hello all,
When ever I get a new amplifier or receiver or
CD player hooked up and ready to test out,
It seems I always reach for the same source music.
These 3 do the trick for me-
Michael hedges-Oracle
Jean luc ponty-cosmic messenger
Grateful dead-Terrapin station

what do you reach for???
Sluggo!

While I rarely break in a new system, my two are:

Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms

Steely Dan - Aja

JD

I have copys of both of those recordings!great!
when I say New system JD,I mean new to me.
for fun I do change my speaker placement around
sometimes,but always use the same test music.

Dire Straits-Brothers in Arms:music:

esp. Money for Nothing and Your Latest Trick.:yes:

Rush - Moving Pictures (because of it's superb recording and because I know it so well)

Michael Jackson - HIStory (superb song recordings, LOUD and clear, great imaging and bass)

Madonna - The Immaculate Collection and Something to Remember (same reasons as above)

Others include Pink Floyd, The Beatles, and The Police.

hello all,
When ever I get a new amplifier or receiver or
CD player hooked up and ready to test out,
It seems I always reach for the same source music.
These 3 do the trick for me-
Michael hedges-Oracle
Jean luc ponty-cosmic messenger
Grateful dead-Terrapin station

what do you reach for???
Sluggo!

Nice list, your first two would be in my own Top 10 list.

The main disks I take to demo equipment or to test my own are,

Bob James- Grand Piano Canyon
SRV- Couldn't Stand The Weather- mainly Tin Pan Alley
Carl Filipiak- Blue Entrance
Elements- Unorthodox Behavior


Hyfi

Tracy Chapman - New Beginning
Steely Dan - Gaucho
Albert King - Born Under A Bad Sign
Dire Straits - Love Over Gold

where would I know the name Carl filipiak?
its ringin a bell but I cant remember?
Sluggo.

anything from Steely Dan or Donald Fagen
Such Great Heights - The Postal Service
Strawberry Fields Forever - Beatles

88 Basie Steet on Pablo, Count Basie
If it doesnt sound like im right in front of the Piano, it AINT right.

Dave Brubeck - Time In

Pink Floyd - DSOTM
Glenn Miller - In the Digital Mood
Joan Baez - No Woman No Cry

Sarah Vaughan : Sarah Vaughan. (Tremendous vocal with great trumpet backing)
Bob Marley : Natty Dread
Handel : Water Music
Miles Davis : Seven Steps to Heaven.

The most critical is the Sarah Vaughan. If the system cannot pass this album then system or part of it got to go.

Sarah Vaughan : Sarah Vaughan. (Tremendous vocal with great trumpet backing)
Bob Marley : Natty Dread
Handel : Water Music
Miles Davis : Seven Steps to Heaven.

The most critical is the Sarah Vaughan. If the system cannot pass this album then system or part of it got to go.


I'll 2nd the Natty Dread,that's a killer album....

I'll second the Madonna-Immaculate album.

My other go to albums are a song by Les Brown and his band Renown

AKUS-Live-Ghost in this house and Forget about it.

Eagles-Hell Freezes Over live version of Hotel California

We've had similar threads, but this one can't hurt.
Anything by Leo Kottke.
War--especially Lowrider.
Tubular Bells.

I used to test a new system with a live rock album like The Who - Live at Leeds.

But now I look for how the system can handle the subtleties of the female voice, acoustic bass and piano.

So now I test it with a CD like Tony Bennett & KD Lang - "A Wonderful World".

Casino Royale...original recording, not the one from last years movie.

Terry

"Exile On Main Street". I know the album better than the back of my hand and if a system can make the lousy mixing job sound good I know I'm getting somewhere. Along the same lines, any copy of "Brown Sugar" will do to see how clearly I can hear the acoustic guitar way down in the mix and the sheep after the final chord.

Since posting this thread,I aquired a used
Parasound DAC-1000 digital/analog converter
and added it to my main Parasound system,
I did reach for my old standby disc's because I know
them so well,but thinking of this thread I did sample
some Mike oldfield(good choice bully)tubular bells
and heard things Ive never heard before,what fun-
thanks again for your input,Time to sample alittle
"the lamb lies down on broadway" by Genesis
Sluggo

where would I know the name Carl filipiak?
its ringin a bell but I cant remember?
Sluggo.

He is a Guitar Teacher from Baltimore. He has his own record label and most of his studio work utilizes Dennis Chambers on drums. He plays Fells Point, Cafe Tatoo and the Maryland Wine Festival. He also comes to PA to do the Mushroom festival in Kennet Square each year. I din't think I know you from Rave Recordings but I used CF tunes on alot of my comps. He can play just about anything and any style. I saw him do a whole show in tribute to Hendrix's birthday one year at the Wine Festival.

If your a Jazz/Fusion fan at all, you need to look into Carl Filipiak!

Hyfi

I will agree with several others picks...




Sultans of Swing (first thing I ever heard on HI-FI)

Hotel California Live

Mike Oldfield-Tubular bells

Miles Davis

Anything by Steely Dan, esp AJA

Mark Knofpler

Lately, Red Hot Chili Peppers-Stadium Arcadium...Sonically brilliant