Favorite recordings to show of your (tube) system

Posted by Tuber (A) on July 29, 2002 at 11:04:18

OK, OK, yes I know there is a "Music" ward in the asylum. But this query has something to do with equipment as well, where it seems like many of the posts I've read in the "Music" sections are, appropriately, about the music as an end. So here's my query (forgive me if it has been discussed before as I'm a new inmate):

What are your favorite recordings to use to really show off what your (tube) system can do...which ones come out as standards when you change a component, roll tubes, or swap interconnects? I'm posting this here in the Tube section since I'm an addict of the tube sound myself and would like to hear from fellow tube-addicts.

Here are a few of my standards. I should qualify this by stating that I am a big fan of female vocals, string instruments, and 'unusual' music of all kinds. I'll keep my comments brief about each one, and keep the list short and concise. If you want to know more about any of them just go to Amazon and do a search for the album or artist and there should be ample commentary there. I'd love to hear from others with divergent as well as similar musical tastes!

I've found these recordings really make my system shine, and they always come out when I am changing anything in my system:

Casandra Wilson, Blue Light Til Dawn - Deep liquid sensual female vocalist - Modern Jazz Fusion. Great recording to hightlight the warmth of tube sound.

Eva Cassidy, Songbird - What an amazing powerful voice! Just goes straight to the heart! She was mostly a studio recording artist who died tragicaly at age 33 of cancer. This is an absolute MUST for anyone who appreciated female vocals. This will show off any system - her voice just pierces right through you!

Cowboy Junkies, The Trinity Session - Stark, haunting vocals. Wonderful recording. This one really shows off the ability to recreate ambience, or that black space around the instruments. It was recorded in one-day recording session in an old church.

Tom Waits, Swordfishtrombones - Most folks either love him, or hate him. I fall in the former category and have been listening to his stuff since the early years. He is a creative genius, in my opinion. I really love the later stuff which is more complex and musically textured. The years he began recording with Island marked the beginning of this period, culminating with the two recently released albums, which are both great. This album is one of the earliest of that genre, and remains one of my favorites. This really shows off spatial qualities of a system with a rich variety of sounds and musical textures, in a wide and deep soundstage.

Jazz at the Pawnshop - Great live classic jazz. This one's been a standby since the LP version. A wonderful performance and an outstanding recording of very engaging and lively jazz. I've not heard the CD version(s). Again, great ambience and spatial demonstrations available in this recording. Plenty of wind instruments that are brought to life with tube warmth.

OK, there's the top five. I could go on, but I'd rather keep it brief since it is a bit off topic. I look forward to hearing from others!

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Topic - Favorite recordings to show of your (tube) system - Tuber 11:04:18 07/29/02 (26)

Re: Favorite recordings to show of your (tube) system - EL34Addict 23:52:21 07/30/02 (3)

Re: Favorite recordings to show of your (tube) system - Tuber 08:14:12 07/31/02 (2)

Re: Favorite recordings to show of your (tube) system - EL34Addict 17:41:19 07/31/02 (1)

Depth Perception in Recording - Tuber 19:29:47 07/31/02 (0)

Cassandra works on any system... - darkmoebius 18:43:16 07/30/02 (3)

Re: Cassandra Sibilance - Recording Noise - Tuber 00:06:13 07/31/02 (2)

Re: Balanced power transformer helped me - Russ57 07:51:10 07/31/02 (0)

I'd bet it's just hiss from the original master tapes... - darkmoebius 00:36:51 07/31/02 (0)

Re: Favorite recordings to show of your (tube) system - REL54 18:35:38 07/30/02 (0)

Re: Favorite recordings to show of your (tube) system - F Robert Simms 11:53:11 07/30/02 (1)

Re: Favorite recordings to show of your (tube) system - Tuber 12:58:01 07/30/02 (0)

Re: Favorite recordings to show of your (tube) system - Sherlock 09:40:31 07/30/02 (0)

Dark Side of the Moon - Sector-7G 08:42:53 07/30/02 (4)

Re: Dark Side of the Moon - A Parsons 21:02:31 07/30/02 (3)

Hah! "I Robot", I remember that one... - darkmoebius 22:29:17 07/30/02 (0)

Re: Dark Side of the Moon - pappy 21:43:16 07/30/02 (0)

Re: Dark Side of the Moon - Sector-7G 21:26:30 07/30/02 (0)

Female Vocals - Oscillatus 22:24:45 07/29/02 (2)

Re: Female Vocals - rlawry 07:27:41 07/30/02 (0)

Re: Female Vocals - Herbie 23:45:01 07/29/02 (0)

Re: Favorite recordings to show of your (tube) system - TomWh 20:31:45 07/29/02 (2)

Re: Favorite recordings to show of your (tube) system - tuber4ever 21:18:29 07/30/02 (1)

Re: Favorite recordings to show of your (tube) system - TomWh 20:14:32 07/31/02 (0)

Lara St John - Jon L 14:21:04 07/29/02 (1)

Re: Lara St John - Tuber 12:34:44 08/06/02 (0)

Re: Favorite recordings to show off your (tube) system - Rob Thomas 12:59:40 07/29/02 (0)

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