Unlike more listening sessions you are listening ‘to the equipment’, not the music specifically. (theoretically) How does this or that piece handle the reference piece? How does it compare to a previous chunk of hifi gear?  

When auditioning these tracks, ideally on Vinyl, focus on the following audio qualities:

-Does the recording feel open; does it offer low-end and high-end highs? Does it feel like a letterbox opening with a narrow band of sound? Classical music, generally, being the best example of that. 

-Can you visualise from the sounds where everything is placed. Can you see the guitars, drums, singer or the other musicians? Does it feel like the delivery is wide?

-Vinyl quality- as important as the musical source is, is the vinyl media quiet and stable?

These aspects contribute to a lifelike listening experience—so pay close attention and compare notes between tracks and systems.

Ten More Tracks we love to reference with. 

All these albums should be straightforward enough to track down (after all we love all of them here at OnVinyl). **Actually, twelve tracks included.

XTC- Track ‘Summer’s Cauldron’, album ‘Skylarking’ 1986 -a great fun track with lots of lovely detailing and nuances, clean tight musicianship, filled with luscious summer vibes. English music at its best.

Pink Floyd- ‘Echoes’, album ‘Meddle’ 1971, -Sorry, no protests accepted on this one Simon. Many of you have listened to the ‘Live in Pompeii’ Soundtrack and have come back to the original. ‘Echoes’ is an enduring masterful track with some of the finest guitars at work, and drumming. If you are impatient move through forward to timestamp 7:00 minutes for a lesson in musical pacing and the power, and impact. slightly louder on this one please.

Thomas Dolby- ‘I scare myself’, album ‘Flat Earth’ 1984- immaculate production and a synth masterpiece.  Thomas being a great artist and with production chops. Bass dripping from every atom. Being an 80’s recording is it harsh on your system?

Massive Attack, ‘Man Next Door’. album ‘Mezzanine’ 1998- One of the most powerful tracks on a killer album. Thick layers of musical menace vibrating every atom. A track to test all round system capability, and how does it cope with low end punchy Bass.  Keep small children away.

 

Jackson Browne, ‘Linda Paloma’, album ‘The Pretender’ 1977, a beautiful track with magical guitarron and harps, giving a soft rich Mexican vibe, and the perfect complement to Jacksons voice. Testing detail and finesse. Quiet passages to check out the vinyl quality.

 

Rickie Lee Jones- ‘Easy Money’, ‘Self-Titled’ 1979. Debut album with some playful and some serious tunes from the sassy Rickie Lee. I liken this track to a molten liquid flowing and ebbing through this great track. RL has beautifully crafted and has a great lead in Bass. A good system will highlight her magical voice and lesser systems and pressing may show a slightly shrill character to it.  

 

Rufus and Chaka Khan- ‘Ain’t Nobody’, album ‘Live’ 1983. Great energetic track from Chaka, and a good system will make her voice shine revealing all the lovely nuances, and power she offers, as an artist.  One of the best Soul, Funk tracks of the 80’s.

 

John Martyn, ‘Glory Box’, Album ‘The Church with One Bell’ 1998- Yep, it’s a Portishead song and John offers an amazing interpretation of this highly charged emotional track. Unbelievable power from this legendary talent, John’s voice supported by some very talented artists. A little harder to get this album but worth the search.

 

The Dave Brubeck Quartet, ‘Take Five’, Album ‘Time Out’ 1959. Masterful album and ‘Take Five’ being one of the best-known songs and a lesson in great musicianship, it’s unusual time signature, arrangement, recording…. Dave Brubeck- Piano, Joe Morello- Drums, Gene Wright- Bass, and Paul Desmond- another jazz great on Alto Sax. Just listen to the individual musicians and their contribution to one of the best jazz albums ever. We’ve just listed on the Rega and a superb NZ pressing from 1960 and is phenomenal.

 

Mark Hollis- ‘The Daily Planet’, Album ‘Mark Hollis’, 1998- The final album from the genius of Mark, this was his solo project after ‘Talk Talk’. Mark, a perfectionist, meant a challenging painstaking recording, producing this undisputed masterpiece. ‘The Daily Planet’ offers a lesson in experimental ideas crafted into seven minutes of inspiration. Sparse, intimate and quiet. This is a sit-down-and-listen with no other distractions kind of track. When his voice fills the speakers, it somehow transforms the sound into emotion, joy and peace. Pared back and beautifully crafted.

 

Honorable mention- John Martyn Title track from ‘Heaven and Earth’ 2011- Phew! Hard to find this album on Vinyl, but it is something else. Later in John’s career and not too good health wise but this is an album to cherish. His final studio album introduced to me by Paul, at Vintage Valves. I was instantly captivated by this beguiling piece of music. Every breath and note right there. Aspirational as the influencers would say.

 

I hope there are a few tracks that maybe new and worth checking out.  

A Final Note: We are compiling a List of Test Tracks from album newly issued on Vinyl since 2015. Looking for the new generation of Audiophile albums. Really would love to hear your thoughts.

 

All the best

David and Otis