4/1/25

Chappell Roan- The Rise & Fall Of A Midwest Princess-***1/2
Field Music and The NASUWT Riverside Band- Binding Time-***1/2
Raul Seixas- Krig-ha, Bandolo!- ***
v/a- Boppin' By The Bayou- ***1/2
Peter Townshend- Who Came First-****
Stevie Wonder- Songs In The Key Of Life (Personal Edit)- ****1/2

Jason Falkner- Bliss Descending- *****
(This hit the spot. And it made me think that I will probably die before Falkner releases a new record. Ah well. You win some, you lose some.)

The Godfathers- Birth, School, Work, Death-****

3/31/25

Bryan Ferry & Amelia Barrett- Loose Talk- ***
(I had no interest in a spoken word record until I found out that some of Ferry's music on this record dated as far back as the first Roxy Music album, and that Roxy drummer, Paul Thompson was involved. Verdict? Not bad. Interesting, though I prefer John Cale's spoken word more. Probably won't listen again any time soon, but if you're a Roxy fan, it's worth one pass.)

Branford Marsalis Quintet- Belonging-****
(Hot set. I enjoyed this far more than the original Keith Jarrett album.)

Jeff Matthews- Heavy Rotation E.P.- ****
(Another strong outing from Jeff and the usual suspects- Earl Slick, Paul Santo, Steve Holley and Mark Hudson.)

Shelagh McDonald- Stargazer-***1/2
(Long out of print cult classic of British folk, finally gets a vinyl reissue. Nice record, for sure. Not quite Sandy Denny, though maybe more like Joni trying to be Sandy. Definitely not as sweet or melodic as Sandy.)

Detective- It Takes One To Know One- ***1/2
(I played the debut to death back in the day and so the follow-up felt like a disappointment. But this record has aged well and really holds up on its own.)

v/a-Studio One Showcase 45-***

The Beatles- Rubber Soul (U.K. Stereo)- ****1/2
(Good band.)

Steve Earle & The Dukes (& Duchesses)- The Low Highway-****1/2
Elton John- Never Too Late (Personal Playlist From Soundtrack #2)- ****
The Kinks - Arthur, Or...(Bonus LP)-****
The Kinks- Lola Versus Powerman & The Moneygoround, Part One-****

3/30/25

The Techniques- Little Did You Know-****1/2

(Worked a record show in Garden City yesterday, so not much listening. I did find a cover to finally go with this record I picked up in Jamaica in 2023, so I am very happy. This record is sublime, just a perfect mix of ska, soul and doo wop.)

Eddy Arnold- The Best Of...****1/2
Rockpile- Seconds Of Pleasure- ****1/2

3/29/25

The Lijadu Sisters- Horizon Unlimited-****
Bob Marley & The Wailers- Rastaman Vibration- ***1/2
Donna Summer- Bad Girls (12" Mixes)-****
The Clash- London Calling-****1/2

Japanese Breakfast- For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women)- ***
(Meh.)

Bob Dylan- One More Layer Of Skin: Studio Outtakes Vol. 6 (1983)-***1/2
The Dukes Of Stratosphear- 25 O'Clock-****1/2
R.E.M.- Murmur-****
Keith Richards- Talk Is Cheap-****1/2
J. Geils Band- Love Stinks- ***1/2

3/28/25

Jackie Mittoo- Macka Fat-***
Dennis Wilson- Pacific Ocean Blue-***
Neil Young- Oceanside Countryside-****

Lucy Dacus- Forever Is A Feeling-***1/2
(This is a really nice record. Second time around, I might give it four stars. It felt a bit too samey on first pass. Still, some truly strong songs here.)

Royal Fingerbowl- Greyhound Afternoons-***1/2
Cheap Trick- At Budokan: The Complete Concert- ***1/2
Bob Dylan- Where The Monkey Dances: Studio Outtakes Vol. 5 (1973-1981)-****
King Crimson- Beat- ****
The Only Ones- S/T-***1/2
The Darkness- Dreams On Toast- ****1/2
The Rolling Stones- Some Girls-****

3/27/25

David Bowie- A House Of Fear (Sigma Sound, 1974)-****
Paul McCartney- Ram- ****1/2
Rosa Renata- Encantacoes-****
Paul Weller- 66-****1/2
Aretha Franklin- Lady Soul-****
The Darkness- Dreams On Toast-****1/2

School Of Language- 45- ****
(The surprise of the day, courtesy of my friend John. This is Field Music, or actually just one of the Brewis brothers and their anti-Trump record. Fantastic fun, like "Parade"-era Prince with a touch of Queen dissing the orange creep.)

The Darkness- Dreams On Toast-****1/2
(Even better the second time around.)

3/26/25

Nicole Atkins- Mondo Amore-***1/2

Renata Rosa- Zunido da Mata- ****
(New discovery courtesy of pmac and his blog Kingston To Rio. Fantastic record. Beautiful and joyous Carnival sounds. This is her debut.)

Os Mutantes- A Divina Comedia Ou Ando Meio Desligado- ***1/2
Sister Nancy- One, Two-***1/2
Johnny Osbourne- Truths And Rights- ****1/2
Dwight Twilley- Scuba Divers (Blueprint Edition)-****
Todd Rundgren- The Birchmere, Alexandria: 2/4/03- ***1/2

Renata Rosa- Manto Dos Sonhos- ***1/2
(Much different than the debut. This one seems to cover a lot of different world music, from Indian raga to Italian funeral. Interesting spin. Enjoyed the debut more.)

Ian Hunter's Overnight Angels- ****1/2
Elvis Costello & The Attractions- Goodbye Cruel World-****
Rod Stewart- Never A Dull Moment- ****