October 2017 - 3+ years and counting...

• Lindsay Buckingham & Christine McVie - Self Titled (2017,LP) ★★★★☆
• The Flaming Lips - Imagene Peise - Atlas Eets Christmas (2014,S) ★★★★☆
• Dave Porter - Better Call Saul Score (2017,LP) ★★★☆☆
• Monkey3 - Astra Symmetry (2016,S) ★★★★☆
• Mammoth Mammoth - Mount the Mountain (2017,LP) ★★★★☆
• Beck - Colors (2017,Yellow LP) ★★★★☆
• Brant Bjork - Europe '16 (2017,Orange 2xLP) ★★★★☆
• GOASTT - Acoustic Sessions (2010,S) ★★★☆☆
• OMD - The Punishment of Luxury (2017,S) ★★★☆☆
• Donald Fagen - The Nightfly (1982,LP) ★★★★☆
• Thievery Corporation - The Temple of I and I (2017,LP) ★★★★☆
  • Live at The Belly-Up Tavern, San Diego 10/26/17 ★★★★★
• Bobbi Humphrey - Blacks and Blues (1974,LP) ★★★★☆
• Goastt - Long Gone (2014,EP) ★★★★☆
• Mammoth Mammoth - Hell's Likely (2012,S) ★★★★☆
• Slint - Spiderland (1991,LP) ★★★★★
• Kendrick Lamar - Good Kid, m.A.A.d City (2012,S) ★★☆☆☆
• Tame Impala - Currents (2015,LP) ★★★★★
• Beach House - Depression Cherry (2015,LP) ★★★★☆
• John Prine - John Prine (1971,LP) ★★★★☆
• Gorillaz - Gorillaz (2001,S) ★★☆☆☆
• Los Lobos - Disconnected in New York City (2013,LP) ★★★★☆
• No-Man - Returning Jesus (2001,S) ★★★☆☆
• Moses Sumney - Aromanticism (2017,S) ★★☆☆☆
• Slowdrive - Slowdrive (2017,S) ★★☆☆☆
• Steven Wilson - Hand.Cannot.Erase (2016,LP) ★★★★☆
• The Brood - In Spite of It All (1988) ★★★★★
• Ravi Shankar - Portrait of Genius (1998,S) ★★★★☆
• Bernie Worrel - All the Woo in the World (1978,S) ★★★☆☆
• The Free Design - Kites are Fun (1967,S) ★★★☆☆
• Son Volt - Straightaways (1997,S) ★★★☆☆
• Robert Plant - Carry Fire (2017,S) ★★★☆☆
• Mike Watt - Contemplating the Engine Room (1997,S) ★★★☆☆
• Ziggy Marley - Love is My Religion (2006,S) ★★★☆☆
• The Sundays - Static & Silence (1997,S) ★★★★☆
• Slowdrive - Souvlaki (1993,S) ★★★☆☆
• Steve Martin - The Long-Awaited Album (2017,LP) ★★★★☆
• Steve Wilson - To The Bone (2017,LP) ★★★★★
• Turnpike Troubadours - A Long Way From Your Heart (2017,LP) ★★★☆☆
• Ringo Starr - Give More Love (2017,S) ★★★☆☆
• Queens of the Stone Age - Villans (2017,S) ★★☆☆☆
• Steve Earle & The Del McCoury Band - The Mountain (1999,S) ★★★★☆
• The Shins - Oh, Inverted World (2001,LP) ★★★★☆
• Porcupine Tree - Lighbulb Sun (2000,LP) ★★★★☆
• The Hollies - Another Night (1975,S) ★★★☆☆
• Mazzy Star - So Tonight That I Might See (1993,LP) ★★★★☆
• Tyler Childers - Purgatory (2017,S) ★★★☆☆
• Alders Saints - Spot (2017,S) ★★★☆☆
• Link Wray - Link Wray (1971,LP) ★★★★☆
• The Police - Synchronicity (1983,LP) ★★★★☆
• Ruby the Hatchet - Planetary Space Child (2017,LP) ★★★★☆
• Third Eye Blind - Dopamine (2015,S) ★★★☆☆
• Jerry Garcia Band - Cats Under the Stars (1978,LP) ★★★★☆
• Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit - The Nashville Sound (2017,LP) ★★★★☆
• Beck - Mutations (1998,S) ★★★★☆
• Van Morrison - Keep Me Singing (2016,LP) ★★★☆☆
• Beck - Colors (2017,LP) ★★★☆☆
• Turnpike Troubadours - Diamonds & Gasoline (2010,LP) ★★★★☆
• Steve Martin - The Crow (2009,S) ★★★☆☆
• Haken - The Mountain (2013,S) ★★★☆☆
• Cibo Matto - Stereo Type A (1999,LP) ★★★★☆
• Bombino - Azel (2016,LP) ★★★★★
• J Mascis - Tied to a Star (2014,LP) ★★★★☆
• Jason Isbell - Southeastern (2013,S) ★★★★☆
• Steven Wilson - The Raven That Refused to Sing (2013,SR) ★★★★☆
• Steven Wilson - To The Bone (2017,SR) ★★★★☆
• Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins - Rabbit Fur Coat (2006,LP) ★★★★☆
• Slint - Spiderland (1991,LP) ★★★★☆
• Lee Hazlewood - Requiem For An Almost Lady (1971,S) ★★★★☆
• Neil Young - The Monsanto Years (2015,LP) ★★★★☆
• Claudia Thompson - Goodbye to Love (1959,S) ★★★☆☆
• Sheldon Allman - Folk Songs For the 21st Century (1960,S) ★★★★☆
• Kamasi Washington - Harmony of Difference (2017,EP) ★★★★☆
• Sting - The Soul Cages (1991,S) ★★★★☆
• The Babys - The Babys (1976,LP) ★★★☆☆
• Camel - A Live Record (1978,LP) ★★★★★
• Easy Star All-Stars - Dub Side of the Moon (2003,LP) ★★★★☆
• David Crosby - Sky Trails (2017,S) ★★★☆☆
• Live - Mental Jewelry (1991,S) ★★★☆☆
• Josefus - Josefus (1970,S) ★★★★☆
• Goastt - Midnight Sun (2014,S) ★★★★☆
• Tom Glazer & Dottie Evans - Space Songs (1959,LP) ★★★★☆
• Arcade Fire - Funeral (2004,LP) ★★★★☆
• Enya - The Very Best of Enya (2009,LP) ★★★★☆
• Lee Hazlewood - Forty (1969,S) ★★★☆☆
• Toadies - The Lower Side of Uptown (2017,LP) ★★★★☆
• The Black Angels - Death Song (2017,LP) ★★★★☆
• Royal Blood - Royal Blood (2014,S) ★★★☆☆
• Silver Jews - American Water (1998,LP) ★★★☆☆
• Claypool Lennon Delirium - Lime and Limpid Green (2017,EP) ★★★★☆
• Talking Heads - Talking Heads:77 (1977,LP) ★★★★☆
• Kadavar - Rough Times (2017,LP) ★★★☆☆
• Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie & The Infinite Sadness (1995,LP) ★★★★★
• Elton John - Funeral For a Friend (1973,S) ★★★★☆
• Tom Petty - Nowhere B/W Surrender (2010,Single) ★★★★☆
• Tom Petty - Wildflowers (1994,LP) ★★★★☆
  • RIP Tom 10/2/2017
• Ry Cooder - Paradise and Lunch (1974,MFSL LP) ★★★★☆
• Claypool Lennon Delerium - Monolith of Phobos (2016,LP) ★★★☆☆
• Malo - Self-titled (1972,LP) ★★★★☆
• Radiohead - Kid A (2000,2x10" LP) ★★★★☆
• Uriah Heep - Deomns and Wizards (1972,LP) ★★★★☆

100

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.