My best demo albums

[TheAttorney]

I would certainly consider your Rodrigo y Gabriela album.  And as a Leonard Cohen fan, I may choose You Want it Daker, or Old Ideas, simply becuase I prefer them to 10 New Songs.

 

But if pushed for only 3, off the top of my head I'd go for:

 

Laura Marling - Once I was an Eagle (Simply the most natural, life-like, female vocals I've ever heard, particularly on the 2nd half slower tracks. Warning: this is a sombre album)

 

Lambchop - Is a Woman (The original recording is better than the louder remaster)

 

Holly Cole - Temptation (Superb covers of Tom Waits songs)

 

PS. I'm a heahphone-only listener.

 

 

[TheAttorney]

8 hours ago, TubeLover said:

Holly Cole's Temptation is a brilliant recording, as are several of her albums.....  I also just discovered that Temptation is also available on SACD from a few years back. Wondering how good that recording is, and tempted to buy it.

 

I have only redbook files and CDs, but I did get the Analogue Productions hybrid SACD versions of Temptation and Don't Smoke in Bed. In both cases, the redbook layer of these "audiophile" remasters are better than the original, losing some hash and splash, but the difference is quite subtle, partly because the originals were pretty good to start with. I've heard bigger improvements by upgrading my hifi system. Probably the SACD layer would have been better still.

 

Continuing the thread of jazz/pop cross-over artists with demo quality recordings, two other contenders are:

 

Patricia Barber - I wasn't convinced at first, but now I love her minimalist/moody/aloof style. Based my 3-CD retrospective, no albums are more moody, or better recorded, than Modern Cool and the live Companion. If you're looking for a demo quality fretless bass solo, then go straight to the Use Me track on Companion. Her Mythologies album may well be the best recording of the lot, with some real wow moments, but I find it rather "intellectual" musically and not so easy to get into.

 

Diana Krall - The Girl in the Other Room. This is the album to get if you reckon you don't like Diana Krall. It's mostly her own compositions (co-written with hubby Elvis Costello) and a couple of modern covers. Just short of true demo status IMO because the rather hotly recorded vocals will show up any brighness in your system. But try it if only to compare Diana's sultry/sexy version of Temptation against Holly's darker, almost paranoid, interpretation. I love both versions.