Audiogon "RECORDINGS TO DIE FOR" list


I've been listening to some of my favorite recordings this weekend and was wondering what others on Audiogon felt were there favorites. We have all seen the Stereophile "Records to Die For", The Absolute Sounds recommended list, Music Directs' list, The Golden Ear, etc. now I'm hoping to assemble the Audiogon "Recordings To Die For". Please list your five favorite recordings, the ones you listen to over and over or play for friends. I would assume the sonic quality is excellent in that this is an audiophile site. The performance and enjoy ability should also be excellent. Please leave your top five, even if they are already chosen so we can discover the very top for the Audiogon listeners. ALSO PLEASE REFRAIN FROM CRITICIZING OTHERS OPINIONS AND JUST LEAVE YOUR FAVORITES!

August 2002: I have compiled a summary and a full printer-friendly list of all of the recommendations below.
click here to view summary
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1. Rebecca Pidgeon "the raven" (Chesky)- 128/24 rec.
2. Muddy Waters "folk singer" (Chess)- old records incredible good sound!!!
3. Vanessa Rubin "sings" (Novus)
4. Cassandra Wilson "new moon daughter" (Blue Note)
5. Livingston Taylor "ink" (Chesky)- 96/24 rec.
King Crimson "Red"
Elvis Costello "King of America"
Van Morrison "Astral Weeks"
Joni Mitchell "Hejira"
Richard Thompson "Mirror Blue", and/or "Rumour and Sigh"
Richard and Linda Thompson "Shoot Out the Lights"
Ry Cooder + V.M. Bhatt "A Meeting by the River"
John Hiatt "Bring the Family"
David Sylvian "Gone to Earth"
Talking Heads "Remain in Light"
Jan Garbarek "I Took up the Runes"
Bill Frisell (Can't chose which one!)
Ralph Towner (same here)
Emmylow Harris- "Wrecking Ball" yes, definately, and yes anything by Daniel Lanois - his 2 solo CD ("Acadie", and "For the Beauty of Winona"
Muddy Waters "Folk Singer" - MFSL gold CD sounds great
Don Byron "Bug Music" - fun and phenomenal
Oregon "Out of the Woods"
Bjork - "Debut" amd "Homogenic" simply the most talented,interesting + creative person working in "pop" today
Jefferson Airplane - "Crown of Creation" + "Volunteers" on MFSL gold CD's - always like the Airplane's version of "Wooden Ships" much more than CSNY's. These sound great on MFSL.
Pentangle (John Renbourn, Bert Jansch, Jackie McShee + Danny Thompson all on one record!) Live recording "In the Round" (but all are great)
King Crimson's "Thrak" is pretty d*mn phenomenal + mind blowing
David Byrne "The Catherine Wheel", and w/Brian Eno on "My Life in the Bush of Ghosts"
Eno (where do I start?) "Another green World", "Before and After Science" w/Fripp on "No Pussyfooting" w/John Cale "Wrong Way up"
"801 Live" (Manzannera, Eno, Kevin Ayers, Francis Monkman) and they were just out having fun!)
Ella Fitzgerald "Gershwin Songbook" 3 CD's with Nelson Riddle. Just marvelous.
Burt Bacharach + Elvis Costello - "Painted by Memory"
June Tabor - "Acaba" what a voice, what songs, and what wonderfully spare arrangements - unique and breathtaking (most of her others a great too - check her out with Maddy Prior as Silly Sisters in "No More to the Dance"
Peter Gabriel - "Us" , I, II, III, "Security", "So"
...and I could continue...

Are we now allowed ten ? Last time I played this game I found 100 was difficult out of 3,000 LPs.

In no particular order:

Love - Forever Changes
Joan Armatrading - Eponymous
Leonard Cohen - Various Positions
John Martyn - Solid Air
Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic
Muddy Waters - Chess Box (6 LP's pretty sneaky eh?)
Warren Zevon - Eponymous
Manfred Mann's Earthband - 1st
Television - Marquee Moon
New York Dolls - Too Much Too Soon

All vinyl - all the time.
Whoopie John, The gold set
Slim Whitman, Unplugged in El Paso
Patricia Barber, Rythmic white boyz (limited edition)
Bee Gees, Whitewalls for Daddy
Dollie Parton and Cathy Lee's Christmas Album (1988 version)
Diana Krall, first date at 28, and cool white engineers (2001 fall release Sony)