What are you listening to?

Kalyr wrote:

Maidu featuring Heather Findlay - The Way I See You
Riversea - Out of the Ancient World
Rush - Clockwork Angels
Van der Graaf Generator - ALT

No review/thoughts/comment Tim? I was wondering about the VDG one, ordered Rush 2 days ago and was thinking about the other two as well!

Europe - Last look at Eden
Touchstone - Wintercoast
Anti nowhere League - We are the league
Robin Trower - Bridge of sighs

Astral Enigma wrote:

No review/thoughts/comment Tim? I was wondering about the VDG one, ordered Rush 2 days ago and was thinking about the other two as well!

Had been posting during a coffee break at work, no time for an in-depth post!

Maidu/Heather Findlay - Find I'm really liking this; multi-layered chill-out electronica that's actually quite progressive. Have written (but not yet published) a review of this.
Rush - I'm feeling I'm the only person who's not really "getting" this album. Recent Stolen Earth, Panic Room and Riversea albums have made much more of an impression.
Riversea - Gets better on each listen in the way Rush's album stubbornly refuses to.
VDGG - Interesting one, completely instrumental, made up from improvised jams. A bit like the second disk of "Present".

Bubblegum Screw - Screwphoria
Oli Brown - Here I am
Psychedelic Furs - The collection
Robin Trower - Twice remoed from yesterday
Pythia - Beyond the veiled embrace

Acqua Fragile eponymous album arrived yesterday along with Big Big Train's Underfall yard - my latest experimentation. Listened to both in the car today - quite liked the former (cross between King Crimson and very early Genesis perhaps?). Only half way through the latter - ok so far but not as outstanding as I was expecting. But it's early days!

Back to the Classic Rock samplers for me:

Various - Classic Rock 168 - Behemoth
Various - Classic Rock 135 - Heavy Blues
Various - Classic Rock 166 - Best Of 2011
Various - Classic Rock 163 - Sideshow
Various - Classic Rock 139 - Space Rock
Various - Classic Rock 138 - Songbook Vol 2
Various - Classic Rock 137 - Back In The Saddle
Various - Classic Rock 134 - The New Wave Of Traditional Metal Vol 2

Very little stood out on these although I did decide perhaps Porcupine Tree may be better than I thought. The She Creatures, Blue Snaggletooth, Nordic Nomadic and Chickenfoot (3) were of a little interest. Anyone know anything about them (apart obviously from Chickenfoot!)?

The Cure - Bloodflowers
Terrorvision - Good to go
Fish - Return to childhood
Kate Bush - Hounds of love

At last, back to a handful of (new) proper albums!

Mostly Autumn - The Ghost Moon Orchestra ~184~
Solstice - Spirit ~266~
Mostly Autumn - A Weather For Poets ~406~
Asia - Xxx ~526~
Panic Room - Skin ~730~

Various - Classic Rock 170 - The New Avengers
Various - Classic Rock 169 - Blues Fury
Various - Classic Rock 096 - A Tribute To Led Zeppelin
Various - Classic Rock 094 - Tune In, Turn On, Rock Out
Various - Classic Rock 095 - Metal For The Masses
Various - Classic Rock 100
Various - Classic Rock 097 - Shine On
Various - Classic Rock 047 - Live Bootleg
Various - Classic Rock 071 - Out There: The Future Of Prog

Time for some controversy! I rather like the latest MA album although I'm far from being of the view that it's particularly different. In fact I think it's more back a few years - I can hear shades of Storms, HFOS and even Below The Radar more than anything, with some hints of GWDH. Anyway, straight into my all-time top 200...

I listened through the Panic Room album three times and whilst everything sounded fine I can't say I was even close to being stunned by it - sorry! BUT it is slowly, very slowly, gathering momentum (in fact the last Karnataka one did that too). Then Monday I listened to it on my Bose noise cancelling headphones on the train and - wow, what a difference. Hugely improved. It seems to me the soundscapes work so much better that way, without distraction... So I'll list it again - now it's made my top 300 (well inside the top 20% that means). And it will probably grow more.

Panic Room - Skin ~300~

Going down to CRF and back... (and a few beforehand)

Aqua Fragile - Aqua Fragile ~new~
Emerson Lake And Palmer - Emerson Lake And Palmer ~5~
Deep Purple - Burn ~48~
Mostly Autumn - The Ghost Moon Orchestra ~184~
Solstice - Spirit ~266~
Touchstone - The City Sleeps ~310~
Atlantis - It's Getting Better ~317~
Panic Room - Skin ~730~

...plus a few compilations:
Atomic Rooster - Assortment
Bachman And Turner - Classic Rock 148 - Forged In Rock
Down'n'outz - Classic Rock 147 - My Re-Generation
Various - Classic Rock 129 - Lost

Looks like it's ages since anyone's posted anything here! My excuse is that I went about a month playing virtually no music at all. But last week or so I've been listening again and been on some lengthy train trips. So here's an update:

Emerson Lake And Palmer - Emerson Lake And Palmer ~5~
Deep Purple - Burn ~48~
Strawbs - Hero And Heroine ~102~
Mostly Autumn - The Ghost Moon Orchestra ~184~
Strawbs - From The Witchwood ~199~
Solstice - Spirit ~266~
Panic Room - Skin ~300~
Touchstone - The City Sleeps ~311~
Atlantis - It's Getting Better ~318~
The Reasoning - Adventures in Neverland
Underground Zero - Powerplay ~416~
Landmarq - Science Of Coincidence ~479~
Glass Hammer - Perelandra ~538~
Arena - Pepper's Ghost ~555~
Eloy - Destination ~555~
Arena - Pride ~579~
Threshold - Clone ~593~
Glass Hammer - Culture Of Ascent ~619~
Glass Hammer - Lex Rex ~623~
Astra - The Black Chord ~658~
Threshold - Wounded Land ~665~
Solstice - New Life ~684~
Heather Findlay Band - Songs From The Old Kitchen ~691~
Acqua Fragile - Acqua Fragile ~736~
Eloy - Floating ~748~
Arena - Immortal ~823~
Eloy - Metromania ~856~
Landmarq - The Vision Pit ~856~
Eloy - Ocean ~868~
Big Big Train - The Underfall Yard ~967~
Glass Hammer - On To Evermore ~1043~
Eloy - Inside ~1082~
Rush - Clockwork Angels ~1145~

To be fair, most have been perfectly okay, just very little that's stood out in terms of new ones, or rather ones new to me. The latest Rush album, allegedly back to how they used to be, really didn't do it for me. Most disappointed with that one. A few of the above I really need to give another chance too!

I've also listened to dozens of samplers - Metal CD, Classic rock etc, and not found that much of any interest that I didn't already know about.

I am fascinated by the way you rank albums in a huge personal 'chart'. How did you ever arrive at this? Did the order slowly build over years of listening, or did you just decide to do it one day?

Then when you get a new album, say The Ghost Moon Orchestra, how on earth do you narrow it down to being ranked at 184? Do you play a whole lot of old albums and say it's better/worse than this, or do you go on gut instinct? Did you have to play the old #184 for comparison?

And does the order ever change? Is ELP always at #5, or do you sometimes play the #6 album and think, actually I lke this better than ELP...?

I'm genuinely fascinated. I was thinking about how I could apply this to my own albums and I couldn't even work out how to start! I own a fraction of the albums you do, and it still boggles my mind

For the last few days I've been listening to my new CDs from 2012 to write a "best of the year" list, and that's hard enough! Do I like Riversea better than Stolen Earth? Well... it depends on the day

To answer David and others who have asked in the past - go here:

http://kyneska.forumotions.net/t12-ranking-albums-into-some-sort-of-order#92

Essentially they're all held in a database and rated based upon the tracks on them, by a formula developed over time. So yes, an album can move if I relisten and think differently and a new one just gets rated and as a result appears somewhere in the middle.

I do actually have the whole lot on our website - I really must update it, then I'll add a link.

But the link above explains it all. If you can't access it let me know. If you need to sign up to the Kyneska forum then please do!

Wow. I am very impressed

Haven't posted for a while, but this week I have been listening to my CDs by The Animals, Cheap Trick, Heather Findlay Band, Karnataka and Caravan...and others

I seem to have had a few more quiet days. But today, Honey And Lava by Coralspin (which arrived in the post a couple of days ago).

Last night we went to see the American Idiot Green Day musical (Lynda's idea)... does that count? Not sure I'd call it a gig! £40 to see (in effect) a Green Day tribute band with dancers!

A month has gone by with no additions. I know I've been hardly listening to anything - what about anyone else? But lots of time on the train at the weekend, plus driving, so:

Curved Air - Live Atmosphere ~47~
Breathing Space - Coming Up For Air ~49~
Uriah Heep - Demons And Wizzards ~55~
Deep Purple - Fireball ~57~
Wishbone Ash - Wishbone Ash ~171~
Mostly Autumn - The Ghost Moon Orchestra ~184~
Rob Cottingham - Captain Blue ~277~
District 97 - Trouble Within Machines ~414~
Squackett - A Life Within A Day ~482~
Coralspin - Honey And Lava ~925~
Wishbone Ash - There's The Rub ~944~

Have to say I'm impressed with Rob's album - although very much m ore so on second l;isten (and on headphones). District 97 is interesting though hard to describe - somewhere between Gentle Giant, King Crimson and Pavlovs Dog but with female vocals? The Squackett album is still growing on me too. Currently listening to the most recent Final Conflict album for the second time - more next time!

Just me then? More on-train listening the other day:

Mostly Autumn - The Ghost Moon Orchestra ~63~
Landmarq - Entertaining Angels ~195~
Panic Room - Skin ~197~
Final Conflict - Return Of The Artisan ~452~
Reasoning - Adventures In Neverland ~470~

Which essentially means the top three above are my albums of the year, I reckon!

Still just me? Here's some studio albums from the trip to/from and across Australia:

Touchstone - The City Sleeps ~335~
Eloy - Ocean 2 ~373~
Final Conflict - Stand Up ~404~
Threshold - Hypothetical ~495~
Glass Hammer - Shadowlands ~674~
Threshold - Extinct Instinct ~736~
Arena - The Visitor ~772~
Eloy - Planets ~1121~
Eloy - Performance ~1133~
Arena - Songs From The Lion's Cage ~1205~

...and here's some live albums, which I've decided to start re-listening to:

Breathing Space - Below The Radar Live ~7~
Argent - Encore ~18~
Blue Oyster Cult - On Your Feet Or On Your Knees ~36~
Caravan - Caravan And The New Symphonia ~58~
Deep Purple - Deep Purple In Concert ~60~
Curved Air - Alive 1990 ~62~
Annie Haslam - Under Brazilian Skies ~64~
Blue Horses - The Live Album ~68~
All About Eve - Live In Concert - Glastonbury 89 ~70~
Be-Bop Deluxe - Tremulous Antenna - Live In Concert ~74~
Barclay James Harvest - Live ~75~
Asia - Enso Kai ~85~
Almighty - Blood Fire And Live ~89~
Black Sabbath - Live Evil ~120~

A long time since I posted on here : this week I have listened to :-

The Union - The world is yours
Snakecharmer - Snakecharmer
Arena - The seventh degree of seperation
Creed - Human clay
Virginmarys - King of conflict
The Union - The Union
Rolling Stones - Their satanic majesties
Credo - Field of vision
Crash Test Dummies - A worms life
Creed - Weathered
White Willow - Storm Session
Van Morrision - Magic time
Rolling Stones - Some girls

It's been even longer since I posted anywhere! What's going on.... Most of these were ages ago as I've hardly listened to anything for months. In fact, virtually nothing at home, only whilst sitting on a train.

Original albums:
Emerald Sky - Shadows Of Darkness ~28~
Rick Wakeman - Journey To The Centre Of The Earth [2012] ~229~
Kompendium - Beneath The Waves ~405~
Ginger Wildheart - Hey Hello ~474~
Eloy - Silent Cries And Mighty Echoes ~498~
Threshold - Subsurface ~751~
Threshold - Psychedelicatessen ~907~
Eloy - Power And The Passion ~920~
Eloy - Visionary ~955~
Eloy - The Tides Return Forever ~961~
Eloy - Ra ~978~
Eloy - Time To Turn ~1131~
Ginger Wildheart - The Frankenstein Effect ~1533~
Ginger Wildheart - Error 500 ~1609~

Live albums:
Emerson Lake And Palmer - Live At The Royal Albert Hall ~5~
Curved Air - Curved Air Live ~21~
Deep Purple - Nobody's Perfect ~23~
Hawkwind - A Space Ritual ~26~
Curved Air - Live Atmosphere ~28~
Genesis - Three Sides Live ~37~
AC/DC - Live ~48~
Blue Oyster Cult - Extra Terrestrial Live ~52~
AC/DC - If You Want Blood You've Got It ~65~
Argent - High Voltage Festival 2010 ~70~
Asia - Live At Liverpool Academy ~73~
Focus - At The Rainbow ~82~
Deep Purple - Made In Europe ~96~
Emerson Lake And Palmer - American Tour 1972 ~97~
Chinatown - Play It To Death ~102~

Compilations:
Various - Prog 34 - P11: Sailing Uncharted Seas ~~
Various - Prog 33 - P10: Tipplers Tales ~~
Various - Prog 32 - P9: Head Space ~~
Various - Prog 31 - P8: Take The Long Way Home ~~

A few more train trips, a few more albums listened to:

Various  -  Prog 37 - P14: Brave New World    ~~
Various  -  Prog 36 - P13: The Spirt Of Radial    ~~
Blue Oyster Cult  -  Extra Terrestrial Live    ~53~
Deep Purple  -  Made In Europe    ~89~
Aerosmith  -  Live! Bootleg    ~117~
Blackfoot  -  Highway Song Live    ~137~
Alice Cooper  -  The Alice Cooper Show    ~143~
Bachman Turner Overdrive  -  Live Live Live    ~148~
Allman Brothers  -  At Filmore East    ~164~
Ashton And Lord  -  First Of The Big Bands    ~171~
Deep Purple  -  Now What!?    ~189~
Commander Cody & Lost Planet Airmen  -  Live From Deep In The Heart Of Texas    ~199~
Amon Duul II  -  Live In London    ~213~
Cream  -  Live Cream    ~220~