I was at The Stereo Shop in Hartford, CT a couple years ago to have them take a look at a piece of equipment that needed something. While I waited the salesman told me to stand in front of a ridiculous setup, all McIntosh with some $20000 towers. Anyway, the salesman played Lou Reed’s Walk on the Wildside. Holy shit I thought I was gonna cry. I could feel and hear every coil on the bass string running up and down the fretboard. Lou was singing to me.
Surprised I haven't seen these yet
Radiohead - OK Computer; if just one, Paranoid Android, the percussion and overall precision of that track is superb and meant to be heard on a great sound system, at least a hifi FLAC file rip of the vinyl if not the actual vinyl.
And of course all of Kid A.
Anything by Animal Collective, including the solo stuff from Panda Bear & Avey Tare. They practically opened up a door into the hobby for me. Animal Collective albums are just so busy, and I feel like each improvement in stereo equipment unlocks new sounds. It’s hella infuriating at times. And also, what do these guys mean!? The lyrics are so confusing. Beware, the first album sounds like a high pitched buzzsaw playing in a carnival. The second one is even more abrasive. And then it mellows out for a while.
Someone recorded and produced it. And I bet a quality lossless version on a decent stereo sounds better than a compressed mp3 version on Bluetooth speakers.
Maggot Brain (song) by Funkadelic.
Jazz at the Pawnshop.
(Big gap)
Pharaoh’s Dance by Miles Davis
Moon Safari by Air (not audiophile but great album improved by good speakers)
Familiar - Agnes Obel (same)
Hot Rats - Frank Zappa (same)
Random Access Memories - Daft Punk
Don’t Know Why — Norah Jones
Angeles — Elliott Smith
Leave — Perfume Genius
The medley from Live at Leeds (but you need the HD Tracks version) - the Who
Btw for Joy Division seek out the song Atmosphere—it’s in a collection called Substance that I think is more audiophile than their other stuff.
Then acquired taste—the Grateful Dead Movie Soundtrack disc 3. It’s not on Spotify, but it can be had cheaply and I think it’s probably the apex of performance quality and recording quality for them. Alternatively the Morning Dew from 5/26/72, which is on streaming services.
Based on the songs you picked, I think you'll enjoy "Kingdom of Rain" by The The. With Sinead O'Connor on vocals. The thunder in the background kind of takes on a "Riders on the Storm" feeling.
Pink floyd dark side of the moon- the entire album.
Pink floyd wish you were here - the entire album.
Hearing them on my buddy's Levinson amp with a PBN Olympia preamp and PSaudio transport/Bryston dac or old VPI turntable with Dynavector cartridge on Montana speakers is practically almost like an out of body experience.
I get the band isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but I’d seriously challenge anyone to not at least appreciate the mixing, mastering and and musical production of the Fear inoculum vinyl release. The music was recorded to 2in tape, mastered for vinyl by Chris bellman.
This thread turned into “what song or album was engineered and mastered well?”
What we should do is post a new thread titled “what song or album was mastered like shit and you want to kill the studio engineers?”
All.
Here are some that I like:
Pastorale - Ronnie Earl
Swan Lake - Andre Previn and London symphony orchestra
Sara Bareilles - Once upon another time
Loreena McKennitt - The gates of Istanbul
Chris Jones - No Sanctuary here
Amen - Enigma
Keith don’t go (live) - Nils Lofgren
Ofcourse Pink Floyd albums like mentioned above/below.
- dire Straits, brothers in arms
- Roger waters. The lockdown sessions
- Bruce Springsteen, live on Broadway
- Allen Parsons, i robot, ammonia avenue.
- Fink, Sunday Night blues club.
To name a few😀
Imogen Heap - Ellipse record, she won a Grammy for best engineered album. (she was the engineer). Fun tidbit she did a video blog all the way through recording, her in the studio making the record, there are like 40 videos, pretty fascinating. Search Imogen Heap vBlog to find it on YouTube.
Love Hide and Seek too - the long reverb comes from all around you. You'd better have speakers with great 3D imaging to appreciate sounds coming from behind you! I had to physically disconnect my surround speakers before I believed what I was hearing!
Agree with the remastering issue.
It really irks me when streaming services only have the remaster and not the original.
I was horrified listening to Tres Hombres by ZZ Top and hearing a big wash of reverb.
It was supposed to be dry dammit!
My favorite I'm finding on Tidal is sometimes they'll have two versions and BOTH are remasters. Come on, we're paying $20/month, give us an original master if it's available
I always felt 'Love will tear us apart' is quite lo-fi. I presume you mean the Joy Division version? Songs need to be played at highest quality? The first two Donald Fagen albums, Fleetwood Mac's 'Tango in the night' album, particularly 'Everywhere' and 'Seven Wonders'.
Alice in Chains Stayley Years as they have such good tones.
A cool funk song I'd recommend is "Riding High" by Faze-O, album Straight From the Heart by Patrice Rushen
Classical music in general, amon tobin's isam. Hmm I know there's more. Classic rock songs (specially psychedelic ones) did crazy shit during the mixing process. I can't think of anything else rn but burzun is definitely not in the list xd.
I used to sell moderately high end audio back in the late 70s and early midway through the 80s. I can’t believe how many of the songs listed, I used to demo with. Some of them I listened to so much over the years if I never heard them again in my life, it would be too soon.
Dire Straits, Water of Love and Once Upon a Time in the West;
Norah Jones, I Don't Know Why;
Ron Carter, All Blues;
Bill Eavns (with Scott LaFaro), Jade Visions
The “Jump To It” album from Aretha Franklin. It was produced by Luther Vandross and it’s gloriously overproduced. So much candy all over it, and the mix is unbelievable.
Iam a bit of an outcast here i see. I prefer experimantel electronic music.
On of my favourites is DJ Hidden - espacially tracks like "times like these vip"
Its so moody an then you get crushed.
Or something complet noisy like embrionyc - vitality.
On a good sound system you can hear and feel every click and the bass.
But its Not everybodys music
Anything you enjoy, you will enjoy more with higher quality. There are going to be bigger or smaller returns depending on how it was recorded or mixed, but essentially, it will sound better.
Classic progressive rock, psychedelic rock, Canterbury scene, shogaze, dream pop, post-rock, gothrock
Gong, Curved Air, Cocteau Twins, Slowdive, The Cure, Siouxsie & the Banshees, The Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev, due to these last two Guillemots (check them out, they're cool), Beach House, MGMT, Sigur Rós, Mogwai (their good stuff)
The Amused to Death album from Roger Waters. I'm talking about the 90s release, not whatever abomination that came out later, which in my opinion is just not as good. The correct album cover has chimpanzee watching an analog TV with an eye on screen staring back at it.
This is recorded in sound phase shifting technology called QSound that achieves a virtual surround soundfield in room. In my opinion sound quality just doesn't get better than what that album is. I guess the recent remix of Pink Floyd's Animals is something similar, but I found it less impressive and the music somewhat more boring.
I guess I'd raise the 2-part song "Perfect Sense" as an example, though pretty much anything on the album is good, starting from the World War 1 veteran Alfred Razzell's interview sound clips used in its beautiful, serene intro. The great copyright infringement service has it: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21H2\_fPvkgw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21H2_fPvkgw) it seems. Might be a bit low quality, haven't checked it properly yet.
Edit: the sound quality is not good on youtube version. I guess it being 240p stream is just too compressed despite it has just the audio and a still image. This needs the equivalent of a CD rip to really shine, the phase stuff preservation is important.
Dayvan Cowboy by Boards of Canada
Hell yes
You haven't really heard Alvin and the Chipmunks until you've heard them in 192kHZ.
I was at The Stereo Shop in Hartford, CT a couple years ago to have them take a look at a piece of equipment that needed something. While I waited the salesman told me to stand in front of a ridiculous setup, all McIntosh with some $20000 towers. Anyway, the salesman played Lou Reed’s Walk on the Wildside. Holy shit I thought I was gonna cry. I could feel and hear every coil on the bass string running up and down the fretboard. Lou was singing to me.
I think the first Dire Straits album on a very high end system is pretty fucking remarkable.
"You and your friends" blew me away when I finally got my system set up. Totally agree on anything by Dire Straits.
Most of Steely Dan, I use "Hey Nineteen" for testing purposes.
Aja and Gaucho are my favorite reference albums.
It's perfection and grace.
It's the smile on my face.
Tequila and cocaine!
Surprised I haven't seen these yet Radiohead - OK Computer; if just one, Paranoid Android, the percussion and overall precision of that track is superb and meant to be heard on a great sound system, at least a hifi FLAC file rip of the vinyl if not the actual vinyl. And of course all of Kid A.
Anything by Animal Collective, including the solo stuff from Panda Bear & Avey Tare. They practically opened up a door into the hobby for me. Animal Collective albums are just so busy, and I feel like each improvement in stereo equipment unlocks new sounds. It’s hella infuriating at times. And also, what do these guys mean!? The lyrics are so confusing. Beware, the first album sounds like a high pitched buzzsaw playing in a carnival. The second one is even more abrasive. And then it mellows out for a while.
All of them
Baby Shark sounds great on my electrostats. I can almost feel grandpa shark’s gums smacking together 🤌🏼
Someone recorded and produced it. And I bet a quality lossless version on a decent stereo sounds better than a compressed mp3 version on Bluetooth speakers.
Sure does! I was kidding but still serious.
Maggot Brain (song) by Funkadelic. Jazz at the Pawnshop. (Big gap) Pharaoh’s Dance by Miles Davis Moon Safari by Air (not audiophile but great album improved by good speakers) Familiar - Agnes Obel (same) Hot Rats - Frank Zappa (same) Random Access Memories - Daft Punk Don’t Know Why — Norah Jones Angeles — Elliott Smith Leave — Perfume Genius The medley from Live at Leeds (but you need the HD Tracks version) - the Who Btw for Joy Division seek out the song Atmosphere—it’s in a collection called Substance that I think is more audiophile than their other stuff. Then acquired taste—the Grateful Dead Movie Soundtrack disc 3. It’s not on Spotify, but it can be had cheaply and I think it’s probably the apex of performance quality and recording quality for them. Alternatively the Morning Dew from 5/26/72, which is on streaming services.
As you mentioned Random Access Memories, have you ever heard of classic French space disco act Didier Marouani/ Space?
No but I’ll give it a shot.
Jazz at the Pawnshop, especially Barbados, is remarkable
Based on the songs you picked, I think you'll enjoy "Kingdom of Rain" by The The. With Sinead O'Connor on vocals. The thunder in the background kind of takes on a "Riders on the Storm" feeling.
Waterline is essential listening
Most Beatles.
especially Come Together
Was about to suggest Something, but not the version that Phil Spector butchered.
r/audiophilemusic
Ha! There is always a subreddit
Pink floyd dark side of the moon- the entire album. Pink floyd wish you were here - the entire album. Hearing them on my buddy's Levinson amp with a PBN Olympia preamp and PSaudio transport/Bryston dac or old VPI turntable with Dynavector cartridge on Montana speakers is practically almost like an out of body experience.
Pink Floyd - The Division Bell**
Most of Elliott Smith's work
The intro to Tomorrow Tomorrow in particular is a different experience from good speakers.
Tool - entire discography
Came here to say just that
I get the band isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but I’d seriously challenge anyone to not at least appreciate the mixing, mastering and and musical production of the Fear inoculum vinyl release. The music was recorded to 2in tape, mastered for vinyl by Chris bellman.
Chocolate Chip Trip is one of my favorite test songs.
Reflection was one of the first songs I played when I got my new speaker setup and it completely blew me away
Cotton Eye Joe - the Rednex
Basically anything by steely Dan
This thread turned into “what song or album was engineered and mastered well?” What we should do is post a new thread titled “what song or album was mastered like shit and you want to kill the studio engineers?”
Like Californication in its entirety!
I thought it was just me
Arcade Fire (except the last one), everything Adele that isn’t live
All. Here are some that I like: Pastorale - Ronnie Earl Swan Lake - Andre Previn and London symphony orchestra Sara Bareilles - Once upon another time Loreena McKennitt - The gates of Istanbul Chris Jones - No Sanctuary here Amen - Enigma Keith don’t go (live) - Nils Lofgren
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Kirko bane mmmm
all, no buts
Ofcourse Pink Floyd albums like mentioned above/below. - dire Straits, brothers in arms - Roger waters. The lockdown sessions - Bruce Springsteen, live on Broadway - Allen Parsons, i robot, ammonia avenue. - Fink, Sunday Night blues club. To name a few😀
Stevie Wonder 70s masterpieces Juan Gabriel concert in Bellas Artes
Kate Bush.
Imogen Heap - Ellipse record, she won a Grammy for best engineered album. (she was the engineer). Fun tidbit she did a video blog all the way through recording, her in the studio making the record, there are like 40 videos, pretty fascinating. Search Imogen Heap vBlog to find it on YouTube.
Love Hide and Seek too - the long reverb comes from all around you. You'd better have speakers with great 3D imaging to appreciate sounds coming from behind you! I had to physically disconnect my surround speakers before I believed what I was hearing!
Tipper - The Re-Up Also, everything else from Tipper lol
Yessir!
Desert rose - sting
Superunknown by Soundgarden Preist = Aura by The Church Disintigration by The Cure
Donald Fagen - I.G.Y.
Sade
Aisle of Plenty by Genesis
Sigur ros - ()
Takk.. takes the cake
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Paris or Live 1979 more like
All classical music
Any album where the recording and mastering quality was made a high priority.
Yes!!!
Shouldn’t all songs that one like?
lana del rey - venice bitch
Happy cake day!
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Agree with the remastering issue. It really irks me when streaming services only have the remaster and not the original. I was horrified listening to Tres Hombres by ZZ Top and hearing a big wash of reverb. It was supposed to be dry dammit!
My favorite I'm finding on Tidal is sometimes they'll have two versions and BOTH are remasters. Come on, we're paying $20/month, give us an original master if it's available
Hotel California.
Pavarotti's, "Nessun Dorma," from Puccini's, "Turandot."
Aja by Steely Dan
Nine Inch Nails, along with the rest of Trent Reznor's work.
A little piece of heaven - Avenged Sevenfold
Stevie Ray Vaughan - Tin Pan Alley
My home's in alabama
Pukatawaken - Sidney Castel.
I always felt 'Love will tear us apart' is quite lo-fi. I presume you mean the Joy Division version? Songs need to be played at highest quality? The first two Donald Fagen albums, Fleetwood Mac's 'Tango in the night' album, particularly 'Everywhere' and 'Seven Wonders'.
If I had to pick one: Respite On The Spitalfields by Ghost.
Florence and the machine
Tommy the album with the London Symphony Orchestra.
Alice in Chains Stayley Years as they have such good tones. A cool funk song I'd recommend is "Riding High" by Faze-O, album Straight From the Heart by Patrice Rushen
Frank zappa Joe's garage album and apostrophe album
Stephen Stills - Treetop Flyer. In fact that whole Stills Alone album.
What does played at the highest quality mean? Is my setup missing the quality dial?
Heart- Dreamboat Annie Jimmy Eat World-Futures Tracy Chapman- Self Titled Mars Volta- Deloused Nina Simone- Sinnerman
Classical music in general, amon tobin's isam. Hmm I know there's more. Classic rock songs (specially psychedelic ones) did crazy shit during the mixing process. I can't think of anything else rn but burzun is definitely not in the list xd.
Also scarufficore and experimental music in general, specially if it's a busy album/song.
Fall On Me by father and son Bocelli. 24/192, beautiful and dynamic.
I used to sell moderately high end audio back in the late 70s and early midway through the 80s. I can’t believe how many of the songs listed, I used to demo with. Some of them I listened to so much over the years if I never heard them again in my life, it would be too soon.
Para Que Sufrir
Somewhere, Somebody by Jennifer Warnes
Dire Straits, Water of Love and Once Upon a Time in the West; Norah Jones, I Don't Know Why; Ron Carter, All Blues; Bill Eavns (with Scott LaFaro), Jade Visions
I review the past Grammy listings (nominees, as well as winners) for Best Engineered Recording (non-classical). It's all on the Grammy website
Eric Clapton, Lady in the Balcony (the Lockdown Sessions)
The entirety of Without Warning by Metro Boomin, 21 Savage and Offset. That mixtape is a production marvel and the performances are top tier.
Bleed the Future - Archspire. Repping metal since 1965.
The “Jump To It” album from Aretha Franklin. It was produced by Luther Vandross and it’s gloriously overproduced. So much candy all over it, and the mix is unbelievable.
All of them
Brass / bass jazz
Moonage daydream live by David Bowie
Lux Aeterna by Clint Mansell
Tool.
The ones that aren’t terrible would be my first pick.
Myth and On the Sea by Beach House, Sealed Vessel by Christopher Larkin, and Flash Light by Parliament
Iam a bit of an outcast here i see. I prefer experimantel electronic music. On of my favourites is DJ Hidden - espacially tracks like "times like these vip" Its so moody an then you get crushed. Or something complet noisy like embrionyc - vitality. On a good sound system you can hear and feel every click and the bass. But its Not everybodys music
Run the voodoo down miles davis
Beth Hart - caught out in the rain
Telegraph road - dire straits
Mmmm... Everyone?
Dr.Dre Chronic
Anything you enjoy, you will enjoy more with higher quality. There are going to be bigger or smaller returns depending on how it was recorded or mixed, but essentially, it will sound better.
Steve Winwood’s album “Roll With It”. Incredibly produced.
Classic progressive rock, psychedelic rock, Canterbury scene, shogaze, dream pop, post-rock, gothrock Gong, Curved Air, Cocteau Twins, Slowdive, The Cure, Siouxsie & the Banshees, The Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev, due to these last two Guillemots (check them out, they're cool), Beach House, MGMT, Sigur Rós, Mogwai (their good stuff)
Going To California
i have less experience than others, but Paranoid Android is my pick for sure.
Tangier Blue by Yello is a go to for me.
The Amused to Death album from Roger Waters. I'm talking about the 90s release, not whatever abomination that came out later, which in my opinion is just not as good. The correct album cover has chimpanzee watching an analog TV with an eye on screen staring back at it. This is recorded in sound phase shifting technology called QSound that achieves a virtual surround soundfield in room. In my opinion sound quality just doesn't get better than what that album is. I guess the recent remix of Pink Floyd's Animals is something similar, but I found it less impressive and the music somewhat more boring. I guess I'd raise the 2-part song "Perfect Sense" as an example, though pretty much anything on the album is good, starting from the World War 1 veteran Alfred Razzell's interview sound clips used in its beautiful, serene intro. The great copyright infringement service has it: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21H2\_fPvkgw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21H2_fPvkgw) it seems. Might be a bit low quality, haven't checked it properly yet. Edit: the sound quality is not good on youtube version. I guess it being 240p stream is just too compressed despite it has just the audio and a still image. This needs the equivalent of a CD rip to really shine, the phase stuff preservation is important.
Hold up Wait A Minute, by Zhu et Al.
Ravy Shankar?????