Miles Davis - Kind of Blue Particular track is So What
Prokofiev's Lt Kije Suite - I believe the version I have is the Philadelphia Orchestra conducted by Eugene Ormond. It also includes the Classical Symphony and Love for Three Oranges.
Peter Gabriel's Secret World Live- Particular Track are Come Talk to Me and Don't Give Up. One is a big production and the other is subtle, both show off a tremendous female voice in Paula Cole
Iron Maiden's Number of the Beast - Particular Tracks are Run To the Hill and Hallowed Be Thy Name

To me it is a good cross section of music and recording types while all are high quality, well engineered discs.

I know your not a metal fan so instead of Maiden, consider something like Who's Next or Quadrophenia. Highly complex and detailed music and very good recordings.

Don't Give Up, I am pretty sure the female voice belongs to Kate Bush. I could be wrong as unlikely as that may seem. Lol

Geoff Kait
Machina Dynamica

Geoff,

You are spot on for the studio version of Don't Give up on the So album just like Sinead O'Connor did the female vocals for Come Talk to Me on the Us album. On Secret World Live Paula Cole toured with Peter Gabriel and performed the female parts of these songs.

Radiohead Pablo Honey
Dead Can Dance Spiritchaser
Nirvana Unolugged
New Order Technique
Clash London Calling
The Cars first album
Rolling Stones Exile on Main Street
Led Zeppelin first album remastered
Led Zeppelin Presence remastered
Bush Sixteen Stone
Tool Undertow
The Doors first album remastered
The Doors LA Woman remastered
Jimi Hendrix Axis Bold as Love Hendrix Family Remastered
Fine Young Cannibals, Raw and Cooked
Apocalypse Now! Soundtrack
Steel Rails Under Thundering Skies

Geoff Kait
Machina Dynamica

I personally have found live recordings - live in studio or live at a concert often are superb and deliver a great, three dimensional soundstage. A few other favs of mine - I know you aren't a metal guy but I will include anyway

- 10,000 Maniacs - MTV Unplugged
- Johnny Cash - Live at Folsom Prison
- Motley Crue - Dr Feelgood I literally hate this record but it is a great recording. The sound is amazing
- Metallica - Black Album Metallica hired the engineer and producer from Dr Feelgood and one of the major changes made was that they began recording tracks live in the studio
- Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath self titled and Paranoid. Recorded live in studio. It has to be a remaster or a version that comes from the masters at dorcester holdings.
- Eric Clapton's From the Cradle - Not his best album but maybe his best recording

Just about anything done by Martin Birch who is an absolute genius - my favs
Rainbow - Final Vinyl - is a selection of the best live tracks over about 10 years of recording live shows
Iron Maiden - Live After Death - 1984 World Slavery Tour
Black Sabbath's - Heaven and Hell and the Mod Rules - not live but great recordings
Deep Purple - Made In Japan

What does "Redbook" mean?

That just means regular CD resolution and word length as opposed to high resolution media like SACD and the like.

Roger Waters - Amused to Death - Great recording and very dynamic
Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms - This used to really shine on my Infinity Kappa's.
Mark Knopfler - Sailing to Philadephia
Sarah McLachlan - Surfacing
Paula Cole - This Fire
Norah Jones - Come Away With Me

Again, leaning more toward the metal and progressive rock genres

Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard of Oz and Diary of a Madman remastered.
Judas Priest - Screaming for Vengeance, British Steel and Defenders of the Faith were all excellent recordings
Yngwie Malmseen's Rising Force - Odyssey Superb recording - excellent vocals.
Eric Johnson - Ah Via Musicom superb recording and one of my favorite CDs
Dream Theatre - Images & Words Technically, an outstanding band and this is a good recording.
Rush - Subdivisions, Permanent Waves, Moving Pictures and Roll The Bones. Generally, Rush albums are well recorded and extremely dynamic though Vapor Trails and Test for Echo might need to be re-engineered. The four I mentioned above are probably the best.

I am going to throw out one more recco and I used this as a screening track for all equipment. It is the first thing I play to see whether a set of speakers or a power amp is to be considered.

Journey - Only the Young which was a single only. It appear on Greatest Hits or on the 2006 re-issue of Frontiers. This is my brightness test. The opening of this song and the lyrics can be unbearable with the wrong hardware. In fact, this is the track I have used to explain the difference between "bright" and "forward" to a friend of mine. If this track sounds good, then I move on to more critical evaluation.

Ron-

excellent suggestions as above. My reference disc is:
Jamie Cullum- twentysomething -CD/SACD 2004 (Verve).

I like to use Seal some tracks Kiss from a Rose, loves Divine really the whole Best of Seal CD is great.
I also use Sade, Peter Gabriel

I concur, Seal, Sade and PG are all well-recorded music.

Genesis ABACAB is a truly exceptional recording. No Reply al Atll is a great track to highlight your soundstage. The overall record is great, that track is very dynamic and stands out.

Yep- love ABACAB!

Men at Work - Business as Usual and Colin Hay - Gathering Mercury

I am surprised at how good Business and Usual sounds and there is a dimensionality to Colin Hay's voice that is really special. Gathering Mercury is a real gem if you like his voice.

Yes, Men at Work were excellent sounding discs.

I concur Ron-
Pearl Jam -TEN
Nirvana - UNPLUGGED IN NY

both are excellent demo discs and very well recorded.