Simply great sounding tracks

[Zad]

It's a bit of a sweeping statement, but older CDs can have better technical production, and modern ones tend to have more audio level compression (aka "loudness") which makes them sound comparatively flat and boring when listening on good equipment. Anyway, there are a few interesting ideas up there. I was going to suggest:

Frankie goes To Hollywood - Welcome to the Pleasuredome (title track plus Relax, Two Tribes)
Nearly 14 minutes of goodness in the title track alone, produced by the master of multi-layered acoustic soundscapes, Trevor Horn. Also from him, consider Propaganda - A Secret Wish

Japan - (tracks) Ghosts , Quiet Life
Jethro Tull - Crest of a Knave (especially Budapest)

How about something classical? No shortage of dynamic range, layers and detail there.
Beethoven piano concerto No.5 "Emperor". I prefer the Stephen Kovacevich recordings, but they are early 1970s so maybe not so good for showing off digital audio.

Got some new speakers and a hefty amp? Neighbours you really want to annoy? Widors toccata from organ concerto No.5 in F. Played on the right organ, the bass notes go down to 16Hz.

[vournikas]

Zad said:

How about something classical? No shortage of dynamic range, layers and detail there.

Great call!

I can't remember the exact one, but there is a recording out there of Von Karajan giving the Berlin Phil a proper workout on Holst's "Mars". Also, on the 'tube, is a recording of Sir Andrew Davis conducting the BBC Phil in RVW's Thomas Tallis Fantasia at Gloucester cathedral which - if it's been committed to disc - should be epic.

[Athlon]

Frankie goes To Hollywood - Welcome to the Pleasuredome (title track plus Relax, Two Tribes)

This! Like it or not, the quality is amazing!

[Zad]

The Tallis Fantasia by Vaughan Williams at Gloucester Cathedral was recorded for TV and published on a freebie CD/DVD (I forget which) on a magazine. When I tried to get it a couple of days after broadcast, they had sold out at all the shops near here. It sticks in my mind too, a hugely evocative recording, played in the place it was written for and first performed. But for some reason they don't seem to want to sell copies of it now

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihx5LCF1yJY
(The supposedly HD one on YouTube isn't actually HD)

For some reason it reminds me of the film Excalibur, it has that other-worldly feel to it.

[Crackie]

Links to some similar threads on PH

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

Edited by Crackie on Wednesday 31st May 07:33

[dojo]

Don't listen to mp3s unless you have to, sound horrible!!

Tresspassin' by Skull snaps
The Chain by Fleetwood Mac
Johnny B Goode by Peter Tosh
Let's Rock by Jerry Garcia

These songs having been my favourites recently from some dep gigs.

[NDA]

Try 'Sheffield Steel' by Joe Cocker. Some great tracks and superb production on vinyl (not sure about CD).

https://youtu.be/GhZYCZaH9t0

Also 'Third Round' by Manu Katche (not on YouTube).

[towser]

Not what I'd call a fan of either of these artists but as standout tracks these get me every time :

Gimme Shelter - Rolling Stones, awesome intro and it just gets better from there.

Soft Cell - Say Hello, Wave Goodbye, vocal tour de force by Marc Almond. Great lyrics.

[red997]

a bit off beat...
but how about

Sound Check 2
Stephen Court & Alan Parsons
it is a reference test / setup disc; mastered at Abbey Road
Lots of real techie signals etc to setup systems correctly, but does also have 7 music tracks
(DONT use track 99 though - 1KHz @ 0dBFS; unless you want to kill your speakers )

Used a fair bit for studio setup

[Podie]

Whilst not really my cup of tea, I agree with Steely Dan.

OP - You don't say what your source is....?

Listened to a hires digital version of Fleetwood Mac's Rumours that was pretty glorious (again, not really my thing).

Rage Against the Machine's eponymous debut album is brilliantly mixed, but the original vinyl really is something else (not the later re-issue)

[Kizmiaz]

The Meteors ; Jonny remember me.

[Funk]

In the spirit of the thread, here are some tracks guaranteed to put a system through its paces (obviously NOT via Youtube though!):

Blackest Eyes - Porcupine Tree: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yh9osYZNilU
Detroit - Marcus Miller: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLUr3wieXx4
Rimshot (Intro) - Erykah Badu: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UnxhKzSwrg
The Songs of Distant Earth - Mike Oldfield (the whole album): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cg4l4cAvTQ < here's one of the tracks
Colour to the Moon - Allan Taylor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwOrcjQHT-g (in fact, almost anything by him)
Raise the Roof - Bob James: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3M2jQiGFt0
The Grave and the Constant - Fun Lovin' Criminals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjH6XEzve9U
Watercolour - Pendulum: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tb0CwlQW0M (watch out for the bass about two mins in, it goes seismic)
Sylvia Hotel - Cheryl Wheeler: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gtxURKR0xMA
The Power of Goodbye - Madonna: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHydngA5C4E
Rainmaker - Keb' Mo': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pn6cBX5i6c8
Mona Lisa - Martin Taylor: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKqOqvQS3FI
Flight of the Cosmic Hippo - Bela Fleck and the Flecktones: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iYgf6PWYK8
After the Fall - Incognito: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViQwHxTStkA
101 Eastbound - Fourplay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwBpGU8RY3A
Strong - London Grammar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6drfp_3823I
You're Getting to be a Habit With Me - Dianna Krall: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-GqeUwxCKk (actually, anything by her will be exquisite)
Hit Me - Dirty Loops: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nls1HtXQe8E
Love's Divine - Seal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ri1NlFTKCOM (wonderfully subtle low bass on the opening of this track, many systems will miss it entirely)
Into The Mystic - Van Morrison: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZ59spYH9mk

Many of the other notable recommendations are already made here by others including the wonderful Eagles 'Hell Freezes Over' (specifically Hotel California) and Tracy Chapman's 'Fast Car' etc.

Edited by Funk on Wednesday 28th June 21:30

[Simes205]

The lark ascending is nice too, a perfect accompaniment for a summers evening.

[Loyly]

Koinonia's 1989 self titled album is just a delight to listen to. Such beautiful production, with a real space in the mix. Every instrument is so distinct and they all sound lush.

[anonymous-user]

Forgive the ramblings

Dusty Springfield
Son of a preacher man
Spooky
Anyone Who Had A Heart

Ennio Morricone
Title track to Once Upon A Time In The World (and many others) - I pick that as it sounds" fuller "than earlier stuff

Air: All I Need (for a long time my tester for bass)
Madonna (no really):
What It feels like for a girl - the spoken intro is pure joy (For a while I was convinced that Macs girlfriend "Peyton" actress Claire Forlani had spoken the words but found out later it was Serge Gainsbourghs daughter Charlotte Gainsbourg. There are different versions but this is the one you want
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOtdyW5EmRU
Actually you can include
Serge Gainsbourg:Jane Birkin - Je t'aime... moi non plus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlpDf6XX_j0

Pink Floyd - Loads of stuff but picking just one - The Immersion release of Wish You Were Here - the Stefen Grapelli violin version of Wish You Were Here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bm4sDyCW0k8

Rainbow: Weiss Heim
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45BCDYPmzug

Deep Purple
Coronarias Redig
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfgGb6rnMY4
You Keep On Movin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pE8fYd0FevI


Blackmores Night Carry On Jon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5bc06vGF_c

Tommy Bolin
Post Toastie:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7FOTBdbPN8

Young MC: Know How but really for the superb sample of Shaft and Shaft itself by Isaac Hayes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wck6YaZytmM
Isaac Hayes:
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/post.asp?h=0&a...

[Funk]

techiedave said:

Young MC: Know How but really for the superb sample of Shaft and Shaft itself by Isaac Hayes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wck6YaZytmM

Do I also hear Michael Viner's Incredible Bongo Band's 'Apache' sampled in there too?

[C&C]

Zad said:

The Tallis Fantasia by Vaughan Williams at Gloucester Cathedral was recorded for TV and published on a freebie CD/DVD (I forget which) on a magazine. When I tried to get it a couple of days after broadcast, they had sold out at all the shops near here. It sticks in my mind too, a hugely evocative recording, played in the place it was written for and first performed. But for some reason they don't seem to want to sell copies of it now

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihx5LCF1yJY
(The supposedly HD one on YouTube isn't actually HD)

For some reason it reminds me of the film Excalibur, it has that other-worldly feel to it.

There appear to be 3 copies available on Discogs

[Dr Slotter]

I would say that at home my go-to tracks over the years have mostly included (spot the theme/my age...!):

Chemical Brothers - 'Life is Sweet'
Les Rythmes Digitales - 'Music Makes You Lose Control' & '(Hey You) What's That Sound?'
Masters At Work/Nuyorican Soul - Black Gold of the Sun
4 Hero - 'Starchasers'
Roni Size/Reprazent - Brown Paper Bag
EZ-Rollers - Walk This Land ('99 Mix)

And when I used DJ, I would regularly use Beck's 'Mixed Bizness' to EQ a club sound system particularly when doing student nights with an eclectic playlist! It has a good mix of sounds, seems well produced to my ears, and I got used to what it should sound like!

[anonymous-user]

Funk said:

techiedave said:

Young MC: Know How but really for the superb sample of Shaft and Shaft itself by Isaac Hayes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wck6YaZytmM

Do I also hear Michael Viner's Incredible Bongo Band's 'Apache' sampled in there too?

Never heard of them till you mentioned it
But THANK YOU very much after checking them out

[vournikas]

[quote=C&C] There appear to be 3 copies available on Discogs
[/quote]



Ordered!

Edited by vournikas on Wednesday 28th June 22:35