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Best song for immediate impact when presenting or testing?

I, as most of you, have my regular tunes that I play or listen to when trying out a new system or playing music for friends. My current starter is 'Feels like Rain' by Aaron Neville. It engages me immediately because I love it so, but it is also very well recorded and has a bass voice doing backup which in the right system has a real visceral impact.

I was at an Audio shop recently, listening to my standards, and wanted to show the sales consultant a piece that he might not have heard. I played 'Golden Rust' off the Miles Gurtu album. After about 30 seconds, he pulled out his device and added the song to his favorites. I asked why did he add so quickly, and he said that the opening electronica had a three dimensional stereophonic quality that made a remarkable impression right off the bat. I paraphrase lightly; that was his comment.

What pieces do you play of any genre that have an immediate impact, especially for people listening to a good system for the first time?
128x128cmjones
bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,868 posts
 

In the 1970’s JBL put out an LP intended to be used to evaluate the sound of their new L100 loudspeaker. The LP contains tracks from commercially released albums, one of which is "Donovan’s Colors" from Van Dyke Parks’ Song Cycle album. The recording contains many different instruments (including harpsichord), as well as some non-instrument sound effects. The song (and the entire album) is as musically interesting as it is sonically stunning. Song Cycle was Van Dyke’s first project after he finished his work with Brian Wilson on the ill-fated Smile album. Song Cycle is very unique, and many will find it not only odd and strange, but also a little spooky. Parks’ is a very, very smart guy, perhaps a genius.

Speaking of odd, strange, and spooky, for a look at what Smile was going to be (a musical representation and celebration of Manifest Destiny), and why it would have been such a milestone album (beating Sgt. Pepper to the marketplace as was intended), listen to "Fall Breaks And Back To Winter (Woody Woodpecker Symphony)" on the Beach Boys’ Smiley Smile album. Now THAT is what I consider Progressive music. The Beach Boys Progressive?! No, Brian Wilson. Don’t believe it? Go ahead, listen to "FBABTW". It makes Progressive bands sound downright traditional!

kink56's avatar
kink56
91 posts
 
Nina Nastasia    This Familiar Way

Tracy Bonham   Noonday Demon

Kinnie Starr  Come

Valerie Carter  Back To Blue Somemore
chcumo63
21 posts
 
I agree that you can easily select music for impact that doesn't do much other than show off one or two characteristics of a given piece of equipment.  Like a lot of others here, I have a ton of music that I listen to that gives the whole picture of a system.  Recently I upgraded my entire system and spent two hours listening to hi-res files, SACD, CD and vinyl to be sure that the combination of gear I was considering delivered me to that place where its just the music.  I'm a rock & roll guy so 90% of my collection is just that.  Here's a partial list of the music I used to evaluate my new system:

"Hotel California" from the Eagles - Hell Freezes Over (digital)
"Lines on My Face" from a 40 year old original vinyl pressing of Frampton Comes Alive
"The Chain" from Fleetwood Mac - The Dance (vinyl & digital)
"Squonk" from Genesis - A Trick of the Tail (digital)
"No Quarter" from Led Zeppelin - Celebration Day (digital)
"Gaucho" from Steely Dan - Gaucho (digital)
"On an Island" from David Gilmour - Live in Gdansk (digital)
"Brothers in Arms" from Dire Straits - On the Night (digital)
"Captain Fanstastic & the Brown Dirt Cowboy" from Elton John - Captain Fantastic & the Brown Dirt Cowboy (digital & vinyl)

There is so much more, but you get the drift.

As you can tell, I'm all about live and classic rock.  Can't help that I am a child of the 60's, 70's and 80's.

Whatever you do, remember, its about the music not the gear.  The gear is simply a vehicle.
mjmcubfn
37 posts
 
Little Wing - Stevie Ray Vaughn
diverlou
5 posts
 
I think the more traditional country artists have some of the cleanest recordings around.  For clarity I don't think you can beat the recordings of Randy Travis. The quality of his voice is fantastic.   For classical the Chesky recording of Itzhak Perlman playing Tchaikovsky violin Concerto in D is my personal favorite.  His violin just hangs out in the air in front of you.  For rock my money is on Dire Straits "Your Latest Trick".  I love the way the sax starts out low in the background then moves right in front of you. And finally for bass I have to go with Josh Groban's "Try to Remember".  
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