Random and potentially interesting thread idea:

I realized that I tend to automatically reach for the Counting Crows - August and Everything After CD when I hook up a new receiver or speakers or whatnot to try out. If it's a TT, I go straight for Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. I don't even really think about it usually, it's just what I go for. Why? I'm not sure. They're both great albums, but I could've chosen numerous other things to play first. I never even really listen to the Counting Crows anymore except when I try out new stuff... Weird.

Anyway, does anyone else have a similar sort of ritual you do, some favorite test recording to play when you first set up that new piece? It doesn't have to have any reason behind it, I'm just curious...

i go for Midnight Oil's "Underwater" and Elton John's "Where To Now St. Peter". mostly because i am familiar with every aspect of both songs and know how they should sound, but also because they are very cool sounding tracks.

If its cd,its the first Level 42 cd.If its tt related,its Aja by Steely Dan.
Jimmy

Paul Simon Paul Simon

Not necessarily the first thing but the one I consistently listen to very early on.

Could say the same about Emmylou Harris Luxury Liner - particularly her doing Pancho and Lefty.

Think I'll put on the Paul Simon now.

Alan

Love Over Gold by Dire Straits, its really gives the new speakers a good workout.

Robben Ford & the Blue Line to really loosen the system up and check out the dynamics, followed by Nora Jones / Feels Like Home, David Elias / The Window and Jorma Kaukonen / Quah to see what the system is really capable of.

/d

abpeep,
ditto on Pauls Simon's 1st album! ...followed by every other Paul Simon album until my favorite of all of his: One Trick Pony. Also, The Cowboy Junkie's "Trinity Sessions", "Open" and "200 More Miles" albums.
All of these for LPs as well as CDs, except CJ's "Open" and "200MM" which I only have on digitalia.

Strictly LPs: Supertramp's "Paris" double live and The Nits "URK" triple (!) live.

Dave918,
I'd forgotten about Jorma - he's my favorite guitarist! Haven't listened to Quah in a long time... original mint US LP, minty. Thanks - that's plans for this evening!

I usually listen to Natalie Merchant - Tigerlilly as it's one that i'm very familiar with. Wish I could say the same about Natalie herself, wouldn't half mind gettin familiar with her :)

Sheryl Crowe - "Soak Up The Sun" and "Favorite Mistake"

Hi 240 Volts- see that this is your first post on AK, welcome :)

If I'm evaluating a system, I listen to music that I'm well familiar with, will vary with what I've been playing most of recently. Normally will play well pressed vinyl for final evaluation.

(CD) Pat McGee Band - "Shine"

T-Bone Burnette's self-titled CD and/or Colourbox's self-titled album (have it on vinyl and CD) -- Foe

Back in 1978 when we were shopping for our first SS system we carried a copy of Bob James "Heads" to each store so we could compare every system we considered using the same music. Ended up buying H/K which we still have and use. :thmbsp:

Now, 25 years later, we are again adding other systems around the house and "Heads" is the first record played. :yes:


Terry

Normally when I have new cd player, speakers,etc I normally use Pink Floyd's The Division Bell CD, and the one track on that, Waring the Inside out.....don't know why though, must be my 'test CD' :yes:

When doing the vinyl, prolly Diesel and Dust by Midnight Oil.

Any new (or repaired or modified) piece of equipment is usually tested first with either the track "Angel" from Sarah MacLachlan's "Surfacing" and/or "Who Holds Your Hand" from Patty Larkin's fantastic live solo acoustic album "a gogo". Things that sound good usually get most of "a gogo" played on them. :-)

For analog (i.e., tt or cartridge), I don't have a specific "goto". Usually the original mix (green "W7" label) of the Grateful Dead's "AOXOMOXOA" is an early spin... it's amazingly good sounding (not true of the much more common 1971 remix, although the recent, expanded Rhino CD ain't bad).

CD Metallica Master of Puppets
TT Fleetwood Mack Rumours

I thought I was the only one who did that :)

Romantic Warrior by Return To Forever. Those guys really played all out and Stanley Clark really takes it low a few times in a long drawn out note. It really pushes the amp and the speakers to do it right.

Lots of intensity and it takes fast drivers to keep up and deliver every note clean. A real work out for any system.

My two favorite "torture test" tracks are:

Jennifer Warnes "Way Down Deep"
Clapton and BB King "3 O'Clock Blues"

Both are good ways to tell if the mounting screws on your woofers are loose!

Usually something from Roxy Music's Avalon (vinyl or CD - it's all good!).

It used to be Sheffield Labs, Thelma Houston and Pressure cooker. Now it's the third movement of Vaughn Williams fifth symphony, I have about ten recording, any will work. I decided that the test of a system is if it can recreate the soul of something delicate.

Gettin some cool responses, seems to be a wide variety of tracks you guys play...

I'd forgotten about Roxy Music, gonna have to track down my cassette of that album. :thmbsp:

I'd forgotten about Roxy Music
... so did I :)

gonna have to track down my cassette of that album.
... so will I :thmbsp:

Art Pepper Meets the Rythym Section on vinyl.

ALways Pink Floyd's DSOM. I have it in just about every format out there! Good way to compare.

Speakers, bass response--The Who Live At Leeds,Magic Bus :D

I allways start with R.E.M - Automatic for the people,and Kraftwerk - AutoBahn.

Rocky IV Training Montage, No Easy Way Out and Hearts on Fire

or

Eye of The Tiger!

ALways Pink Floyd's DSOM. I have it in just about every format out there! Good way to compare.
Another vote for the same CD here! One of the best "test" CD's or records that I've found; if I want to go crazy I put on Chesky's Gold set-up disc to try out new equipment or changes, although I'm not doing much of that these days as I'm pretty happy with the way things are now.
Another one is "Classic Queen", which I'm not into normally, but it's a very well mixed album and puts a system on notice!

John McLaughlin Trio, Live at Royal Festival Hall. This is my all time fave disc and IMO one of the best recorded I've ever heard including all the TAS/SP/Desert Island stuff, much of which I own. With Trilok Gurtu kicking butt on percussion and Kai Ekhart jamming on bass, this album has it all: dymanics, low level detail, ambience/decay, etc. I've listened to this disc literally hundreds of times and use it in evaluating any new component/tweak. What I hear or don't hear tells me a lot about whether a new component stays or goes.

I usually test with Steely Dan on cd, and on vinyl it's usually Thin Lizzy (Boys are back in town)

Easy listening, soft rock and roll, never tire of "Rick Nelson Greatest Hits".

I just had my tt restored after a number of years and the first track I listened to was Can't Buy a Break from the Nils Lofgren lp.

After hooking up a new system or pair of speakers one or all of the following get a spin pretty quick.

Tab Benoit (Nice and Warm)
Chris Rea (Auberge -or- "texas")
Bassie's (88 Basie Street -or- Kansas City Three)
John Pizzarelli (My Blue Heaven)
Patricia Barber (Cafe Blue)
Anything by Johnny Hartman

OK, so I buy a completely new system every 20 years or so....but I'm accelerating quickly at this point....how about some swing jazz?..duke ellington, glen miller...man that stuff puts a system through it's paces... :thmbsp: ...or I must say that the dynamic changes in DSOM are cool...

Frank Zappa's Apostrophe side one on vinyl.

For vinyl it's usually Steely Dan's Aja. Especially the song "Aja". It's got so many layers that it tests the clarity of the speakers and "Peg", with that "bouncy" bass line... if it's easy to follow then things are good. :thmbsp:

For cd it's usually Seal, the song "Crazy"... good test of the low end with those drums used in the break. If they sound like "mud" then :thumbsdn:.

Erykah Badu, "Certainly" from Baduizm
Sergio Mendes - Brasilerio (2nd & 3rd tracks)
Nielsen, Symphony #4 (1st & 2nd movements)
Los Lobos - Kiko
Bill Evans - Waltz for Debby

I usually grab Dave Brubeck's "Time In" when I'm trying a new piece of Equiptment or rolling tubes.I'm really familiar with it and its a very dynamic recording....David

On CD it is always Flim & The BB's - Tricycle. On Vinyl it is usually Fleetwood Mac - Rumours.

If it's a new equipment, I always play New Age music on it exclusively for at least the first week.

In this way I can be certain that the crystals in the deflummoxer are aligned and gently broken in. This also prevents settling of the positive electrons in the bottom of the power supply.




::koff::

Q: What do you get if you play New Age music backwards?

A: New Age music.

David Bowie_Hearthling.
It got's everything : Bottom Lows,Lows,Mids,Highs,Super Highs and Silence.
Male voice,women voices,electronics,samplers etc.
or
R.E.M_Automatic For The People.
Acustic Guitars and Bass, clean electric guitars and great melodies.

clint.

Loreena McKennitt: The Book of Serets - Hauntingly 'present'
Jack Johnson: In Between Dreams - New one for me. I love the acoustic guitar recording quality.
Ozzy Osbourne: Ozzmosis - See You on the Other Side is an unbelievable bass-ic track for testing the depths and warmth of your system.
Sting: Nothing Like the Sun
Seal: Human Being
The Rippingtons: Topaz
Nine Days: The Madding Crowd
Satriani: Crystal Planet - His 'livest' sounding album. I've seen him live three times, and this album sounds like him.
Live: Birds of Prey - Their latest, and best album to date. They never fail to impress me musically.
Eagles: Hell Freezes Over - This recording of Hotel California is my fave.
The Dan Reed Network: S/T/SLAM/The Heat - all three albums rock. Saw them open for Satriani in '88 and have loved 'em ever since!

Seems like a lot, but if you're like me - I have to be pleased with a variety of music on a system before I'm near satisfied with it.

Shades of Dring
-chamber jazz piece with madeline dring, ray brown, gene harris, and others. has great dynamics with good bass, cracking drum solos, flute, piano, and more

Richard Thompson ~ The Old Kit Bag
Steely Dan ~ Cant Buy a Thrill
Ray Brown ~ Soular Energy
:thmbsp:

I'm old, and boring, so I start with these:

Steely Dan's Gaucho, esp. Hey Nineteen (Mobile Fidelity version)
Amanda McBroom's Dreamin' (Sheffield Lab)
Jazz at the Pawnshop (Proprius)
Diana Krall's The Girl in the Other Room (Verve).

After that, I usually fall asleep, or my 4-yr old comes in and starts asking what I'm doing.

CD: Sarah McLachlan - Surfacing, Jennifer Warnes - Famous Blue Raincoat
LP: The Doors - The Best Of The Doors CD-4 quad disc

Tom

Lately I play Iron and Wine's Our Endless Numbered Days. It's great music and I know it well. It also doesn't take long to play some Alison Krauss and Holly Cole, either (especially "Blame It On My Youth").

Thelma Houston, Ive got the music in me. Direct to disk.
Supertramp, School. MFSL
And just for fun. Zygoat, the album.

My first play on a new piece of gear is Leo Kottke. Second would tend to be War,
Then some chick singers.

I like to start with Joni Mitchell's 'Papricka Plains'. Just to see if the bass is working properly. Then I move on to Hejira to check out the dynamics.
If all is well, next is John Mclaughlin's 'Extrapolation'. another tough test of clean bass response.
Move on to Jimi's 'Machine Gun' from Band of Gypsies for a test of overall volume :D

Man, all this good music and here I am with my post.

When I want to test a change or do comparisons, I automatically play the Red Planet OST first. This CD has a wide variety of music that works both frequency extremes very well and has very good examples of both female and male vocals. The mastering is excellent and this is one of those unlabeled HD-CDs. Following this, I usually throw on some Dire Straits self-titled album on CD first followed by the vinyl copy. Finally, I'll finish with Mapleshade's Music Festival. If I'm dealing with speakers that possibly have better bass extension, then Massive Attack - Mezzanine will be played through, provided it's early enough in the day to not disturb neighbors.

What music follows after depends upon my mood and whether the speakers or whatever lend themselves to rocking or relaxing.
- JP

ALways Pink Floyd's DSOM. I have it in just about every format out there! Good way to compare.

Agree on this.

Its tempting to get a recording you know will sound good but I like stuff that can be a challenge and needs a good system to sound good.

This is a good one to use I have it on LP and the new SACD disk. The SACD is a recording that can be harsh and unforgiving on a 'bright system' yet sounds brilliant on a well thought out and matched system even modest ones .

Otherwise I drag out Mark Knoffler , usualy sailing to philladelphia .

Dave