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Albums 2017 - Top Ten

Hey, folks.  Regrettably, it's been a while.  Due to time limitations, this year I've changed the format a bit.  Primarily photos, lists, and links for the foreseeable future instead of reviews and analysis.  

These are my top ten albums of 2017.  Subjective favorites, of course.  Albums that made the most impact and were in heaviest rotation during the year.  Suffice it to say, Chris Stapleton's pair of earnest and emotive From A Room albums (an eclectic two-volume set of originals and choice covers recorded at the legendary "Studio A" in Nashville, TN - released seven months apart) dominated my earbuds and hi-fi in 2017.

Click the hyperlinks below each album image for audio/video and check out my 2017 Runners Up and Honorable Mention list.  Thanks for reading and listening, and have a Happy New Year!  See you in 2018.

1.  Chris Stapleton:  From A Room Vol. 1 & 2 (Mercury Nashville - 5/5/17 & 12/1/17)





Chris Stapleton - “Broken Halos”
Chris Stapleton - “Millionaire”
Chris Stapleton - “The Last Thing I Needed, First Thing This Morning”


2.  Queens of The Stone Age:  Villains (Matador - 8/25/17)




Queens of The Stone Age - “The Way You Used To Do”
Queens of The Stone Age - “The Evil Has Landed”
Queens of The Stone Age - “Feet Don’t Fail Me”


3.  Beck:  Colors (Capitol - 10/13/17)




Beck - “Wow”
Beck - “Up All Night”
Beck - “Dear Life”


4.  Mastodon:  Emperor of Sand (Reprise - 3/31/17)




Mastodon - “Show Yourself”
Mastodon - “Steambreather”
Mastodon - “Sultan’s Curse”


5.  Royal Blood:  How Did We Get So Dark? (Warner Bros - 6/16/17)




Royal Blood - “Lights Out”
Royal Blood - “I Only Lie When I Love You”
Royal Blood - “Hook, Line & Sinker”


6.  Power Trip:  Nightmare Logic (Southern Lord - 2/24/17)




Power Trip - “Executioner’s Tax”
Power Trip - “Firing Squad”
Power Trip - “Nightmare Logic”


7.  Kairon; IRSE!:  Ruination (Svart - 2/3/17)





Kairon; IRSE! - “Sinister Waves I”
Kairon; IRSE! - “Sinister Waves II”
Kairon; IRSE! - “Ruination”


8.  Wolf Alice:  Visions of a Life (Dirty Hit - 9/29/17)




Wolf Alice - “Don’t Delete The Kisses”
Wolf Alice - “Beautifully Unconventional”
Wolf Alice - “Yuk Foo”


9.  Spoon:  Hot Thoughts (Matador - 3/17/17)




Spoon - “Can I Sit Next To You”
Spoon - “Do I Have To Talk You Into It?”
Spoon - “I Ain’t The One”


10.  Havok:  Conformicide (Century Media - 3/10/17)




Havok - “Intention to Deceive”
Havok - “Hang ‘Em High”
Havok - “Ingsoc”



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