@jrbirdman333 + 1
Write down maybe 20 song you love and know “note for note”, and then figure out which ones were decently recorded in the first instance. And not every track has to be of first-tier quality, because one is listening for differences. 10 diverse songs is a plenty good start
Here are a few I like:
+ Mannish Boy, Muddy Waters from “Hard Again”. Spooky good
+ Song Remains the Same
+ Mining for Gold, Cowboy Junkies
+ Heroes, Peter Gabriel (his cover is great, and amazingly recorded)
+ I Try, Macy Gray from “Stripped” - a Chesky recording
+ Bach Cello Suites, first three passages (try the Jason Starker recording)
+ Bach Goldberg Variation, first three passages (Glenn Gould)
+ Sad But True, Metallica
+ Get Down, Nas (no idea about the recording, it’s just awesome)
+ Anything on Beggar’s Banquet (there is a lot of detail in those songs that comes alive with better and better systems)
+ Count Basie, Live at the Sands (what a record. Just so damn BIG)
Covers a lot of ground, sonically. If you’re looking for something in a specific genre, let us know - always a fun question to think about
Let us know what you decide!
Have a great day