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Truly Stunning Vinyl Album

Hey friends, I'm relatively new here, first topic post but I read Audiogon topics daily. I'm a total neophyte with a not-inexpensive mid-fi system (Rogue Cronus iii Dark amp, Michel Gyro SE TT, Maggie 3.7i speakers, and a single Perlisten D15s sub, and an Eversolo DMP A8 streamer), and a growing vinyl collection that I'm partial to over streaming (unless I'm working and can't bother to flip the record). I love classic rock, Neil Young, the Stones, and the Grateful Dead, but really I like almost all genres (not into rap or thrasher metal) and since setting up my system I routinely play jazz and classical albums, and artists I never paid much attention to but now listen to quite frequently because their albums sound great on my system (e.g. Jethro Tull, Santana). So with all of that context, what I'm interested in is any TRULY STUNNING vinyl albums you can recommend, in any genre. I'm not asking for a desert island list, or any list of your favorite albums. I have those lists too, but they're dominated by musicians/groups I love and aren't necessarily "stunning" beyond my own subjective tastes. I'm interested in hearing about the one or two albums in your collection that just blow you away for whatever reason (and please explain). I'll kick it off with the Impex reissue of chamber music by Jascha Heifetz in mono, called The Lark. If you had told me that one of the top 3 records in my collection would be a mono chamber music album, I'd have laughed you out of my house. But it just blows me away. I listen to it daily. Why does it blow me away? Mostly it's the opening piece, Heifetz and an organist playing Vitali's Chaconne. It starts off with somber organ tones that I feel in my soul thanks to the Perlisten D15s sub, and then all of a sudden Heifetz comes crashing in with his piercing violin, and it is so darn stunning and beautiful I could listen to it daily until they plant me. And I don't even have a mono cartridge!  So that's the type of album I'm looking for, in any genre. Something younwould play for anyone, and regardless of what genre they prefer, they would likely agree this album is truly stunning. Can you recommend anything like that? And in case you're interested, here's a great review of the Heifetz album: 

https://positive-feedback.com/reviews/music-reviews/jascha-heifetz-the-lark/

Thanks for any recommendations!

phillyspecial
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panzrwagn's avatar
panzrwagn
518 posts
 

Charlie Haden and Pat Metheny - Beyond the Missouri Sky. Texture, timbre, and definition of both bass and acoustic guitar have never been better captured and in service of such tremendous music. It will transport you.

Jackson Browne - Running On Empty. Best road album, maybe the best live album recording ever. With a good system you can feel the bus shake and rumble. As a theme album it still holds together 40 years on and contains some of his best songwriting.

Emmy Lou Harris - Spyboy. Maybe the highpoint of an already elevated career. Plus an absolutely incredible band and an apt demonstration of Emmy Lou’s breadth and depth of voice and material, as well as Daniel Lanois producer chops. Subterranean synth combine with drums and percussion that practically kick you Jin the chest combine with Buddy Miller's unique tone and quirky guitar work - but always the song. Emmy Lou soars above and in front of the absolute wall of tone coming from the band.

mahler123
3,310 posts
 

The Frederick Fennel recordings on Telarc are some of the most stunning recordings ever, in vinyl or digital.  Based on the OP love of the Heifetz recordings he should also investigate the ‘Albinoni’ Adagio. A soft somber organ followed by a deep throated body of strings.  My lp was EMI with Neville Marriner and the AMSF.

  Tchaikovsky Serenade For Strings has gorgeous melodies and still sounds pretty good on my Ormandy lp.  Ralph Vaughn Williams Fantasia on a Theme of Thomas Tallis also has a great surging string body preceded by a mysterious tremolo over a walking bass.  Any recording with Sir Adrian Boult will do.  The Bach Sonatas and Partitas for solo violin should be in every collection.  Nathan Milstein in mono or stereo are my recommendations, particularly in the great Chaconne that ends the Second Partita.  And E. Power Biggs album Bach at the Thomaskirche is famous not only for the Tocatta and Fugue in D Minor but the really great Passacaglia and Fugue that follows it on Side 1.  Crank that album up if you want to break your lease

sws237
1 posts
 

"A Meeting By the River" by Ry Cooder and VM Bhatt is stunning music, masterfully recorded and mastered and pressed with truly pristine vinyl by Water Lily Acoustics.

larryi
3,969 posts
 

Good call on the "Beyond the Missouri Sky" and "A Meeting By the River."  Both are good for sound and content.

Water Lily is a label that consistently put out great sounding recordings.  I have mentioned several above and would like to add a few more:

Chesky Records--very good reissues and very good original issues.  I don't know of any bad issues by them.

Audioquest--the cable company put out a few records of original music that are superbly recorded, e.g., Robert Lucas "Usin' Man Blues" and the Tuxedo Cowboys "Woman of the Heart."

Clarity Records--this company put out some ultra premium pressings (many with only one side of the record having grooves) that have outstanding recording and pressing quality, e.g., Mary Stallings "Fine and Mellow" and Claudia Gomez "Salamandra").

Although not specifically an audiophile label, I cannot think of any jazz recordings by ECM that are NOT outstanding in terms of sound quality.

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