Best CD I've heard so far 2011.........

The new Paul Simon is just tremendous. I bought it yesterday and cannot stop listening to it. Great music, great songs, and a great recording, too.

The Feelies new one is very good, very mellow and acoustic-driven, very similar to "The Good Earth."

Also good releases by Drive-by Truckers, Lucinda Williams, PJ Harvey, and Buddy Miller. Not sure yet about the new Alison Krauss, but there is a great cover of Richard and Linda Thompson's "The Dimming of the Day" on it. I think the album as a whole is at least pretty good.

I reckon I'm not much of an audiophile, since the quality of the music is far more important to me than the quality of the sound. You can have Patricia Barber, and I'll take Billie Holiday. You can have Keb Mo, and I'll take Howlin' Wolf. For me, this hobby is just a means to an end--it's just the wave, not the water.

Plus, I think the new Simon record sounds pretty good. Not great, but pretty good. Horses for courses, as they say...