7/10/2026

Tom Waits- Rain Dogs (1985) ****

Screamin' Jay Hawkins- At Home With...(1958) **

The Courettes- The Soul Of...The Fabulous Courettes (2024) ****

Scritti Politti- Cupid & Psyche 85 (1985) ***

Bobby "Blue" Bland- Two Steps From The Blues (1961) ****

Curtis Mayfield- Never Say You Can't Survive (1977) ***1/2

The Nice- Autumn To Spring (1973) ****

Jack White- Frozen Charlotte (2026) ****

The Rolling Stones- Foreign Tongues: Sal Edit (2026) ****

The La's- S/T (1990) ****

The Kinks- Face To Face: MONO (1966) ****

 

I was reminded by my friend cmealha of a post I had written in 2022 about bands with gimmicks, one of which was The Courettes. I had totally forgotten about them, but cmealha recommended their most recent album, promising it was better than their 2022 release. He was right. Here is that post, if interested. 

Here's something I should have known. I was surprised to find out that Johnny Ace, who had a hit with "Pledging My Love," was first a piano player in the Beale Streeters Blues Band, with guitarist Riley "B.B." King and singer Bobby Bland. What a band.

7/9/2026

Miles Davis- Plugged Nickel, 12/22/65: 1st Set (1992) ***

v/a- The Instant & Minit Story: 20 Track Highlights (1996/2026) ***1/2

The Rolling Stones- Foreign Tongues (2026) ***1/2

Rush- Hemispheres (1978) ****

Jack White- Frozen Charlotte (2026) ****

The Rolling Stones- Foreign Tongues (2026) ****

Redd Kross- Show World (1997) ***1/2

Jack White- Frozen Charlotte (2026) ****

7/8/2026

Gal Costa- Legal (1970) ***

MT Jones- Joy (2026) ***1/2

Fleetwood Mac- Mirage (1982) ****

Rose Tattoo- S/T (1978) ****

The Partridge Family- Sound Magazine (1971) ***1/2

Van Der Graff Generator- Still Life (1976) **

Quicksilver- S/T (1971) ***

The Hotrats- Turn Ons (2010) ****

Adam Lambert- ADAM (2026) **1/2

Redd Kross- Born Innocent (1982) ***

Glenn Tilbrook & The Fluffers- Pandemonium Ensues (2009) ****

Bonerama- So Much Love (2026) ****

 

Rose Tattoo are from Australia, they are produced by Vanda & Young and they sound like AC/DC. But don't let that stop you. Their debut is a killer.

The McDonald Brothers mention The Partridge Family "Sound Magazine" in their documentary, and one of them casually tosses off this, "Side Two of 'Sound Magazine' is like 'Pet Sounds.'" Okay, it's not. But I really enjoyed  the album. Solid AM radio pop.

One would think after doing a fantastic job as Freddie Mercury's replacement in Queen for the last 10-15 years, Adam Lambert would make an album that might appeal to Queen fans. But apparently, he's not feeling it and "ADAM" is just another generic electronic dance pop record never to be played again.

 

7/7/2026

The Beatles- Let It Be...Naked (1970/2003) **** 

The Rolling Stones- Sticky Fingers (1971) ****

Redd Kross- Teen Babes From Monsanto: Version Especial (1984/2018) ****

Quicksilver Messenger Service- S/T (1968) ****

Rush- Permanent Waves (1980) ****

Quicksilver Messenger Service- Happy Trails (1969) ***1/2

Redd Kross- Researching The Blues (2012) ****

Bash & Pop- Anything Could Happen (2017) ****

Killing Joke- S/T (1980) ***1/2

The Stranglers- La Folie (1981) ***

 

 

No, I did not skip "Brown Sugar."

This was the first time I listened to Quicksilver in 34 years. I had to write about it on Burning Wood.

Bash & Pop's debut is too good. It's as if The Beatles' debut was "Revolver." I thought "Anything Could Happen" was a good record, but it just couldn't hold a candle to "Friday Night Is Killing Me," so I've rarely played it since 2017. As per me, it sounded really great tonight. But I stand by what I said. 

 

 

7/6/2026

Fela & Africa-70- Authority Stealing (1980) ***

v/a- Jamaica Jazz From Federal Records: Carib Roots, Jazz, Mento, Latin, Merengue & Rhumba 1960-1968 (2019)- ***

The Heavenly Bodes- Green Hills (2026) **

Prophet Benjamin- S/T (2013) **

Motorhead- Orgasmatron (1986) ***1/2

Prince- The Black Album (1987/1994) ****

Billy Cobham- Spectrum (1973) ***1/2

Roy Harper- HQ (1975) ***1/2

Iggy Pop & James Williamson- Kill City: 2010 Remix (1977/2010) ***1/2

v/a- Lafayette Saturday Night (1992) ***1/2

 

The press release for the Heavenly Bodes said, "The album’s opener, “De Gruene Heuvels” (the album’s title in Dutch), and its closer, “The Heavenly Bode,” both have a jangly late-’60s country-rock vibe reminiscent of The Byrds and Mike Nesmith’s solo output. "WRONG! Not even close. The five songs I made it through sounded like third rate Hawkwind demos.

I don't think I've ever enjoyed Prince's "Black Album" as much as I did today. It really takes off with Track Three, "Dead On It."

 

 

 

7/5/2026

Aretha Franklin- Spirit In The Dark (1970) **** 

Merrill Moore- The Very Best Of... :Disc One (2010) ***

Maria McKee- You Gotta Sin To Be Saved (1993) ****

Marshall Crenshaw- What's In The Bag? (2003) ***1/2

Redd Kross- Phaseshifter (1993) ****

7/4/2026

Ray Barretto- Hard Hands (1968) ****

Ray Barretto- The Message (1971) ***1/2

Eddie Harris- Silver Cycles (1969) ****

Traffic- The Low Spark Of High Heeled Boys (1971) ***1/2

Bob Marley & The Wailers- Natty Dread (1974) ****

Ike & Tina Turner- Story: Disc One (2007) ***1/2

Rush- Caress Of Steel (1975) ***1/2

The Clash- Super Black Market Clash (1993) ****

Banda AL9- Hey! Hey! We're Banda AL9 (2026) ***1/2 

Galactic- Ruckus (2003) ****

The Rolling Stones- Their Satanic Majesties Request: Personal Edit (1967/2025)- ****

Donna Summer- Gold: 14 Song Edit (2005/2026) ****

 

 

Somewhere between five and ten years ago, my friend Tim B., a fellow record dealer, was just a table away from mine while we worked a show. I took a walk around the room while he watched my records and I bought a few things, including four Eddie Harris records. When Tim saw my little haul, he said, "Don't sleep on those Eddie Harris records!" I knew exactly what he meant. The worst record dealers won't bother with Eddie Harris records because they don't sell for much. A jazz record to these clowns, needs to be on Blue Note or on some indie boutique label, and has to sell for $100-$500 before it is worthy to sit in one of their boxes. But Tim and I knew just how great these Eddie records were, so we'd snatch them up for $5 or $8 whenever we saw them, and then resell them for $15-$20, with little stickers that showed our reviews. We never failed to sell every one. So, don't sleep on "The In Sound," "Mean Greens," "Electrifying," and "Silver Cycles" if you see them.

"Super Black Market Clash" and The Jam "Extras" are so good, they often play better than either band's regular releases.

Here is that "Satanic Majesties" edit, if you're interested.
https://music.amazon.com/user-playlists/510bf61e7f0643f9a10f071506025f77sune?ref=dm_sh_reJ7d1aWH0tHKOTcuO5ljNRdF