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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
jaybe
740 posts
 
+1 Factory Girl
jhills
615 posts
 
Vinyl: Neil Diamond, Hot (August Night) side 3 "Canta Libre" or "Morningside"

Vinyl: Pink Floyd (Dark Side of the Moon) "Time"

Vinyl: Herb Alpert't Tijuana  Brass (Whipped Cream & Other Delights) any cut

CD: Hillbilly Winos (Live from the Living Room) any cut

CD: Van Morrison (Avalon Sunset) "These Are The Days"

CD: Pink Floyd (Division Bell) "High Hopes" or any other cut

CD: Sting (all this time) "Perfect Love", "Moon Over Bourbon Street"

CD: Jane Monheit (The Very Best Of) "Hit The Road To Dreamland"

CD: Hugh Masekela (hope) "Stimela" (The Coal Train)

Anything Sade

So many more that I might choose......Jim
hickory_r
24 posts
 
My two cents..

1.  Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five” for all the reasons previously cited.  This one’s a jazz classic.

2.  Jazz at the Pawnshop, vol 1, especially “Limehouse Blues” & “High Life”.  Not only terrific jazz but masterfully engineered. The detail, the dynamic range & the imaging will really shine on a good system. I especially like the interplay between the alto sax and the marimbas.  My face always hurts after a good listen (too much smiling)

3.  A recent find & current fav is Cyndi Lauper’s “At Last”, title track & “Until You Come Back to Me” in particular. Vocals can really show the strengths of a nice system, as well as expose weaknesses.  Cyndi’s voice will test your system and please your ears.  A two-fer.
thosb's avatar
thosb
204 posts
 
Great thread, OP, got me listening to some old stone-cold classics and adding many new ones to my "must listen to" list.  Here's a couple more - 

Billy Cobham - "Searching for the Right Door/Spectrum" from Spectrum.  Great drums on intro and throughout, excellent PRAT qualities.  

Massive Attack - "Inertia Creeps" from Mezzanine.

Lake Street Dive - "Mistakes" from Side Pony.

First Aid Kit - "Emmylou" from The Lion's Roar.

Morphine - "Dawna/Bueno" from Cure for Pain.

And lately I keep returning to the recent Handel's Italian Cantatas performed by Sabine Devieilhe, Lea Desandre, and Emmanuelle Haim.  
unreceivedogma's avatar
unreceivedogma
981 posts
 
The best song, or piece of music, in my opinion, is the one that is a favorite of your guest.

It is close to their heart. It has emotional resonance for them. They think they know it so well that they might say that it’s virtually tattooed into their brain.

You invite them over, you ask for their favorites, you pick one, throw it on the table, drop the needle and play.

And then you watch their eyes as they go from an expression of incredulity to tears.

Its worked over a dozen times for me.
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