What are your "reference" CDs?

1. JJ Cale "Guitar Man"-- for male vocals.
2. Melissa Etheridge, any of first 5 CDs-- for female vocals.
3. George Thorogood "Anthology" for it's PR&T.
4. Allison Moorer "Alabama Song"-- female vocals.
5. Enigma, any of their CDs-- for the bass.
6. "Strike a Deep Chord-- Blues for the Homeless", Various Artists and well recorded.
7. Cowboy Junkies "The Caution Horses", or "Trinity Session".
8. Lucinda Williams "Car Wheels on a Gravel Road"-- female vocals and soundstaging.
9. Jerry Lee Lewis-- recent 3 CD remastered set-- for PR&T
10. Loreena McKennitt, "Book of Secrets"-- bass and female vocals. Cheers. Craig

Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
Chesky records samplers - solo bass and drums on disk 2
Micky Heart - Dafos great dynamic test
Sheffield labs sampler - I hate the music but nice clean punch
'The Rainer Sound' xrcd - smooth as silk
Jazz at the pawnshop - live to tape, wide soundstage

Thanks for the replys. Sting does sound compressed, at least to the ear, but in reality if you use an RTA, you will see that the response is balance. The album I use is"The Summmer's tales" track 1 and 6. I know alot of engineers use this CD. Judging by the responses, there are alot of Jazz and Classical lovers.

I to listen to country as well and there are not to many well recorded disc's out there. Here are a few I've found as well as some Blues, etc. Alot of these I use when trying out new equipement. The following are all standard redbook C.D.'s unless noted.
COUNTRY:
Alan Jackson - Drive (very good recording)
Alison Krauss - Forget About it / New Favorite (both great)
Billy Dean - Fire in the dark (very good recording)
Dixie Chicks - Home (pretty good recording)
Dolly Parton - Halos & Horns (as above)
Gretch Peters - The secret of life (as above)
K.D.Lang - Shadowland (very good recording)
Lyle Lovett - Joshua judges Ruth (as above)
Keith Whitley - A Tribute Album (mostly great)
Rodney Crowell - The Houston Kid (as above)
Travis Tritt - Down the Road I go (as above)

BLUES:
Bonnie Raitt - Silver Lining (very good)
Colin James - Bad Habits (very good)
Debbie Davis - Tales from the Austin Hotel (pretty good)
Duke Robillard - Stretchin' out Live (very good)
Eric Clapton - From the Cradle (very good)
Junior Wells - Everybody's gettin' some (very good)
Keb' Mo' - Slow down/Just like you/Keb' Mo' (all very good)
Muddy Waters - Folk singer *Ultradisc II gold CD* (V Good)
Robert Cray - Strong Persuader(v good, gold disc is better)
Ronnie Earl - Ronnie Earl & Friends/Healing Time (both VG)
Roy Gaines - I got the T-Bone Walker blues *gold disc* (mostly great)
Terry Evans - Blues for tonight (mostly great)

OTHERS worth a listen:
Eagles - Hell freezes over, use to test bass extension
Jethro Tull - Thick as a brick
Madonna - Immaculate Collection, surprising soundstag
Pink Floyd - Dark side of the moon (a must, remastered)
Roger Water - Amused to death (shows what your system can do and wow your friends)
Anne Murray - Croonin' / Country Croonin' (both very good)
Diana Krall - ANYTHING !!!!! there all good to great
Eva Cassidy - Live at Blues Alley - (great!)
James Taylor - Hourglass / October Road (both VG to great)
Jesse Cook - Free Fall (VG to great)
K.D.Lang - Ingenue (VG to great)
Rosanne Cash - 10 song demo (VG) (yes, thats Johnny Cash's daughter)
Tracy Chapman - New Beginning (VG to excellent)

Well Highend64 that should keep you busy for awhile if not put a dent in your bank account. There should be something in the about you will enjoy, I know I do.
Good luck and good listening !!!!!!!!!!

I do not have referrence cd's in comparing equipment but rather songs which after listening to way too often I feel I know intimately.

1.Holst's- Jupiter (from the planets)
2.Ben Harper- Gold to me - fight for your mind
3.Ben Harper- Fight Fof Your Mind(last part of song)
4.John Coltrane- While My Lady Sleeps - Coltrane
5.Patricia Barber - The Beat Goes On - Companion
6.Los Lobos - Saint Behind The Glass - Kiko
7.Sibelius - Symphony No. 1 first movement (3:00 and 9:00)
8.Horace Silver - Tokyo Blues - Tokyo Blues