November 2017

• Porcupine Tree - Up the Downstair (1993,LP) ★★★★☆
• Neil Young - Harvest Moon (1992,2017 RSDBF LP) ★★★★☆
• Steve Earle - El Corazon (1997,2017 RSDBF LP) ★★★★☆
• Finch - Beyond Expression (1976,S) ★★★★☆
• The Sundays - Static & Silence (1997,2017 RSDBF LP) ★★★★☆
• Frank Zappa - We're Only In It For the Money (1968,S) ★★★☆☆
• St. Paul & The Broken Bones - Half the City (2014,S) ★★★☆☆
• Jonathan Wilson - Gentle Spirit (2011,LP) ★★★★☆
• Grateful Dead - American Beauty (1970,LP) ★★★★☆
• Hollie Cook - Hollie Cook (2011,LP) ★★★★☆
• Tony Joe White - Hoodoo (2013,LP) ★★★★☆
• Camel - Dust and Dreams (1991,CD) ★★★★☆
• Glen Campbell - Adios (2017,S) ★★★☆☆
• Massive Attack - Mezzanine (1998,2017 LP) ★★★★☆
• Pearl Jam - Self Titled (2006,LP) ★★★☆☆
• Beach Boys - Good Vibrations (1966,2016 Orange EP) ★★★★☆
• Talking Heads - Remain in Light (1980,2006 LP) ★★★★☆
• Primus - The Desaturating Seven (2017,LP) ★★★★☆
• Duran Duran - Self Titled (1981,LP) ★★★★☆
• REM - Life's Rich Pageant (1986,LP) ★★★★☆
• Elliott Smith - Either/Or (1997,LP) ★★★★☆
• Opeth - Damnation (2003,LP) ★★★★★
• REM - Automatic For the People (1992,LP) ★★★★☆
• Steve Wilson - To The Bone (2017,LP) ★★★★★
• John Denver - Greatest Hits, Vol.2 (1977,LP) ★★★★☆
• Ray LaMontagne - Supernova (2014,S) ★★★★☆
• Dave Matthews Band - Remember Two Things (1993,S) ★★★☆☆
• MewithoutYou - Ten Stories (2012,LP) ★★★☆☆
• Pat Kelly - Lonely Man (1978,S) ★★★☆☆
• 311 - Transistor (1997,S) ★★★☆☆
• The Sisters of Mercy - Floodland (1987,2013 MFSL LP) ★★★★☆
• Kamasi Washington - Harmony of Difference (2017,S) ★★★☆☆
• David Cassidy - Cherish (1972,S) ★★★☆☆
  • RIP David 11-21-17
• Imagene Peise - Atlas Eets Christmas (2014,LP) ★★★☆☆
• The Allman Brothers - Hittin' the Note (2003,S) ★★★☆☆
• Elton John - Madman Across the Water (1971,2017 RM) ★★★★☆
• Aziza Briham - Abbar El Hamada (2016,S) ★★★★☆
• Tamikrest - Kidal (2017,LP) ★★★★☆
• Primus - Frizzle Fry (1990,S) ★★★★☆
• Various Artists - Swampland Jewels (1979,LP) ★★★☆☆
• Steven Wilson - To the Bone (2017,LP) ★★★★★
• Lee Hazlewood - Requiem For An Almost Lady (1971,2017 LITA LP) ★★★★☆
• Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit - The Nashville Sound (2017,LP) ★★★★☆
• Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers - The Long-Awaited Album (2017,LP) ★★★★☆
• Lee Hazlewood - 13 (1972,2017 LP) ★★★★☆
• The Smiths - Hatful of Hollow (1984,LP) ★★★★☆
• Steve Martin & Edie Brickell - So Familiar (2017,LP) ★★★☆☆
• Itzhak Perlman - Brahms Violiin Concerto (1979,LP) ★★★★☆
• Primus - The Desaturating Seven (2017,LP) ★★★★☆
• David Bowie - Station to Station (1976,2017 RM LP) ★★★★☆
• Iggy Pop - Lust For Life (1977,S) ★★★☆☆
• Wilko Johnson & Roger Daltrey - Going Back Home (2014,LP) ★★★★☆
• Sufjan Stevens - Michigan (2003,LP) ★★★☆☆
• Pixies - Doolittle (1989,LP) ★★★★☆
• Primus - Sailing the Seas of Cheese (1991,LP) ★★★★☆
• Carpenters - Collected (2013,MOV 2017 LP) ★★★★☆
• Steve Earle - The Hard Way (1990,S) ★★★☆☆
• Clutch - Full Fathom Five (2008,S) ★★☆☆☆
• Hollie Cook - Hollie Cook (2011,S) ★★★★☆
• Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile - Lotta Sea Lice (2017,S) ★★★☆☆
• Spoon - Gimme Fiction (2005,LP) ★★★★☆
• Patrick Ball - Celtic Harp Vol.1 (1983,S) ★★★☆☆
• Fleet Foxes - Crack-Up (2017,LP) ★★★☆☆
• Steve Martin & The Steep Canyon Rangers - The Long-Awaited Album (2017) ★★★★☆
• Royal Blood - How Did We Get So Dark? (2017,LP) ★★★★☆
• Mammoth Mammoth - Vol.IV - Hammered Again (2015,LP) ★★★★☆
• Movements - Feel Something (2017,S) ★★★☆☆
• Camel - Mirage (1974,US LP) ★★★★★
• Mark O'Connor - Markology (1978,Japan LP) ★★★★☆
• Mana - Suenos Liquidos (1997,LP) ★★★★☆
• Led Zeppelin - The Complete BBC Sessions (1997,2016 5xLP) ★★★★★
• Spoon - Transference (2009,S) ★★★★☆
• Tony Joe White - The Shine (2010,LP) ★★★★☆
• Andrew Bird - Mysterious Production of Eggs (2005,S) ★★☆☆☆
• Live - Secret Samadhi (1997,S) ★★★☆☆
• Roy Orbison - A Love So Beautiful (2017,S) ★★★☆☆
• Lee Hazlewood - 13 (1972,LP) ★★★★☆
• Steven Wilson - 4 1/2 (2016,LP) ★★★★☆
• Massive Attack - Mezzanine (1998,2017 LP) ★★★★☆
• Francoise Hardy - In English (1966,S) ★★☆☆☆
• Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit - Here We Rest (2011,S) ★★★☆☆
• Brother Dege - Folks Songs of the American Longhair (2010,S) ★★★★☆
• The Rolling Stones - Self Titled (1964,S) ★★★☆☆
• The Dream Syndicate - The Days of Wine and Roses (1982,S) ★★★★☆
• Los Straitjackets - What's So Funny About Peace... (2017,S) ★★★★☆
• Fleetwood Mac - The Pious Bird of Good Omen (1969,LP) ★★★★☆
• Traveling Wilburys - Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1 (1988,LP) ★★★★★
• U2 - The Joshua Tree (1987,2007 RM LP) ★★★★★
• Fairport Convention - Liege & Lief (1969,LP) ★★★★☆
• Dave Matthews Band - Away From the World (2012,S) ★★☆☆☆
• Interpol - Antics (2004,S) ★★★★☆
• T Rex - Electric Warrior (1971,2017 Rhino LP) ★★★★☆
• The Zombies - Odyssey and Oracle (1968,LP) ★★★★☆
• Tony Joe White - The Shine (2011,LP) ★★★★☆
• The White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan (2005,S) ★★★☆☆
• Weezer - Pacific Daydream (2017,S) ★★☆☆☆
• Beck - Colors (2017,LP) ★★★☆☆
• Slint - Spiderland (1991,LP) ★★★★★
• Esquivel - Other Worlds, Other Sounds (1958,AF 2017 LP) ★★★★★
• Destroyer - Kaputt (2011,S) ★★★★☆
• Interpol - Our Love to Admire (2007,S) ★★★☆☆
• Alanis Morissette - Under Rug Swept (2002,LP) ★★★★☆

102

Chuck's Rating Scale

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

Playback:

Vinyl

• 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
• VPI 16.5 RCM
• Milty Zerostat3 Antistatic Gun

Digital

• Pioneer Elite BDP-62FD Blu-Ray/SACD/DVD Audio Player / Polk LSi M 703 Bookshelf
• PC AMD FX4300 Quad Core 3.8 GHz/12mb RAM / J River Media Center 22 / Maverick Audio TubeMagic D2 DAC / Cronus Magnum / Polk LSi M 703 Bookshelf

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, Bandcamp 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.