I’ll admit right now that I’m not the world’s greatest appreciator of soul or classic R&B. I’m certainly not against the idea of sitting in the sun with the sound of Ray Charles or Sam Cooke floating over the airwaves to provide a soothing accompaniment to my chilled out repose, I’m just saying it was never the focal point of my attention when developing my nascent musical taste. As a crass generalisation, middle-class English kids tend to gravitate towards rock in its myriad forms, and even then, that’s only as a small rebellion against the perceived tyranny of Radio 3 and Classic FM.
The joy of being a hi-fi journalist, of course, is that you’re exposed to a far greater spectrum of musical genres than you would be in most other professions. Co-workers, readers, engineers and even other journos will recommend winning tracks or simply expose you to their own particular preferences at hi-fi shows or during product briefings. Each brings something new to the table, even if I’ve had quite enough of Billie Eilish and Dire Straits for one lifetime, thank you very much.
Given that we work collaboratively at What Hi-Fi? when testing anything from high-end headphones to floorstanding speakers, those varying tastes tend to intermesh. Tunes I’ve picked up during my two years here include Waxacatchee’s effortlessly lush Right Back to It, Run the Jewels’ bombastic the ground below and Mint Royale’s heart-lightening Show Me, all of which allow for more expansive and comprehensive testing of a given product’s varying facets and abilities. Developing a broader musical taste isn’t just a perk of the job; it’s an absolute necessity.
Enter George Benson's Give Me The Night. I didn’t think, however, that one of my go-to test tracks would be a Quincy Jones-produced slice of ‘80s disco/soul fusion, even at a time when my musical taste was expanding beyond the confines of the Seattle grunge scene’s so-called ‘Big Four’. Aside from a few choice cuts, I’ve shamefully never had much of an affinity for soul or disco, yet along came a track that just seemed to probe into a product's capabilities with more insight than most of my roster of faithful test tunes could manage. After spending a good few weeks listening to the Elac Debut 3.0 DB53 when they were enjoying a residency in our test rooms, I gained an appreciation for just how probing and powerful Give Me The Night could be for assessing a pair of speakers.
What you have to understand about Benson’s most famous tune is that it’s a Quincy Jones special. Jones’ production made him a legend in his own time, with artists as diverse as Michael Jackson and Frank Sinatra seeking out his guiding hand and insightful ear. The core truth of Jones’ production work is an understanding that every single element, be it the most incidental of horn stabs or the subtlest tap of a cymbal bell, is there because it is supposed to be. Great producers don’t do things by accident, least of all Quincy Jones.
In few places is this more in evidence than Give Me The Night, a sparkling, glistening piece of early-80s disco that practically shimmers with a warm twilight haze. The tune's anchoring bassline combines warmth and depth with a surprisingly nimble approach, the drums are light and easygoing, while George Benson’s smooth crooning takes centre stage without insisting upon the limelight.
It’s those extra sprinklings of tones and flavours that make Give Me The Night so ripe for assessing a set of speakers’ organisational and textural abilities. Jones-produced tracks often feel like the ebbing and flowing of human speech – instruments enter the conversation briefly before dropping out, but not once does one voice speak over another. This is dialogue as though performed on a stage, and it should feel clear and organised while retaining that natural, effortless flow of spontaneous interaction.
Then, of course, there’s the feel of the thing. Again, Quincy's productions tend to be broad, spacious affairs, so you’ll want a system that can make this particular tune feel as though it has ample room in which to exist – the overall soundscape should be cinematic, with those flittering instrumental introductions, be they glistening chimes or a fleeting set of hand claps, spread out across various points on the canvas. In fairness to the Elacs above, that's something they managed exceptionally well, and something that an experienced listener (we have plenty of those in our test rooms) would know to listen out for.
Spaciousness and cohesion remain vital elements, but beware of a system or speakers that sacrifice those aforementioned feelings of warmth and sway to achieve them. Check out the accompanying video for Give Me The Night and you’ll be treated to shots of Benson – while playing his guitar – rollerblading across a low-lit beachfront as palm trees sway in the background and a train of the singer’s entourage follows behind. It’s a joyful image that exudes life and warmth – exactly the feeling that you should experience when listening through a sufficiently talented system. The Debut 3.0 DB53 nailed the track's organisational challenge, but for capturing its smooth, soulful essence? They made a solid fist of it, even if the Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 were a touch better in that regard.
There’s a lesson in all of this. It's easy to become complacent with the music you play, be it merely for pleasure or for seeing what your hi-fi can do. Restricting yourself to certain artists or genres can, however, limit your understanding of the gear you own and enjoy – there may be a song out there that brings out your speakers' greatest untapped strength or, by contrast, reveals a hidden flaw. If you want the most comprehensive picture possible, experimenting across artists and genres will grant a far greater understanding of the gear in which you've invested your time, money and affection.
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