Favourite piece of music to exploit your system?

[KidKomet]

Afternoon all,

I was just wondering what piece of music you guys love to play through your systems that really stands out (Any particular high quality recordings?)

For me it would have to be this track by Chris Jones. I have a FLAC copy and it sounds incredible. I'd love to hear some other suggestions!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAv4oF9eF5g

 

[the record spot]

Too many to mention, but the ones below will do for starters:-

Yes - The Yes Album
Julie Feeney - Pages
Pink Floyd - Meddle (Harvest Japanese black label)
Elton John - Songs From The West Coast
Frank Sinatra - sings for Only the Lonely
Keith Jarrett - Somewhere Before
Joni Mitchell - Night Ride Home
Saint Etienne -Words and Music by...
Resphigi - The Pines of Rome

... and many, many more!

 

[Covenanter]

This thread leaves me mystified! I hope my system brings me close to (exploits) the music not the other way around.

Chris

 

[damonster]

This thread leaves me mystified! I hope my system brings me close to (exploits) the music not the other way around. Chris

why not just put what music you like to play which sounds nice instead of behaving like an anorak !

 

[davedotco]

This thread leaves me mystified! I hope my system brings me close to (exploits) the music not the other way around. Chris

why not just put what music you like to play which sounds nice instead of behaving like an anorak !

I'm with you Chris.

I'm not remotely interested in music that sounds nice.

As I have said elsewhere, personally I love music that is recorded live, I much prefer it to studio recordings, the recording quality is not the issue, the performance is what matters.

Unless we are talking about hi-fi, in whch case DSOTM and BIA will do fine......

 

[JoelSim]

I have to say I used to listen to my system far more critically, these days I just play whatever I fancy and enjoy it. If friends come round I let them choose what they listen to.

But if I was pushed, Fleetwood - Rumours, Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman, Talk Talk - Colour of Spring.

 

[jaxwired]

Well I for one completely understand the OPs question and I like it. Music that I find particularly impressive includes:

Newton Faulkners - Hand built by robots

Laura Marlings first two albums

Agnes Obel's two albums

Ben Howard's every kingdom

Ben Solee learning to bend

Grace Woodroofe always want

Jack white self titled

Angus and Julio Stone all albums

Rival Sons head down

i could go on and on but I'll stop there...

 

[davedotco]

I have to say I used to listen to my system far more critically, these days I just play whatever I fancy and enjoy it. If friends come round I let them choose what they listen to.

But if I was pushed, Fleetwood - Rumours, Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman, Talk Talk - Colour of Spring.

The usual suspects, really surprising....... :help:

How about, Joy Division "live at les bains douches", REM "live in Dublin" or Merle Haggard "live at Billy Bobs Texas".

Real music played to real people by real musicians. :rockout:

 

[davedotco]

Well I for one completely understand the OPs question and I like it. Music that I find particularly impressive includes:

Newton Faulkners - Hand built by robots

Laura Marlings first two albums

Agnes Obel's two albums

Ben Howard's every kingdom

Ben Solee learning to bend

Grace Woodroofe always want

Jack white self titled

Angus and Julio Stone all albums

Rival Sons head down

i could go on and on but I'll stop there...

More interesting, I don't much like the Jack White album, for 'musical' reasons and I have barely heard of most of the rest.

It's a 'family' weekend so no time to look them up, but I will take a look on monday.

FWIW. I did my gym routine this am to John Mayall's "The Beano album" in mono and Paul Butterfield's "The resurrection of Pigboy Crabshaw" his best post Mike Bloomfield Album (in my view).

 

[jaxwired]

I don't much like the Jack White album, for 'musical' reasons...

i understand! he's not for everyone. I happen to think he's a music genius.

 

[davedotco]

I don't much like the Jack White album, for 'musical' reasons...

i understand! he's not for everyone. I happen to think he's a music genius.

That's perhaps a bit generous, but he is good at what he does, I just don't like it very much.

I like to listen to a lot of new (to me) music, so I will look up some of your other suggestions.

I'm investigating "Acadian" music at the moment, mostly the Louisana style but some french canadin too. Inspired by the novels of James Lee Burke.

Might come as a little light relief...... :rockout:

 

[cannibal_ox77]

The majority of my music collection doesn't sound great through my system, which was supposed to be a short term building block until a long period out of work scuppered my plans ...but I'm working again now and saving for a Creek A50 (probably) and Audiolab 8200CD to get more out of my RS6's. Can't wait to go through my collection with the new kit in place and hear the stuff i love that the marantz av amp doesn't do justice (rock & electronica in general, but more specifically anything densely layered & detailed e.g. Radiohead (not all), explosions in the sky, autechre, Sigur Ros, Clark, Emeralds).

In the meantime, where the Marantz/RS6 combo does well is with the less dense recordings, the stuff with ambience, and female vocals sound lovely. London Grammar being the most recent album i've heard that shined.

Mentioned Radiohead before; best example would be In Rainbows - my system doesn't really get to grips with the likes of 15 step or Bodysnatchers whilst Nude and House of Cards sound wonderful. What £500-£750 components would make every track on this album sound wonderful, cause that's what I want!

 

[JoelSim]

I don't know any of those, although I do have Out Of Time.

Angus & Julia Stone is excellent for real musician stuff. And funnily enough they seem to have got a load of club mixes of their tunes flying around on Ibiza radio stations these days. Heard about 8 in the last few months. Works well.

 

[tosh]

Is a woman by Lambchop is a brilliant album for your criteria at least on my system

 

[the record spot]

This thread leaves me mystified! I hope my system brings me close to (exploits) the music not the other way around. Chris

I don't think that is the thrust of the thread. I read it to mean which sings sound good on the stereo, not the other way round.

 

[steve_1979]

At the moment it's AC/DC. But if you ask me the same question again next week you'll get a different answer.

AC/DC has good sound quality for this genre of music and sounds great when you turn the volume up.

:rockout:

 

[MeanandGreen]

Here are a few choices from me which sound really good... The White Stripes Elephant. Madonna The Immaculate Collection.. Fleetwood Mac The Dance 'Live'. Kim Wilde Close expanded and remastered edition. Dave Brubeck The Best Of. Miles Davis Bitches Brew.

 

[MeanandGreen]

My above post was meant to read like this...

The White Stripes Elephant.

Madonna The Immaculate Collection.

Fleetwood Mac The Dance 'Live'.

Kim Wilde Close Expanded and Remastered Edition.

Dave Brubeck The Best Of.

Miles Davis Bitches Brew, which the forum won't allow so it's female dogs brew.

 

[bretty]

Well I for one completely understand the OPs question and I like it. Music that I find particularly impressive includes:

Newton Faulkners - Hand built by robots

Yep, agree with that one. The music itself didn't hold my attention for long but the recording is tip top.

Agnes Obel. I wanted to like her. Nice voice, but I found her stuff too samey. By the end of the album (I only have her first one) I was bored. I prefer Lisa Hannigan.

 

[davedotco]

Well I for one completely understand the OPs question and I like it. Music that I find particularly impressive includes:

Newton Faulkners - Hand built by robots

Yep, agree with that one. The music itself didn't hold my attention for long but the recording is tip top.

Agnes Obel. I wanted to like her. Nice voice, but I found her stuff too samey. By the end of the album (I only have her first one) I was bored. I prefer Lisa Hannigan.

This for me is the crux of the matter.

I listen to a lot of different styles of music and the single most important atribute of a playback system is the ability to engade, to hold my attention.

I might not like the music being played but the system should be able to tell me why I don't like it, and of course why I do like it if that is the case. The more 'difficult' the music and, sometimes, the the quality of the recording often give the most explicit of indicators as to how well a system is working.

 

[namefail]

Oh Well - Fleetwood Mac
Blackwater - Rain Tree Crow
Dalis Car - Dalis Car
Yello - Blender
Rapeman - Steak and Black Onions

 

[p_m_brown]

The majority of my music collection doesn't sound great through my system, which was supposed to be a short term building block until a long period out of work scuppered my plans ...but I'm working again now and saving for a Creek A50 (probably) and Audiolab 8200CD to get more out of my RS6's. Can't wait to go through my collection with the new kit in place and hear the stuff i love that the marantz av amp doesn't do justice (rock & electronica in general, but more specifically anything densely layered & detailed e.g. Radiohead (not all), explosions in the sky, autechre, Sigur Ros, Clark, Emeralds). In the meantime, where the Marantz/RS6 combo does well is with the less dense recordings, the stuff with ambience, and female vocals sound lovely. London Grammar being the most recent album i've heard that shined. Mentioned Radiohead before; best example would be In Rainbows - my system doesn't really get to grips with the likes of 15 step or Bodysnatchers whilst Nude and House of Cards sound wonderful. What £500-£750 components would make every track on this album sound wonderful, cause that's what I want!

Sounds like we listen to a lot of the same stuff! I would check out an Arcam A19 - should give you the sound you are looking for...

 

[Rethep]

With a tube-amp and good speakers, many things sound so well!

Singer/songwriters-music stands out especially

To name a few:

Sara K (worked with Chris Jones!) - "Hell or Highwater" or "Hobo"

Luka Bloom - Riverside

Joni Mitchell - Turbulent Indigo

Natalie Merchant - Ophelia

Lizz Wright - Dreaming wide awake

Some special "world"music:

Amina Alaoui - Arco Iris

Eric Bibb - Friends

Oumou Sangare - Ko Sira

Lhasa - La Llorona

Al Andalus - 21 strings

Dulce Pontes - O primero canto

 

[matt49]

The more 'difficult' the music and, sometimes, the the quality of the recording often give the most explicit of indicators as to how well a system is working.

Absolutely on target (for me at least). I've only had my new system for a few days. I find myself looking to high quality recordings of complex music. In my case that means orchestral and operatic stuff, and I'm enjoying how the new system can open the music out and make sense of it as music.

 

[iJoe]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CABVhBrm6Nk

dead can dance - yulunga
With Lisa Garrard.

My car system loves this track, the rattle bit sounds so dam real.

+1 Lambchop