Best vinyl purchases based on pressing, studio production, sound quality and enjoyment.


As you all know this question has been asked a million times on a million sites BUT each time it’s asked, it can be very helpful to those trying to find great vinyl that is quiet, produced well and touches the heart each time it’s played.

I’ve only been into vinyl for 6 months now and have purchased 250 albums, 99 percent new, recent pressings, reissues. So within the last year, what are 10 of your favorite album purchases based on pressing, studio production, sound quality and pure enjoyment??? Here’s my top 20:

1. The Wonderful Sounds of Female Vocals. (Various artists, 200 gram QRP)
2. Willie Nelson- To all the Girls (Various artists 180 gram Legacy)
3. Dead Can Dance- Into the Labyrinth (180 gram Mobile Fidelity reissue)
4. Rickie Lee Jones- Rickie Lee Jones (180 HQ Pressing Warner Bros reissue)
5. Stevie Ray Vaughn- The Sky is Cryin (200 gram Analogue productions 45rpm reissue)
6. Pink Floyd- Dark Side of the Moon (2016 reissue)
7. Renee Flemming- The Beautiful Voice (Decca 20th anniversary gatefold)
8. Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong- Ella and Louis (Analogue productions Mono reissue)
9. Eva Cassidy- Nightbird (Blix Street Records 180 gram)
10. Doors- All the new reissue 45’s from Analogue Productions, 200 gram
11. Cash- The Man Comes Around (American Records, QRP, 180 gram)
12. Shelby Lynne- Just a Little Lovin (QRP, Analogue Productions, 45 rpm, 200 gram)
13. Vanessa Fernandez- When the Levee Breaks (Groove Note, 45 rpm, 180 gram)
14. Nils Lofgren- Acoustic Live (Analogue Productions, QRP, 200 gram)
15. Neil Young- Live at Massey Hall (Reprise, 180 gram reissue)
16. Tony Bennett- I Wanna Be Around (Mobile Fidelity, 180 gram reissue)
17. Linda Ronstadt- What’s New (Analogue Productions, QRP, 200 gram, reissue)
18. Cat Stevens- Tea for the Tillerman (Analogue Productions, QRP, 200 gram reissue)
19. Muddy Waters- Folk Singer (Analogue Productions, QRP, 200 gram reissue)
20. Fleetwood Mac- Tango in the Night (Rhino, 180 gram, 2017 reissue)

Ps: You can go beyond 1 year if needed.


128x128knollbrent
knollbrent, great thread.  I just bought the Eva Cassidy album a month ago. Not sure how many times I've played it since. A bunch. Unbelievable.

John Hiatt: Bring The Family; Mobile Fidelity.

T Bone Burnett: Truth Decay; Takoma Records (Chrysalis Records pressing, NOT the Allegiance Records one).

Stevie Wonder: Taking Book; Tamla

Muddy Waters: Folk Singer; Mobile Fidelity.

Richard & Linda Thompson: Shoot Out The Lights; Hannibal.

Ry Cooder & V.M. Bhatt: A Meeting By The River; Water Lily

Arturo Delmoni: Bach, Kreisler, Ysaye; Water Lily.

Aw Hell, all Water Lily titles!

Any Harmonia Mundi (U.S.A. or France) release of Baroque music.

Any of the Trevor Pinnock harpsichord recordings on U.K. label CRD.

Dear friends: I own hundreds of extreme high quality LP recordings, these ones are some of them:

Elio Villafranca with CH.Flores: 16 eyes records label.
Demostration  Reference Disc: top Music Int/Delos International labels.
Jheena Lodwick ( All my loving. ): The Music Lab label.
Mary Stallings ( Fine and Mellow ).: Clarity recordings label.
Hugh Masekela ( Hope. ): Analog Productions label.
Keit Jarret ( Köln Concert).: ECM Records.
Chie Ayado ( Prayer ).: East House Records
Youn Sun Nah ( Same Girl ).: Act Music.
Cristine Collister ( Love. ).: Rega Research Limited
He Xun Tian ( Paramita ).: WindMusic label.
Tsuyoshi Yamamoto ( autumn in Seatle. ).: First Impresion Music.

Regards and enjoy the MUSIC NOT DISTORTIONS,
R.
To all: 

I was hoping this thread would get some traction, because for a new guy, it can be hard to find well mastered, excellent pressed vinyl from an artist that really cares about their music. 

Welcome @rauliruegas  good to see you here. I have none of your music and that excites me. I'll research them and grab a few where avail.

@bdp24  I've got Ry Cooders "Chicken Skin Music." It's a fun listen. I'll check out   Ry Cooder & V.M. Bhatt: A Meeting By The River; Water Lily

@builder3 Thanks for chiming in. A lot a great music being listed. I'm listening to Eva at the moment and she's amazin!


Dear @knollbrent : Maybe is better to list the labels that the 95% of its catalog is a winner.

R.