Ask Lemmy

If I got new speakers, better quality ones than the ones for my old RCA thing or the ones in my Bria radio CD player thing, or even my beats headphones, I'd have a hard time choosing an album. Would probably go with whatever I'm in love with at the moment. Currently that's a 3 way tie between R.E.M.'s Out of Time, Alice in Chains Jar of Flies, and New Radicals Maybe You've Been Brainwashed. Would struggle to lick between those 3.

As for individual songs, I got a couple I'm currently absolutely in love with that I'd love to play on very high quality speakers:

Deafening - The Nixon Rodeo ( emotionally hard rock, at least I think so )

OR

Someday We'll Know - New Radicals ( for some reason this just became my absolute favorite New Radicals song immediately after hearing it once on CD )

DJ Shadow - Endtroducing

I have listened to this album more times than anything else I own. I'm on my third copy of it after wearing out the original pressing I have from the 90's and the repressing from 10 years ago. I know every sample, every soundscape, and it almost brings me to tears every time I drop the needle on it. So many memories of good times where this was the soundtrack. So many friends, now gone, walk next to me again when that album plays.

I miss you, Isaac.

Even god has a hell

Here's a screenshot of my headphone testing playlist. Songs I like, but also having either deep bass, bright highs, or both. Plus, they're songs I've listened to a million times, so I know how they're supposed to sound.

As for music I'd want to get first when starting over: Dark Side of the Moon.

I was in theatre school for a while. We touched on everything related to a theatre production, including sound. Our tech would always test his setup with Paul Simon's Getting Ready For Christmas Day.

I've heard that song used to calibrate audio setups so often that it's become easy to identify any issues when I hear it.

46 and 2

New speakers? Maurice Ravel, "Bolero". No better music to test an audio system.

Bear with me on this one.

I like to use the maestoso from Saint-Saëns’s Symphony No. 3 in C Minor, often called the Organ Symphony, for testing speakers. Turn it way up and blast that organ sound. Also reminds me of the movie Babe since they used the theme from this movement for that movie. 😁

(Links below are YouTube Music, but I’m confident you can find the same recordings on Spotify.)

Here’s a good recording, listen to at least the first 1:45, though the full movement isn’t very long (a bit over seven minutes). Again, volume is your friend for this movement. It’s MAJESTIC, and on a good set of speakers it’s incredible.

Another good orchestral work for this type of showing off is Holst’s Jupiter, or the fourth movement of Dvořák’s New World Symphony

(There are many more but these are some relatively well-known-without-people-knowing-they-know-them ones.)

Jazzmataz vol. 1 by Guru

"Frank's Wild Years"

Amon Amarth - Twilight of the Thunder God

Florence + the Machine - June

Just to open it gently

Voodoo by Godsmack

Overture 1928 - Dream Theater

10.8 by Deadmau5 and Mr. Bill

Pure ear candy

Dire Straits - Walk of Life.

For testing speakers, Infected Mushroom, Tame Impala and 20syl/AllttA are always good choices. Maybe Tool as well (10000 days). Song depends on what I'm most familiar with atm.

For a new library, I'd probably just choose whatever I listen to the most. Which would be The Fearless Flyers and Aesop Rock rn.

AC/DC - "Back in Black"

One of the THX Deep Notes

„Rumors“ by Fleetwood Mac.

Probably A Night at the Opera by Queen, which was the first album I ever bought with my own money. A ton of classic tracks, lots of tonal range, weirdass spatial effects from early-era screwing around with stereophonic production, and a hell of a good time any day of the week.

Led Zeppelin II in its entirety

Dark Side of the Moon and now I feel old.

Never gonna give you up

Evil Empire by Rage Against the Machine

Sound and Fury - Sturgill Simpson.

Hotel California by Eagles

Guitar mass but infected mushroom.

If the speakers have no problem with that they'll play anything else I listen to

Welcome to The Black Parade.

After restoring a vintage reciever, it was the first song thst made me feel, unprompted, that I had gotten it right.

“A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out” by Panic! At the Disco. It’s been my favorite album since it came out. I never get tired of it. Specifically “Camisado” is my favorite track on it.

Cat Stevens - Wild World

"6:00" by Dream Theater. It begins with a sick drum fill that pans across stereo speakers and then builds up with drums, then keyboards, then guitar/bass. It sounds fantastic cranked up on a good set of speakers!

https://music.apple.com/us/album/put-me-under/1693342526?i=1693342534&ls=

Figueroa - Put Me Under

Death Cab for Cutie - Plans

Or

The Black Keys - Brothers

Electric Ladyland

Polygamous by Breaking Benjamin. Followed by the rest of the Saturate album.

Hells Bells by AC/DC.

Heartbeat - childish gambino

It's so cliche in the speaker world, but the live recording of Hotel California by The Eagles. On solid speakers, it is like you're there in the audience.

Opeth - Blackwater Park