Best Mastered CD's

[markmarc]

As audio fanatics we can appreciate a well recorded and mastered cd, free of distortions. Please list your favorites, eher are a few off the top of my head:

Steely Dan: Aja, Gaucho, Two Against Nature
Donald Fagan: The Nightfly, Morph the Cat
James Taylor: October Road, Hourglass
Dan Fogelberg: No Resemblance Whatsoever, The Wild Places
Joe Jackson: Body and Soul
Supertramp: Even in the Quietest Places
The Who: Quadrophenia
Dire Straits: Brothers in Arms

[madmax]

Anything from Michael Jackson.
madmax

[treitz3]

Two come to mind off the top of my head, The World's greatest Audiophile Recordings by Chesky Records SACD. Songs are kinda lame, but the sound is incredible and Sarah McGlachlan Afterglow Live. The album I have includes one CD and one DVD of the concert. Good stuff.

[rskarvan]

Time Warp by Telarc!

[hearingimpared]

Great;

AC/DC, "Ballbreaker"

The Police, "Every Breath You Take, The Classics" although this is a bit thin in the bass compared to the LPs.


Absolutely Horrible;

Eric Clapton, "Slow Hand"

This actually sounds like a comforter was thrown over the speakers.

[reeltrouble1]

I like Slowhand SACD.

I also like the redbook version of Eagles Desperado. I am digging this Tom Petty I just got in the mail, redbook, starts with Rockin Around and ends with American Girl, I do not have my glasses and cant read the little print of the title if there is one.:confused:

RT1

[hearingimpared]

I like Slowhand SACD.

This is leaps and bounds better than the Red Book!

[hearingimpared]

Time Warp by Telarc!

Also, Star Tracks by Telarc!

[reeltrouble1]

This is leaps and bounds better than the Red Book!

I like the Layla SACD the most though, its a hybrid and the redbook layer is pretty good as well.

RT1

[hearingimpared]

I've been trying to relieve my crappy Red Book CDs with the SACD versions and am finding it as expensive as replacing old LPs with new or newer ones.

[Midnite Mick]

Eric Clapton - Back Home is terrible as well....not even listenable..the music is ho hum anyway.

However, his unplugged cd is quite good.

A couple of what I regard as phenomenal redbooks are Neil Young - Unplugged and Neil Young - Live at Massey Hall.

[hearingimpared]

Neil Young always cared about the sonics of his final products. This is one of the reasons he always put his work to vinyl.

[GV#27]

Time Warp by Telarc!Thats a woofer killer in a couple of parts.The dynamics on that disc are amazing.I think Fagens Morph the Cat is the best sounding CD in my collection.

[schwarcw]

Try any of the ones mastered or remastered by Steve Hoffman. Check out a list Here (http://www.stevehoffman.tv/discography/DCC)

[schwarcw]

More Steve Hoffman Here (http://www.stevehoffman.tv/discography/BMG)

Carl

[schwarcw]

and some more Here (http://www.stevehoffman.tv/discography/AF)

[schwarcw]

If you are into the 45 RPM 10" vinyl, look Here (http://www.stevehoffman.tv/discography/AP)

[schwarcw]

Check your SACD's. Bob Ludwick at Gateway Studios in Portland Maine has done a lot of the SACD's for Sony and others. He's one of the recording industry's most respected engineers. Here is an interesting interview with him, look Here (http://mixonline.com/mag/audio_bob_ludwig/)

[Ricardo]

Dave Brubecks's "For All Time" set; awesome.

[know nothing]

Here are a few good recordings, all Redbook CDs. A pretty broad mix of music but no heavy metal or rap

Dave Mathews: Under The Table Dreaming
Joss Stone: The Soul Sessions
Jack Johnson: In Between Dreams
Bela Fleck & The Flecktones: UFOTOFU (the bass on this recording will challenge your speakers and your neighbors)
Tony Toni Tone: Sons Of Soul
Cassandra Wilson: New Moon Daughter
Bruce Cockburn: Nothing But A Burning Light
Shawn Colvin: Steady On
Rickie Lee Jones: Pop Pop
Bettye LaVette: I've Got My Own Hell To Raise

Miles Davis: Kind Of Blue (Columbia Jazz Masterpiece)
Dave Brubeck: Time Out (Columbia Jazz Masterpiece)
Charles Mingus: Mingus Ah Um (engineered by Teo Macero who also did Kind Of Blue)
Louis Armstrong & Duke Ellington: The Great Summit/The Master Takes (a classic)
Dianna Krall: From This Moment On (try to count the pieces in the big band on the uptempo cuts)
Branford Marsalis: Eternal

Almost any late fifties recording re-engineered by Rudy Van Gelder and re-released by Blue Note or Columbia

Janine Jansen: Vivaldi - The Four Seasons Violin Concerto in F Minor (one of the best recordings of any style or format that I have heard)

kn

[Ricardo]

Here's another one that's always on my top 10's (and my favorite from her):

Diana Krall -Stepping out

[hypertone]

Try any of the ones mastered or remastered by Steve Hoffman. Check out a list Here (http://www.stevehoffman.tv/discography/DCC)

I noticed he did the Best of the Doobie Brothers. That one is outstanding.



All the Pink Floyd stuff that I have has top notch sonics.

[schwarcw]

I noticed he did the Best of the Doobie Brothers. That one is outstanding.

If you go to buy an album from the list of Steve Hoffman remasters,
make sure that you get one that he worked. Read the cover or look at the dates. Some of these may cost you a little more.

Carl

[hearingimpared]

I noticed he did the Best of the Doobie Brothers. That one is outstanding.

I have this and yes it is very very good. It comes close to the MFSL LP of "Takin it too the Streets."

[hearingimpared]

Awesome; Steely Dan, "A Decade of Steely Dan"

Pretty good; Willie Nelson, "Stardust"

Somewhat good; Bob Seager, "Greatest Hits," although a song or two sounds like the master was compressed.

Bass thin and harsh; David Bowie, "Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars," however on the recommendation of our local SACD master F1Nut, I purchased the SACD of this and it is really fantastic.

[snow]

Great;

AC/DC, "Ballbreaker Yes I have that one and its very good, I also like AC/DC The Razors Edge. Shania Twains UP album. Maroon5 Songs about Jane. Ashamed to admit I own this... :o Lindsay Lohan SPEAK.

Best DVD AUDIO. ELP Brain Surgery Salad. Hands down the best I have ever heard on this format.

REGARDS SNOW
.

[hearingimpared]

Yes I have that one and its very good, I also like AC/DC The Razors Edge. Shania Twains UP album. Maroon5 Songs about Jane. Ashamed to admit I own this... :o Lindsay Lohan SPEAK.

Best DVD AUDIO. ELP Brain Surgery Salad. Hands down the best I have ever heard on this format.

REGARDS SNOW
.

I love ELP as a matter of fact a well mastered CD is;

ELP, "Best of"

[hearingimpared]

Awesome;

Pink Floyd, "Meddle"


Yuck;

Pink Floyd, "A Saucerful of Secrets"

These from the Shine On box set.

[m00npie]

I noticed he did the Best of the Doobie Brothers. That one is outstanding.

I'm trying to track down a copy of this but can't find one or at least the Gold version anyway. I tried the usual places (Music Direct, CD Universe, Amazon, etc… but it is either unavailable or out of stock. I tried eBay as well but there were none listed.

The search continues…

[george daniel]

Lindsy Buckingham's,,"out of the cradle"

[beardog03]

I would like to find a good version of some old Jeff Beck

[Stew]

Alison Krauss + Union Station Live (redbook)

Listening to this one again as I type this. Probably the best live recording I've ever heard.

[Mike Reeter]

Alison Krauss + Union Station Live (redbook)

Listening to this one again as I type this. Probably the best live recording I've ever heard.

I will 2nd that...the DVD version is just as good

[Mike53]

I would like to find a good version of some old Jeff Beck

I agree...with Max Middleton. The last thing I heard from Jeff was "Guitar Shop". Has he done anything since then...other than restore antique cars.

I did see him a year, or so, ago on cable TV...he showed up for a live BB King concert. Did a couple tunes with BB. Beck sounded great!

[m00npie]

Try any of the ones mastered or remastered by Steve Hoffman. Check out a list Here (http://www.stevehoffman.tv/discography/DCC)

Took your advice and purchased both Metallica albums re-mastered by Steve Hoffman. I noticed a big difference on both albums. :D

I saw eBay had a few sales for the entire DCC collection for about 6-10K :eek:

[schwarcw]

Steve's the man! Glad you were happy with your purchase.

The big thing that I've noticed in his remastered material is the improved "depth" in the soundstage, plus more clarity and an almost sweet, smoothness to the sound.

[skipf]

Alison Krauss + Union Station Live (redbook)

Listening to this one again as I type this. Probably the best live recording I've ever heard.

This one is good, the MFSL vinyl is incredible, but this is about cd's. Some of my favorites for great production:

Telarc - 1812 overture - Knudsel
Telarc - Vivaldi's Four Seasons
Steely Dan - The Royal Scam
The Travelling Wilbury's - Vol 1
Dolly Parton - The Grass is Blue (absolutely one of the best assembled bluegrass bands I've ever heard)
Spirit - 12 Dreams of Dr. Sardonis
Grover Washington Jr. - Mr. Magic
The Seldom Scene - Scene it All
AKUS - So Long, So Wrong

[G-2]

Toto IV on SACD, we have the hybrid coming, we'll mention if there's any difference, but in general (as stated somewhere before), in general the SACDs we have are better sounding than the original redbook, that's just our experience, your millage may vary!

[tom t]

the GRP disc all sound very good also. mostly jazz.
also, alot of pink floyd stuff is well recorded

[schwarcw]

Alison Krauss + Union Station Live (redbook)

Listening to this one again as I type this. Probably the best live recording I've ever heard.

Stew,

Try Alison Kraus and Union Station's "New Favorite", put on a diaper o a Depends first.

Also, the last cut on AKUS "SO Long So Wrong", "There is a Reason" is a gospel song. If that song doesn't put you on your knees, you need to go off and re think your life. Great, great, stuff. She's won 21 Grammy awards and I think she is about 35.