The Doors were really well recorded, and good for showing off the ol' system.
What are the "Must have" LP's?
I have recently re-discovered the LP. I listen to Jazz, blues, classical, and some rock. I was curious as to what my fellow audiophiles here on audiogon believe to be the albums that you simply MUST HAVE. As a sub-question, What LP's do you use to show off your system? Since I am just getting started, I have no real opinions yet, but as I become more and more familiar I will post my findings. Thanks.
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* = show off system Jazz - *Duke Ellington/Louie Armstromg: Recording Together for The First Time *Coleman Hawkins encounters Ben Webster Coleman Hawkins: Night Hawk *Miles Davis: Kind of Blue Benny Goodman Live at Carnegie Hall: 40th Anniversary Concert Keith Jarrett: The Koln Concert Charles Lloyd: The Water is Wide *Louie Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald: Porky and Bess *Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges: Back To Back, Plays The Blues Eva Cassidy: Live at Blues Alley Ella Fitzgerald: Songbooks (any of them) Blues - Muddy Waters: Folk Singer The Allman Bros: Live at The Filmore East (MFSL) Keb Mo: Just Like You John Hammond: Wicked Grin Classical - *Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Neville Marriner: Rodrigo- Concierto Aranjuez, Pepe Remero & Concierto Andaluz, Los Romeros *Isaaac Stern 60th Anniversary Celebration with Pinchas Zukerman, Itzhak Perlman and Zubin Mahta Quartetto Italiano: Mozart Six String Quartets Dedicated To Haydn *Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields, Neville Marriner: Vivaldi Le quattro stagioni *Academy of Ancient Music-Christopher Hogwood: Beethoven The Symphonies Rock- Janis Ian: Breaking Silence Pink Floyd: Dark Side of the Moon James:James *Eric Clapton: Unplugged *Neal Young: Harvest Moon *Jennifer Warnes: Famous Blue Raincoat *Bryan Ferry: Boys and Girls *Leon Russel: The Best of *Harry Nilsson: Nilsson Schmilsson (MFSL) Dave Mason: Alone Together *The Beatles: Love Songs Happy holiday season, everyone! Peace on Earth! Ross |
If you love jazz, there are going to be no fewer than a hundred "must have" jazz LPs. Ditto for classical. The "sub-question" of what LPs do you play to show off your system raises the question: Do music lovers value sonics over great music and great performances? Unquestionably, great sonics enhance the experience. You cannot even hear Charlie Parker's gorgeous sound until he was recorded in 1952 in hi-fi by Norman Granz (listen to his interpretation Dearly Beloved on this "must-own" Norman Granz Jam Session/The Charlie Parker Sides). But there are many pre-hifidelity recordings that are far more aesthetically and emotionally involving than their modern counterparts. For instance, For Duke recorded direct to disc by Bill Berry and his Ellington All-Stars will show off your system, but I would rather listen to The Early Duke Ellington(or any Ellington recording) transcribed by Everest Records from 78s recorded in 1927. You've got the master conducting and at the piano. It's not a "must own", but it's the real deal. I have found that at a gathering of audiophiles, there is a certain pressure to play sonically impressive recordings. But if you are playing records for musicians, it is all about the music. We know about ear fatigue when our systems are not set up properly. We have to become acquainted with another kind of fatigue when the music isn't deeply engaging. That involves listening to music that may at first not be easy to appreciate, but which, once assimilated, you cannot live without. |
The LP recommendations on Arthur Salvatore's website are a very worthwhile starting point. Arthur includes detailed discussions of each of the LPs he has recommended. http://www.high-endaudio.com/index_ac.html |
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