Great sounding/recorded albums

Show off? The Mobile Fidelity 45 RPM of Dire Straits Brothers in Arms
...if you can get a good copy.

Really well recorded drums? Dave Brubeck Time Out

A Meeting By The River is indeed impressive. If you can get into it. Which is a very important point. You really want to create a favorable impression, you play well recorded music that the listener likes.

Excuse me: loves.

Only audiophiles are impressed by technically accurate reproduction. What impresses everyone else is hearing the music they love sound better than they ever dreamed.

Only audiophiles are impressed by technically accurate reproduction.

Not so sure if that's true, but

What impresses everyone else is hearing the music they love sound better than they ever dreamed.

That's very true!

As good as any Steely Dan album is The Nightfly by Donald Fagen. Which I just happen to be listening to right now. 

As good as any Steely Dan album is The Nightfly by Donald Fagen.

+1  Yeah, baby!

Depends on whom you're trying to impress, after all. Impressing a non-audiophile doesn't take much ;-) . Give 'em a buncha bass at concert-level SPL and they'll cream their jeans.