By Wade Meredith • Published in Weekly Track — Apr 18, 2025 The Roughest Place I've Ever Been "Tin Pan Alley (AKA Roughest Place in Town)" by Steve Ray Vaughn & Double Trouble sets a standard for dynamic range and soundstage in recorded Blues music.
Weekly Track "When the Levee Breaks" by Led Zeppelin There's nothing like those first four bars of "When the Levee Breaks." It's the foundation of a grimy driving bluesy groove as unstoppable as the tide.
Weekly Track "Lisztomania" by Phoenix Lisztomania starts with a click and a piano chord, then the whole thing lifts. It's crisp and airy. Nothing is buried. This pop confection rewards a system that can separate midrange detail.
Weekly Track "Wicked Game" by Daisy Gray Daisy Gray's cover of Wicked Game strips the original to its bones. It's a beautiful dynamics showcase for hifi systems with midrange control and a low noise floor.
Weekly Track "Sledgehammer (2012 Remaster)" by Peter Gabriel The 2012 remaster of Sledgehammer puts the horn section in your lap. That opening hit is all brass and breath, tight and forward. The texture on the snare is wildly good and never gets lost in the mix.