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Kitch, I cannot allow one more glorification of Cowboy Junkies on this list to pass unattended, esp. when it comes at the expense of Lucinda Williams. Yeah, Margo Timmons voice sounds nice, but she doesn't actually sing with it much. It's kind of boring. And to mix genres, Lucinda has so much more soul and personality than Diana Krall -- this is analogous to a club vs. conservatory upbringing comment that was made elsewhere in a jazz thread. I love the way Lucinda moans and steps on the beat -- it's 'cause she's her own woman! Rock on! All in good fun -- there sure is enough music out there for everyone!

Thanks for all your thoughts and recommendations. I have too many cd's where the sonics are so poor as to make them unenjoyable. I wonder why some were ever allowed to be pressed? Especially when I am pretty sure that, like most things, it is not much harder to do it "right" in the first place. Charlie

Yes, it is a shame about the less-than-optimal quality of many recordings. I am bothered a bit when I catch myself selecting music to put on based on recording quality, because it limits my choices so much. This surely is part of the curse of audophilia. It reminds me of my impression (a generalization, to be sure) that audiophile labels seem to value tastefulness and sophistication in music more than energy, original viewpoints, etc. That makes me uneasy. But a clean reproduction definitely brings its own pleasure, so sometimes I give in.