchez, A Night at Kimball's East. Front row centre with a conga master.
posted by seanmpuckett at 8:16 AM on February 19, 2019 [3 favorites]
Best answer: (I hope this is OK to put here, I have made a Spotify playlist of the song recommendations in this thread if anyone is interested. Yes, yes, compression and loss, I know, I know.)
posted by rabbitrabbit at 8:16 AM on February 19, 2019 [11 favorites]
posted by rabbitrabbit at 8:16 AM on February 19, 2019 [11 favorites]
Best answer: I don't want to start a fight here, but, OP, be aware that local digital source is probably the best way to really put this system through its paces. YouTube tracks are objectively awful vs. proper high-bitrate digital audio (mp3/aac). Lossless digital (FLAC/ALAC) is better, but the jury is out as to whether actual humans can tell the difference between high-res Mp3/AAC and lossless files.
Streaming from an Internet source is going to be HIGHLY variable.
Vinyl is objectively more fun for sure, but can't compete with CD or other local digital sources in terms of quality per dollar spent (to say nothing of the dynamic range issues inherent in vinyl).
I've told this anecdote a few times, but it's on point here:
When Napster hit in the late 90s, my roommate and I hooked a spare PC to my stereo in our living room. It wasn't crap: decent Onkyo receiver ($1000 in 1992, as I recall) and a fair pair of Klipsch towers that were pretty new. We'd wow party guests with the "name a song and we'll play it" game, which Napster made possible -- most people outside software/IT had no idea, so it was a pretty cool trick at the time. So we ended up with a pretty huge corpus of MP3s of various qualities, and even though they weren't our primary audio source (CD still ruled), we didn't think of them as sounding awful. (We'd cull the stuff < 128kbps anyway every so often, though.)
In 2000, we moved, and as part of the move I picked up significantly better audio gear (Arcam amp, Vandersteen 2ce Signatures, Parasound CD transport and outboard DAC).
We were too busy to set up the "music PC" for a few weeks, and subsisted on a CD-only diet for a while.
When we finally plugged in the PC and started playing music, we were utterly horrified. It sounded like warmed-over shit. "What the hell is wrong with the stereo?" we wondered. And we pondered that question for entirely too long before we hit the answer:
On the old rig, the system quality ceiling was low enough that the enormous delta between 128kbps MP3 and CD source wasn't obvious. Sure, if the house was otherwise quiet and we were doing critical listening, it was there, but it wasn't super super obvious -- and in those circumstances, we'd probably be playing CDs anyway, since the MP3 stuff was more of a party trick.
On the new equipment, though, CD source could SERIOUSLY shine -- but the MP3 library had no more quality to be revealed. Truth be told, it probably sounded better on the new gear -- but CD sounded even MORE better. There was no problem with the equipment. It was just that now we could hear how shitty the MP3s sounded compared to CD source.
And that's when I stopped ripping to MP3. I did higher bitrate AAC for a while, but for the last several years it's been Apple Lossless with a downconvert for iPhone use.
posted by uberchet at 8:34 AM on February 19, 2019 [4 favorites]
Streaming from an Internet source is going to be HIGHLY variable.
Vinyl is objectively more fun for sure, but can't compete with CD or other local digital sources in terms of quality per dollar spent (to say nothing of the dynamic range issues inherent in vinyl).
I've told this anecdote a few times, but it's on point here:
When Napster hit in the late 90s, my roommate and I hooked a spare PC to my stereo in our living room. It wasn't crap: decent Onkyo receiver ($1000 in 1992, as I recall) and a fair pair of Klipsch towers that were pretty new. We'd wow party guests with the "name a song and we'll play it" game, which Napster made possible -- most people outside software/IT had no idea, so it was a pretty cool trick at the time. So we ended up with a pretty huge corpus of MP3s of various qualities, and even though they weren't our primary audio source (CD still ruled), we didn't think of them as sounding awful. (We'd cull the stuff < 128kbps anyway every so often, though.)
In 2000, we moved, and as part of the move I picked up significantly better audio gear (Arcam amp, Vandersteen 2ce Signatures, Parasound CD transport and outboard DAC).
We were too busy to set up the "music PC" for a few weeks, and subsisted on a CD-only diet for a while.
When we finally plugged in the PC and started playing music, we were utterly horrified. It sounded like warmed-over shit. "What the hell is wrong with the stereo?" we wondered. And we pondered that question for entirely too long before we hit the answer:
On the old rig, the system quality ceiling was low enough that the enormous delta between 128kbps MP3 and CD source wasn't obvious. Sure, if the house was otherwise quiet and we were doing critical listening, it was there, but it wasn't super super obvious -- and in those circumstances, we'd probably be playing CDs anyway, since the MP3 stuff was more of a party trick.
On the new equipment, though, CD source could SERIOUSLY shine -- but the MP3 library had no more quality to be revealed. Truth be told, it probably sounded better on the new gear -- but CD sounded even MORE better. There was no problem with the equipment. It was just that now we could hear how shitty the MP3s sounded compared to CD source.
And that's when I stopped ripping to MP3. I did higher bitrate AAC for a while, but for the last several years it's been Apple Lossless with a downconvert for iPhone use.
posted by uberchet at 8:34 AM on February 19, 2019 [4 favorites]
These lot are MASSIVE and deserve/merit a stupendous stereo system and an undistracted listen:
Ahmedo by Aynur Doğan
Kaan ya ma kaan by Marwan Abado
Haq Ali Ali (for example) (tune kicks up a notch at 7:30 in) by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
Mere Sahiba by Abida Parveen
Dam Mast Qalandar by the Nooran Sisters
The !choons! from the Bach Mass in B minor: Laudaumus te, Domine deus, Et in spiritum sanctum
Godspeed! You Black Emperor and the Prodigy
Amy Winehouse Rehab
PJ Harvey To Bring You My Love full album
Smashing Pumpkins Siamese Dream full album
Reba McEntire and Linda Davis - Does He Love You (no I am not kidding)
Ruby Turner - Stay with me Baby
posted by runincircles at 8:40 AM on February 19, 2019 [4 favorites]
Ahmedo by Aynur Doğan
Kaan ya ma kaan by Marwan Abado
Haq Ali Ali (for example) (tune kicks up a notch at 7:30 in) by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
Mere Sahiba by Abida Parveen
Dam Mast Qalandar by the Nooran Sisters
The !choons! from the Bach Mass in B minor: Laudaumus te, Domine deus, Et in spiritum sanctum
Godspeed! You Black Emperor and the Prodigy
Amy Winehouse Rehab
PJ Harvey To Bring You My Love full album
Smashing Pumpkins Siamese Dream full album
Reba McEntire and Linda Davis - Does He Love You (no I am not kidding)
Ruby Turner - Stay with me Baby
posted by runincircles at 8:40 AM on February 19, 2019 [4 favorites]
Both Etta James "At Last" and George Gershwin "Rhapsody in Blue" should be fun to listen to from start to finish.
The "Gospel at Colonus" original cast recording has Jevetta Steele and Clarence Fountain & Blind Boys of Alabama and a mass choir and Morgan Freeman and Samuel Butler and....oh, just get the CD and blow the fuckin' knobs off.
posted by wenestvedt at 8:43 AM on February 19, 2019
The "Gospel at Colonus" original cast recording has Jevetta Steele and Clarence Fountain & Blind Boys of Alabama and a mass choir and Morgan Freeman and Samuel Butler and....oh, just get the CD and blow the fuckin' knobs off.
posted by wenestvedt at 8:43 AM on February 19, 2019
Beck - Wow
The Black Angels - Young Men Dead
Broken Bells - The Ghost Inside
U2 - The Blackout, Zoo Station, The Fly
Tori Amos - A Sorta Fairytale, Gold Dust
Thirty Seconds to Mars - Fallen, Night of the Hunter
Elton John - Funeral for a Friend / Love Lies Bleeding
Sia - Bird Set Free, Alive
The Paper Kites - Malleable Beings, Electric Indigo
posted by The Deej at 8:45 AM on February 19, 2019
The Black Angels - Young Men Dead
Broken Bells - The Ghost Inside
U2 - The Blackout, Zoo Station, The Fly
Tori Amos - A Sorta Fairytale, Gold Dust
Thirty Seconds to Mars - Fallen, Night of the Hunter
Elton John - Funeral for a Friend / Love Lies Bleeding
Sia - Bird Set Free, Alive
The Paper Kites - Malleable Beings, Electric Indigo
posted by The Deej at 8:45 AM on February 19, 2019
The Egarr Handel Organ Concerto recordings (Op. 4 and Op. 7) are amazing and with their "highly detailed ... close-up" recording and dynamic range (and Super Audio CD format) would really repay high quality equipment.
If you want to narrow it down to one track, maybe Handel: Organ Concerto in F Major, Op. 4, No. 5: IV. Presto.
posted by Jahaza at 9:06 AM on February 19, 2019
If you want to narrow it down to one track, maybe Handel: Organ Concerto in F Major, Op. 4, No. 5: IV. Presto.
posted by Jahaza at 9:06 AM on February 19, 2019
Since you like that song by the Temptations, you may enjoy discovering or rediscovering some of these soul classics:
Isaac Hayes, "Shaft"
Isaac Hayes, "Walk On By"
Otis Redding, "Shake" (If you enjoy the studio version, definitely check out the live version from the Monterey Pop Festival)
Otis Redding, "Try A Little Tenderness"
Aretha Franklin, "(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman"
Janis Joplin's version of "Little Girl Blue"
You may also enjoy some of these rock songs:
Iggy Pop, "The Endless Sea"
The Rolling Stones, "Gimme Shelter"
The Kinks, "20th Century Man"
The Animals, "Don't Bring Me Down"
The Clash, "Complete Control"
And as someone with French roots, I couldn't resist trying to turn you on to some of these classics:
Serge Gainsbourg, "Histoire de Melody Nelson"
Serge Gainsbourg, "Je suis venu te dire que je m'en vais"
Michel Polnareff, "Le bal des Laze"
Michel Polnareff, "Qui a tué grand-maman"
Bernard Lavilliers, "Des milliers de baisers perdus"
Françoise Hardy, "Viens"
Françoise Hardy, "Même sous la pluie"
Like most of the people who've answered, I could easily provide a list ten times this long but I'll stop here. If you check these songs out I hope you enjoy listening to them.
posted by DavidfromBA at 9:12 AM on February 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
Isaac Hayes, "Shaft"
Isaac Hayes, "Walk On By"
Otis Redding, "Shake" (If you enjoy the studio version, definitely check out the live version from the Monterey Pop Festival)
Otis Redding, "Try A Little Tenderness"
Aretha Franklin, "(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman"
Janis Joplin's version of "Little Girl Blue"
You may also enjoy some of these rock songs:
Iggy Pop, "The Endless Sea"
The Rolling Stones, "Gimme Shelter"
The Kinks, "20th Century Man"
The Animals, "Don't Bring Me Down"
The Clash, "Complete Control"
And as someone with French roots, I couldn't resist trying to turn you on to some of these classics:
Serge Gainsbourg, "Histoire de Melody Nelson"
Serge Gainsbourg, "Je suis venu te dire que je m'en vais"
Michel Polnareff, "Le bal des Laze"
Michel Polnareff, "Qui a tué grand-maman"
Bernard Lavilliers, "Des milliers de baisers perdus"
Françoise Hardy, "Viens"
Françoise Hardy, "Même sous la pluie"
Like most of the people who've answered, I could easily provide a list ten times this long but I'll stop here. If you check these songs out I hope you enjoy listening to them.
posted by DavidfromBA at 9:12 AM on February 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
If you want to really test the dynamic range and response of your system, you can't do much better than Richard Strauss or Gustav Mahler. For the former, try "Also Sprach Zarathustra", "Till Eulenspiegel's Merry Pranks", or "Don Juan". For the latter, try Symphonies #1 or #2.
posted by Johnny Assay at 9:24 AM on February 19, 2019
posted by Johnny Assay at 9:24 AM on February 19, 2019
For values of awesome and unsubtle:
Bent Knee - Way Too Long
Kishi Bishi - Bright Whites
Jaggery - Oh Scorpio
Joan Amratrading - Cool Blue Stole My Heart (no good free streaming for this one.)
posted by prewar lemonade at 9:24 AM on February 19, 2019
Bent Knee - Way Too Long
Kishi Bishi - Bright Whites
Jaggery - Oh Scorpio
Joan Amratrading - Cool Blue Stole My Heart (no good free streaming for this one.)
posted by prewar lemonade at 9:24 AM on February 19, 2019
Sigur Ros - Starálfur
Sigur Ros in general. The album Takk in particular.
posted by philip-random at 9:34 AM on February 19, 2019
Sigur Ros in general. The album Takk in particular.
posted by philip-random at 9:34 AM on February 19, 2019
Hmm... lemme look thru my Spotify:
Beach Boys - Surf's Up
Frank Zappa - Peaches en Regalia
Air - Kelly, Watch The Stars (Moog Cookbook remix)
Soul Coughing - Soundtrack to Mary
Sonic Youth - Jams Run Free (ok, not "amazing" but Sonic)
Beck - Diamond Bollocks
Stevie Wonder - I Was Made to Love Her
Flaming Lips - Silver Trembling Hands
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 9:46 AM on February 19, 2019
Beach Boys - Surf's Up
Frank Zappa - Peaches en Regalia
Air - Kelly, Watch The Stars (Moog Cookbook remix)
Soul Coughing - Soundtrack to Mary
Sonic Youth - Jams Run Free (ok, not "amazing" but Sonic)
Beck - Diamond Bollocks
Stevie Wonder - I Was Made to Love Her
Flaming Lips - Silver Trembling Hands
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 9:46 AM on February 19, 2019
The Weinberg Method of Non-synthetic Electronic Rock
posted by Sophont at 10:02 AM on February 19, 2019
posted by Sophont at 10:02 AM on February 19, 2019
The first side of Skylarking by XTC has a seasons themed suite, "Ballet for a Rainy Day," "1000 Umbrellas," and "Season Cycle" sound wonderful if you have a remastered version of the album. "Across This Antheap" from Oranges & Lemons (also XTC) if you want to test the low end of the system, as it has a great melodic and throbbing bass line.
"Space Carnival" off of Channel the Spirits by The Comet is Coming is some great driving, jazz/funk/psychedelic that would sound great on a high-end system. Instrumental, bombastic, not subtle.
"Cucumber Slumber" by Material off of Hallucination Engine is another great workout for the low end and high end. (Instrumental.)
"Cliffs of Dover" you've probably heard before. Pure sonic sugar by Eric Johnson off of Ah Via Musicom.
Somebody else already said "Maggot Brain" by Funkadelic. Yep yep. If it were my system, I'd definitely whip "Layla" on right away.
Enjoy - hope it brings you many hours of enjoyment!
posted by jzb at 10:24 AM on February 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
"Space Carnival" off of Channel the Spirits by The Comet is Coming is some great driving, jazz/funk/psychedelic that would sound great on a high-end system. Instrumental, bombastic, not subtle.
"Cucumber Slumber" by Material off of Hallucination Engine is another great workout for the low end and high end. (Instrumental.)
"Cliffs of Dover" you've probably heard before. Pure sonic sugar by Eric Johnson off of Ah Via Musicom.
Somebody else already said "Maggot Brain" by Funkadelic. Yep yep. If it were my system, I'd definitely whip "Layla" on right away.
Enjoy - hope it brings you many hours of enjoyment!
posted by jzb at 10:24 AM on February 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
Deep Listening by Pauline Oliveros, Stuart Dempster and Panaiotis.
I listened to all of the NPR 150 Greatest Albums by Women during 2017. Discovered many fabulous things that I had never heard, or even heard of. This was undeniably the one that had the greatest impact on me, and to which I've returned the most often since the listen-through.
(Note: I listened to this on headphones from my computer at work. I can only imagine how amazing it would be through a really good sound system. Bon voyage.)
posted by dlugoczaj at 10:25 AM on February 19, 2019 [2 favorites]
I listened to all of the NPR 150 Greatest Albums by Women during 2017. Discovered many fabulous things that I had never heard, or even heard of. This was undeniably the one that had the greatest impact on me, and to which I've returned the most often since the listen-through.
(Note: I listened to this on headphones from my computer at work. I can only imagine how amazing it would be through a really good sound system. Bon voyage.)
posted by dlugoczaj at 10:25 AM on February 19, 2019 [2 favorites]
Also, the Beta Band's "Dry the Rain."
I use this as an example of music that gradually brings in layered tracks and varied instruments, and again, I'd love to hear it on a good system.
posted by dlugoczaj at 10:31 AM on February 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
I use this as an example of music that gradually brings in layered tracks and varied instruments, and again, I'd love to hear it on a good system.
posted by dlugoczaj at 10:31 AM on February 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
Cucumber Slumber
On the topic of Weather Report songs, I'd add "Havona" for a sound system workout list.
posted by thelonius at 10:41 AM on February 19, 2019
On the topic of Weather Report songs, I'd add "Havona" for a sound system workout list.
posted by thelonius at 10:41 AM on February 19, 2019
"Cocoa Hooves" -Glass Animals
posted by roadrunner9 at 10:58 AM on February 19, 2019
posted by roadrunner9 at 10:58 AM on February 19, 2019
Noveller, "The Unveiling"
Emma Ruth Rundle, "Light Song"
Grails, "Silk Rd"
Alcest, "Summer's Glory"
Baroness, "A Horse Called Golgotha"
Earth, "The Rakehell"
YOB, "Marrow"
Inter Arma, "The Summer Drones"
Russian Circles, "Mladek"
Soundgarden, "Superunknown"
True Widow, "HW:R"
Yes, "Close to the Edge"
posted by sinfony at 11:14 AM on February 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
Emma Ruth Rundle, "Light Song"
Grails, "Silk Rd"
Alcest, "Summer's Glory"
Baroness, "A Horse Called Golgotha"
Earth, "The Rakehell"
YOB, "Marrow"
Inter Arma, "The Summer Drones"
Russian Circles, "Mladek"
Soundgarden, "Superunknown"
True Widow, "HW:R"
Yes, "Close to the Edge"
posted by sinfony at 11:14 AM on February 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
Ah, you need my old live system test track.
Jimi Hendrix - Voodoo Chile. Not Voodoo Chile slight return from later in the album but the fifteen minute stupendous studio jam that's track three or so. Turn it up loud enough to blow your ears off, it is so good. One of the most intense sessions ever recorded, and it's recorded very, very well.
Vinyl is objectively more fun for sure, but can't compete with CD or other local digital sources in terms of quality per dollar spent.
Agreed. But if you have in fact spent the money I've heard it out perform CD and while I could be dreaming I've at least got no dog in the fight.
posted by deadwax at 12:57 PM on February 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
Jimi Hendrix - Voodoo Chile. Not Voodoo Chile slight return from later in the album but the fifteen minute stupendous studio jam that's track three or so. Turn it up loud enough to blow your ears off, it is so good. One of the most intense sessions ever recorded, and it's recorded very, very well.
Vinyl is objectively more fun for sure, but can't compete with CD or other local digital sources in terms of quality per dollar spent.
Agreed. But if you have in fact spent the money I've heard it out perform CD and while I could be dreaming I've at least got no dog in the fight.
posted by deadwax at 12:57 PM on February 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
Alice Coltrane - Turiya And Ramakrishna. Pour yourselves a glass of something nice, first.
posted by ouke at 1:11 PM on February 19, 2019
posted by ouke at 1:11 PM on February 19, 2019
The Ramsey Lewis Trio’s album Stretching Out is what my audiophile music snob husband recommends.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 2:30 PM on February 19, 2019
posted by rabbitrabbit at 2:30 PM on February 19, 2019
I was looking up stereo reviews recently and the article I read did all their testing to Beck's Lost Cause, which is complex and gorgeous.
posted by zoetrope at 2:36 PM on February 19, 2019
posted by zoetrope at 2:36 PM on February 19, 2019
At Least That’s What You Said by Wilco is another recommendation from my audiophile music snob husband.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 2:53 PM on February 19, 2019
posted by rabbitrabbit at 2:53 PM on February 19, 2019
Alternating Bit by Jega
posted by rabbitrabbit at 4:53 PM on February 19, 2019
posted by rabbitrabbit at 4:53 PM on February 19, 2019
The first side of Skylarking by XTC has a seasons themed suite, "Ballet for a Rainy Day," "1000 Umbrellas," and "Season Cycle" sound wonderful if you have a remastered version of the album. "Across This Antheap" from Oranges & Lemons (also XTC) if you want to test the low end of the system, as it has a great melodic and throbbing bass line.
Also "Poor Skeleton Steps Out" has so many things going on in the mix that I swear every time I try new headphones or speakers I hear a different detail for the first time.
Jimi Hendrix - Voodoo Chile. Not Voodoo Chile slight return from later in the album but the fifteen minute stupendous studio jam that's track three or so.
The guitar sound on "Hey Joe" blew me away the first time I <stoner> like, really heard it, man</stoner> through a tube amp. I think I listened to it like five or six times straight before I even moved on to the rest of the album. Same for "I Want You / She's So Heavy" on the Beatles' "Abbey Road." (If the Beatles are your thing, look for the Beatles in Mono box set, as they were often in the studio only for the mono mixes, with stereo left as an exercise for the engineers. Songs like "Day Tripper" and "Paperback Writer" really do sound better in mono.)
And as several people have pointed out, Steely Dan were studio perfectionists. My sleeper recommendation for one song might be "The Fez" because the drumming (and the drum sound) is just so good.
Switching gears, the remastered Capitol years from Frank Sinatra has some gems. "I've Got You Under My Skin" on "Song for Swinging Lovers" is really beautifully recorded. And the Ella Fitzgerald "song books" series is pretty phenomenal. For just one track I might take "Lorelei" off the Gershwin set; for an album I'd go with the Jerome Kern (which, song-wise, has her incredible "A Fine Romance," a lovely "You Couldn't Be Cuter," and a "She Didn't Say Yes" that always tickles to me to my core. (The Harold Arlen is also pretty fantastic; the whole box set has been the single most cost-effective conversion of $150 to joy of my entire life as a consumer).
posted by fedward at 5:33 PM on February 19, 2019
Also "Poor Skeleton Steps Out" has so many things going on in the mix that I swear every time I try new headphones or speakers I hear a different detail for the first time.
Jimi Hendrix - Voodoo Chile. Not Voodoo Chile slight return from later in the album but the fifteen minute stupendous studio jam that's track three or so.
The guitar sound on "Hey Joe" blew me away the first time I <stoner> like, really heard it, man</stoner> through a tube amp. I think I listened to it like five or six times straight before I even moved on to the rest of the album. Same for "I Want You / She's So Heavy" on the Beatles' "Abbey Road." (If the Beatles are your thing, look for the Beatles in Mono box set, as they were often in the studio only for the mono mixes, with stereo left as an exercise for the engineers. Songs like "Day Tripper" and "Paperback Writer" really do sound better in mono.)
And as several people have pointed out, Steely Dan were studio perfectionists. My sleeper recommendation for one song might be "The Fez" because the drumming (and the drum sound) is just so good.
Switching gears, the remastered Capitol years from Frank Sinatra has some gems. "I've Got You Under My Skin" on "Song for Swinging Lovers" is really beautifully recorded. And the Ella Fitzgerald "song books" series is pretty phenomenal. For just one track I might take "Lorelei" off the Gershwin set; for an album I'd go with the Jerome Kern (which, song-wise, has her incredible "A Fine Romance," a lovely "You Couldn't Be Cuter," and a "She Didn't Say Yes" that always tickles to me to my core. (The Harold Arlen is also pretty fantastic; the whole box set has been the single most cost-effective conversion of $150 to joy of my entire life as a consumer).
posted by fedward at 5:33 PM on February 19, 2019
Balloon by Mistabishi
posted by glonous keming at 6:41 PM on February 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by glonous keming at 6:41 PM on February 19, 2019 [1 favorite]
Came in here to say Voodoo Chile as well.
posted by STFUDonnie at 7:10 PM on February 19, 2019
posted by STFUDonnie at 7:10 PM on February 19, 2019
Third movement from "Symphony of Psalms", Stravinsky.
posted by huimangm at 7:17 PM on February 19, 2019
posted by huimangm at 7:17 PM on February 19, 2019
Apologies if this has been mentioned already, but over on the Blue there's a post about Jeremy Dutcher, a First Nations singer and composer whose latest album, Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa (recorded entirely in Dutcher's native Wolastoqey, which is super endangered) won the Polaris prize, and for good reason - the man has a voice that would make angels weep with envy. Bonus: when you listen you are supporting an Indigenous artist, and doing a small bit to make up for a heinous wrong.
Queen released a remastered album of their greatest hits, which is amazing. And I actually am rather partial to Il Divo, who do opera-esque recordings of pop songs and are really quite good for a glorified boyband.
For non-western composers: track down A.R. Rahman (that asinine Jai Ho song from Slumdog Millionaire is to the best of his work what gas station pizza is to a proper New York slice), Illayaraja, and R.D. Burman. For singers, you would do worse than to start off with Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, M.S. Subbulakshmi, Kishore Kumar, S.P. Balasubramaniam, and Shreya Ghosal.
posted by Tamanna at 9:19 PM on February 19, 2019
Queen released a remastered album of their greatest hits, which is amazing. And I actually am rather partial to Il Divo, who do opera-esque recordings of pop songs and are really quite good for a glorified boyband.
For non-western composers: track down A.R. Rahman (that asinine Jai Ho song from Slumdog Millionaire is to the best of his work what gas station pizza is to a proper New York slice), Illayaraja, and R.D. Burman. For singers, you would do worse than to start off with Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, M.S. Subbulakshmi, Kishore Kumar, S.P. Balasubramaniam, and Shreya Ghosal.
posted by Tamanna at 9:19 PM on February 19, 2019
"What Is Hip?" from Tower of Power's "Direct" album - originally recorded as an audiophile direct-to-disc thing, and now available on CD with extra takes.
But no test of a new hi-fi system here would be complete without playing Mike Skeet's "The Garage Door"...
posted by offog at 3:02 AM on February 20, 2019
But no test of a new hi-fi system here would be complete without playing Mike Skeet's "The Garage Door"...
posted by offog at 3:02 AM on February 20, 2019
Musician and sound engineer Steven Wilson is a hardcore audiophile and generally accomplished artist who has done 5.1 remasters of a bunch of classic prog rock albums (e.g. ELP, Jethro Tull, Gentle Giant). Here's Wilson's remaster of Chicago's "25 or 6 to 4."
Here are some tracks from his audiophile-friendly band Porcupine Tree (if you pick up some of their discs, I particularly recommend Signify, Stupid Dream, Recordings, and Deadwing). These are YouTube links but they give you a sense of it.
"Dark Matter" (this might be my "desert island" song)
"Fadeaway" (or maybe it's this one)
"A Smart Kid"
"Sleep Together"
"Start of Something Beautiful"
When I want to put a sound system through its paces, Steven Wilson is my go-to.
posted by CheesesOfBrazil at 6:06 AM on February 20, 2019 [2 favorites]
Here are some tracks from his audiophile-friendly band Porcupine Tree (if you pick up some of their discs, I particularly recommend Signify, Stupid Dream, Recordings, and Deadwing). These are YouTube links but they give you a sense of it.
"Dark Matter" (this might be my "desert island" song)
"Fadeaway" (or maybe it's this one)
"A Smart Kid"
"Sleep Together"
"Start of Something Beautiful"
When I want to put a sound system through its paces, Steven Wilson is my go-to.
posted by CheesesOfBrazil at 6:06 AM on February 20, 2019 [2 favorites]
Todd Rundgren, the album Something/Anything has a track called "Intro" where he shows you mistakes made in recording. It's maddening in headphones, and takes you out of the groove. But it's kinda fun to hear a master engineer explaining some of the things you probably thought you heard over the years.
The album has a few great tracks on it too, but nothing that's going to blow your pants off in a different way than the stuff listed above. (I am partial to "It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference", but Wolfman Jack or Hello, It's Me are probably better for 'sound')
posted by DigDoug at 6:12 AM on February 20, 2019
The album has a few great tracks on it too, but nothing that's going to blow your pants off in a different way than the stuff listed above. (I am partial to "It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference", but Wolfman Jack or Hello, It's Me are probably better for 'sound')
posted by DigDoug at 6:12 AM on February 20, 2019
Not my favorite song or genre by any means but "Hold Me Now" by the Thompson Twins may be the best produced/engineered track I’ve ever heard on the radio.
posted by sirshannon at 6:58 AM on February 20, 2019 [2 favorites]
posted by sirshannon at 6:58 AM on February 20, 2019 [2 favorites]
Another track I think would sound amazing on a good system, "I'm Not in Love" by 10cc. (Previously on the Blue.) According to the front page post, it took 3 weeks to record the vocals alone. Turn this one up loud and sit back, let it wash over you.
posted by jzb at 8:59 AM on February 20, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by jzb at 8:59 AM on February 20, 2019 [1 favorite]
Cream - Dance the Night Away.
In fact the first few tracks from Disraeli Gears will be great.
posted by ihaveyourfoot at 9:19 AM on February 20, 2019
In fact the first few tracks from Disraeli Gears will be great.
posted by ihaveyourfoot at 9:19 AM on February 20, 2019
Steven Wilson is my go-to.
Steven Wilson remasters
posted by philip-random at 10:07 AM on February 20, 2019 [1 favorite]
Steven Wilson remasters
posted by philip-random at 10:07 AM on February 20, 2019 [1 favorite]
I once fell absolutely in love with a pair of headphones listening to "Starlight" by The Wailin' Jennys.
posted by bjrubble at 10:59 AM on February 20, 2019
posted by bjrubble at 10:59 AM on February 20, 2019
The Byrds - Eight Miles High.
posted by ihaveyourfoot at 1:32 PM on February 20, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by ihaveyourfoot at 1:32 PM on February 20, 2019 [1 favorite]
I'd love to hear The Clash' "Guns of Brixton (The Bug ft The Spaceape Remix)" on a booming system. Sadly it's only available on YouTube.
posted by soundofsuburbia at 3:01 AM on February 21, 2019
posted by soundofsuburbia at 3:01 AM on February 21, 2019
I'm always a week or two behind on the New Yorker, so it was only last night that I read the profile of chorale group Roomful of Teeth.
I advise you to check out one of their recordings will all possible speed.
posted by uberchet at 6:08 AM on February 21, 2019
I advise you to check out one of their recordings will all possible speed.
posted by uberchet at 6:08 AM on February 21, 2019
uberchet said, ...maybe pick Donald Fagan's solo record The Nightfly instead."
Since you're looking for single tracks, I'd suggest 'I.G.Y (International Geophysical Year)', the opening track. Hard to pick one, though - all of them are great. That album will really give your new system a chance to shine.
posted by DandyRandy at 8:49 PM on February 21, 2019
Since you're looking for single tracks, I'd suggest 'I.G.Y (International Geophysical Year)', the opening track. Hard to pick one, though - all of them are great. That album will really give your new system a chance to shine.
posted by DandyRandy at 8:49 PM on February 21, 2019
Read this relevant Futility Closet post recently and thought of this question:
posted by Rhaomi at 2:05 AM on March 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
The 1967 version of Casino Royale, starring David Niven, set an unlikely milestone: Its soundtrack album became famous among audio purists for the quality of its sound.If you do want to check it out, note Wikipedia's addendum: "The film soundtrack has since been released by other companies in different configurations (including complete score releases). The highly regarded master tapes were damaged, however, during a 1990s remastering so none of the subsequent re-releases are considered to be as fine as the original LP release."
“The legend is that the original master tape had ‘mad’ levels on it,” audiophile Harry Pearson told the New York Times in 1991. “Once the meters pass zero, it means that you’re saturating the tape and running the risk of distortion. On ‘Casino,’ they used a supposedly very fancy grade of tape, and the engineers really pushed it, so the meters were typically running deep into the red — plus one, plus two, plus three, plus four.” The result is an extremely wide dynamic range.
A particular high point is Dusty Springfield’s “The Look of Love” (Track 2). Springfield recorded her vocal in a “tiny isolation booth, so on a really good system, you can hear her voice emerging from what sounds like a little hole in space. She’s not part of the general orchestral acoustic, and once your system gets to a certain point, you can hear that.”
Pearson said the soundtrack came to serve as a benchmark at Absolute Sound, the audiophile bible he founded in 1973. “Whenever we get a piece of equipment that we think is setting new records, out comes ‘Casino,'” he said. “The better your system gets, the more you get out of that album.”
posted by Rhaomi at 2:05 AM on March 2, 2019 [1 favorite]
I’ll echo ELO’s New World Rising/Ocean Breakup, and also pretty much anything after their 2nd album. Yet if you really like the former, their first two albums are something to enjoy. They have a box set of CDs with their entire discography. Sure there’s a more digital equivalent if you want.
posted by JoeXIII007 at 9:53 PM on March 2, 2019
posted by JoeXIII007 at 9:53 PM on March 2, 2019
L00SE TRAX:
Solange “Junie”
Frank Ocean “Pink + White”
Kylie Minogue “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head”
Rihanna “Love On The Brain”
Esperanza Spalding “Rest In Pleasure”
Linda Ronstadt “Hay Unos Ojos”
Robyn “Honey”
Janelle Monáe “I Like That”
Katy Perry “Dark Horse”
Brandon Flowers “Lonely Town”
I feel unsure about posting this, but because I seriously think these tracks are bombastic and trippy I couldn’t resist the urge to rec them. In case you’re open to Korean pop I pulled this together! :D In idol performers and groups, they’re given and/or write songs that are much more experimental, dare I say downright weird at times, than what’s typically heard in American pop music. For individual tracks that take the listener on an auditory journey, in the pop music genre, these are my suggestions:
f(x) “Red Light”
Red Velvet “Rookie”
EXO “Monster”
SHINee “Sherlock (Clue + Note)”
Stellar “Vibrato”
Girls’ Generation “I Got A Boy”
Oh My Girl “Windy Day”
fromis_9 “Love Bomb”
Brown Eyed Girls “Sixth Sense”
Jonghyun “Neon”
If I still have your attention, one of my favorite of the producers I hear about a lot are LDN Noise, and they’re credited in “Monster,” and tracks such as “4 Walls,” “View,” “Shift,” “Dumb Dumb,” “Lucky One,” and “White Noise.” They even have a cool clip about the song “Gravity,” which is basically a sibling of “Power.”
In case anyone wanted to know the best pop song released last year in 2018? That’s EXO-CBX’s Blooming Day!
As for Japanese music, it’s going to be obvious I haven’t followed it closely in the last decade plus, but I rec the following:
Ayumi Hamasaki “ourselves”
Every Little Thing “Future World”
Perfume “Dream Fighter”
Utada Hikaru “Kiss & Cry”
Do As Infinity “Desire”
Quruli’s “Bremen”
I simply must mention the band the brilliant green, since in your OP you’d mentioned the Beatles, and buriguri are so very Beatlesque that I must at least mention them, although they’re nowhere to be found on Spotify. I don’t have a deep knowledge of their b-sides anymore, but I’ll mention “rainy days never stays,” and the incredible “There will be love there.”
Within the spotify playlist, I have more weird tracks that might be of interest, in order of my own opinion of their weird unique catchy beauty. I had so much fun brainstorming and putting this together. Thanks for the opportunity!!
posted by one teak forest at 12:52 PM on March 8, 2019 [2 favorites]
Solange “Junie”
Frank Ocean “Pink + White”
Kylie Minogue “Can’t Get You Out Of My Head”
Rihanna “Love On The Brain”
Esperanza Spalding “Rest In Pleasure”
Linda Ronstadt “Hay Unos Ojos”
Robyn “Honey”
Janelle Monáe “I Like That”
Katy Perry “Dark Horse”
Brandon Flowers “Lonely Town”
I feel unsure about posting this, but because I seriously think these tracks are bombastic and trippy I couldn’t resist the urge to rec them. In case you’re open to Korean pop I pulled this together! :D In idol performers and groups, they’re given and/or write songs that are much more experimental, dare I say downright weird at times, than what’s typically heard in American pop music. For individual tracks that take the listener on an auditory journey, in the pop music genre, these are my suggestions:
f(x) “Red Light”
Red Velvet “Rookie”
EXO “Monster”
SHINee “Sherlock (Clue + Note)”
Stellar “Vibrato”
Girls’ Generation “I Got A Boy”
Oh My Girl “Windy Day”
fromis_9 “Love Bomb”
Brown Eyed Girls “Sixth Sense”
Jonghyun “Neon”
If I still have your attention, one of my favorite of the producers I hear about a lot are LDN Noise, and they’re credited in “Monster,” and tracks such as “4 Walls,” “View,” “Shift,” “Dumb Dumb,” “Lucky One,” and “White Noise.” They even have a cool clip about the song “Gravity,” which is basically a sibling of “Power.”
In case anyone wanted to know the best pop song released last year in 2018? That’s EXO-CBX’s Blooming Day!
As for Japanese music, it’s going to be obvious I haven’t followed it closely in the last decade plus, but I rec the following:
Ayumi Hamasaki “ourselves”
Every Little Thing “Future World”
Perfume “Dream Fighter”
Utada Hikaru “Kiss & Cry”
Do As Infinity “Desire”
Quruli’s “Bremen”
I simply must mention the band the brilliant green, since in your OP you’d mentioned the Beatles, and buriguri are so very Beatlesque that I must at least mention them, although they’re nowhere to be found on Spotify. I don’t have a deep knowledge of their b-sides anymore, but I’ll mention “rainy days never stays,” and the incredible “There will be love there.”
Within the spotify playlist, I have more weird tracks that might be of interest, in order of my own opinion of their weird unique catchy beauty. I had so much fun brainstorming and putting this together. Thanks for the opportunity!!
posted by one teak forest at 12:52 PM on March 8, 2019 [2 favorites]
Satoshi Ashikawa - Still Way (Wave Notation 2) † [1982, full album] this made me cry and it was utterly transcendent, Japanese ambient music.
Also I second all of one teak forest's recommendations. I also have been steadily keeping a Spotify playlist with songs that I rate an 8+ in quality, since I write for a music review website, The Singles Jukebox (which also has some great songs I would recommend checking out!)
posted by yueliang at 2:01 AM on March 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
Also I second all of one teak forest's recommendations. I also have been steadily keeping a Spotify playlist with songs that I rate an 8+ in quality, since I write for a music review website, The Singles Jukebox (which also has some great songs I would recommend checking out!)
posted by yueliang at 2:01 AM on March 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
Also, like, anything from the Cocteau Twins! Heaven or Las Vegas is an incredible LP, but any of their B-sides is wonderful too.
posted by yueliang at 2:30 AM on March 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by yueliang at 2:30 AM on March 18, 2019 [1 favorite]
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Take Five- Dave Brubeck
posted by Ftsqg at 6:11 AM on February 19, 2019 [1 favorite]