Audiogon "Recordings to Die for" a complete summary
Just in case any of you were wondering if I had a life at all, I hereby offer evidence proving that I definitely have no life. I have spent more than 100 hours listing in alphabetical order the submissions to my thread "Audiogon Recordings to Die for." The full list is thirteen complete pages in nine point type single spaced. I estimate people have made more than 600 different suggestions. Not a bad shopping list. Below is a summary of the most often recommended recordings. For this summary I have combined all vinyl and digital listings along with reference to record labels. On my overall list I have broken them out separately. I would like to thank all those who have made suggestions and encourage each of you to continue making more recommendations as you discover other pieces worthy of this list. I also would like to commend all of you for sticking to the rule of only posting music and not comments toward peoples recommendation. "Audiogon Recordings to Die for" is a great asset to us all, keep up the great work.
Updated 31 July 2000
16 Miles Davis "Kind of Blue" 5 Patricia Barber "Cafe Blue" 5 Dire Straits "Brothers In Arms" 4 Eva Cassidy "Live at Blues Alley" 4 Stan Getz &Joao Gilberto "Getz Gilberto" 4 Jacintha "Autumn Leaves" the songs of Johnny Mercer 4 Steely Dan "Aja" 4 Steely Dan "Two Against Nature" 4 Muddy Waters "Folk Singer" 4 Roger Waters "Amused to Death" 3 Cowboy Junkies "Trinity Session" 3 Dire Straits "Love Over Gold" 3 Dire Straits "On Every Street" 3 Peter Gabriel "Us" 3 Lyle Lovett "Joshua Judges Ruth" 3 Pink Floyd "Dark Side Of The Moon" 3 Pink Floyd "Wish You Were Here" 3 Sting "Nothing like the Sun" 3 The Who "Who's Next"
The print friendly list does not show multiple listed titles. My summary above is for three or more. Here are the titles that revceives two votes.
2 Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington "The Great Summit" (The Master Takes on Roulette Jazz) 2 Arvo Part "Tabula Rasa'" (NAXOS 8.554591) 2 Patricia Barber "Companion" XRCD 2 Beck "Odelay" 2 Beethoven "Symphonies 1-9" Herbert Von Karajan with Berlin Philarmonic(1963) 2 Harry Belafonte "At Carnegie Hall" (original LP or Classic LP) 2 Tony Bennett "With Bill Evans" (JVC) XRCD 2 Bjork "Homogenic" 2 Don Byron "Bug Music" 2 CALAMUS "Splendor of Andalus" (MA Recordings MO26A) 2 Eric Clapton "Reptile" 2 Holly Cole "It Happened One Night" 2 Ry Cooder and V.M. Bhatt "A Meeting by the River" 2 Ry Cooder "Bop 'Til You Drop" 2 Aaron Copland "100" (Reference Recordings) 2 Dire Straits "Sultans of Swing, The Very Best Of" HDCD
2 Eagles "Hell Freezes Over" DVD 2 Duke Ellington "Blues in Orbit" (MFSL) 2 Melissa Etheridge "Brave and Crazy" 2 Donald Fagen "Nightfly" 2 Brian Ferry "Boys and Girls" 2 Bela Fleck and the Flecktones "Flight of the Cosmic Hippo" 2 Peter Gabriel "Security" 2 Peter Gabriel "So" 2 Jan Garbarek "I Tok Up The Runes" 2 Emmylou Harris "Wrecking Ball" 2 Janis Ian "Breaking Silence" 2 Jacintha "Here's to Ben" 2 anything by Diana Krall 2 Daniel Lanois "Acadie" 2 Doug MacLeod "Come to Find" 2 Big Joe Maher & Jeff Sarli "Mojo" - (WildChild / Mapleshade) 2 Joni Mitchell "Blue" 2 Joni Mitchell "Don Juan's Reckless Daughter" 2 Van Morrison "Astral Weeks" 2 Neville Brothers "Yellow Moon" 2 Phish "A Picture of Nectar" 2 Steve Poltz "One Left Shoe" 2 Sonny Rollins "Way Out West" 2 Any Steely Dan 2 Cat Stevens "Tea for the Tillerman" 2 Richard Thompson " Rumor and Sigh" 2 Richard and Linda Thompson "Shoot Out the Lights" 2 Jennifer Warnes "The Hunter" 2 Lucinda Williams "Car Wheels On A Gravel Road"
Hi Guys I haven't been around for awhile. Great list but I am surprise that Little Feat's "Waiting for Columbus" and Keb Mo "Just Like You" or "Slow Down" are not on the list
Also Patricia Barber: "MOdern COol". She is different, but very, very giftedly so. I haven't heard "cafe .....", but this one is a must buy. If the other one is anything like this one, I would see why she rates so high on this list. This isn't xrcd, but it really doen't have to, it is so dynamic from top to bottom, with total authority and presence, leaving nothing to be desired. I got to see what my system can do, plus enjoy her very intelligent, yet abstract style. It had a small digity twist, but because it came across the way it did, it still remained ***** 5/5 = 100% stars *****!!!!!!! 100% audiophile satisfaction + emotionally moving, and very, very, very inspiring. There are some very gifted people, only I tend to forget from time to time.
here are just a quick couple-- kraftwerk-electric cafe robbie robertson-'robbie robertson' patricia barber-a distortion of love kurt elling-the messenger
do consider these for your cd list: Yellowjackets/"Time Squared"; Score (not soundtrack!) to "American Beauty"; Celso Fonseca/"Natural"; Brecker Brothers/"Out Of The Loop" (especially tracks 5 and 8); Luciana Souza/"Brazilian Duos". These are really well recorded cds that sound great on my Rega Planet.
Yeah, yeah, enought mit der 'kudos'. What have you done for us lately? Looks like a bunch more came in since July. We need the third quarter update, hint hint. (imagine the sound of a bull whip cracking; ponder the comparative harmonics of the horse whip, or that classical favorite, the cat 'o nine tails) I bought a dozen winners (and no klunkers) from the current list. I can't afford to risk much at todays prices!
Great work, thanx. Here a few suggestions that are not on the overall list
Caia: Magic Dragon Dada: Live Official Bootleg Vol 1 Adam Levey: Buttermilk Channel Cinematic Orchestra: Everyday Crusaders: The Golden Years Dennis Chambers; Outbreak Galatic: Ruckus John Scofield : A Go Go Kool & The Gang: Wild & Beautiful Larry Coryell: Introducing Eleventh House Led Zeppline: IV Maceo Parker: Funk Overload Marvin Gaye: What's Going On Mike Clark: Actual Proof Moke: Carnival Ray Brown: Soular Energy ST. Germain: Tourist Stevie Ray Vaughn: Couldn't Stand The Weather Traffic: John Bareleycorn Must Die War: Anthology Ben Webster: See You At The Fair Steps: Smokin In The Pit Return to Forever: Light As A Feather Jeff "Tain" Watts: Bar Talk
Both Norah Jones CD's. John Mayer-Inside Wants Out(this is nothing like his other stuff-excellent recording) Rickie Lee Jones-Naked Songs. Patty Griffin-1000 Kisses. Michael Hedges-Oracle. Michael Hedges-Aerial Boundaries. Nirvana-Unplugged. Neil Young-Greendale
I have quite a few of those listed. Who's Next is classic, Miles Davis, Dire Straits as well. Can't seem to find Folk Singer but Muddy's Fathers and Son's is a great album and sound quality is very very good.
Lyle Lovett-Joshua Judges Ruth!At last somebody else who recognises genius when they hear it.And yet one of his least commercially successful albums. You should also try Guy Clark -Keepers.Stunning live recording.
Manute Katche: Neighborhood w/ Tomasz Stanko and Jan Garbarek: etheral jazz with a hearbeat: musician ship is stunning as is interplay Bernard Allison: Energized, Live in Europe: smokin blues baby Tim Ries: The Rolling Stones Project: jazz saxphonist interprets the Stones with Bill Frisell, Joh Scofield, Norah Jones joining in among others
I have since found Muddy Waters Folk Singer and except for the voice being too boomy at times, it is an outastanding recording. Excellent separation and the axoustic guitars are crisop and clear.
Tristan and Isolde: London/Decca with Solti and Nilson. Wayne Shorter--Speak No Evil (original Blue Note) Miles Davis--Round About Midnight (find a 6-eyes mono) Johnny Hodges---Blues-A-Plenty (the intro trumpet on track 4 (even on lp) will scare....HEAVY DBs) Brahms' Piano Concerto #1 done by Riener/Rubinstien (1954)
wanted to mention june tabor's "a quiet eye" as an outstanding recording. beautiful melodies with piano, strings, some horn smatterings, and of course her insanely dreamy voice.
Fiona Apple Tidal..... Many more, but a lot of good ones above, the new Beck The information is a super cool sounding album too.. Also Morphine, the best of disc I got has stellar sound quality. sorry for repeates but I don't think these were mentioned above.
its been awhile...some more recent "discoveries" that I would put into this category Texas Funk; Black Gold from the Lone Star State: get funky with hard to get classics, hard funk with an edge Cassandra Wilson: Thunderbird...her best album Paul Pena: New Train..the orginal Jet Airliner Metheny Meldhau: Quartert...better than their previous, now really jelling Gianluca Petralla: some of the best Italian Jazz today Enrico Rava: The Words and the Days: ditto Antoine Herve:Road Movie: ditto
Doors - L.A. Woman Jennifer Warnes - Famous Blue Raincoat Joe Jackson - Night and Day John Mellencamp - Trouble No More Police, The - Synchronicity Ray Montford - Shed Your Skin REM - Automatic for the People Supertramp - Crisis? What Crisis? Steve Earle - Jerusalem Taj Mahal - The Natch'l Blues
If you can find it, there's an article in a Hi-Fi+ back-issue ironically titled "Recordings to Die From" that lists some of the best sonic masterpieces.
One of the best stock pressings I have every heard is the original ATCO release "Trafalgar" from the Bee Gees. Brilliantly recorded and pressed. If you can find it NM, grab it. If you don't like the Bee Gees, you may find you do a little and the sonics are amazing.
Sonny Rollins- way out west. Pink Martini- hang on little tomato. Fiest- let it die..... And yes my favorite of all time. One I NEVER EVER see. Pearl jam- no code( just try it). MIles smiles!!!
Charley Haden & Pat Methany,"Beyond the Missouri Sky"; Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers; blue note 4003-"Moanin'" Charles Mingus, "Ah Uhm". And John Prine: anything.
These recordings changed or influenced my life: King crimson/In the court of KC-zasvetilo mne do tajemneho sveta Sparks/Kimono my house-pocatek poznani ze i pop muze byt vkusny a ze na svete jsou asi i nejake sexualni uchylky Suzi Quatro/1 -aceptovani zeny v tvrdem rocku,nasledovala Joan Jett Roxy Music/1 - art pop rock Led Zeppelin 3- Queen/A night at the opera Frank Zappa/Sheik Yerbouti -navedla mne k mistrovi Janis Joplin/Cheap Thrills Genesis/The lamb lies down on Brodway Yes/Close to the edge Police/Regatta de blanc-otevrely se nove hranice Sex Pistols/Never mind the bollocks-revoluce Jean Michel Jarre/Oxygene- spolu s Mikem Oldfieldem mne unaseli do jineho sveta a hodne romantickeho Black Sabbath/Paranoid-War of pigs neboli nalet na Vietnam jak jsme ji nazyvali mluvi za vse Deep Purple/In rock - Chils in time dale nabudila na hardrockovou muziku Jethro Tull/Aqualung- jejich image a hudba mne facinovala a tak jsem chodil v takovym dlouhym hacafraku Can/Ege bamyasi-objev pionyru a zjisteni ze je co objevovat This Heat/Deceit-opet novy druh hudby a jake Tangerine Dream/Zeit- vesmir Plastic People of the Universe/Egon Bondy-vzor jak vzdorovat Project Pitchfork/Dhyani-introdukce do temneho elektronckeho industrialu Kraftwerk/Man machine- prvni seznameni s elektronikou v ciste forme Guru Guru/Ufo - sileny prilet Ufounu v podani nemecke legendy,ta ve mne zakotvila zajem o krautrock(byl by to lepsi soundtrack k filmu Blizka setkani 3 druhu) Suicide/1- Ac/dc/Back in black-hardrockove posunuti The flying lizard/1-alternativni-experimantalni pop Pere Ubu/Ther modern dance - pochopeni jak vznikl Prazsky vyber Coil/unnatural history-horor v hudbe Ultravox/Vienna-trochu elegance do zivota Bob Marley/Legend-optimismus ve srabu Anglagard/Hybrys- obnoveni zajmu o progrock coz bylo velse plus Mike Oldfiel/Tubur bells tak jko JMjarre Porcupine Tree/Stupid dream-jako Anglagard Einsturzende neubaten/Haus der luge- postupne zvykani na noizove zalezitosti a elektroniku Nirvana/Nevermind-poprask kolem Velvet Underground & Nico-Heroin Radiohead/Ok Computer- rozbyti mytusu o nechopnosti napodobit velke vzory ze 70 let Pink Floyd/Wish you were here-co na to rict Foetus/Hole- absolutni narez v 8o letech kdy bylo dost mrtvo nahudebni scene Iron Maiden/1-pokracovani Deep Purple The residents/Mark of the mole-obskurno na nejvyssi urovni,ale nadherne John Zorn & Masada/Bar Kokhba- probudili ve mne zajem o jazz a klezmer Sun Ra/Atlantic-to same jako Zorn ale misto klezmeru tam je vesmir jako objekt Death in June/The corn years- death folk,nadherny atmosfericky folk s prednasenim apokalyptickych textu tak jako Current 93 Nick Cave/Let love in Sonic Youth/Goo Jimi Hendrix/live in Woodstock
Northwoods' choice of Shirley Horn and others on Patricia Barber are spot on. One of my favorites is I Fall To Pieces by Aaron Neville and Tricia Yearwood from the Rhythm Country and Blues CD. Trisha Yearwood's voice is amazingly pure. You'll recognize many cuts, some of which are very nice.
Wooden Smoke by Mike Keneally Orbus Terrarum by Orb Charango by Morcheeba Joe's Garage by Frank Zappa
You can't go wrong with these in my opinion. Excellent sounding recordings.
Orb is absolutely stunning for electronica and if you want a kick, play it with reversed phase on the speakers. Those big bass notes that hit with a pull instead of a push are incredibly weird. Yeah, forgot to switch phase after putting in a tube amp. Wow...
I like the idea of "life changing LPs" more than "Records to Die for". just semantics,but it sounds more positive.
here is my list:IMHO
Mozart Requiem: Hogwood/Christ Church Oxford, Loiseau Lyre This is the greatest piece ever written.Unfortunately it is usually performed/recorded in the big choir ,big orchestra ala 18th century barn burner fashion. This recording is done right.Too bad it is digital.
Holst Planets: One of the most recorded orchestral pieces. There are lots of sonic variables,recording to recording. My preference goes to the Zubin Mehta on London.The Saturn movement alone sells it for me. The Previn is great too.
Faure Requiem: I began my singing career singing the Pie Jesu (treble solo) when I was 8. Since then I have sung the bass and the alto parts. The recording of choice: Kings College/Willcocks.
Bach organ works:Too many recordings to list.MHS with Ms. Alain playing some excellent old German trackers.
Herbert Howells: my favorite choral composer (I am a countertenor).The finest English Cathedral music of the 20th century. King's College singing Collegium Regale(King's College) service music,and others. Argo
Orlando Gibbons: "O clap your hands" fondly known within some choral groups as "O slap your glands". I sang this before I ever heard it.One of the best and most important motets of it's age. King's College "Gibbon's choral music". Argo
Benjamin Britten: Ceremony of Carols. a very special piece to me. performed this countless times. Always challenging and beautiful. Once again,Kings College/Willcocks
Shostakovitch: Symphony# 1. A wild ride that will test your system for presence and dynamics.It climax with a witches dance.How did Shosti write this very consuming piece at the age of 18? My recording is a 1959 RCA with Jean Martinon conducting the LSO.
Elgar: "Sea Pictures" The closest thing to English "Leider". the Janet Baker/Barbirolli is magical. EMI
Beethoven:"9th Symphony" The other "greatest piece ever written". Unfortunately I know of no LP I like.The choirs are always too big and have too much vibrato.Sounds like a opera chorus.No chords can be heard like that,and they are there. Just a big wash of vibration.Which is fine for tearing down the Berlin wall. However there is a excellent Nimbus CD done by a Norwegian choir with great tempos.
Allegri: "Misereri" This piece is sublime. Kings College Argo
Claude Debussy: "La Mar". The Telarc is very good,but I have some old (NOS)RCA and Mercury recordings that are more musical,however in mono.
William Byrd: "Mass in 4 parts" Written underground after the reformation. Byrd was indeed the finest of the Elizabethan composers.And a (secret)Roman Catholic.This could have had his head but instead the queen gave him and Thomas Tallis a monopoly on printed music.Seems he really was a genius. Kings College/Willcocks (again) Argo.
I could keep going. But no ones really cares about the raving of a lunatic.
There are a number of artists who have recorded Remember Walking In The Sand including Jeff Beck, All Day Green, Hollie Cook, Aerosmith, Deadbeat Valentino and Imelda May.
YO YO MA DVORAK CELLO CONCERTO, FRANK ZAPPA ...CLARENCE WHITE...DAVE RAY, HOWLING WOLF, THE BEATLES, FLATT AND SCRUGGS, JUDY COLLINS, IAN AND SYLVIA...ART HODES...MIKE SEEGER...
This is an herculean effort. I will start a spotify play list with all these songs (if I could find them all), and report back. It'll be a good chance for focus to try them before shelling out for CDs. Also Spotify premium now offers 190kps streaming, should sound okay
As most other members of this forum, I prefer vinyl over cd any day. But, a band that, in my opinion, must be on this list is Sonia Dada. There has never been any of their material issued on vinyl, but their music and the recording quality, is stunning. Check 'em out.
Lots of votes for Pink Floyds DSOTM of course, but I'll cast mine for Obscured By Clouds. "Just one man beneath the sky. Just two ears, just two eyes". Every note on that album is great, and it scares the SHIT out of me every time I listen to it through my big ARC tubes!
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