October 2016

• Townes Van Zandt - Our Mother the Mountain (1969,S) ★★★★☆
• Chick Corea - Return to Forever (1972,LP) ★★★☆☆
• Kings of Leon - Walls (2016,S) ★★☆☆☆
• David Crosby - Lighthouse (2016,S) ★★★☆☆
• Mick Fleetwood Blues Band - Live at the Belly Up (2016,DD) ★★★★☆
• Third World - Live at the Belly Up (2016,DD) ★★★☆☆
• Loretta Lynn - Van Lear Rose (2011,LP) ★★★☆☆
• The Midnight Ghost Train - Cold Was the Ground (2015,LP) ★★☆☆☆
• Jack White - Acoustic Recordings [1998-2016] (2016,LP) ★★★★☆
• The Books - The Lemon of Pink (2011,S) ★★☆☆☆
• Case/Lang/Veirs - Case/Lang/Veirs (2016,S) ★★★☆☆
• Ray Wylie Hubbard - The Ruffian's Misfortune (2015,LP) ★★★★☆
• Robben Ford - Into the Sun (2015,LP) ★★★☆☆
• Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002,LP) ★★★★☆
• Jerry Goodman - Ariel (1986,Japan LP) ★★★☆☆
• ZZ Top - Tres Hombres (1973,LP) ★★★★☆
• Zodiac Death Valley - Desert Boheme (2015,LP) ★★★☆☆
• Burning Spear - Man in the Hills (1976,S) ★★★★☆
• Riverside - Eye of the Soundscape (2016,LP) ★★★★☆
• M83 - Digital Shades (Vol.1) (2015,S) ★★★★☆
• Roy Orbison - Sings Don Gibson (1967,S) ★★★☆☆
• Ben Folds - So There (2015,S) ★★★☆☆
• Natalie Merchant - Tigerlily (2007,S) ★★★★☆
• Ann-Margret - On the Way Up (1962,LP) ★★★☆☆
• Coldplay - Parachutes (2000,LP) ★★★★☆
• Craig Pruess & Ananda - Sacred Chants of Devi (2005,S) ★★★★☆
• Survival Knife - Loose Power (2014,LP) ★★★★☆
• Stone Diamond - Phoenix (2015,LP) ★★★★☆
• Alice Cooper - Billion Dollar Babies (1973,LP) ★★★★☆
• Transatlantic - SMPTe (2000,LP) ★★★★☆
• Maybird - Turning Into Water (2016,EP) ★★★☆☆
• Veruca Salt - Ghost Notes (2015,LP) ★★★☆☆
• Fu Manchu - No One Rides For Free (1994,LP) ★★★★☆
• Clutch - La Curandera (2015,LP) ★★★★☆
• ZZ Top - Eliminator (1983,LP) ★★★★☆
• TK Webb & The Visions - Ancestor (2008,LP) ★★★★☆
• The Feelies - Time For a Witness (1991,LP) ★★★★☆
• Salem Mass - Witch Burning (1971,S) ★★★★☆
• Snoop Doggy Dog - Doggystyle (1993,S) ★★★★☆
• Steve Martin & Edie Brickell - So Familiar (2015,S) ★★★☆☆
• Third World - Third World (1976,LP) ★★★★☆
• Steve Earle - Townes (2009,S) ★★★☆☆
• Clutch - Strange Cousins From the West (2009,LP) ★★★★☆
• Mort Garson - Black Mass (1971,S) ★★★★☆
• Earth - Primitive and Deadly (2014,LP) ★★★☆☆
• The Midnight Ghost Train - Cold Was the Ground (2015,LP) ★★★☆☆
• Scientist - Heavyweight Dub Champion (1980,LP) ★★★★☆
• Fu Manchu - No One Rides For Free (1994,S) ★★★★☆
• Clutch - La Curandera (2016,S) ★★★★☆
• Barry Gibb - In the Now (2016,S) ★★★☆☆
• Lemonheads - It's a Shame About Ray (1992,LP) ★★★★☆
• Lightnin' Slim - Rooster Blues (1960,S) ★★★☆☆
• Fugees - The Score (1996,S) ★★★☆☆
• NAO - For All We Know (2016,S) ★★★☆☆
• Alain Goraguer - La Planète Sauvage (2000,S) ★★★★☆
• Norah Jones - Day Breaks (2016,S) ★★★★☆
• The Doits - Lost, Lonely & Vicious (2006,LP) ★★★☆☆
• Deodato - Love Island (1978,LP) ★★★★☆
• The Feelies - Only Life (1988,LP) ★★★★★
• MC5 - Kick Out the Jams Motherf*cker! (2012,LP) ★★★☆☆
• Fleetwood Mac - Mirage (1982, 2016 5.1 DTS Audio)
  • Performance ★★★★★ Sonics ★★★☆☆
• Tame Impala - Currents (2015,SR) ★★★★★
• They Might Be Giants - Flood (1990,LP) ★★★★★
• The Black Keys - Chulahoma (2006,EP) ★★★★☆
• Supertramp - Breakfast in America (1979,LP) ★★★★☆
• Mothership - Mothership II (2014,S) ★★★★☆
• Mothership - Mothership (2013,S) ★★★★★
• Joss Stone - The Soul Sessions (2003,S) ★★★★☆
• TK Webb & The Visions - Ancestor (2008,LP) ★★★★☆
• Maybird - Turning Into Water (2016,EP) ★★★★☆
• Vandenberg - Vandenberg (1982,S) ★★★☆☆
• Transatlantic - Bridge Across Forever (2001,S) ★★★★☆
• The Black Crowes - Warpaint Live (2009,LP) ★★★★☆
• The Kiluaeas - Wiki Waki Wooo (2014,LP) ★★★☆☆
• Porcupine Tree - Nil Recurring (2007,EP) ★★★★☆
• Gang of Four - Solid Gold (1981,LP) ★★★★☆
• Tony Joe White - Tony Joe (1970,LP) ★★★★☆
• Burning Spear - Marcus Garvey (1975,LP) ★★★★★
• Brant Bjork - Tao of the Devil (2016,LP) ★★★★☆
• Fraction - Moon Blood (1971,RE LP) ★★★★☆
• Third World - 96 In the Shade (1977,S) ★★★☆☆

81

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 my 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.