I will add the recent release of The Jimi Hendrix Experience second album Axis Bold as Love. Both stereo tracks and mono tracks. Released by Acoustic Sounds. Great mix with bass guitar that was buried in the original release.
Great rock audiophile records...why so very few?
- Thread starter DaveyF
- Start date
I’ll try to stick to rock/pop so here are a few of my favourites, mostly newer stuff.
Amos Lee, My New Moon
Andrew Bird, Are You Serious?
José James, Lean On Me
Agnes Obel, Citizen of Glass
Andy Shauf, The Party
Case/Lang/Viers, st
William Fitzsimmons, Acoustic Session
The Weeknd, Beauty behind The Madness
Tracy Chapman, Let It Rain
Nils Frahm, All Melody
Natalie Merchant, Paradise is There
Lucinda Williams, Live @ The Filmore
That’s enough to keep you all happy for a day or so.
If you want more I could do a Jazzy one.
Amos Lee, My New Moon
Andrew Bird, Are You Serious?
José James, Lean On Me
Agnes Obel, Citizen of Glass
Andy Shauf, The Party
Case/Lang/Viers, st
William Fitzsimmons, Acoustic Session
The Weeknd, Beauty behind The Madness
Tracy Chapman, Let It Rain
Nils Frahm, All Melody
Natalie Merchant, Paradise is There
Lucinda Williams, Live @ The Filmore
That’s enough to keep you all happy for a day or so.
If you want more I could do a Jazzy one.
10 cc "The Original Soundtrack"
AC/DC "Back In Black"
Air "10000Hz Legend"
Allman Brothers "Live At Filmore East" (Capricorn Pink Label)
Anita Baker "Rapture"
Bee Gees "1st" (Polydor original UK Pressing - mono)
Black Prairie "A Tear in the Eye is a Wound in the Heart"
Blood Orange "Freetown Sound"
Calexico "Toolbox"
Johnny Cash "American III: Solitary Man"
Sam Cooke "Night Beat" (AP 45 rpm)
Elvis Costello "Armed Forces" (Original UK pressing with 7" single)
Elvis Costello "Imperial Bedroom"
John Cougar Mellencamp "Uh Huh"
David Crosby "If I Could Only Remember My Name"
Dazz Band "Keep It Live"
Bryan Ferry "Slave To Love"
J. Geils Band "Full House" (Live)
The Gutter Twins "Saturnalia"
Head & The Heart "Eponymous"
John Hiatt "Slow Turning"
Iron & Wine "Our Endless Numbered Days"
Eilen Jewell "Sundown Over Ghost Town"
Jack Johnson "Sleep Through The Static"
Jamey Johnson "Living For A Song"
Grace Jones "Slave To The Rhythm"
Seu Jorge "The Life Aquatic Sessions" (if you can find a quiet copy)
Greg Kihn "Kihnspiracy"
Lake Street Dive "Free Yourself Up"
Mark Lanegan "Imitations"
David Lindley "El Rayo-X"
Los Lobos 'Disconnected In New York City"
Nick Lowe "Nick The Knife"
Marcy Playground "Eponymous" RSD Issue
Midnight Oil "Diesel and Dust"
Mimicking Birds "Eponymous"
Stanton Moore "With You In Mind"
Kacey Musgraves "Same Trailer, Different Park"
Whew!...2nd half of alphabet later
AC/DC "Back In Black"
Air "10000Hz Legend"
Allman Brothers "Live At Filmore East" (Capricorn Pink Label)
Anita Baker "Rapture"
Bee Gees "1st" (Polydor original UK Pressing - mono)
Black Prairie "A Tear in the Eye is a Wound in the Heart"
Blood Orange "Freetown Sound"
Calexico "Toolbox"
Johnny Cash "American III: Solitary Man"
Sam Cooke "Night Beat" (AP 45 rpm)
Elvis Costello "Armed Forces" (Original UK pressing with 7" single)
Elvis Costello "Imperial Bedroom"
John Cougar Mellencamp "Uh Huh"
David Crosby "If I Could Only Remember My Name"
Dazz Band "Keep It Live"
Bryan Ferry "Slave To Love"
J. Geils Band "Full House" (Live)
The Gutter Twins "Saturnalia"
Head & The Heart "Eponymous"
John Hiatt "Slow Turning"
Iron & Wine "Our Endless Numbered Days"
Eilen Jewell "Sundown Over Ghost Town"
Jack Johnson "Sleep Through The Static"
Jamey Johnson "Living For A Song"
Grace Jones "Slave To The Rhythm"
Seu Jorge "The Life Aquatic Sessions" (if you can find a quiet copy)
Greg Kihn "Kihnspiracy"
Lake Street Dive "Free Yourself Up"
Mark Lanegan "Imitations"
David Lindley "El Rayo-X"
Los Lobos 'Disconnected In New York City"
Nick Lowe "Nick The Knife"
Marcy Playground "Eponymous" RSD Issue
Midnight Oil "Diesel and Dust"
Mimicking Birds "Eponymous"
Stanton Moore "With You In Mind"
Kacey Musgraves "Same Trailer, Different Park"
Whew!...2nd half of alphabet later
Jazzdoc, looks like some great selections there. Any of those that you think are equal SQ wise to the a'phile Sheffield Track record, as an example?
I own a copy of the Allman Bros "Live at Filmore East" on the Nautilus label...good sound, but certainly not great sound. Do you think the Capricorn Pink sounds better than the Nautilus?
I am very much looking forward to the release of the new JH Electric Ladyland reissue, with the six albums remastered by Bernie Grundman.
Thanks Jazdoc, great list and this is a stunning production too.
I’m dancing round the room as I type,
I’m dancing round the room as I type,
Empirical Audio
Industry Expert
Here are some of my best tracks from the 70's:
1) remasters of Led Zeppelin
2) 24/44.1 remasters of Beatles
3) 24/176.4 remaster of Stones "Let it Bleed"
4) Jeff Beck Live at Ronnie Scotts
5) The Best of the Doors remaster
6) Boz Skaggs
7) Steely Dan
8) Marvin Gaye
9) Sting
10) Paul McCartney - Ram
11) Jimi Hendrix remaster
Steve N.
Empirical Audio
1) remasters of Led Zeppelin
2) 24/44.1 remasters of Beatles
3) 24/176.4 remaster of Stones "Let it Bleed"
4) Jeff Beck Live at Ronnie Scotts
5) The Best of the Doors remaster
6) Boz Skaggs
7) Steely Dan
8) Marvin Gaye
9) Sting
10) Paul McCartney - Ram
11) Jimi Hendrix remaster
Steve N.
Empirical Audio
Do you mean great records musically, or great records sonically/recording quality-wise?
Ron I think these were bands and musicians who generally had sonically high quality original recordings and that their original pressings tended to generally be good and that certainly the musical content and sonic quality of the original recording would likely be worthy of an audiophile grade remastering and release.
I must admit in my early audio days I would buy a recording based on the whole super list thing but eventually I moved towards playing albums only because of the music rather than the sonic experience. I had quite a few audiophile records that got played once or twice and because I didn’t connect with the performance enough never got another run.
I must admit in my early audio days I would buy a recording based on the whole super list thing but eventually I moved towards playing albums only because of the music rather than the sonic experience. I had quite a few audiophile records that got played once or twice and because I didn’t connect with the performance enough never got another run.
I'm primarily a "rock guy", and I've never had more enjoyment out of my collection of rock music than right now.
Jack is on the mark when he mentions the "bounce" issue as a possible culprit. The techs had to work wonders to mix all the stuff the bands were coming up with. Just pick one of those late 60s Moody Blues records, for instance. More like "Muddy Blues"
Too many overdubs and bounces, I guess.
Look no further than the Steve Wilson remixes for proof of that, as he was able to go back to the multitracks for a lot of classic albums from the 70s, and remix them again in the digital domain. Of course, some of the tapes already had bounces on them, but still, records like "Aqualung" are a relevation in the new mixes!
Even the ELP stuff that has been mentioned, see how their simpler music usually fares better in the SQ department. The purity of those Greg Lake + guitar tracks is amazing, and truly demo quality.
I never got the appeal of "Dark Side" as an audiophile album. "The Wall" and "Final Cut" sound much better, again, demo quality.
Jack is on the mark when he mentions the "bounce" issue as a possible culprit. The techs had to work wonders to mix all the stuff the bands were coming up with. Just pick one of those late 60s Moody Blues records, for instance. More like "Muddy Blues"
Too many overdubs and bounces, I guess. Look no further than the Steve Wilson remixes for proof of that, as he was able to go back to the multitracks for a lot of classic albums from the 70s, and remix them again in the digital domain. Of course, some of the tapes already had bounces on them, but still, records like "Aqualung" are a relevation in the new mixes!
Even the ELP stuff that has been mentioned, see how their simpler music usually fares better in the SQ department. The purity of those Greg Lake + guitar tracks is amazing, and truly demo quality.
I never got the appeal of "Dark Side" as an audiophile album. "The Wall" and "Final Cut" sound much better, again, demo quality.
I love hard rock and metal (not death or black metal though). A lot of the usual "audiophile rock" recommendations don't do much for me. And I can't listen to most non-rock audiophile fare at all (Krall, Barber, etc). For example, while I find Dire Straits and Pink Floyd to be nice, it's not often I'll get an urge to spin them. Still, I don't have much problem finding material that hits that glorious combination of good-to-great sound quality with meaningful music for my preferences. Some particular favorites (all on vinyl; I don't do much digital):
Alice In Chains - Here I have a mix of MOV (Music on Vinyl) and original pressings. The three-legged dog album, "Jar of Flies", and Unplugged are stunning! "Facelift" is great too.
Nirvana - The ORG reissues of "Nevermind" and Unplugged are sublime. "Bleach" is good too; "In Utero" is passable.
Tobias Sammet's Avantasia - Metal Opera 1 and 2 are stunning. The next 3 albums are awesome too, but have a slightly decrease in sound quality.
Iced Earth - "The Glorious Burden" is excellent
A-Ha - "Hunting High and Low", "Scoundrel Days", Unplugged - all original pressings, all awesome!
Level 42 - These albums (original pressings) sound pretty good; check out "World Machine" and "Running in the Family"
Megadeth and Metallica I love but there's a lot of really really bad sounding Metallica recordings out there (a few great ones) and Megadeth issues can be a mixed bag too.
Alice In Chains - Here I have a mix of MOV (Music on Vinyl) and original pressings. The three-legged dog album, "Jar of Flies", and Unplugged are stunning! "Facelift" is great too.
Nirvana - The ORG reissues of "Nevermind" and Unplugged are sublime. "Bleach" is good too; "In Utero" is passable.
Tobias Sammet's Avantasia - Metal Opera 1 and 2 are stunning. The next 3 albums are awesome too, but have a slightly decrease in sound quality.
Iced Earth - "The Glorious Burden" is excellent
A-Ha - "Hunting High and Low", "Scoundrel Days", Unplugged - all original pressings, all awesome!
Level 42 - These albums (original pressings) sound pretty good; check out "World Machine" and "Running in the Family"
Megadeth and Metallica I love but there's a lot of really really bad sounding Metallica recordings out there (a few great ones) and Megadeth issues can be a mixed bag too.
Omaha Diner "Eponymous" (mono)
Opeth "Damnation"
Robert Palmer "Clues"
Tom Petty "Full Moon Fever"
Cat Power "The Covers Record"
Cat Power "The Greatest" (original release)
Elvis Presley "24 Karat Hits" (AP 45 rpm)
Prince "Dirty Mind"
Prince "Sign 'O The Times"
REM "Chronic Town"
Lou Reed "New York"
Keith Richards "Talk Is Cheap"
Rolling Stones "Emotional Rescue"
Rolling Stones "Stripped"
Boz Scaggs "A Fool To Care"
Shearwater "Animal Joy"
Talking Heads "Stop Making Sense"
Allen Toussaint "The Bright Mississippi"
Traveling Wilburys "Eponymous"
Trentemoller "Into The Great Wide Yonder"
Luther Vandross "Never Too Much"
Denice Williams "Niecy"
Lucinda Williams "West"
Peter Wolf "Midnight Souvenirs"
Opeth "Damnation"
Robert Palmer "Clues"
Tom Petty "Full Moon Fever"
Cat Power "The Covers Record"
Cat Power "The Greatest" (original release)
Elvis Presley "24 Karat Hits" (AP 45 rpm)
Prince "Dirty Mind"
Prince "Sign 'O The Times"
REM "Chronic Town"
Lou Reed "New York"
Keith Richards "Talk Is Cheap"
Rolling Stones "Emotional Rescue"
Rolling Stones "Stripped"
Boz Scaggs "A Fool To Care"
Shearwater "Animal Joy"
Talking Heads "Stop Making Sense"
Allen Toussaint "The Bright Mississippi"
Traveling Wilburys "Eponymous"
Trentemoller "Into The Great Wide Yonder"
Luther Vandross "Never Too Much"
Denice Williams "Niecy"
Lucinda Williams "West"
Peter Wolf "Midnight Souvenirs"
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Pretty much every Porcupine Tree and Steven Wilson album qualifies as having outstanding sonics and IMO fantastic music. Especially fabulous: Porcupine Tree: Lightbulb Sun, In Absentia; Steven Wilson: The Raven that Refused to Sing, Hand Cannot Erase
Dire Straits. Dire Straits
Dire Straits. Communique
Bob Dylan. Slow Train Coming
Bob Dylan. Oh Mercy
Willie Nelson. Teatro
Emmylou Harris. Spyboy
Emmylou Harris. Wrecking Ball Extended Cuts
Paul Simon. Graceland
Paul Simon. Concert In The Park
Gov’t Mule. Stoned side of the Mule
Warren Haynes. Live at Bonnaroo
ZZ. Top. Fandango
ZZ. Top. Tres Hombres
Tom Waits. Mule Variations
Dire Straits. Communique
Bob Dylan. Slow Train Coming
Bob Dylan. Oh Mercy
Willie Nelson. Teatro
Emmylou Harris. Spyboy
Emmylou Harris. Wrecking Ball Extended Cuts
Paul Simon. Graceland
Paul Simon. Concert In The Park
Gov’t Mule. Stoned side of the Mule
Warren Haynes. Live at Bonnaroo
ZZ. Top. Fandango
ZZ. Top. Tres Hombres
Tom Waits. Mule Variations
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