What LP shows what analog can do?

Not all LP's sound good, but here are a few gooduns'...

In my experience, the quality of vinyl recordings can be just as hit-n-miss as CDs. If you have not noticed this, then your system is not revealing enough and is hiding the fact with the euphonic presentation (comfortable sound) that vinyl can give.

Here are some pop LP's that I reckon have the open and uncongested feel that only good vinyl can give:

- The Sky is Crying...Stevie Ray Vaughn
- Unplugged...Eric Clapton
- Tracey Chapman...self titled
- Solitude Standing...Suzanne Vega
- Ingenue...K.D Lang
- Nothing Like the Sun...Sting
- Echomania...Dub Syndicate ( reggae )
- Signing Off...UB40 (only the 45rpm discs therein)
- Teaser and the Fire Cat...Cat Stevens
- Night Clubbing...Grace Jones
- When You Were Sweet Sixteen...The Fureys
- On Every Street...Dire Straits

Happy listening...

Regards,

Steve M.

Steve-If your statement "not all LP's sound good" was directed at me,let me correct you.
I said "I would guess 90% of the LP's I have heard sound fantastic" I stand by that and I do have a very nice system,thank you.
Maybe you need to look at your system since your analog experience is 'hit or miss' I have found some LP's sound better when I have upgraded.Duh..

Dougdeacon...The lack of classical examples is explained by the fact that classical work usually involves wide dynamic range, whereas pop and rock is loud, loud, loud. When classical music enters a quiet passage, the flaws of LPs (LF rumble and HF scratch and pops) become annoying.

In an earlier comment I suggested that some of the very first stereo recordings were the best. (Vanguard put out some good ones too). I think the reason for this was that they said "Stereo...that means two microphones" and that's what they used. 24 channel master tapes came into vogue later, because little care was necessary during the recording session, the idea being that everything could be fixed by the mixdown. The result was often mush.

Also, in the beginning each channel was cut full range (20 to 20KHz). However, this resulted in vertical groove modulation that most pickups could not handle, so it became usual practice to "blend" the Lows (make them mono). Of course we audiophiles have better pickups that are perfectly capable of tracking LF vertical modulation, but usually there isn't anything to track.

I have not purchased any of the (expensive) newly made audiophile LPs. Perhaps these are cut without the compromises necessary for mass marketing.

I noticed something similar to what Marty has said regarding the recommendation of digitally mastered LP's. Nothing much to offer in the way of explanation other than some folks' record collection may not go too far back as some old farts like me (us, if I may).

I wouldn't generalize too much in this area, though. There are a few d to a LP's that sound very good. Donald Fagen's "The Nightfly" comes to mind (do yourself a favor and find the Japanese pressing) in addition to several Dire Straits cuts.