Music

You are fishing for random input, so random input you will get -- 5 suggestions!

1) (Don't laugh) Sinatra Reprise, The Very Good Years -- 'I get a kick out of you'. Why? The first phrase is one you can sing to your new car...AND the "big band" sound is awesome, sounds like the guys on the horns are sitting in your back seat (even on my puny little standard/base HU-613). In case you're not familiar with the first phrase and *why* I'd sing it to my new S60... "I get no kick from champagne... (huge trumpets sound awesome here)... Mere alcohol... it doesn't *move* me at all... so *tell* me why should it be TRUE? That *I* GET A (cheesy finger snap, and a wink) KICK OUTTA YOU!" (Ok, so I'm a geek. I'm half the age of most Sinatra fans...tee hee hee.)

2) Assuming you haven't stopped reading this reply yet...how about some classic, great tunes. INXS Kick - 'I need you tonight', or 'Kick', or any other track. They all sound "tinny" and low-tech, like the rest of the good 80's-band's CDs.

3) Any U2 track at all, as long as it is pre-Achtung-Baby. You know... Boy, October, War, Under a Blood Red Sky, The Unforgettable Fire, Wide Awake in America, Joshua Tree, Rattle and Hum.

4) Then some bump and grind...Creedence Clearwater Revival's Suzie Q.

4) Something mellow, like maybe James Taylor or some Jimmy Buffet. Gotta start calming down, assuming you're going to work. Ha ha.

5) Last, but not least, to mark the beginning of spring (and to round out your listening experience), Vivaldi's The Four Seasons: Spring. You'll arrive at your destination relaxed and refreshed. (Corny, but probably true.)

Well, that's it. In case you're rolling your eyes at these selections, hey, YOU asked...

Oooooh, good ideas, volvair. Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon for dynamic range -- good one. (And I can almost hear the cash register sounds on "Money" now, but I know that's not what you meant by "range"!)

You also reminded me of some of the more "vocal" tunes that I've tried out these first 2 weeks. Paul Simon's Graceland and Rhythm of the Saints, and Eric Clapton Unplugged. Oh, and for cheesiness, I popped in The Rightous Brother's "Unchained Melody". Also good.

Lastly, the CD I can't seem to stop listening to -- the soundtrack from O Brother, Where Art Thou? Listen to #4 "Down to the River to Pray" (Alison Krauss) and #19 "Angel Band" (The Stanley Brothers). They make you wanna just jump up and get all gospel-y and have a mountain music hoe-down (whether your religous or not)! Ha ha. I really don't know anything about music.

All I know is what I like. And the folks who sing those two tracks (and #9 "I'll Fly Away") have the mellowest, most amazing (and captivating!) voices I've ever heard.

Drew, Yeah, yeah, yeah -- okay... I admit that I stood in line at midnight with all my lunatic college friends to buy Zooropa the very first minute it went on sale. Their "new" stuff (which is old now, I guess)just didn't "move" me like the older stuff. I didn't much care for the divergance in style. However, when I saw them perform at the superbowl half-time show, and saw Bono cavorting about in his usual way, I vowed to go out and buy their latest albums...'93 to present. I figured I'd give them the benefit of the doubt. Gotta admit I have no idea what they've even produced lately. Haven't really been in the "music scene" at all.

And yes, P.S. This is a fun thread. I'll be quiet now, I promise, no more input from me...

hmm, My dad has an s80, prologic system. I borrow the car a lot, cuz I like his car. Anyway, the factory system was the best I had ever heard until I listened to the systems in the new Lexus'. Im not the kind of person who thinks that because the company has a reputation for good sound, it will sound good, so dont think Im saying that because its Mark Levinson, it really is an amazing system. As far as music, if I was just picking up a car I would want driving music. Driving music is that stuff that just gets you pumped to go and "drive" your car. Bob Dylan is always good for this stuff, Mettalica, especially old stuff, is good. Now if you want to try out the prologic abilities, I recomend you get a cd that has been encoded in surround. Not Dts mind you, that wont sound any different really, though probably better than straight stereo. DMP, a cd label out of NY, got into surround for a while, but now they only make dvd-a discs. Anyway www.amusicdirect.com has them on sale right now. I also recomend checking out Mickey Hart, greatful dead drummer, his album Planet Drum is excellent. Oscar Peterson has an album on Telarc's label that is in prologic surround, also will test the system out. One last thing, off from the topic. Oh and please, no one take offense, because the day stock stereos sound as good as the aftermarket ones I get is the day I stop buying aftermarket stereos. The S80 system, since thats all I have heard, can do some really neat things with music, but requires careful tuning to get it to sound just right. I dont like how the center image is center in front of me, not the center of the car, thats where I think its supposed to be. That way the soundstage is of a proper, equalized width. The image also pulls to the sides, and you can tell it comes from the speaker locations. If I was to make a suggestion, it would be to upgrade the mid range level speakers, including the center, and especially change the tweeters, I would go as far as move the ones on the upper doors to the a-pillars or lower doors, that way the path lengths are more equal. It would be nice if the car stereo was not an after thought, and the locations chosen were optimized, not convenient. Oh well, congrats on your new car, good driving and good listening. Those are def. my favorite things to do.
-Matt

Thanks for all the suggestions! Enjoyed reading them!

The Eagles - maybe Hotel California or how about Take it Easy? Though I haven't got Hell Freezes Over, just studio versions.

Some Floyd - I'm sure it'll sound good, but I'm already the subject of age jokes due to choice of Volvo, so Floyd would only make matters worse!

How about Stewboss - a great new band from the US -"Let's Go For A Ride" or "Fill Station" are superb tracks on first CD. (Check them out at www.stewboss.com)

ZZ Top - "Gimme all Your Lovin'" - awesome bass!

Tom Petty? - such good driving music.

Steely Dan - AJA - a really good suggestion - I'll put that one on the short list.

Some Sinatra - good idea!

Or how about some Count Basie or Duke Ellington? Or some jazz - Miles Davies etc.

Or Bruce Springsteen live in NYC.

Or an easy choice would be the latest CD by Serotonin - my son's band!

Perhaps the answer is a long drive with a pile of CDs to test them all out! Seems like the only way to find out which is best.