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Your Not-So-Obvious Best Fidelity LPs

I’ve spent over three years building up to the system I have now.  I’m really happy with it and my wife and I love sitting in our listening room spinning various vinyl most evenings.  Rather than researching and testing gear, I want to spend this year adding great recordings to our collection.

So what are the albums you have that every time you play it you're continually amazed at its fidelity?  You might have spent $80 on it or just $1 or maybe it was a hand-me-down decades ago.  Any genre really.

And if we can please avoid the most obvious choices (which are truly wonderful) such as Pink Floyd, The Eagles, Diana Krall, etc.  I’m looking for albums, (vinyl only please) that probably fly under the radar for most folks.

I'll start….

James Taylor - Dad Loves His Work - this was just given to me by a friend a couple of weeks ago as he had an extra copy.  I have plenty of JT albums but I didn’t have this one yet.  As soon as I put it on I could tell it was special.

Edie Brickell - Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars - My wife requested this one so I found a NM copy on Discogs for a reasonable price.  This kind of blew my socks off.  Sounds really wonderful and present and the music still holds up.

Counting Crows - August and Everything After - I surprised my wife with this one as it’s one of her favorite albums.  They really nailed the recording and pressing on this one.  It’s quite impressive. 

Ben Folds - What Matters Most - He’s one of our favorite songwriters but trying to find a copy of anything of his or Ben Folds Five for under $80 is nearly impossible.  This album was released just last year and they obviously paid special attention to the recording quality.  Sounds just phenomenal. 

Steely Dan - Northeast Corridor - Obviously everyone knows how amazing their studio recordings are but this album might be unknown to some as it came out just a few years ago.  I bought it on a whim knowing nothing about it.  It’s amazing.  As if they would release an album with less than stellar fidelity.  If you’re a Dan fan, this album is a no-brainer.

REM - Automatic for the People - Completely hypnotic.  Stunning recording.

OK, that’s enough from me.  

paulietunes
paulietunes OP
66 posts
 

@dorkwad now that's a list!  Totally agree on the ones I own as well.  I was just listening to side B of Dreamboat Annie last night.  I have a repress of Tumbleweed but it sounds fantastic.  Looks like I may have some more items in the shopping cart soon.

dorkwad
548 posts
 

@paulietunes 

You're welcome!

larryi
4,034 posts
 

While folk music is far from my favorite genre and the several truly great sounding albums I am about to list are not musically my favorites, they are nonetheless enjoyable and the recordings are stunning; it must be the Carnegie Hall venue:

"Belafonte at Carnegie Hall," 1959 RCA

"Belafonte Returns to Carnegie Hall," 1960 RCA

"Weavers Reunion at Carnegie Hall 1963" Vanguard and Analogue Productions reissue (I have both, the AP version might be slightly better).

Again, these recordings prove that stereo recording techniques have not improved since those times.

itsjim
6 posts
 

larryi,

I absolutely agree with your observation on Sheffield recordings.  The thing I like most about them is no "engineering" or audio manipulation of what was played.  It's a direct path from a single point stereo mic to the cutting lathe.  As often as possible (which isn't often) I like to hear what was played, rather than some engineer's impression of what he thinks it should sound like.

I like those you added, particularly Kate & Anna - I have a couple copies.

I like several of those (haven't heard the others) on Dorkwad's list, especially Eva Cassidy's "Live at Blues Alley".

Only a couple others to mention at this time because there are too many:

Stanley Clarke's "Journey to Love" (with Steve "In Gadd we trust" on drums).  A favorite of mine for almost 50 years.

Radka Toneff - "My Funny Valentine" ..from the album Fairytales (Odin Records1982).  Other than a Miles Davis instrumental, (imnsho) you haven't heard MFV until you've heard this one.

and last, but not least - The Dallas Symphony Orchestra (Donald Johanos) - Rachmaninoff's Symphonic Dances Op 45 - VOCALISE OP 34

 

 

 

 

 

 

dorkwad
548 posts
 

@itsjim 

I agree with you on Journey to Love--also very good sound.  I was at Paul Heath Audio on N. Clark St. in Chicago and brought that album with about 1977.  One of the Bull's players (Johnson--6'11") came in and wanted to know who that album was.  We listened to the whole first side together and he loved it as much as I.  He was not a starter then and only was on the team a couple years.  It was pretty cool though.

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