Reading through the musical preferences of the other reviewers here on TNT, I note that they generally fall into one of two camps! That is, some are in the objective camp, they listen for timing, soundstage, bass quality and speed, detail etc. The other camp are the 'subjectives' and are listening to hear if the music is replayed in such a way that it brings enjoyment.

I align myself with the second camp although it's fair to say that I am also listening for the qualities sought out by those in the objective camp, when I am testing new hi-fi or have made modifications. I'm not saying that I do not evaluate a hi-fi or listen to the various aspects but the first question I ask is 'am I enjoying what I'm listening to?'

I like to listen particularly to the sound of the piano, saxaphone and percussion. If they are replayed accurately, the chances are the rest is good as well!

So here is a list of my favourite albums. I have thrown in a few obscure items but only because they are really worth seeking out!

CD's

• 'Circus' Mary Black. Mary Black is a one of many fine Irish female vocalists, in my opinion, one of the best. She always chooses material from accomplished songwriters, performs it to perfection with top-notch musicians and the finished album is well-produced. 'Circus' is one of the earlier albums but I never get tired of it. And the first track clearly reveals any problems with bass reproduction.
• 'Dafos' Hart/Airto/Purim. You may not be aware of this album. I saw it advertised in a catalogue as being a 'real test for an audiophile system'. Well, I couldn't resist a challenge like that and ordered a copy. It's an unusual album consisting mainly of percussion and some vocals. Now, if that sounds like it's boring, please don't let me put you off. A poor system will not reveal all the nuances, or cope with the dynamics but on a good system, this is a treasure. In fact, wind up the volume and enjoy one of those 'audio caffeine' moments!
• 'Amused to Death' Roger Waters. I have been agonising over which Pink Floyd album to put in this list but the the choice is too difficult. So I'll cop out of that one and put in a Roger Waters solo album, 'Amused to Death'. Recorded in Q sound, this is an unusual hi-fi experience in that a lot of the sound comes from different parts of the room, including behind the listener. I don't know why this method of recording isn't more widely exploited. Sure, it would get tedious if used too frequently but I can think or one of two CD's in my collection that would have benefited from it! All sorts of strange things will happen if your system is not set up properly. I once wired a tweeter out of phase and didn't notice it until I played this album and wondered why some of the sound effects were in the wrong place. And this is a great concept album that I never tire of listening too. A good test of your hi-fi is to see if you can hear the wind chimes at the beginning of track 11.
• 'No Roots' Faithless. Again, it's hard to pick a favourite of the Faithless albums, such is the consistently high quality of their output. But I find myself playing the 'No Roots' CD quite a lot. Perhaps it has something to do with the political nature of the songs, a reminder of my days in the school folk club listening to the protest songs of Bob Dylan and co.
• '1000 Kisses' Patty Griffin. Another female vocalist and one of those with a voice that can be almost unlistenable if the system isn't 'right'. If the speakers are not flat it will show straight away. Natalie Merchant is another artist with a similar voice quality. This is a country/folk album of excellent songs.
• 'Film ing' Bugge Wesseltoft. Once in a while I come across a really good album and something genuinely different and innovative. 'Film ing' (yes there is a gap) is one such album. While this is defintely a jazz album, please don't let that put you off auditioning it if you don't like jazz. There are so many more elements in there too. At times you could be listening to a Deep Forest album, or Baka Beyond, with all the little sounds in and around the music. It's an album that is difficult to fully describe but I can't recommend it highly enough. The first ten times that I listened to it, it sounded like a different album! Well produced and recorded, in my opinion a classic! This is one of the albums that I would have liked to have seen produced using Q sound!
• 'Song Bird' Eva Cassidy. What can you say about Eva Cassidy's voice? 'Song Bird' is my favourite Cassidy album with an excellent choice of tracks from the likes of Sting's 'Fields of Gold' to a brilliant version of 'Somewhere over the Rainbow'. Somebody said to me of the latter, "if she can take a song that I have detested for forty years and make me like it, she must be doing something right!"
• 'The Boy Next Door' Stacey Kent. I have a friend who is really into his jazz and rebukes me if I call this sort of music 'jazz'. Well, whatever category you put it into, 'The Boy Next Door' is one of my very favourite albums. All the old standards but the ones I never get tired of hearing, all performed faultlessly by Ms Kent. A wonderful recording as well.
• 'Natural Light' Eric Bibb. You may have guessed that I like music with emotion. And another artist who can deliver it in spades is blues artist, Eric Bibb. I love all his albums but 'Natural Light' would be the one I would choose if I had to pick just one. Whether it's the uplifiting tracks like 'Higher and Higher' and Water works fine', or the more soulful 'So Sorry' or 'Circles', this album has the power to move you and make you think but you can also just enjoy it as a very fine blues album.
• 'Sketches for my sweetheart the drunk' Jeff Buckley. I was a big fan of Jeff's father Tim who tragically died quite young. Jeff also died young and this album was released posthumously. So we have only two of his albums, his debut album 'Grace', and this one, both amongst my favourite albums of all time.
• 'O' Damien Rice. A well-recorded album that just goes by so fast like a good film or football match does! Brilliantly concieved and hauntingy beautiful, it's one of those albums that makes you appreciate your hi-fi even more!
• 'Prophesy' Nitin Sawnhey. This is another artist who you can depend on for high quality, album after album. 'Prophesy is my favourite of his albums. Well recorded, great material and a good test for any hi-fi.
• 'Super Trouper' Abba. OK, I know it's not fashionable to admit to liking Abba! And in truth, I always used to mock my brother for following them. Then I heard the Super Trouper album. What had happened? It was still popular music but somehow the songwriting had matured (perhaps due to the turmoil of their personal relationships), and the music had also achieved a maturity that wasn't there previously. The re-mastered CD really is of excellent quality and if you don't own this album because it is Abba, then you are missing out on some great music!
• 'Viaggio Italiano' Andrea Bocelli. It's almost impossible to pick something from my classical preferences but here is one that I listen to more than most. How the guy gets so much emotion into his songs I don't know but you cannot miss hearing that he loves what he does. Moving and brilliant!

LP's

• 'Dreamboat Annie' Heart. An example of all that was good about the seventies music scene. Light rock, brilliant female vocals and great songs. Better on vinyl than CD.
• 'Alchemy' Dire Straits. Another '100% good' album and another that is better on vinyl.
• 'The Singles 1969-1973' The Carpenters. OK, so I love great female vocalists and Karen Carpenter was one of the best. Great material (some composed by brother Richard), well performed, and a great recording. It's worth owning this album just for the guitar solo on 'Goodbye to Love'!
• 'Me, Myself, I' Joan Armatrading. Brilliant songs, great arrangements and one of those albums that is like an old and comfy sweater. The percussion on this album is pleasently 'prominent' and always a good test of timing.
• 'Mythical Knights and Iguanas' Dory Previn. I had the great priviledge to see Dory Previn in concert at Bristol and it was the best live perfomrance that I have ever experienced. This is her first and best album, full of great songs sung from the heart.
• 'At Seventeen' Janis Ian. Another great female singer-songwriter who penned lyrics you would not think possible from a girl of her age. Very melancholy but immensely pleasing.
• 'How will the wolf survive?' Los Lobos. A great mix of styles and influences, rock, folk, blues, R & B, country, and Tex-Mex with traditional Mexican music. The band has been together for over a quarter of a century and it shows in their faultless performances. A great recording and test of timing.
• I also find the Hi-Fi News and Record Review Test Record very useful for testing my hi-fi in general and particularly for setting up my turntable.