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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.


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tzh21y
1,654 posts
 
Linda Ronstadt - Prisoner in Disguise  Get the original as it blows away the MoFI.
slaw's avatar
slaw
21,644 posts
 
@tzh21y ,

I found a WLP of LR that really sounds great!
tzh21y
1,654 posts
 
Nice.  most of her recordings are top notch and she always had great musicians backing her.  Doug Sax mastered many if not all of her most popular albums.
whart's avatar
whart
3,047 posts
 
If you dig peak Linda Ronstadt, you might explore Andrew Gold, who worked with her on a number of those great albums. He was a producer, arranger, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who is almost forgotten today. He came from very successful music biz parents and his work reflected some of the best of the LA '70's pop rock scene. Extreme talent, sadly passed at a relatively young age. 
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,821 posts
 
I’ll second wharts' recommendation of Andrew Gold, whose 1975 s/t debut solo album is mighty fine. In 1997 he put out a really well done tongue-in-cheek parody of late-60’s psychedelia, an album entitled Greetings From Planet Love by a group he named The Fraternal Order Of The All (CD only, J-Bird Records 80146). What The Rutles are to British Invasion, and Spinal Tap are to Metal. Great music, intentionally "period" lyrics.
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