Rocktober’s been a great month for new purchases for me. The highlight? It’d have to be a toss-up between Lindsey Buckingham’s new album Gift of Screws (more-or-less completing the trilogy that began with Fleetwood Mac’s Say You Will and continued with his solo album Under the Skin) and David Gilmour’s mammoth set Live in Gdansk.

Buckingham’s album, his fifth studio solo outing, is quite possibly his strongest yet. Get it now!!!

Gilmour’s is an unintentionally fitting tribute to fellow Pink Floyd member Rick Wright, who only recently passed away. Their performance here of “Echoes” is one for the ages. Too bad the rhythm section of Mason/Waters weren’t present (and what were the chances of the latter?) but when you’ve got Phil Manzanera on guitar, who cares? As long as Gilmour’s around, the Floyd spirit lives on…

A nice treat was the new Kate Miller-Heidke album, Curiouser. I’ll be seeing her live next month.

But first… less than a week ’til Def Leppard and Cheap Trick. Full report soon…