May 2016

• Roxy Music - Avalon (1982,LP) ★★★★☆
• Sharks - First Water (1973,LP) ★★★☆☆
• Tony Joe White - Rain Crow (2016,LP) ★★★☆☆
• Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill (1998,S) ★★★☆☆
• Death Angel - The Evil Divide (2016,LP) ★★☆☆☆
• Insect Surfers - Reverb Sun (1991,LP) ★★★★☆
• Amanar - Tumastin (2015,LP) ★★★★☆
• Down - Down II: A Bustle in Your Hedgerow (2002,S) ★★★★☆
• Beach House - Depression Cherry (2015,LP) ★★★★☆
• Madonna - Erotica (1992,UK LP) ★★★★☆
• Vivaldi - The Four Seasons (Solisti et al) (1975,S) ★★★★★
• Thievery Corporation - The Cosmic Game (2005,S) ★★★★☆
• Thievery Corporation - The Mirror Conspiracy (2000,S) ★★★★☆
• Salems Pot - Sweeden (2015,S) ★★★☆☆
• Salems Pot - ...Lurar Ut Dig På Prärien (2014,S) ★★★☆☆
• Merry Clayton - Merry Clayton (1971,S) ★★★★☆
• The Flaming Lips - With a Little Help From My Fwends (2014,S) ★★☆☆☆
• Karma to Burn - Karma to Burn (1997,LP) ★★★★☆
• Brant Bjork - Brant Bjork & The Operators (2002,LP) ★★★★☆
• Guru Guru - UFO (1970,S) ★★★☆☆
• The Jayhawks - Paging Mr. Proust (2016,S) ★★★☆☆
• Eric Clapton - I Still Do (2016,S) ★★★☆☆
• Zebra - Zebra (1983,Japan LP) ★★★☆☆
• Mudcrutch - 2 (2016,LP) ★★★★☆
• Augustus Pablo - Original Rockers (1979,LP) ★★★★☆
• Thievery Corporation - The Richest Man in Babylon (2002,S) ★★★★☆
• Fleetwood Mac - Greatest Hits (1971,LP) ★★★★★
• Doc & Merle Watson - Guitar Album (1983,LP) ★★★☆☆
• Genesis - ...And Then There Were Three (1978,Japan LP) ★★★★☆
• The Rolling Stones - Gold Superdisc (1979,Japan LP) ★★★★☆
• Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon (1973,MFSL LP) ★★★★★
• Alejandro Escovedo - Thirteen Years (1994,RSD LP) ★★★★☆
• Bud Shank - Magical Mystery (1968,S) ★★★★☆
• Bud Shank - California Dreamin' (1966,LP) ★★★★☆
• Bud Shank - Michelle (1996,LP) ★★★★☆
• Phish - Junta (1989,S) ★★★☆☆
• Alejandro Escovedo - Gravity (1992,RSD LP) ★★★★☆
• Thievery Corporation - Saudade (2014,S) ★★★☆☆
• Blue Rodeo - Diamond Mine (1989,LP) ★★★☆☆
• Nickel Creek - This Side (2002, 5.1 SACD)
  • Performance ★★★☆☆ Sonics ★★★★☆
• R.E.M. - Green (1988, 2005 5.1 DVD-A)
  • Performance ★★★★☆ Sonics ★★★☆☆
• Phish - A Picture of Nectar (1992,LP) ★★★★☆
• Entran Finatawa - Tarkat Tajje (2010,S) ★★★★☆
• Amanar - Alghafiat (2012,LP) ★★★★☆
• Terakaft - Alone (2015,LP) ★★★★☆
• Little Caesar - Little Caesar (1990,S) ★★★★☆
• The Paladins - Slippin' In Ernesto's (2016,S) ★★★☆☆
• Elvis Presley - If I Can Dream (2016,LP) ★★★☆☆
  • music is good, but the mastering and pressing are not.
• Ray LaMontagne - God Willin' & The Creek Don't Rise (2010,LP) ★★★★☆
• Tinariwen - Live in Paris (2015,LP) ★★★★★
• David Gilmour - On An Island (2006,LP) ★★★★☆
• Tinariwen - The Radio Tisdas Sessions (2001,LP) ★★★★☆
• Nirvana - MTV Unplugged in New York (1994,Pallas 2015 LP) ★★★★★
• Circles Around the Sun - Interludes for the Dead (2015,LP) ★★★★★
• The Arcs - Yours, Dreamily (2015,LP) ★★★☆☆
• Turnpike Troubadours - Goodbye Normal Street (2012,LP) ★★★★☆
• Black Sabbath - We Sold Our Soul... (1981,LP) ★★★★☆
• Tony Joe White - Dangerous (1983,S) ★★★☆☆
• Billy Cobham - Spectrum (1973,4.0 DVD-A) ★★★★☆
  • Performance ★★★★☆ Sonics ★★★★★
• Herbie Hancock - Thrust (1974,LP) ★★★☆☆
• Martin Robbins - Gunfighter Ballads (1959,LP) ★★★★★
• Guru Guru - Hinten (1971,LP) ★★★★☆
• Bombino - Agamgam 2004 (2010,LP) ★★★★☆
• Bud Spencer Blues Explosion - BSB3 (2014,S) ★★★☆☆
• Tomita - Holst: The Planets (1976,LP) ★★★☆☆
  • RIP Isao Tomita 5/8/16.
• Mandrill - Mandrill (1971,LP) ★★★☆☆
• Tame Impala - Currents (2015,LP) ★★★★★
• Brant Bjork & The Bros - Somera Sol (2007,LP) ★★★★☆
• Michel Magne - Tropical Fantasy (1962, LP) ★★★★★
• Alanis Morissette - The Demos: 1994-1998 (2016,LP) ★★★★☆
• Circles Around the Sun - Interludes for the Dead (2015,S) ★★★★★
• Jazz is Dead - Great Sky River (2001,CD) ★★★★☆
• Tinariwen - The Radio Tisdas Sessions (2001,LP) ★★★★☆

73

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, unless the material is live.

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 my iPhone or iPad and Spotify, playback will be noted with 'SR'.

Last month's listening log can be found below.

Older lists are saved in the archive folder.