Best lp recordings of all time

[BillyB]

What are some really well mixed and great sounding LP from the following genres:

Classic Rock
Jazz
60's and 70's country

I am looking to add some great sounding LP's to my collection

 

[fishoz]

Quasi-Jazz
Leon Redbone "On the Track"
Tomita "Snowflakes are Dancing" (synthesizer)

So many out there, not enough time. Good luck!

 

[GreatTone]

Here's a few off the top of my head: Louis Armstrong's "St James Infirmary" from the mid-50s, in stereo. Kind of Blue, Time Out, both on Columbia. I also stumbled across a Columbia 6-eye stereo recording of Hank Garland's Jazz Winds from a New Direction, and it is right up there with any great jazz recording. I am a subscriber to the Music Matters Blue Note series, and many of those 45 rpm reissues rival anything ever created. Another 45 rpm reissue standout is the Ben Webster with Oscar Peterson on Verve. Huge presence and very alive, almost larger than life sound.

Rock would have to include Steely Dan's Aja and Pretzel Logic, most Pink Floyd (UK pressings), David Crosby's If I Could Only Remember My Name, and the Grateful Dead's American Beauty (pretty much anything engineered by Stephen Barncard). I also scored an original pressing of Jackson Browne's first album (with "burlap" cover) and it is one of the best rock recordings I've heard. The other day I also found a mint copy of Tea for the Tillerman (tan A&M label with Sterling and "LH" in the deadwax), and I can't imagine a recording sounding better, and the vinyl is near silent. If anyone tells you it has to be a pink Island pressing, don't believe them. I got my A&M copy for $5. Also got an Australian sunray Island pressing of Teaser and the Firecat, and it sounds great as well. UK Beatles are no slouch. Also purple label Capitol vinyl is often spectacular. Recently found a purple Beach Boys Endless Summer, and the sound is fantastic. Some cuts are in the original mono, but most are in a very natural stereo.

Don't know as much about country pressings, but here are a few that are amazing: Skaggs and Rice on Sugar Hill records, s/t Tony Rice on Rounder, and Hot Rize's debut album, which I think is on Flying Fish. Also, Willie Nelson's Red Headed Stranger is a very well-recorded album.

 

[KeninDC]

^Nice write-up.

I'll mention AC/DC's "Back in Black." You want an LP copy with "RL" in the deadwax. Thunderous dynamic range, sublime clarity, and an extra layer of kick-ass.

 

[libertycaps]

ABC/Dunhill
A&M
Atlantic
(Purple) Capitol
(Gold/Red) Elektra
London
RCA
(Green) WB

Labels that tended to put out good quality LPs during the 60's-70's.
Some are better than others, of course.

 

[Hail Vinyl!]

I consider these two some of the best sounding rock LPs in my collection:

 

[libertycaps]

(Orange) Epic

Generally sound good to great also. But, in the end, it's best to take LP sound quality/mastering/pressing on a case-by-case basis. Not all are created equal. But that's precisely why the vinyl hobby holds such mystique.
Your ears and your stereo are the best jury and judge.

 

[TJLitt]

^Nice write-up.

I'll mention AC/DC's "Back in Black." You want an LP copy with "RL" in the deadwax. Thunderous dynamic range, sublime clarity, and an extra layer of kick-ass.

just listened to my copy the other night, and agreed....
However, the attempt to categorize 'best' LPs is so fraught with personal taste, whims of the moment and a host of other subtle distinctions as to seem sort of futile to me.

 

[tboat4]

Carole King...........................Tapestry
Fleetwood Mac......................Rumors
Rock of Ages........................The Band
Simon & Garfunkel..................Bookends
Sade...................................Diamond Life
Taj Mahal.............................The Best of Taj Mahal
Peter, Paul & Mary..................Album 1700

There have been tons of really great albums, it really just depends on ones tastes.

 

[Dave C]

I bought Diana Krall's Quiet Nights last week and would rate it as the best sounding LP I own, very quiet and live sounding.

 

[bhutton]

I'll vote for the new pressing of Sgt. Peppers, although somewhat different sounding from the original, I really enjoy listening to this pressing.

 

[TheArtist]

I have spent the last year going thru albums, just to sort them out in catagories. Not putting them in my bins by name or alphabetically like most do, but by quality. I have the top, the very best I have which is "Super Primo", then followed, in a different rack of "Primo" then followed by "OK sounding" and that is it, anything below OK does not even remain in my listening room. For an album to make it into Super Primo it has to be nearly 100% p&c free, (p&c = pops and crackles) dead quiet and have the most massive and dynamic soundstage I have in a album. Primo is records that may have just a minute amount of light p&c but still have a super dynamic sound stage and image detail with depth and seperation. OK rack is fun, really good sounding records that may have more p&c but still very nice but cannot make it into Primo.
My system contains the following, Harman Kardon Citation V power amp completely restored with all NOS vintage RCA 7581 matching tubes and RCA 12by7a and RCA 6cg7's, Cary Audio tube preamp, Oracle Delphi turntable, and a set of Peter Noerbaek tower speakers and all DH Labs Pro-Audio interconnects. My dedicated listening room is 20x28 with 9'-4" ceiling. I run dedicated 20amp circuits to the equipment.
I still have hundreds of album yet to wash and catagorize, but over the last few months, in the Primo and Super Primo sections are:
*Dead Can Dance, Into the Labyrinth (this is the MFSL silver pressing)
*The Alan Parsons Project, Eye in the Sky (this album is the original pressing)
*Moody Blues, Long Distant Voyager (this is a original mint pressing) and sounds superb
*Fleetwood Mac, Fleetwood Mac (my copy is a original first pressing)
*Jethro Tull, Aqualung (my copy is a original pressing) and is superb
*Jethro Tull, Passion Play (and so I should say here, with no point listing them all, but most all Jethro Tull, original pressings, if you can find them in as new condition, as I have are fabulous sounding recordings and I have all of them.)
*Paul Simon, Graceland (my copy I got sealed and a original pressing)
*Eagles, Desperado
*Willie Nelson, Red Headed Stranger (my copy is a original pressing, if you can find this recording in a mint original copy, like mine, you will like it, very nice clear vocals and instruments and great depth)
*Seals and Crofts (any and all of theirs sound great)
*Cat Stevens, Tea for the Tillerman (most of his stuff sounds really good, deep clear sound stage)
*Steely Dan, Aja (I have a original pressing and it sounds super nice)
*Supertramp (most of all my Supertramp albums sound fabulous, clean, clear with a well defined sound stage)
Maynard Ferguson (some of his stuff has pin point imaging, very cool)

This is just a small list, in the end, what it comes down to is first, in album searching, to first know the recording is something that IS good, then to keep searching until you find a great copy. You might have to buy 10 copies to get that Primo version of it. Like for instance Santana, Abraxas. To find a original copy that is in mint condition that someone bought back when it first came out and to have set it on the shelf and not played but a few times, to now find its way into your hands 30+ years later is hard (can happen but hard) as this album was so good it had the hell played out of it and almost all the copies you find are near wore out, but the search is half the fun.
I collect original copies, not re-issues as I have found the original versions are hard to beat.

 

[statman122]

I love Jethro Tull, and yes they consistently made some of the best sounding records ever

I have spent the last year going thru albums, just to sort them out in catagories. Not putting them in my bins by name or alphabetically like most do, but by quality. I have the top, the very best I have which is "Super Primo", then followed, in a different rack of "Primo" then followed by "OK sounding" and that is it, anything below OK does not even remain in my listening room. For an album to make it into Super Primo it has to be nearly 100% p&c free, (p&c = pops and crackles) dead quiet and have the most massive and dynamic soundstage I have in a album. Primo is records that may have just a minute amount of light p&c but still have a super dynamic sound stage and image detail with depth and seperation. OK rack is fun, really good sounding records that may have more p&c but still very nice but cannot make it into Primo.
My system contains the following, Harman Kardon Citation V power amp completely restored with all NOS vintage RCA 7581 matching tubes and RCA 12by7a and RCA 6cg7's, Cary Audio tube preamp, Oracle Delphi turntable, and a set of Peter Noerbaek tower speakers and all DH Labs Pro-Audio interconnects. My dedicated listening room is 20x28 with 9'-4" ceiling. I run dedicated 20amp circuits to the equipment.
I still have hundreds of album yet to wash and catagorize, but over the last few months, in the Primo and Super Primo sections are:
*Dead Can Dance, Into the Labyrinth (this is the MFSL silver pressing)
*The Alan Parsons Project, Eye in the Sky (this album is the original pressing)
*Moody Blues, Long Distant Voyager (this is a original mint pressing) and sounds superb
*Fleetwood Mac, Fleetwood Mac (my copy is a original first pressing)
*Jethro Tull, Aqualung (my copy is a original pressing) and is superb
*Jethro Tull, Passion Play (and so I should say here, with no point listing them all, but most all Jethro Tull, original pressings, if you can find them in as new condition, as I have are fabulous sounding recordings and I have all of them.)
*Paul Simon, Graceland (my copy I got sealed and a original pressing)
*Eagles, Desperado
*Willie Nelson, Red Headed Stranger (my copy is a original pressing, if you can find this recording in a mint original copy, like mine, you will like it, very nice clear vocals and instrumnets and great depth)
*Seals and Crofts (any and all of theirs sound great)
*Cat Stevens, Tea for the Tillerman (most of his stuff sounds really good, deep clear sound stage)
*Steely Dan, Aja (I have a original pressing and it sounds super nice)
*Supertramp (most of all my Supertramp albums sound fabulous, clean, clear with a well defined sound stage)
Maynard Ferguson (some of his stuff has pin point imaging, very cool)

This is just a small list, in the end, what it comes down to is first, in album searching, to first know the recording is something that IS good, then to keep searching until you find a great copy. You might have to buy 10 copies to get that Primo version of it. Like for instance Santana, Abraxas. To find a original copy that is in mint condition that someone bought back when it first came out and to have set it on the shelf and not played but a few times, to now find its way into your hands 30+ years later is hard (can happen but hard) as this album was so good it had the hell played out of it and almost all the copies you find are near wore out, but the search is half the fun.
I collect original copies, not re-issues as I have found the original versions are hard to beat.

 

[BillyB]

Sweet.

Thanks for all the great responses

 

[gtrfxr]

Classic Records 4lp 45rpm half speed mastered reissue of Willie Nelson's Stardust takes the cake.

As far as jazz goes, anything with Rudy Van Gelder's name on it will sound great.

I'm also really impressed by the mastering on Zappa's Sleep Dirt, Joe's Garage, Zoot Allures, Burnt Weeny Sandwich, Grand Wazoo, Waka/Jawaka and a few more.

 

[illini]

Tomita "Snowflakes are Dancing" (synthesizer)

Yes! I love that one. Primitive by today's synth standards, but still very captivating..

 

[Twanx]

I'm also really impressed by the mastering on Zappa's Sleep Dirt, Joe's Garage, Zoot Allures, Burnt Weeny Sandwich, Grand Wazoo, Waka/Jawaka and a few more.

+1

I've found myself using my original Bizarre copy of Grand Wazoo to test new setups and equipment

 

[deniss]

Supertramp's "Breakfast in America" is not only an outstanding LP full of hits but it's also wonderfully recorded. I was shocked first time I heard this LP.

 

[Urchinn]

Anything by Prefab Sprout, and most everything by Grace Jones. I just got a copy of the first Red Krayola lp, and now I know what the worst-sounding record is! Worse than the second Velvet Underground lp (and that VU lp is STILL a must-have disc!).

 

[montelatici]

Boston's "More than a Feeling" was what HIFI stores told their salesmen to play to impress customers in the mid-70s.