Crazy by Patsy Cline was in just about every jukebox in the world, for good reason.
That song is eternal.
Back in 2005, I visited Winchester Va during Labor Day weekend, have a friend down there who was the perfect tour guide.
Every year on that weekend, they celebrate Patsy, and that year they had a dedication ceremony of the house where Patsy grew up on Kent Street.
Naturally, I was there, since I adore her music, and was honored to actually meet Patsy's daughter, Julie Fudge, and the husband Charlie Dick.
Got a kiss on the cheek from Julie, and shook hands with Charlie too.
After the ceremony, I went down to Shenendoah Memorial Cemetery and paid my respects at Patsy's grave.
Gotta say, that day was very moving for me.
That's me at the gravesite, and the other photo at the dedication, Charlie and Julie near the marker and me on the extreme right, pointing to something.
That song is eternal.
Back in 2005, I visited Winchester Va during Labor Day weekend, have a friend down there who was the perfect tour guide.
Every year on that weekend, they celebrate Patsy, and that year they had a dedication ceremony of the house where Patsy grew up on Kent Street.
Naturally, I was there, since I adore her music, and was honored to actually meet Patsy's daughter, Julie Fudge, and the husband Charlie Dick.
Got a kiss on the cheek from Julie, and shook hands with Charlie too.
After the ceremony, I went down to Shenendoah Memorial Cemetery and paid my respects at Patsy's grave.
Gotta say, that day was very moving for me.
That's me at the gravesite, and the other photo at the dedication, Charlie and Julie near the marker and me on the extreme right, pointing to something.
Attachments
Back then I was most thrilled playng "80-F" and "Can You Face It" on our new stereo
I have a few I like to play for first timers if they do not have a preference that I have in my collection:
Gino Vannelli - Jo Jo, Poor Happy Jimmy inter alia (Powerful People) - LP and CD
Dire Straits - Fade To Black (On Every Street) - LP and CD
Supertramp - Crime of the Century (CotC) - UHQR LP
Linda Ronstadt - The Moon's A Harsh Mistress (Get Closer) - LP and CD
Madrugada - Vocal inter alia (Industrial Silence) - LP and CD
Pink Martini - A range of their albums - LP and CD China Forbes and Saori Yuki have wonderful voices
Some Stacey Kent, Madeline Peyreaux, Tierney Sutton - LP, CD and SACD
James Taylor - Believe it or Not/Sugar Trade (Dad Loves His Work) - LP and CD
Kansas - Dust in the Wind (Point of Know Return) - LP
Dan Patlansky - True Blues
For Classical music lovers:
Holst - The Planets - UHQR LP
Rodrigo - Concerto Aranjuez - LP (Phillips)
Massenet - Meditation from Thaïs - LP
Mussorgsky - Pictures at an Exhibition - LP and CD
For what it's worth ....
Gino Vannelli - Jo Jo, Poor Happy Jimmy inter alia (Powerful People) - LP and CD
Dire Straits - Fade To Black (On Every Street) - LP and CD
Supertramp - Crime of the Century (CotC) - UHQR LP
Linda Ronstadt - The Moon's A Harsh Mistress (Get Closer) - LP and CD
Madrugada - Vocal inter alia (Industrial Silence) - LP and CD
Pink Martini - A range of their albums - LP and CD China Forbes and Saori Yuki have wonderful voices
Some Stacey Kent, Madeline Peyreaux, Tierney Sutton - LP, CD and SACD
James Taylor - Believe it or Not/Sugar Trade (Dad Loves His Work) - LP and CD
Kansas - Dust in the Wind (Point of Know Return) - LP
Dan Patlansky - True Blues
For Classical music lovers:
Holst - The Planets - UHQR LP
Rodrigo - Concerto Aranjuez - LP (Phillips)
Massenet - Meditation from Thaïs - LP
Mussorgsky - Pictures at an Exhibition - LP and CD
For what it's worth ....
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I also concur with Kevin about playing something your new listener is familiar with. But after that there are literally hundred of audiophile recordings that will impress them and perhaps require a fork lift to help raise they're lower jaw out of their lap. I like to play something from my direct-to-disk collection.
It's curious that you mentioned this one. Fifteen years ago one of our New Jersey Audio Society members used some special phase correcting digital program to further improve on otherwise excellent recordings. And one of the songs was this Buddy Holly tune. That really is a super clear in-your-ear performance.
Attachments
For demonstrating female vocal - "Tall Trees in Georgia" by Eva Cassidy, or really anything from "The Best of Eva Cassidy" or Chie Ayado's "Tears in Heaven" from her album "Good Life".
For trumpet - Nini Rosso's "Il Silenzo" from "Nini Rosso Digital Best".
Violin - Cho-Liang Lin's Mozart Violin Concerto No. 4 in D major, K. 218 "Cadenza" (and more if there is any appetite for it)
Jazz bass & guitar - Charlie Haden and Pat Metheny's "Our Spanish Lovesong" or "Spiritual" from "Beyond the Missouri Sky".
I could keep going and going. As others have said, there could never be just one. There is a lot of excellent material that has the uncanny ability of making some hi-fi systems sound better than they really are. 🙂
Something by Steely Dan would be on my list, for sure. Something from "Gaucho" or "Aja", of course.
For trumpet - Nini Rosso's "Il Silenzo" from "Nini Rosso Digital Best".
Violin - Cho-Liang Lin's Mozart Violin Concerto No. 4 in D major, K. 218 "Cadenza" (and more if there is any appetite for it)
Jazz bass & guitar - Charlie Haden and Pat Metheny's "Our Spanish Lovesong" or "Spiritual" from "Beyond the Missouri Sky".
I could keep going and going. As others have said, there could never be just one. There is a lot of excellent material that has the uncanny ability of making some hi-fi systems sound better than they really are. 🙂
Something by Steely Dan would be on my list, for sure. Something from "Gaucho" or "Aja", of course.
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If I’d play to a non audiophile stranger some music that I truly enjoy, it may appear as altering the concept commonly known as HiFi. So I’d settle for Bjork, All Is Full Of Love.
I will try to find music people like, but many will ask about tunes that I do not have because I don't buy that over compressed list-pop BS, and when they say: "I can listen to anything, really." my immediate response is: "Nope! Sorry! Don't believe you!"
And the next stage of the discussion usually goes to "Maybe we can find something on something on spotify?" I try to explain that I am not a fan of spotify and it does not exist on my computer. Not to mention that the differences in mastering makes an even bigger difference on spotify since just about anyone can just upload their music there. The automatic targeting and adjustment doodads are completely useless, list pop still has to be turned down until hardly audible and even then it sounds too much for me, turn it up and I feel like I'm listening to a miniscule 70's portable radio that's never had a capacitor switch despite listening to 6x15".
Spotify should have the classic Bass/Mid/Treble +/-12db knobs as default on the basic interface, because then it might be useable. Listening to a tune and there's way too much mid, next tune is intolerable bass, then comes a tune where the treble must've been mixed by a deaf person.
It's horrible!
/rant
It's been played a bit much, but I still think Stevie Ray Vaughns version of Little Wing is way way up there with the very best.
Most people have heard Dire Straits and they do have very good dynamics. Sometimes I dig out some funky house music, for kicking their guts if they ask for it it's Simian Mobile Disco - Breaking Time
How about multichannel? The new 5.1 mix of Abbey Road is wonderful; "Sun King" in particular is absolutely mesmerizing.
I don't have any of these strange 'friends' but I mind some mono sinatra is always a good start as the tracks are well known and good mono sets the stage for demonstrating good stereo.
Roxy Music - Avalon
The whole album is good, but especially the title track. Lots of interesting stuff going on, very well recorded.
10CC - I'm Not In Love
Amazing layers of vocals.
Another vote for Supertramp - Crime of the Century, as well as Even in the Quietest Moments.
Take care,
Doug
The whole album is good, but especially the title track. Lots of interesting stuff going on, very well recorded.
10CC - I'm Not In Love
Amazing layers of vocals.
Another vote for Supertramp - Crime of the Century, as well as Even in the Quietest Moments.
Take care,
Doug
How about Yello, don't know if it can be called music, but their sound have always been of the spectacular sensationalist in the face, remember when I heard them first time years ago it made quite an impression.
Here's one of their very latest:
Yello - Out Of Sight (Official Video) 2020 - YouTube
Here's one of their very latest:
Yello - Out Of Sight (Official Video) 2020 - YouTube
I'm with Kevin, et al: guests in my basement listening room invariably respond best when listening to something they are particularly familiar with or even love. Sure, I could suggest particular songs, but the best reactions come when someone is startled to really hear something they know well.
Supertramp - Crime of the Century.
It wasn't your usual mix as it goes.
It worked for me, But was entirely mixed left, centre and right.
Creating a stunning stereo effect. 😀
It wasn't your usual mix as it goes.
It worked for me, But was entirely mixed left, centre and right.
Creating a stunning stereo effect. 😀
I like pretty much anything by Yello and would definitely categorize it as music, I'm sure exactly how I would categorize it, but I have that problem with a lot of much less interesting stuff too. 😀
Roberta Gambarini - Easy to Love. It will grab just about anyone's attention. A very clear recording of a great voice. The album is mastered too hot, but that works to impress.
After that some song they've heard a 1000 times.
After that some song they've heard a 1000 times.
I usually play 'What I'd Say' from the album 'Thanks for Bringing Love Around Again' by Ray Charles.
Good workout for the system
Good workout for the system