8/23/2026

The Staple Singers- Faith And Grace: A Family Journey 1953-1976, Personal Highlights (2015/2026) ****

Shakti with John McLaughlin (1976)  ***

John McLaughlin- The Promise (1995) **1/2

The Pretty Things- Parachute (1970) ***1/2

The Beatles- S/T: Giles Martin Stereo Remix, Sides Three & Four (1968/2018) ****

King Crimson- THRAK (1995) ****

Genesis- ...And Then There Were Three (1978) ****

X- Los Angeles (1980) ****

Joe Jackson- I'm The Man (1979) ***1/2

Prince- 10 From "Emancipation" (1996/2026) ****

Motorhead- Bomber (1979) ****

The Who- My Generation: Japanese True Stereo (1965/2023) ****

• I only listened to half of "The Promise," which is still about 38 minutes! Nothing was sticking. Amazing playing but really boring tunes.

• "THRAK" is one of the best records of 1995 and without question, the tour was one of the best KC shows I have ever seen. Town Hall never shook so hard.

• Happy Birthday Keith Moon! Dead at 32. That's just wrong, though that's 5 years longer than a few other rock and rollers we all know and love.

8/22/2026

John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers- A Hard Road (1967) ****

Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac- Greatest Hits (1971) ****

Moacir Santos- Coisas (1965) ***1/2

Carlos Santana & John McLaughlin- Love Devotion Surrender (1973) ****

Lindsey Buckingham- Law & Order (1981) ***

Utopia- Cleveland Agora, 8/23/78 (1978) ***1/2

Steely Dan- Aja (1977) ****

The Wailers- Burnin' (1973) ****

Love - Forever Changes: Stereo (1967) ***1/2
 

• Maybe an unpopular opinion but I think "A Hard Road" with Peter Green is a better record than the "Bluesbreakers" with Eric Clapton. 

• It's been a while since I listened to "Love Devotion Surrender." It continues to blow my face off.

 

8/21/2026

Arthur Alexander- You Better Move On (1962) ***1/2

Bleu- Sargeant Pepper Grinder (2026) *1/2

Strawberry Alarm Clock- Where's One? (2026) ****

Los Straitjackets- Rock En Espanol Vol. 1 (2007) ****

Santana- Caravanserai (1972) ***

The Godfathers- Birth, School, Work, Death (1988) ****

Jim Hendrix- Axis: Bold As Love (1967) ****

v/a- Move With The Groove: Hardcore Chicago Soul 1962-1970 (2012) ****

The Clash- S/T: U.S. (1979) ****

Television- Marquee Moon (1977) ****



 

• I lost patience with the Bleu record after five songs. What a cacophonous mess. Kitchen sink production trying to hide the non-songs.

• A new Strawberry Alarm Clock record with most of the original members? Does anyone really care? Well, this record is better than it has a right to be. It is also longer than it needs to be, clocking in at 57 minutes. First thing is to get rid of the pointless Beatles' covers and the last two goofy tracks. Then, what you have is a pretty great 38 minute psychedelic pop record. Very surprised by how much I enjoyed this.

• Man, there are so many gems on that Chicago soul comp. Dial it up, toot sweet. Here is a six-pack lagniappe to get you started.

• Happy Birthday Joe. 

 

 

8/20/2026

Allen Toussaint- The Bright Mississippi (2009) ****

v/a- The Legend: Augustus Pablo & Friends (1980) ***1/2

The Everly Brothers- A Date With...(1960) ****

ZZ Top- Tejas (1977) **1/2

Robert Palmer- Sneakin' Sally Through The Alley (1974) ****

Carlos Santana- Blues For Salvador (1987) ***

Marvin Gaye- Let's Get it On (1973) ***1/2

Thin Lizzy- Jailbreak (1976) ****

ZZ Top- Rio Grande Mud (1972) ***1/2

Todd Rundgren- A Wizard/A True Star (1973) ****1/2

The Cramps- Gravest Gravy (1977/2026) ***

v/a - Jagged Time Lapse Volume Two (2000) ***

8/19/2026

Paul Simon- There Goes Rhymin' Simon (1973) ****

Todd Rundgren- Runt. The Ballad Of Todd Rundgren (1971) ****

Jeff Beck- Truth (1968) ****

Earl Sixteen- Showcase (1985) **1/2

Dent May- The Big One (2026) **1/2

10cc- Sheet Music (1974) ****

Lindsey Buckingham- Out Of The Cradle (1992) ****

James McCartney- Me (2013) ***1/2

Steve Miller Band- Personal Playlist (2025) ****

Abba- Personal Playlist (2026) ****

 

• I picked up a small collection yesterday, about 40-50 records, and a 2017 repress of "Rhymin' Simon" was part of it. I am blown away by the sound of this pressing. Best I've ever heard this record. It's this one, for you vinyl lovers. 

• 10cc's "Sheet Music" is a true work of genius. But would "Hotel" and "Oh Effendi" ever get released in today's PC world? 

 

8/18/2026

David Bowie- The Rise & Fall Of Ziggy Stardust... (1972) ****

Queen- A Night At The Opera (1975) ****

David Bowie- The Buddha Of Suburbia (1993) ****

Moby Grape- S/T: Stereo (1967) ****

Tom Verlaine- S/T (1979) ***1/2

Al Green- The Reverend: Personal Playlist (2025) ****

Boston- S/T: Kevin Gray Master (1976/2010) ****

The Vibrators- Pure Mania (1977) ***1/2

8/17/2026

iPod on Shuffle:
I Am An Animal- Pete Townshend
The Sea Refuses No River- Pete Townshend
Stop That Man- Sailor
God's Getting Worried- Virginia Dandies
Back Home- The Beach Boys
All My Life- Linda Ronstadt & Aaron Neville
Million Dollar Bash- Fairport Convention
Save The Last Dance For Me- Nilsson
Dawn- The Four Seasons
Golden Child- Pajama Club
Turn It On- Lindsey Buckingham
No Dark There- Wingless Angels
Talent Is An Asset- Sparks
That I Remember- Dwight Twilley Band
Version Galore- U-Roy
I Hate Music (Alternate Version)- The Replacements
The Green-Gold Girl Of Summer- Martin Newell
Just A Touch- R.E.M.

Rockpile- Seconds Of Pleasure: Kevin Gray Master (1980/2024) ****

Chris Hillman- Bidin' My Time (2017) ***1/2

The Everly Brothers- Stories We Could Tell ****

The Soft Boys- Nextdoorland (2002) **1/2

The Move- The Best Of: Sides Three & Four (1974) ***1/2

King Crimson- 1974 Penn State (2026) ***

Elvis Costello- King Of America (1986) ****

The Everly Brothers- In Our Image (1966) ****

 

• The Everlys were so over by 1972, even a record with Ry Cooder, Graham Nash, Warren Zevon, David Crosby, John Sebastian, Spooner Oldham, Jim Gordon, Barry Beckett, Clarence White, Waddy Wachtel, Wayne Perkins and Bonnie Bramlett couldn't excite anyone. "Stories We Could Tell" is a keeper. If you like Mike Nesmith's solo work, or the EVERLY BROTHERS, you should like this, too.

• First time hearing that 2002 Soft Boys record. Do people like this record? It bored the hell out of me.

• I've written about this on Burning Wood, but it never fails to get me. Listen to Costello's "Brilliant Mistake" off of "King Of America," then listen to the Everlys' "It Only Costs A Dime" off "In Our Image."