Includes favorite new releases, reissues and compilations
Reissues that make this list are usually of good pressing/mastering quality
Purchased LP or EP unless otherwise stated BD, SACD, DVD-A or CD (*don't own)
2022 List
Favorite New Releases
- Alex G - God Save the Animals (2022, LP)
- Beach House - Once Twice Melody (2022,2xLP)
- Bjorn Riis - Everything to Everyone (2022,LP)
- Bjorn Riis - A Fleeting Glimpse (2022)*
- Bobby Hutcherson - Stick-Up! (2022 BN Tone Poet LP)
- Built to Spill - When the Wind Forgets Your Name (2022,B/W Marble LP)
- Crobot - Feel This (2022,Transparent Red LP)
- Datura4 - Neanderthal Jam (2022,Blue/Green/Purple Splatter LP)
- Dope Lemon - Rose Pink Cadillac (2022 2xLP Pic Disk)
- Earthless - Night Parade of One Hundred Demons (2022,LE Swirled Gold 2xLP)
- Ed Wynne - Tumbling Through the Floativerse (2022 Blue LP)
- Flower Kings - By Royal Decree (2022,LEx500 Translucent Blue 3xLP Box Set)
- Jack White - Fear of the Dawn (2022, "Moon Glow" White Swirl Target Exclusive LP)
- L' Exotighost - Kamongo (2022,Yellow/Green Splatter LP)
- Nirvana - Smells Like Live Spirit (2022, Eco-Coloured 6xLP LEx1000 Box Set)
- Porcupine Tree - Closure/Continuation (2022,2xLP)
- Stöner - Totally (2022,LP)
- Thunder - Dopamine (2022, White + Brown 2xLP)
- Trouble - Live in Stockholm (Recorded 2003; 2xLP 2022)
- Twink - The Best of Twink (2022 Violet LP)
- Wo Fat - The Singularity (2022, 2xLP)
Favorite Reissues
- Al Green - Let's Stay Together (1972,2022 Amazon Exclusive Green LP)
- Alice in Chains - Dirt (1992,2022 Translucent Red Walmart Exclusive 2xLP)
- Atomic Rooster - Death Walks Behind You (1970,2022 LE Red/Gold Haze Swirl LP)
- Bangles - Different Light (1986,2022 MOV Pink & Purple Marble LP)
- Big John Patton - Oh Baby! (1965,2022 BN Classic LP)
- Bud Powell - Time Waits... (1958,2022 BN Classic Vinyl LP)
- Cake - Fashion Nugget (1996,2022 RM LP)
- Cassandra Wilson - Blue Light 'Til Dawn (2022 BN Classic Vinyl 2xLP)
- Charlie Hunter - Bing Bing Bing! (Blue Note Classic 2xLP)
- Chet Baker & Art Pepper - Picture of Heath (1957,2022 BN Tone Poet LP)
- Claypool Lennon Delerium - South of Reality (2019,2022 "Amethyst" Blue/Purple 2xLP)
- Conception - In Your Multitudes (1995,Translucent Yellow 2xLP)
- Conception - Flow (1997,2022 Translucent Green 2xLP)
- Cymande - Cymande (1970,2022 Orange Translucent LP)
- Dengue Fever - Dengue Fever (2022 RE Opaque Red LP)
- Dengue Fever - Venus On Earth (2022 RE Clear LP)
- Dengue Fever - Escape From Dragon House (2022 RE Green LP)
- Don Wilkerson - Preach Brother! (2022 BN Classic LP)
- Dope Lemon - Hounds Tooth (2017,2022 Lime Green Translucent EP)
- Eden Ahbez - _Eden's Island: The Music of...(2022,Wood Slipcase LE Splatter 2xLP)
- Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong - Ella & Louis (1956,2022 Verve Acoustic Sounds Series LP)
- Elton John - Madman Across the Water (1971,2022 VMP "Blue Jean Baby" Blue Splatter LP)
- Elton John - Madman Across the Water (1971,2022 Walmart "Propeller" Blue/White Pinwheel LP)
- Fifth Dimension - Greatest Hits On Earth (1972,2022 Barnes & Noble Maroon LP)
- Freddie Hubbard - Breaking Point (2022 BN Tone Poet LP)
- George Braith - Extension (2022 BN Classic Vinyl LP)
- Gerald Wilson - Moment of Truth (2022 BN Tone Poet LP)
- Geri Allen Trio - Twenty One (2022 BN Classic Vinyl 2xLP)
- Grant Green - The Latin Bit (1963,2022 BN Tone Poet LP)
- Grant Green - Feelin' the Spirit (2022 BN Tone Poet LP)
- Green Day - Dookie (1994,2022 LE Turquoise/Blue Walmart LP)
- Jack McDuff - Moon Rappin' (2022 BN Classic Vinyl LP)
- Jackie McLean - Tippin' The Scales (2022 BN Tone Poet LP)
- Joe Henderson - Inner Urge (1966,2022 BN Classic Vinyl LP)
- Joe Pass - For Django (1964,2022 BN Tone Poet LP)
- Hank Mobley - Curtain Call (2022 BN Tone Poet LP)
- Harold Vick - Steppin' Out (2022 BN Tone Poet LP)
- Intronaut - The Direction of Last Things (2015, 2022 Purple 2xLP)
- J. J. Johnson - The Eminent Jay Jay Johnson, Vol. 1 (2022 BN Classic LP)
- Jimi Hendrix - BBC Sessions (2022 Target Exclusive Opaque Orange Abridged LP)
- John Coltrane - Blue Train (1958,2022 BN Tone Poet Mono LP)
- John Coltrane - Blue Train (1958,2022 BN Tone Poet Stereo 2xLP)
- Kenny Burrell - Kenny Burrell LP (2022 BN Tone Poet LP)
- King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Flying Microtonal Banana (2022 "Golden Rattlesnake" LP)
- King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Float Along-Fill Your Lungs (2022 Venusian Sky LP)
- Kyuss - Muchas Gracias: The Best of Kyuss (2000,2022 Blue Translucent 2xLP)
- Larry Young - Unity (2022 BN Classic LP)
- Lee Morgan - ¡Caramba! (1968,2022 BN Classic Vinyl LP)
- Les Baxter - The Soul of the Drums (2022 Green LP)
- Liquid Tension Experiment - Liquid Tension Experiment (1998,2022 Haze/Splatter 2xLP)
- Lou Donaldson - Blues Walk (2022 BN Classic Vinyl LP)
- Madonna - Erotica (1992,2022 12" Picture Disc)
- Martin Denny - Afro-Desia (1959,2022 Jackpot Trans. Orange Swirl LP)
- Martin Denny - Exotica Vol.II (1958,2022 Jackpot Trans. Green LP)
- Martin Denny - Primitiva (1958,2022 Jackpot Trans. Turquoise LP)
- Merle Haggard - Live From Austin TX (1978,2022 Walmart Orange Splatter LP +DVD)
- Metallica - Load (1996,2022 Walmart "Poor Twisted" Trans. Orange 2xLP)
- Metallica - ReLoad (1997,2022 Walmart "Flaming Fuel" Trans. Yellow 2xLP)
- Metallica - Death Magnetic (2008,2022 Walmart "Magnetic" Opaque Silver 2xLP)
- Milt Jackson - Milt Jackson/Thelonious Monk Quintet (1989,2022 BN Classic LP)
- Nebula - Atomic Ritual (2003,2022 LP)
- Ornette Coleman - Round Trip: Ornette Coleman on Blue Note (2022,BN Tone Poet 6xLP Box Set)
- Ozric Tentacles - The Floor's Too Far Away (2022 Purple/Green Haze 2xLP)
- Ozzy Osbourne - Black Rain (2007,2022 2xLP)
- Pavement - Slanted and Enchanted (1992,2022 Red/Black Splatter LP)
- Pink Floyd - Animals (1977,2022 Remix - LE 4 Disc Package With 32-Page Book)
- Police - Greatest Hits (1992,2022 ARS RM 2xLP)
- Puscifer - Conditions of My Parole (20111,2022 Opaque White/Brown Swirl 2xLP)
- Queen - A Night at the Opera (1975,ARS RM 2022 Opaque Blue Walmart Exclusive LP)
- Queen - News of the World (1977,ARS RM 2022 Opaque Olive Green Walmart Exclusive LP)
- Queen - The Game (1980,ARS RM 2022 Opaque Silver Walmart Exclusive LP)
- Queens of the Stone Age - Queen of the Stone Age (1998,2022 Orange Original Cover LP)
- Rolling Stones - Hot Rocks (1964-1971) (1971,2022 Walmart Mottled Gold 2xLP)
- Ronnie Foster - Two Headed Freap (1972,2022 BN Classic Vinyl LP)
- Rush - Moving Pictures (1981,2022 Walmart Exclusive Opaque Red LP)
- Rush - Moving Pictures (1981,2022 Super Deluxe Box Set 5xLP,5.1 BDA)
- Sacri Monti - Sacri Monti (2015,2022 RE Clear LP)
- Sonny Clark - Dial "S" For Sonny (2022 BN Classic Vinyl LP)
- Sonny Red - Out Of The Blue (2022 BN Tone Poet LP)
- Sophie Zelmani - A Decade of Dreams 1995-2005 (2005,2022 Marbled Cream MOV 2xLP)
- Stanley Turrentine - Common Touch (1968,2022 BN Classic LP)
- Steel Panther - Balls Out (2011,2022 MOV 2xLP)
- Sun Ra - Jazz in Silhouette (2022, Waxtime Blue LP)
- Thelonious Monk - Genius of Modern Music (2022 BN Classic LP)
- They Might Be Giants - Apollo 18 (2022 Picture Disc LP)
- Tinariwen - Aman Iman: Water Is Life (2007,2022 Reissue 2xLP)
- Tool - Fear Inoculum (2019,2022 5xLP Etched Box Set)
- Tool - Fear Inoculum (2019,2022 3xLP)
- Toy Matinee - Toy Matinee (1990,2022 MOV Blue LP)
- Trouble - Simple Mind Condition (2007,2022 Opaque Blue LP)
- Trouble - Psalm 9 (1984,2022 "Hot Pink in Electric Blue" Swirl LP)
- Trouble - Plastic Green Head (1995,2022 LP)
- Various - Essential Sun Records... (2022, Walmart Exclusive Black/Grey Marble LP)
- Wayne Shorter - Adam's Apple (BN Classic LP)
- Wobbler - Hinterland (2005,2022 Marble Yellow 2xLP)
- Wobbler - Afterglow (2009,2022 Blue Swirl LP)
- Wobbler - Rites at Dawn (2011,2022 Green Swirl LP)
- YOB - Atma (2011,2022 Deluxe Color 2xLP)
- Yugi Koseki - Mothra OST (1961,2022 Yellow/Green + Yellow/Orange "Moth" 2xLP)
Not sure yet...
- Alestorm - Seventh Rum of a Seventh Rum (2022,Deluxe LEx500 Green Splatter 2xLP)
- Andrew Hill - Point of Departure (2022 BN Classic Vinyl LP)
- Ann Margret - Born to Be Wild (2022 Purple Marble 45rpm 7")
- Ann Margret - Splish Splash (2022 Blue 45rpm 7")
- Bevis Frond - Little Eden (2022, Silver 2xLP)
- Black Crowes - 1972 (2022,EP)
- Black Keys - Dropout Boogie (2022)
- Clutch - Sunrise on Slaughter Beach (2022 LP)
- Cobra The Impaler - Colossal Gods (2022 Red LP)
- Collective Soul - Vibrating (2022 Blue LP)
- Conception - Parallel Minds (1993,Orange 2xLP)
- Ghost - Impera (2022,Target Opaque Pink LP)
- Grachan Moncur III - Evolution (2022 BN Classic LP)
- Joe Lovano - I'm All For You (2022 BN Classic 2xLP)
- Midnight Oil - Resist (2022, Opaque Red LP)
- Ozzy Osbourne - Patient Number Nine (2022,"Crystal Curacao & Pearl Marbled" Amazon Exc. LP)
- Phish - LP of LP03 (2022 Purple/Blue "Ferris Wheel Edition" Pinwheel LP)
- The Pineapple Thief - Give it Back (2022 LP)
- Seventh Storm - Maledictus (2022,Translucent White 2xLP)
- Tears For Fears - The Turning Point (2022,Target "Sky Blue" Opaque LP)
- They Might Be Giants - Mink Car (2022 White LP)
- Tiger Moth Tales - A Song of Spring (2022)*
Top 10 2022 Favorite New Releases
- 1. Thunder - Dopamine (2022, White + Brown 2xLP)
- 2. Porcupine Tree - Closure/Continuation (2022,2xLP)
- 3. Ed Wynne - Tumbling Through the Floativerse (2022 Blue LP)
- 4. Bjorn Riis - Everything to Everyone (2022,LP)
- 5. Beach House - Once Twice Melody (2022,2xLP)
- 6. Crobot - Feel This (2022,Transparent Red LP)
- 7. Jack White - Fear of the Dawn (2022, "Moon Glow" White Swirl Target Exclusive LP)
- 8. Bobby Hutcherson - Stick-Up! (2022 BN Tone Poet LP)
- 9. Wo Fat - The Singularity (2022, 2xLP)
- 10. Built to Spill - When the Wind Forgets Your Name (2022,B/W Marble LP)
Top 10 2022 Favorite Reissues
- 1. Kyuss - Muchas Gracias: The Best of Kyuss (2022 Translucent Blue 2xLP)
- 2. Tool - Fear Inoculum (2019,2022 5xLP Etched Box Set)
- 3. Martin Denny - Afro-Desia (1959,2022 Jackpot Trans. Orange Swirl LP)
- 4. Conception - Flow (1997,2022 Translucent Green 2xLP)
- 5. They Might Be Giants - Apollo 18 (2022 Picture Disc LP)
- 6. Ozric Tentacles - The Floor's Too Far Away (2022 Purple/Green Haze 2xLP)
- 7. John Coltrane - Blue Train (1958,2022 BN Tone Poet Stereo 2xLP)
- 8. Cymande - Cymande (1970,2022 Orange Translucent LP)
- 9. Chet Baker & Art Pepper - Picture of Heath (1957,2022 BN Tone Poet LP)
- 10. Alice in Chains - Dirt (1992,2022 Translucent Red Walmart Exclusive 2xLP)
Best Sound (Nice Pressing + Great Mastering = Sublime Sound)
- Alex G - God Save the Animals (2022, LP)
- Conception - In Your Multitudes (1995,Translucent Yellow 2xLP)
- Conception - Flow (1997,2022 Translucent Green 2xLP)
- Curtis Mayfield - Superfly (1972,2022 Walmart Exclusive Gold Mottled LP)
- Fifth Dimension - Greatest Hits On Earth (1972,2022 Barnes & Noble Maroon LP)
- Green Day - Dookie (1994,2022 LE Turquoise/Blue Walmart LP)
- Martin Denny - Afro-Desia (1959,2022 Jackpot Trans. Orange Swirl LP)
- Martin Denny - Exotica Vol.II (1958,2022 Jackpot Trans. Green LP)
- Martin Denny - Primitiva (1958,2022 Jackpot Trans. Turquoise LP)
- Merle Haggard - Live From Austin TX (1978,2022 Walmart Orange Splatter LP +DVD)
- Metallica - Load (1996,2022 Walmart "Poor Twisted" Trans. Orange 2xLP)
- Police - Greatest Hits (1992,2022 ARS RM 2xLP)
- Thunder - Dopamine (2022, White + Brown 2xLP)
- Tool - Fear Inoculum (2019,2022 3xLP)
- Toy Matinee - Toy Matinee (1990,2022 MOV Blue LP)
- Trouble - Simple Mind Condition (2007,2022 Opaque Blue LP)
- Wobbler - Hinterland (2005,2022 Marble Yellow 2xLP)
- Wobbler - Afterglow (2009,2022 Blue Swirl LP)
- Wobbler - Rites at Dawn (2011,2022 Green Swirl LP)
Special note: 2022 Blue Note Tone Poet and Classic Vinyl series of vintage jazz recordings mastered by Kevin Gray. These all-analog pressings are manufactured at RTI and are reliably flat and quiet.
Favorite 4.0 / 5.1 Multichannel
- Pink Floyd - Animals (2022 BDA 5.1)
Favorite Color Vinyl
- Atomic Rooster - Death Walks Behind You (1970,2022 LE Red/Gold Haze Swirl LP)
- Claypool Lennon Delerium - South of Reality (2019,2022 Amethyst Blue/Purple 2xLP)
- Curtis Mayfield - Superfly (1972,2022 Walmart Exclusive Gold Mottled LP)
- Elton John - Madman Across the Water (1971,2022 VMP "Blue Jean Baby" Blue Splatter LP)
- Elton John - Madman Across the Water (1971,2022 Walmart "Propeller" Blue/White Pinwheel LP)
- Ghost - Impera (2022, Opaque Coral LP)
- Green Day - Dookie (1994,2022 LE Turquoise/Blue Walmart LP)
- Liquid Tension Experiment - Liquid Tension Experiment (1998,2022 Haze/Splatter 2xLP)
- Martin Denny - Primitiva (1958,2022 Jackpot Trans. Turquoise LP)
- Ozzy Osbourne - Patient Number Nine (2022,"Crystal Curacao & Pearl Marbled" Amazon LP)
- Pavement - Slanted and Enchanted (1992,2022 Red/Black Splatter LP)
- Phish - LP of LP03 (2022 Purple/Blue "Ferris Wheel Edition" Pinwheel LP)
- Rolling Stones - Hot Rocks (1964-1971) (1971,2022 Walmart Mottled Gold 2xLP)
- Various - Essential Sun Records... (2022, Walmart Exclusive Black/Grey Marble LP)
- Yugi Koseki - Mothra OST (1961,2022 Yellow/Green + Yellow/Orange "Moth" 2xLP)
Favorite Cover Art
- Alestorm - Seventh Rum of a Seventh Rum (2022,LP)
- Alex G - God Save the Animals (2022,LP)
- Ann Wilson - Fierce Bliss (2022,LP) - artwork by Roger Dean!
- Ari Lennox - Age/Sex/Location (2022,Blue LP)*
- The Bled - Found in the Flood (2022,LP)*
- Cobra The Impaler - Colossal Gods (2022 Red LP)
- Crobot - Feel This (2022,Transparent Red LP)
- Dope Lemon - Rose Pink Cadillac (2022 2xLP Pic Disk)
- Earthless - Night Parade of One Hundred Demons (2022,LE Swirled Gold 2xLP)
- Seventh Storm - Maledictus (2022,Translucent White 2xLP)
- Sophie Zelmani - A Decade of Dreams 1995-2005 (2005,2022 Marbled Cream MOV 2xLP)
- Tiger Moth Tales - A Song of Spring (2022)*
Worst Cover Art
- Beach House - Once Twice Melody (2022,2xLP)
- Cattle Decapitation - Humanure (2004,2022 Smoke Marble LP)
Presentation Standouts
Special note: All of the 2022 Blue Note Tone Poet Series of vintage jazz recordings.
Presented on high-quality laminated Stoughton "Tip-On" gatefold jackets printed on heavy card stock.
Bad Pressings and Other Annoyances
- Alan Parsons - From the New World (2022,LP) - Didn't buy due to poor vinyl quality reviews.
- Bobbi Humphrey - Fancy Dancer (1975,2022 BN Classic LP) - Non-fill present on Side B. Returned/Replaced. Second copy less NF but still present in spots. Optimal needs to get its shit together. Others (see Discogs) with similar issues on this and other recent pressings from the Blue Note Classic Vinyl series.
- Ed Wynne - Tumbling Through the Floativerse (2022 Blue LP) - Good quality vinyl but the packaging leaves much to be desired. Quite possibly the flimsiest paper-thin record cover I own!
- Ghost - Impera (2022,LP) - Yet another Loma Vista noisefest. When will I learn.
- Joni Mitchell - For the Roses (2022 Amazon Exclusive Blue LP) - Amazon botched this one, or let's just say, the pressing plant they hired did (Optimal). An atrocious pressing. Couldn't get through two songs before discontinuing playback. Non-fill and other defects make this one unlistenable, despite being Bernie Grundman remastered. Sigh.
- Kansas - Somewhere to Elsewhere (2022, Red 2xLP) Pops, ticks, you name it.
- Lou Donaldson - Blues Walk (2022 BN Classic Vinyl LP) Look for distortion with congas on Track B1. First play didn't reveal any issue before I knew of the problem.
- Olivia Newton-John - Olivia Newton-John's Greatest Hits 1971 - 1982 (2022, Target Exclusive Opaque Blue + Pink 2xLP) - Nice color vinyl. Good pressing with relatively few pops and ticks. Unfortunately, poorly mastered. Songs sound flat, almost like AM radio days. Too bad, it's a good ONJ compilation otherwise. Where's Kevin Gray when you need him!
Best Sale of the Year
- Walmart November 16-20, 2022. Black Friday Event #1. All VINYL, including exclusives and box sets, $15! Some major scores on $50+ albums and new fall 2022 releases.
In Memorium 2022
- Bobby Rydell
- Bob Heathcote (Suicidal Tendencies)
- Burke Shelley (Budgie)
- Christine McVie (Fleetwood Mac)
- Coolio
- C.W. McCall
- Don Wilson (The Ventures)
- Ian McDonald (King Crimson)
- Jeff Howell (Foghat)
- Jerry Allison (The Crickets)
- Jim Post
- John Hartman (Doobie Brothers)
- Klaus Schulze
- Loretta Lynn
- Manny Charlton (Nazareth)
- Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees)
- Meat Loaf (Covid 19)
- Mickey Gilley
- Naomi Judd
- Olivia Newton-John
- Ramsey Lewis
- Ronnie Spector (The Ronettes)
- Rosa Lee Hawkins (Dixie Cups)
- Sonny West
- Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters)
- Vangelis
- Willie Leacox (America)
- Mum. As a 70s teen I enjoyed my music loud...and still do! Thanks, Mom for your patience and understanding. The World could sure use a few more kind and considerate people like you. You fought your cancer with peace and dignity. I miss you so much. Rest in Paradise. I love you.