4/7/2026

Angine de Poitrine- Vol. II (2026)- *
(I had to stop it midway through the second song. It gave me an anxiety attack.)

The Maytals- The Sensational Maytals (1965)-****

Joe Jackson- Hope & Fury (2026)- ***1/2
(Good record after first pass. Reminds me a bit of "Blaze of Glory" or "Laughter & Lust.)

The Wild Magnolias- S/T (1974)- ***1/2
Todd Rundgren- Space Force (2024)- ****
Paul McCartney- Chaos & Creation In The Backyard (2005)- ****1/2
The Legal Matters- Lost At Sea (2026)- ****
The Tubes- The Completion Backward Principle (1981)- ***1/2

4/6/2026

The Band - A Musical History: Disc One (2005)- ***1/2
(Just started Robbie Robertson's "Testimony." Gotta listen along to Ronnie & The Hawks as I read.)

Jim Croce- You Don't Mess Around With Jim (1972)- ****
(Was blown away by the fact that this record was released on the Vertigo label in the U.K. When Croce was good, he was great.)

The Sensational Alex Harvey Band- Tomorrow Belongs To Me (1975)- ***

John Lennon- New York City: The Ultimate Mix (1972/2025)- **
("Got to, got to, got to, got to, Got to, got to, got to, got to, Got to, got to, got to, got to, Got to, got to, got to, got to set him free." I do like that one song. )

The Beatles- Past Masters (2009)- ****

Marshall Crenshaw- Downtown (1985)- ****
(The debut was so good, everything that followed seemed like a disappointment, as good as those records were. I know people defend "Field Day." It is really good. But it's not the debut. I think "Downtown" is better than "Field Day.")

Blossom Toes- We Are Ever So Clean (1967)- ****
(The Sal Maida/Sal Nunziato friendship began with this record in 1990. Know it? If not, listen tout de suite.)

The Jam- All Mod Cons (1978)- ****

4/5/2026

Big Youth & Prince Buster's All Stars- Chi Chi Run (1972)- *** 

Allen Toussaint- Connected (1996)- ***1/2
(A few snips and this is a 4 star record.)

v/a- Studio One Archives, Vol. 1 (2026)- ****
(15 volumes of Studio One a-sides and b-sides ripped from vinyl, courtesy of:
https://compartilhandoreggae.blogspot.com/)

Thundercat- Distracted (2026)- ****
(Even better the second time around.)

Todd Rundgren- The Hermit Of Mink Hollow (1978)-****

AC/DC- Powerage (1978)- ****
(If you are of the mind that every AC/DC album sounds the same, then surely you'd be okay with just one! This is the one!)

XTC- Nonsuch: Steven Wilson Mix, Personal Edit (1992/2013/2026)- ****

Leon Russell- S/T: Kevin Gray Master (1970/2017)- ****
Johnny Thunders- So Alone: Kevin Gray Master (1978/2014)- ****
(Two of my favorite Saturday night records work on Easter Sunday, too. Love how Kevin Gray covers all bases. Both of these versions are defintive.)

Sex Pistols- Never Mind The Bollocks...(Kevin Gray AAA Master, 1977/2025)-****

John Cale- Fear (1974)- ****
("Orgy." Hard G. Go Cale.)

Rod Stewart- Every Picture Tells A Story (1971)- ****

4/4/2026

Steve Lacy- Evidence w/ Don Cherry (1962)- ****

Larry Young- Mother Ship (1969/1980/2026)- ***1/2
(Recorded in 1969, shelved until 1980, remastered by Kevin Gray in 2025, released in 2026)

Joe Pernice- Sunny, I Was Wrong (2026)- ***

Thundercat- Distracted (2026)- ****
(Trippy, retro, psychedelic soul. Just great. And it's got The Lemon Twigs co-writing and producing two tracks, to boot!)

 

Barbara Lynn- The Crazy Cajun Recordings (1998)- ****

Budgie-  In For The Kill (1974)- ****
(Deal with his voice and just get lost in the jam. This is hot!)

The Pursuit Of Happiness- Love Junk (1988)- ****

U2- Easter Lily E.P. (2026)- ***1/2
(Very good. I liked this, too.)

World Party- Goodbye Jumbo (1990)- ****
("You can't see the bottom from the top. You don't see the edge before you drop.")

Timebox- The Deram Anthology (1998)- ****
The Rolling Stones- Through The Past Darkly: U.K. MONO (1969)- ****
The Datsuns- S/T (2002)- ****

4/3/2026

The Termites- Do The Rock Steady (1967)- ***1/2

Olive Jones- For Mary (2026)- ****
(She is the real deal.) 

David Bowie- The Rise & Fall Of Ziggy Stardust...Half Speed Master (1972/2022)- ****

The Sensational Alex Harvey Band- Framed (1973)-****
(I think this might be the very first time I listened to this band. This was great! Like early Bon Scott AC/DC trying to be glam.)

The Plugz- Better Luck (1981)- ****
Close Enemies- S/T (2026)- ***1/2

Robin Trower- Live!: 2026 Remix (1976/2026)- ***1/2
(Always loved this record, and now it's been expanded to offer the full set, and resequenced to how it was played live. Problem is the remix, which to my ears, sounds somewhat distorted and harsh. Still, it is peak Trower, and it has one of my favorite drum solos, courtesy of Bill Lordan.)

Etta James- Deep In The Night (1978)- ****
("Take It To The Limit" is a tour de force. And so is this, an Elton John b-side written by Kiki Dee.)

  


The Jam- Sound Affects (1980)- ***1/2
Cheap Trick- Heaven Tonight (1978)- ****

4/2/2026

v/a- Ska Authentic Vol. 2 (1964)- ****
Howlin' Wolf- Personal Playlist (2026)-  ****
Grateful Dead- American Beauty (1970)- ****
Emitt Rhodes- S/T (1970)- ****

XTC- Nonsuch: Steven Wilson Mix, Personal Edit (1992/2013/2026)- ****
(Andy & Dave's dueling guitar solos that close out this song are without a doubt, some of the tastiest solos in guitar god history.)

The Datsuns- S/T (2002)- ****
(This record absolutely killed me when it was released. Me and my buddy saw these guys no less than four times within 18 months. I hadn't thought about this album in ages because nothing that followed ever came close to this debut, not even with help from John Paul Jones. They are described as "garage rock out of New Zealand," but I've always said they sounded like Deep Purple trying to be Motorhead."

 



The Pursuit Of Happiness- The Downward Road (1993)- ****
(Speaking of debuts, TPOH's Todd Rundgren produced "Love Junk" is a power pop masterpiece. But the follow-up, also a Todd production, fell short, at least to my ears. "The Downward Road" was a great bounce back. Jules Shear got involved, too. See below.)

Electric Light Orchestra- Discovery (1979)- ****

4/1/2026

v/a- T.G.I. Ska Day (2026)- ****
(Tomorrow's Weekend Mix. A blast, if I do say so myself.)

Sir Douglas Quintet- Together After Five (1970)- ***1/2
Todd Rundgren- Initiation: Side One (1975) ****
Elvin Jones- Poly-Currents (1970)- **1/2
Wilco- A.M. (1995)- ***1/2
The Beatles- Rubber Soul (U.K. MONO, 1967/2025)-****

The Style Council- Personal Playlist (2026)- ***
(The Jam can do no wrong. And for the most part, that's how I feel about Weller's solo career, give or take a record or two. But even creating a playlist of my favorite Style Council tunes doesn't help matters. I just don't care for them.)

The Jam- Setting Sons (1979)- ****

The Black Crowes- A Pound Of Feathers (2026)- ***1/2
(Five or six spins in and my feelings have remained the same. Some great songs, but it starts to fizzle in the second half.)

The Dandy Warhols- Pin Ups (2026)- **
(Can't say I've heard much from these guys, but from the sound of these covers, I don't think I'm missing much. If you're a fan, tell me where to start. This was a bore.)

David Bowie- Pin Ups (1973)- ****
(Now we're talking.)