Since installing my Naim system, I've noticed bad CD recordings much more than before.

I'm off music buying tomorrow so could you guys recommend five absolute must-have recordings - stuff that'll really show me what my system is capable of. (I like everything except opera and heavy rock!)

Cheers

Bill Frisell - Blues Dream

Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue (make sure you get the remastered/corrected version: Columbia CK64935)

Oregon - Oregon In Moscow

and I'd be remiss if I didn't recommend:

Fred Simon - Dreamhouse (The Naim Label)

Charlie Haden and Pat Metheny / Beyond the Missouri Sky / Blue Note or Verve (I believe)

Franz Liszt / Works for Violin and Piano / Thomas Labe and ? / Dorian

Vaughn Williams / Symphonies 3 (Pastoral) & 4 / Bernard Haitink / LPO / EMI

Duke Ellington / Jazz Party / Mobile Fidelity Gold CD (If you can find it)

[This message was edited by Todd Arola on FRIDAY 08 June 2001 at 19:30.]

I would have paused before including AKOB (even the Columbia one) as it does hiss and for all its beauty it is a 1959 recording. I think it is good for its time. If you are willing to give 50s/60s jazz recordings a go - the Ellington/Armstrong Summit Master Tapes is worth a go. Oregon in Moscow is a pretty good call though.

For just great (CD) recordings I'd suggest:-

1) The MFSL 'Gold Disc remaster' of Goo, Sonic Youth. In fact I heard a MFSL version of Nervermind, Nirvana at Martin M's before he popped over the pond that was wonderful - so if you like something and kind find an MFSL version of it I'd suggest a try - but I think they have gone bust now - so would require hoovering of shops and websites I guess.

2) Any Antonio Forcione on the Naim lable - I'd suggest both Live and, say, Dedicato and good points. The Naim discs are very good - but solo and/or accompanied guitar make their recording techniques shine IMHO.

3) Pillbox Gimme What I want I find to be very well recorded - though very much in a different style to Naim.

Umm - oh, lots really - try Glass/Rorem/Bernstein violin works (Weiner Philharmoniker, Christoph von Dohnanyi, Deutsche Grammophon) and another DG - Orff - Carmina Burana, Chor und Orchester de Deutschen Oper Berlin under Christian Thielemann.

Enough from me... bound to spark a debate.

Jonathan

McKinley: Big Top Shop Talk
(same description as above, sadly unnoticed by most - I have recommended this a number of times but no one has commented ... you can lead a horse to the water ...)

Ben Harper: Fight for Your Mind
(simple and true, very tight rock)

Jacques Loussier Trio: Erik Satie, Gymnopedies/Gnossiennes
(fresh slant on modern and beautifully simple piano music)

Oscar Peterson: We Get Requests
(old but good, very good jazz - if you don't buy this no one on this forum will ever communicate with you again!)

Thomas

Bach Motets by Philippe Herreweghe (most of the Herreweghe stuff is excellent, as is Harmonia Mundi in general). Recording a choir is the biggest challenge for every sound engineer. Last, but not least: the music on it is also excellent.

Miles Davis : Amandla, Decoy, Kind Of Blue, even Live Around The World

Grateful Dead : Without A Net. You can breathe the music.

Brahms piano concerto N°1, Curzon/Szell on Decca. Again a 40-year-old recording, but absolutely beautiful. Again, go for the 180 gr. Reson vinyl if you can.

HTH

Cheese - may all beings be happy

Loudon Wainwright - Career Moves - Loudon live, simply recorded direct to two-track. 'You are there' recording of a great artist singing great songs. What more could you want!

Dub Syndicate - Stoned Immaculate. Dub Adrian Sherwood style. Depth of bass and clarity of sound exceptional, music fantastic - file under herbal!!

PS. Hello Johnathon!! My DBLs are delived here next Monday. I here you enjoyed the m*n*!

enjoy

ken

You can see their LP catalogue on this site. Click on "Vinyl" in the left frame - you can order it there also and pay by credit card. It's not that cheap (usually about £15 per LP plus postal charges) but IME the quality of the pressings and the recordings really justify the price.

The site is in German - if you have trouble deciphering it, send a mail to myself or to my dealer at audiopur@mcnet.ch. He's very helpful.

Cheese - may all beings be happy

enjoy

ken

Jonathan

Tallis: Spem in Alium
this is a 40 voice motet from the 16th century and is breathtakingly beautiful with one helluva lot going on. It takes a really good setup to sort it out fully (my cd3/nait3 doesn't do a complete job, but my dealer's cds2 etc. does), but even if you haven't got the Full Monty system it'll still be beatiful. I have the Tallis Scholars version as well as the Magnificat version and they're both tremendous, but I think the Magnificat one (on the Linn label) has the edge.

Of all the records I've ever heard, I think this one sorts out the sheep from the goats more than any other, as well as being a piece of music that everyone ought to own.

Pete.

I had been meaning to ask exactly what it was - as it sounded wonderful - I think it was the Tallis Scholars.

Martin - care to comment, assuming you are not to busy with rosewood, mastic and spikes?

Jonathan

I have the Tallis Scholars version of Spem in Allum on Gimmel. And very nice it is too. Massed chorals are a pain on the butt to get right, it takes a good system to unravel all the individual voices and make them sing in unison rather than shout in unison. As to whether the Linn version is better I can't say as I haven't heard it.

I would also recommend the Tallis Scholars collection of the Byrd and Josquin Desprez (I think thats how you spell it..). All are currently deleted I beleive, but the tallis is still in stock in most CD shops and all are waiting reissue after Gimmel and Philips Classics parted their ways.

Are you up and running with the rosewood beasts yet?

Cheers
Jonathan

quote:

---

I'm off music buying tomorrow so could you guys recommend five absolute must-have recordings - stuff that'll really show me what my system is capable of.

---

Here are a few of the best sounding records I own:

Mogwai 'Come on die young' - Beautifully pressed over two slabs of 180 gram vinyl this has to be the best recorded rock album I own. Fabulous natural drum sound. Sounds like you are in their rehearsal room. CD is great too, as is the current album 'Rock action' (I only have the CD for this, and its great).

Grooverider 'Mysteries of funk' - The vinyl box set is fantastic, its pressed over four slabs of 33rpm 180 gram vinyl, and if you are unfamiliar with how good vinyl can sound, this is all the proof needed. Really cool jazzy drum and bass.

Can - Pretty much any of the early albums. They have a very natural sound, simple mic techniques, and great dynamics. Mother Sky from 'Soundtracks' is a fave dem record of mine, as is Vitamin C from 'Ege Bam Yasi'. The CDs are unfortunately nowhere near as good as original vinyl.

Shelly Manne '234' - My copy of this is the Alto Analogue audiophile repressing of this classic Impulse jazz album. This is an absolutely stunning recording of one of the real greats of jazz drumming teamed up with some excellent vibes, piano and sax. The drum sound is beyond belief, the speakers just disappear. A jaw dropping record.

Mingus 'Ah Um' - The Classic Records 180 gram cut of this is a true stunner. The sax on Pork Pie Hat is just in the room with you. A wonderful record in every way possible.

Dick Schory 'Music for bang, ba-room, and harp' - Really cheesy early stereo demonstration record featuring mad percussion, great fun, makes me laugh out loud. Released in 1958 on RCA Living Stereo and considered a landmark recording from a technical perspective ever since. Currently available as a high quality audiophile pressing on Classic Records, I have this and an original, and if anything the re-issue is actually better. In a similar vein I have a near mint copy of an album called 'Percussive Jazz' on Audio Fidelity records, it is totally stunning, and just cheesy enough to actually be the best record in the world, but it is not available anywhere, so is hard to recommend. It is mankind's loss.

Tony.

Nope not till next Monday. But, I've got my medical insurance all up and running in case I spike myself with a DBL.

I must Tony's recommnedation look good!

Martin

Regards

Simon