Your reference songs...

[Lectoid]

I have 2 mo-fi Rush CD's, 2112 and Moving Pictures. I'm new to the hi-fi game so I haven't figured out which songs work best for me.

I am going to listen today to some DM602's and DM603's. I am also taking some Rollins Band CD's. Probably not the best to use, but it's one of my favorite bands. I figure I've heard the songs a ton so I can tell if they'll sound better.

Same with Tenacious D, I listen to it a lot.

[Thelonious Funk]

When I went (several times) to test speakers, I brought

Duke Ellington's Blues In Orbit
Don Ellis' Electric Bath
Ryan Adams' Heartbreaker
Allman Borthers One Way Out
Elvis Costello's River In Reverse
Tantra Monster's Self titled
Count Basie's Atomic Basie
Miles Davis' Kind of Blue
Thelonious Monk's Composer
Bela Fleck's Greatest Hits

Of these I found that I trusted the Davis, Ellington, and Fleck CD's the most, as they represented the music I most listen to..... but post the least about?

I'm a conflicted man. But if you like any of these choices, they present in very different ways depending on the setup you choose, I had already decided on the rotel amp and brought my own preamp to the tests. I decided on the maggies because of their bang for the buck and all around perfomance. I don't get around to listening to the 1812 Oveture much so I don't miss the bass that much, and have honestly found speaker positiions that give me too much bass from the maggies, Go figure.

[chrisn]

Metallica- Dyers Eve

Bob Marley- Redemption Song

The Clash- Guns of Brixton

The Clash- Rock the Casbah

Weezer- Undone (the sweater song)

I Wayne- Life Seeds

Bad Brains- Voyage into Infinity

Bad Brains- Give Thanks and Praises

[Thelonious Funk]

There is a song by the Bad Plus that I used to test out some ML Vista's the other day, and it served me very well.

Guilty, and it is on These Are The Vistas. Very dynamic, and it can give you a good idea on how taunt the bass will be.

[beatlefan]

reference songs

I like Fourplays "Max o Man" and Acoustic Alchemys " Dr. Chow", Also anything by Botti and Boney James.. Great thread, keep the songs coming, I'm writing fast.. :B

[eljr]

G'day,

[*]Massive Attack - "Angel" (from "Mezzanine") - this track begins with some very deep rumbling bass. But the bass should still be tight and clear. On some speakers, the bass will be muddled.[*][b]
--Geoff

That's one I use as well but have never heard anyone else on any forum mention it. :T

[pichonCalavera]

I like listening to these songs:

Whisper from the Mirror from Whisper from the Mirror by Keiko Matsui

Les Jours tristes (instrumental) from Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain by Yann Tiersen

Ocean of Noise from Neon Bible by Arcade Fire

Forty Six & 2 from Ænima by Tool

Toma la ruta from Dynamo by Soda Stereo

Acid Rain from Liquid Tension Experiment 2 by Liquid Tension Experiment

[its_bacon12]

I generally have to listen to My Immortal by Evanescence and a few songs by Florence + the Machine

Female vocals are my kryptonite.

[David Meek]

Female vocals are my kryptonite.

Have you heard Christina Booth? She's the lead vocal for a Welsh progressive rock group called Magenta and her voice is amazing.

For starters check out the album Seven, songs #2 (Envy) and #7 (Sloth).

[its_bacon12]

Have you heard Christina Booth? She's the lead vocal for a Welsh progressive rock group called Magenta and her voice is amazing.

For starters check out the album Seven, songs #2 (Envy) and #7 (Sloth).

Thanks,
I'll check that out when I get home later today.

[AwArEnEsS]

I love Celine Dion-My Heart Will Go On,it's my all-time favourite song.(is there anyone who doesn't know that song?)

I am a member of B&W's "Society of Sound" club,I downloaded songs of Julianna Raye from there,and I loved her voice,I think she has one of the best female voices I have ever heard.Her voice amazed me.

[AwArEnEsS]

After seeing the recommendation about "Sarah Mclachlan: Surfacing" album here,I listened to "I love you" song by her in that album.At first listening,I didn't like it.After listening to that song a few more times,I started loving it.Now I think that she has a great voice,maybe especially in that song.

I listened to "Diamond and Rusts" and liked it very much.

I listened to "Smooth Operator" by Sade and remembered that song,I had listened to it before,and it is a song which I like.

[2gumby2]

I bring Mescalero by ZZ Top. It's the best CD I've found to see what speakers will do. It's not a reference recording by any means, but it will show a speaker's weaknesses like no other music I've found.

[MikeK]

Tres Hombres : ZZ Top...from the Steve Hoffman remastered vinyl edition. The drums are magnificent.

Tin Pan Alley (alternate version found on a special edition of Texas Flood I think): Stevie Ray. Love to hear that amp humming in the background.

Yello: The Eye or Zebra. Both albums are reference electronic music. You wont hear better.

Thomas Dolby: Sole Survivor. One man show and a superb recording of Dolby's greatest hits. (watch your sub)

Dead can Dance: Into the Labrynth. Whoa! Magnificent

Louis Armstrong: Satchmo plays King Oliver. Worth it for St. James Infirmary alone. If you can get the 12" 45...all the better.

LA Four: Just Friends. Superbly recorded jazz

Anything from the newly remastered Beatles catalog.

Most any Dixie Chicks album.

Toto IV: Classic rock that was recorded by persnickety musicians, and the quality shows even today.

Steely Dan: Two against Nature. Recording perfection.

The Mavericks: Trampoline Catchy tunes all with attention to production.

Dire Straits: Telegraph Road. Fantastic dynamics.


These are my go-to albums along with many more I cant recall at the moment.

Mike

[David Meek]

Mike, I didn't re-read the entire thread so sorry if it's been mentioned, but I'll throw a second Dire Straits album in: Brothers In Arms. Once you get past the over-played "Money For Nothing" and "Walk Of Life" you get some great songs recorded and pressed exceedingly well.

[Chris D]

Particularly, on that album that David mentions, my 2nd favorite track (after "Money for Nothing") is "Why Worry", especially the latter part of the song where it's just an acoustic jam, and then the title song, "Brothers in Arms".

[sunshdw]

Here's a couple of mine:

Norah Jones - Come away with me on vinyl.
Humble me on CD

Vienna Tang - 1 Bedroom 1 bath

Eva Cassidy - Fields of gold
Wonderful world

Godsmack - Asleep

Mighty Sam McClain - Where ya been so long

Wildthings Soundtrack - Main Title track1

Morphine - Buena

Holly Cole - Briar and the rose

Sugarland - Stay

Diana Krall - Little girl blue

Ray Charles - Georgia on my mind on vinyl

Alice n Chains - Down in a Hole unplugged

Just to name a couple I use

[bbecker1983]

Lou Christie and Pittsburgh Men's Choir - Oh Holy Night
Alegria -Alegria
Judy Collins - Amazing Grace
Alexandera Burke - Hallelujah
Mahler Symphony no6 - Leonard Bernstein

(spelling??)

Bob

[Brandon B]

Nickel Creek - Shoulda Known Better
Jellyfish - The Man I Used to Be
Mike Kenneally - Living in Japan

[Manning]

Pink Floyd.......Dark Side of the Moon

Led Zeppelin.....Physical Grafitti.

Norah Jones......Anything, that lady is terrific.

Those are the first three that came to mind. Depending on what mood I'm will determine what I test with.