Your 3 favorite serious low end recordings

I have both the CD and the original Crystal Clear vinyl of the Fox recordings. While I love old Virgil's style and exciting interpretations, it should be noted that there are those who do not appreciate the, uh, innovative and colorful registrations he used (for the same reasons they probably don't like Jean Guillou). And I disagree about the recording quality only in that I find it way too close-up a recording, with virtually no hall ambience at all. I can see where atrahern, as an organist, might have a different perspective than those sitting in the audience(I've noted this from singing in our choir loft vs. sitting in the church for an organ recital), but the fact is a recording of an organ recital is also supposed to be a recording of the space in which that organ is located, and The Digital Fox has none of that. In this regard, I would put a number of other organ recordings, especially the Priory recordings of European organs, the Mercury recording of Dupre at St. Thomas and the RR Felix Hell disc (which also has limited hall sound, though more a function of the recording venue), above this album sonically. Still, Fox was always my favorite organist, and the Fox recording is a lot of fun to listen to, far more exciting than anything Michael Murray has ever recorded IMHO, and has plenty of bass. An interesting side note on The Digital Fox--it was recorded Direct to Disc on the vinyl, so there are a few clinkers in there; however, the CD was made from digital tapes and was able to include some edits to fix up the few mistakes. Personally I prefer the vinyl version, the mistakes give more of a feeling like you're listening to a live performance.

I have been able to go to CDUniverse and sample many of the recommended recordings. They are so varied in style and there are so many fabulous recordings!! I need a bank loan!! I encourage all of you to check them out and if anybody has any more to recommend.....?

RCP, greetings from the Chocolate City. There's no doubt about it, Virgil definitely schmaltzes up the interpretations to a certain degree but when compared to the many other various "...by the book..." versions out there that seem so wooden and lifeless that it communicates to me a sense that Fox is in total control whereas these other organists are a little cowed by the whole scenario, much like a 12 year old might feel at his first organ recital with the parents and all the world watching.
I am a bit taken aback by your finding the recording to lack spaciousness and hall ambience. I can assure you that is decidedly not the case on the Ultragroove vinyl. The venue comes off as a cavernous space with decay and reverb that trails off forever. I have the RR Felix Hell disc and would agree it is lacking in this regard and most definitely to the UG. I virtually never listen to my Crystal Clear vinyl copy because I so much prefer the UG. I will now go back and refresh myself with a critical replay in the near future. Incidentally, my recollection of the liner notes on the UG tells me that the performance on that label was a seperate one from the CC so it is very possible that miking was altered between them. It's funny actually, because the UG was recorded on DAT at a sampling rate below the current redbook standard (37,500 hz) so it is counterintuitive that it would take precedence over the CC but the ears say otherwise.
On a final note I must confess that I am lucky enough to be able to experience vinyl replay on a Walker TT. I bought one 9 years ago from Lloyd back in the days of his company's infancy. He gave me a real good deal on a table he'd been dragging around to all the shows so that I could afford it. In the pantheon of the Walker customer base, I'm sure I fit into the trailer trash section---probably a section of one. I only bring up the table because it is a champeen at detail and ambience retrieval. If there is any flesh, it will flesh it out. Certainly this has impacted my perception of the UG pressing.
Don't be a stranger.

try the Gladiators "Proverbial Reggae" on Virgin.

Fragma - Risk my Soul – track 12 of the Embrace CD. Delivers subsonic punches underpinning a soaring ballad in a classic Euro Trance style song featuring a female vocal. Definitely a foundation shaker of a ballad. Great use of dynamic range in an uncompressed techno love song. You will not hear the bass unless you can go to 30 or less.
Fragma Embrace