What I was listening to in: JULY 2026

Week 27

Ace and Colosseum II are new CDs I bought from BGO Records website. Well worth checking out the site for reissues of old albums that are hard to find. I've bought quite a few from them this year and there are still more I've got my eye on!

Week 28

A day early this week as I'll be out with the wife on Saturday.

I dipped into the old cassette box and found some albums I've only got on tape. I'm pretty sure these four came from the bargain bin at Woolworths!

Week 29

A lot of BBC broadcasts this week and some other live albums.

Week 30

It's FREE CD week! Yaaay! Here's a selection of giveaways from magazines I've bought over the years. Somewhere in the house is a box of cassettes that were issued before CDs became popular but I can't find them!

Week 31

More FREE CDs and some compilations from the batch Tracey got from Woolworths when it closed.

What I was listening to in: JUNE 2026

Week 23

This week's collection contains a few of those "extras" discs that you get in box sets - you know the ones; alternate versions, demos previously unreleased live tracks etc.

As I met Jeff Goldblum at a HMV signing last week his album eventually turned up. A fine set of jazz interpretations of some old standards! Nice one Jeff.

Week 24

Maisie Peters' CD is another of Ants HMV signings so I thought I'd give it a listen.

Osibisa & Quicksilver Messenger Service are new purchases that I've had my eye on for years so I thought I'd dive in and give them a go. Well worth it!

The Glen Miller set is good - it's nice to have a complete change sometimes.

And SHOCK, HORROR, a Best of Dr Hook CD that doesn't include "Sylvia's Mother!" What sort of alternate dimension have I fallen into?

Week 25

Headstone is another new band to me. I keep finding these great 70's rock albums, many more to come!

The "Bookends" CD includes a bonus track and is still less than 35 mins long! I know it's Simon & Garfunkel but come on lads, make an effort!

"The Planets" CD is one of those typical classical albums where the loud bits are overwhelming and the quiet bits are inaudible!

Another nice variety!

Week 26

There's a theme connecting some of last weeks albums; can you spot what it is?

What I was listening to in: MAY 2026

Week 19

The "Paladin" & "Gravy Train" albums are birthday presents so they had to get played. I've got some more that didn't turn up until the end of the week so they'll be on the next list.

I'm still going through the database of my albums that don't have a "last played" date next to them. That's why a lot of the same artists tend to crop up regularly. There's such a wide variety of music on offer, I'm glad I can appreciate so many different genres!

Week 20

Ant went to a HMV Melanie C signing which is why her album is featured.

The only thing I don't like about "Tormato" is that my CD sticks during track eight. I've had at least three copies of this and they all have the same fault. Surprisingly it plays on my PC so I ripped it and burned my own disc. That one plays fine!

CD rot has rendered my Anthony Phillips album unplayable. Luckily I found a two disc version available so that's now on order - arriving today I hope!

The Kate & Anna McGarrigle albums are new to me and I've played them many times this week. So good!

Week 21

It was April 1975 when I bought the two Genesis Collection box sets. They're still in decent nick and have the posters with them! The one box even has some drawings I did at the time - and the HP card from Corfields because I had to pay for them over a few weeks!

The Frampton & Poco albums arrived this week, they were late birthday presents. The song "Rose of Cimarron" is a great track and should be heard by everyone at least once (The same can be said of anything by Ivor Cutler).

Week 22

One thing I've never been keen on with the Icicle Works is the drumming! The chap's too energetic, has to hit everything throughout a song! Rein it in laddie, leave a bit of space! Serve the song, not the ego!

The Traffic CD is one I've not played too often. I wonder if it was as tedious to record as it is to listen to!

And finally, the award for album title of the week goes to…

"A Former Tour De Force Is Forced To Tour".

What I was listening to in: APRIL 2026

Week 15

The O'Sullivan and Sayer albums are both LPs, the first I've bought for ages. I found them at Cannock market, £5 for the two. They were in a bit of a state but once cleaned up they look and play fine. There was another LP I saw that I want so that might be on next week's list.

Week 16

As I said last week "I'm probably going to buy another LP from the Market", well I did! It's the James Bond Collection, which I used to have but sold to a lad I was at Hednesford college with. So glad to own it again.

Week 17

I'd not played Billy Joel for a long time so that was a nice listen. I think I might do a "Greatest Hits" week next.

Week 18

It's "Best Of/Greatest Hits" week this time!

The Bowie CD was disappointing. My original discs caught the dreaded CD rot so I burned the tracks to other discs. Now they've gone the same way! Might have to replace it with the "Platinum Collection".

The Kate Bush CD has the new vocal version of "Wuthering Heights". WHY? It's so inferior to the original. She can't hit the high notes - especially on the last "Cathy" she sings. Terrible!!

"Wingspan" is another of the CDs Tracey got when Woolworths closed down. It should be a two CD set but I've only got the "Hits" disc (Probably the best one. Pity it doesn't include "Helen Wheels" though).

What I was listening to in: MARCH 2026

Week 10
It was good to hear The Prisoner soundtrack again. I watched the complete series a couple of months back. What a great show that was!

Week 11
It's a day early this week as I'm at the NEC this weekend.

Week 12
When Woolworths closed down in 2009 the music department had a lot of CDs left over with no covers or cases. For a small donation the staff could have what they wanted so Tracey bought home a handful. The "Toploader" album on this list was one of them and this is the first time I've played it! It was good!

Week 13

The Travis album is another of the Woolworth's batch that I mentioned in last week's post. Again it's the first time I've ever played it.

The Elton John album is the cassette version. On the player I used it was listenable but there was no top end. It was muffled and bass heavy, great if you're a fan of Dee Murray!

Week 14

Every morning from 6am I listen to a CD for forty minutes while I'm on the treadmill. Well the treadmill packed up this morning so I've got to get it replaced. I've only had it nine months so hopefully it's covered by the warranty. I quite enjoy my 3km walk in a morning.

What I was listening to in: FEBRUARY 2026

Week 06:

More albums that have not been played for many years. I really like having the time now to revisit my old collection. They bring back some good memories.

Week 07:

It's been Greatest Hits/Best Of week, mostly, beginning with the first CD I ever bought. The last album on the photo is there because it was fifty years ago today that I walked from Cannock to Webbs in Chadsmoor to buy it. I remember it being a very sunny day, just as it is now as I write this.

Week 08:

Aaaargh! it's happened! The dreaded CD rot has struck. The last two tracks of "Parklife" are affected and are no longer playable.

On a more positive note it was good to blast out the Thunderbirds theme this week. It's got to be one of the best orchestral pieces ever written.

Week 09:

A bit of classical, a couple of E.P.s and two similar cover designs this time.

What I was listening to in: JANUARY 2026

It's been six years since I posted anything here so, as I'm now retired, I thought I'd post what I've been listening to during the week. I usually get through fifteen albums a week while I'm on the treadmill or relaxing in the conservatory.

Week 01:

The first week of the new year concludes the playing of the Christmas CDs I had (Parsons, Cutler and 60s) with the addition of the Party,Party OST and a Chris Spedding album.

I've already got some new CDs on order (should arrive today) so they'll be first up on next weeks list.

Week 02:

I've already bought six new albums this year: Four Gentle Giants, one Chris Squire and a Squackett! And they're all excellent.

The Kevin Ayers album was not the best showcase for his talents but it does contain some classics.

Week 03:

Bit of a variety this time: Prog, pop, easy listening, country, rock!

Whatever my mood I think I'm covered.

Week 04:

It was live album week again! Some well known, some not so much but all great.

Week 05:

It's a day early this week as I bought another Gentle Giant album and couldn't wait to give that a listen.

Wreckless Eric is one of the best artists to emerge from the punk era. I've only got five albums but they're all gems. If you've not heard him "Greatest Stiffs" is a good place to start. He's bound to be on Spotify, look him up!