April 2017

• Elton John - 17-11-70+ (2017,RSD 2xLP) ★★★★☆
• Field Music - Tones of Town (2007,2017 RSD LP) ★★★★☆
• Dennis Wilson - Bambu (2017,RSD 2xLP) ★★★★☆
• Nilsson - Nilsson Schmilsson (1971,2017 RSD LP) ★★★★☆
• R.L. Burnside - Long Distance Call: Europe 1982 (2017,RSD LP) ★★★★☆
• Frank Zappa - Rollo/Portland Improvisation (2017,RSD EP) ★★★★☆
• Toto - Africa / Rosanna (1982, 2017 RSD PD) ★★★★☆
• Shocking Blue - At Home (1969,2017 RSD LP) ★★★★☆
• Air - Le Soleil est Près de Moi (1997,2017 RSD LP) ★★★☆☆
• Rush - Cygnus X-1 / Hemispheres (2017,RSD 12") ★★★★☆
• David Bowie - No Plan (2017,EP) ★★★★☆
• 101 Strings - Astro-Sounds From Beyond the Year 2000 (1968,RSD LP) ★★★★☆
• Fleetwood Mac - Alternate Mirage (2017,RSD LP) ★★★★☆
• Sunny Day Real Estate - Rising Tide (2000,2017 RSD LP) ★★★★☆
• Marcy Playground - Marcy Playground (1997,S) ★★★★☆
• Metallica - Master of Puppets (1986,LP) ★★★☆☆
• Cotton Mather - Death of the Cool (2016,LP) ★★★★☆
• Dire Straits - Love Over Gold (1982,S) ★★★☆☆
• Lincoln Mayorga - Vol II: The Missing Link (1972,LP) ★★★★☆
• Son Volt - Trace (1995,LP) ★★★★☆
• Don Fernando - Haunted By Humans (2015,S) ★★★★☆
• Brutus - Wandering Blind (2016,S) ★★★★☆
• Son Volt - Live at The Bottom Line 2/12/96 (2016,LP) ★★★★☆
• Father John Misty - Pure Comedy (2017,LP) ★★★★☆
• Hank Mizell - Jungle Rock (1976,LP) ★★★★☆
• Kraftwerk - The Telephone Call (1987,12") ★★★★☆
• Bobby Charles - Bobby Charles (1972,S) ★★★☆☆
• Metallica - Hardwired...To Self Destruct (2016,LP) ★★★★☆
• Dengue Fever - The Deepest Lake (2015,LP) ★★★★☆
• Nas - Illmatic (1994,LP) ★★★★☆
• Blackfield - IV (2013,S) ★★★☆☆
• Earthless - Sonic Prayer Jam (2007,LP) ★★★☆☆
• Black Star Riders - The Killer Instinct (2015,LP) ★★★★☆
• Aimee Mann - Mental Illness (2017,LP) ★★★☆☆

34

Chuck's Rating Scale

• Classic / Essential (Tops) 4.4 to 5.0 ★★★★★
• Must Listen (Great) 3.4 to 4.3 ★★★★☆
• Worthy Effort (Maybe to Good) 2.4 to 3.3 ★★★☆☆
• Below Expectations (Bad) 1.4 to 2.3 ★★☆☆☆
• Avoid (Awful) 0 to 1.3 ★☆☆☆☆

Playback:

• VPI Scout JMW9 Tonearm w/Nordost Wiring, Ortofon 2M Black Cartridge
• Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum Integrated Tube Amp (KT-120 Tubes)
• Klipsch RF-3s, RC-3, RS-3s, KSW-15 Sub
• Pioneer Elite BDP-62FD Blu-Ray/SACD/DVD Audio Player / Polk LSi M Bookshelf
• Digital: Apple iMac "Core i3" 3.2 21.5in / J River Media Center 21 / Cambridge SoundWorks
• VPI 16.5 RCM

My initial impressions (and ratings) may change after repeated plays. Albums that grab my attention on the first listen are great, but many others take several listens to truly appreciate and ratings may be updated accordingly. My top rating for greatest hit compilations is four stars.

This list is chronological with the top album being the most recently played. Sound quality ratings are included for some releases, such as multichannel mixes and audiophile labels.

Vinyl is my preferred and typical method for playback, but I occasionally listen to SACD, DVD-Audio, Blu-ray and (less likely) Redbook CD. For titles I don't own, especially for exploration and discovery, Spotify and YouTube are my go-to online resources. Music streaming is noted with an 'S'. For music on the road with by CD, iPhone or iPad and Spotify, playback will be noted with an 'SR'. Sometimes for convenience I will stream music to my Amazon Echo, noted with an 'SE'.

Last month's listening log can be found below.

Older lists are saved in the archive folder.