Top 10 Audiophile Editions of 2020

I agree 100% with the Joan Armatrading. One of the finest records I own. Your recommendation has me checking out more of her back catalogue and her 70’s album are all fantastic and highly recommended. Hopefully they too get the audiophile treatment. Keep up the great work Michael! Big fan here in Australia.

Carly Simon-one of my favorite album covers! BTW, have you been to Pallas?

Love end of year Top 10's! Have never heard Joan Armatrading, just having a Tidal listen now and it's stunning. Thanks for sharing. On a sidenote... have you ever heard the ORG 45RPM version of Jeff Buckleys Grace? From 2014 I believe cat number is ORG194. It really is quite masterful. It's an album I've heard a thousand times but never like this... highly recommend if you get the chance.

Yao Si Ting albums are also must.

Another very interesting video - like you I also love lists!
I will say Jazz aside this has not been a great year for audiophile reissues. What has been released has been excellent but so few titles compared to previous years. I would normally have 50 or so to pick from - this year only 15 or so.
My list below:
10. TE Ford - Country Hits AP 33 ( you are right about this one brilliant recording)
9. Dylan - Pat Garrett MFSL 33
8. Dylan - Oh Mercy MFSL 45
7. Jethro Tull - Aqualung AP 45
6. Johnny Cash - I Walk The Line MFSL 45
5. Joan Armatrading Intervention 33
4. Friday Night In San Francisco Impex 45
3. Love Forever Changes Mono ERC 33
2. Starker Bach Suites AP 45
1. Dylan Love and Theft MFSL 45

Another great video! I find new artists almost every time I watch one of your videos. Definitely going to be checking out Joan Armatrading.

Hi Michael! I discovered you this week and you have won a new subscriber!. Excellent video and great recommendations 👌 . Regards from Barcelona.

The cello, Bach, and Starker. Much thanks for the recommendation.

Hi, mich würde interessieren welche Schutzhüllen du da nutzt. Die sind so schön klar...
Gruß Matthias

Michael,
Do you ever purchase a audiophile release for music you don't particularly care for because you know it sounds good?

I've been a huge fan of Joan Armatrading for decades. Even most regular US pressings are very good if you can find a clean one. I was just listening to To The Limit last night.

well done. Nice well rounded picks Joan Armatrading is such an underrated artist.

Michael, if you don’t mind me asking what gatefold covers do you use? Thanks.

Ouh la! I have not a single one of those. I guess that is what happens during covid. I must look into those records more

I think only focusing on audiophile pressings limits your music taste. There is so much undiscovered which will never be pressed in „high end“.

Thanks a lot for your video. The record with Joan Armatrading is out of stock in Germany. I found on the website of intervention record that a preorder sale has started. Do you know where it can be preordered in Germany?

Great video

Great to have 5 of them, thanks for doing this

Hi sir, just subscribed to your channel thank you and god bless! From Orange County CA.

I really like your style.

Very jealous of that Ravel box! I’ve been listing after that series of recordings for years, as they are equally hard to come by in their original form.

What I liked most about your list is how sincere and personal it is to you. You obviously took a lot of time to study these releases in your beautiful listening room. You didn’t let popular opinion sway your choices. Also your wide-ranging interests were apparent as you included something from nearly every genre. Thanks Michael, I’m looking forward to your upcoming top 10 jazz records!

I want to briefly comment on the review of the number 5 record: Forever Changes by Love. The second track, A House is Not a Motel has an abrupt ending (I have the ERC record as well). From the ERC website I found this: Mastered in Stereo from the original master tapes (identified by the abrupt edit at the end of “A House is not a Motel”) via our 1965 all valve Lyrec / Ortofon analogue cutting chain. No equalisation or compression was used during the mastering process.

You can see that if you go to their website and look under "news" to find it.

This was a really great video and I will have to give that TN Ernie Ford a shot as well as some others. The Johny Cash MoFi definitely blew my socks off, but unfortunately is the only one I own on your list. Interesting fact about Ernie Ford.. I live about about a 30 minute drive from his childhood home, and could walk to it from where I work! Its a small home squeezed in around a bunch of other small homes, and you'd miss it if you blink. I'd love to see more shootouts in the future too, your Blue Note Classic was a fun one to watch. Keep up the good work 👍

Similar taste Michael, enjoyed that and subscribed. Thanks

I'm sold on the T-Rex! NICE!

I’ve asked my wife for the Tennessee Ernie Ford release for Christmas! Seems like a tremendous deal. 🙏🏼🤙🏼

I really enjoy your videos. :) I am curious about the colorful stuff on your wall. What is it, and does it have any acoustic effect or is it just an ornament? Thanks!

Was für eine herzerwärmende Überraschung. Der sichtlich emotionalen Bewegtheit für das Joan Armatrading kann ich sehr gut nachempfinden. Bin hierher über das sympathische Einstein-Video gelangt. Hab mich gefragt ob Du für Deine neuen Scheiben insbesondere zur Schonung des Tonabnehmners bereits eine Plattenwaschmaschine benutzt ( Lösemittel zwischen Plattenmatritze und Viynlpuck)? Weihnachtliche Grüße

Hi! I got the carly Simon one on your rekommendation. She is an artist i Never got into. Thanks, that was a splendid recommendation! Happy holidays

Love your top albums of the year. Ive got the Trex lp but im going to check out some on the list because of your great reviews.

Mike at The In Groove also recommended The Tennessee Ernie Ford album so I may have to order that. Thanks for such an insightful video. Inspiring as always

👌

Hi you mentioned that forever changes album is a good recording ,but the actual best version of this recording is the most recent Rhino version ,I've heard different versions and agree that it is also aqualung by Jethro the version mixed by steve wilson is outstanding

A great list, I have 80% of these albums in other pressings or on CD, I might want to hunt for these : 1.) Carly Simon ,2.) Aqualung (my favorite Jethro Tull Album) unfortunately I could not find the analog production version.and yes , I love your Choice Nr. 1 An artist I know but never had a Vinyl. Thanks and Greetings from Grevenbroich

"I have a new turntable...." Do you have a video on your stereo system, please? Always interesting for those of us that like that kind of thing. Great videos, incidentally, and Hi! from a new subscriber ;0)

If you haven't already track (pardon the pun!) down copies of Joan Armatrading's "Show some emotion" and "to the limit"; a trilogy (along with the self-titled shown in the video) of stunningly good records and, sound-quality wise, some of Glyn John's most impressive work

Michael, just discovered you this week and you now join Michael Fremer as my go to vinyl gurus. It's nice to know that in my 50+ years of collecting amazing music we are simpatico in so many ways and yet you have opened my eyes and ears to some new LPs through your videos. Love my ERC recordings, the Tull and Armatrading! Picking up a few things I didn't have like the Cash and Ford LPs. Have originals of most everything else you mentioned but still ordering the reissues because of your recommendations. Thank you for sharing your love of quality music on quality vinyl!!

Thank you, without this video I might never had known about Speakers Corner Carly Simon one. A-side last song, it sounds so lush, so full. The whole album is so wonderful, and this version so especially full and lush. £35 well spent! What a channel you have here, I am not even an audiophile and my system is crap but I can hear the difference! Uncanny.

I am in love with the T.REX ELECTRIC WARRIOR ALBUM.... This is truly a Gem.Thanks!🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

Props to James Taylor... lucky guy

Rewatching this video again, 6 months after, and to anyone watching this after the fact, like me... Joan Armatrading is a revelation! Shockingly good, acoustic-electric, soulful, singer-songwriter masterpiece. Couldn't agree more. I just listened to it again recently and it is virtually perfect. And she is still going strong. Rolling Stone just featured her in an article in 2021.

Michael, you are doing such a great job on everything! Every style of music, you nail it! Thank you for helping me on my journey to great analog sound!

Just ordered that Carly Simon record. I agree about the cover: she looks utterly gorgeous.

Sending love from Wales everyone says hi! 🤗🥰💜

The Carly S. OG. of Torch sounds wonderful.

I love Paco de Lucia- probably the greatest flamenco guitarist of all time. I would highly recommend his LP, "Fuente Y Caudal" from 1973 on the Philips label. Great music and very good sonics. I have listened to it hundreds of times and own several copies. He often collaborated with the flamenco singing legend, Cameron de la Isla.

Sorry If I ask You this: Have you fake Teeth?