What's in your CDP tonight? the minority report

he's decades past relevance, and was never hip in the first place, but tumbleweed connection is unarguably a great record--just pulled it out to listen to with my jaded ex-skatepunk bride, who wholly agrees with the foregoing.
also in queue is steven wilson--hand,cannot, erase--highly recommended prog rock for people like myself that don't especially like prog rock

I got to see EJ with his original band around the time of Tumbleweed Connection (70-71), and they pleased me greatly. My interest in him soon thereafter evaporated, he appearing to me to be more of an entertainer than an artist, if you know what I mean. Nothing wrong with mere entertainment---I love ABBA!

ghosthouse...

Actually my review, or at least my attempt at a review, was for 11/17/70 not Madman Across The Water. Fortunately I have long since lost that first attempt at becoming a writer, let alone a critic.  I remember vaguely re-reading it during my high school years and feeling my skin crawl in repulsion. It was THAT awful. 

I just turned 60 late last year. Older and wiser now than ever before, I am thankful that I at least had the sense to pursue other endeavors in which I was better equipped to succeed at. 
(None of which were obvious at the time.)

Another Ralph J. Gleason I would not become!  

Staying on point...

I listen more often digitally than I do analogue simply because digital, server/player/streaming, offers an ease of use that vinyl does not.  While the tangible appreciation of vinyl playback still owns a place in my heart, either format serves me well enough to a point wherein disparaging one in favor of the other is without merit. 

I began with vinyl and it never left my setup. Even as I gravitated toward the compact disc, essentially mirroring my vinyl catalogue in a hasty embrace of the "new" format, I never had the mind, nor the ears, to find either so utterly superior to the other that one would suffer divorce from my life. 

The quality of playback through either source is woefully dependent on the quality of one's equipment - with vinyl being particularly precious regarding the chain.  It was said here earlier that it should be "all about the music", so I recently moved from a fairly admirable separates setup to one with an integrated amp, turntable, and player/server. Voila!  Easy peasey, and I've since stopped wringing my hands over the loss or gain of a few hertz here or there - if I ever could discern it audibly. 

At my gf's house we listen through a Pioneer SX-850 receiver, Pro-Ject cheap-seats turntable, and/or a Marantz CD player through Meadowlark Kestrel speakers. We've weaved our way through her truly awful collection of disco compilation lp's keeping only original artist recordings.  Fortunately we're down to about fifteen such examples.  We have done the same to her equally awful, yet far more extensive CD library of disco compilations as well.  As a means of rewarding her painful decisions resulting in a diminished library, I've been purchasing heavy-gram vinyl copies of her other favorites, Fleetwood Mac, Boston, Earth Wind And Fire.  She's also left my house with more than a few Lyle Lovetts, Lucinda Williams, Genesis, and Dave Grusin lp's. 

Spinning now on my cdp?  "Don't Tell A Soul" - The Replacements. I'm awaiting the arrival of Son Volt's new release for the turntable. 

Enjoyed your last two posts, oblgny.  Just for context, I do have 5 more years than you...but who's counting.  You had previously mentioned the EJ 11/17/70 live recording.  Remember listening to that back in the early '70s.  A good one as I recall, though we'll leave your review out of the discussion.  "...feeling my skin crawl in repulsion." - self-editing is commendable.  More of it would be a good thing in various A'gon threads.

I could certainly relate to your comments about media preferences or,  more correctly, your lack of strong media preference.  I'm in the same place.  Have LPs I've been lugging around for 40+ years now.  Have equipment that's more than adequate for playing those.  I enjoy them but not interested in pursuing the zenith of vinyl playback.  For the same $ spent, it does seem easier to get great sound from digital.  Mostly I buy and listen to digital...whether CDs, ripped files, Spotify, Tidal or internet radio.  When the spirit moves to get something on vinyl I'll buy old (first issue if I can afford it) original LPs.  There is something about holding a 40 or 50 year old "artifact" that can still generate great sound.  

Looked at your system.  Seems that many would be happy to own such as their best! let alone as the product of simplification.  No slight to your Thiels but I'd love to be able to hear the Kestrels some day.  

Okay...blathered on enough.  Hope you enjoy more good music with great sound today.