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." 

8/16/2026

v/a- Screaming Gospel Holy Rollers Vol. 1 (2011) *** 

Smoky Babe- Way Back In The Country Blues: The Lost Dr. Oster Recordings (2014) ***1/2

The Everly Brothers- Roots (1968) ****

Aretha Franklin- Aretha's Gold (1969) ****

The Jolly Brothers- Conscious Man (1978) ***1/2

The Everly Brothers- The Fabulous Style Of...(1960) ***1/2

Kelly Willis- Translated From Love (2007) ***1/2

Bob Marley & The Wailers- Catch A Fire (1973) ****

Deep Purple- Fireball (1971) ****

The Datsuns- S/T (2002) ****

Jeff Beck- Jeff Beck's Guitar Shop (1989) ***1/2

Led Zeppelin- Presence (1976) ****

Small Faces- S/T: Decca, MONO (1966) ****

• Just discovered the Jolly Brothers today. A Lee "Scratch" Perry production, recorded in 1977 and then forgotten/shelved for years. A good one!

• Still in Phil & Don mode. "Roots" should be in everyone's library. Cosmic country!

• I loved "Translated From Love" when it came out, but have not thought about it in a long time. I don't have a working CD player, and it's not on vinyl, so it fell off my radar. Thanks Jeff for the reminder. Jules Shear has a few on this record, as well as Chuck Prophet, if I'm not mistaken. Oh...and that IGGY cover!

8/15/2026

Jon Batiste- Monk Movements (2026) ***

The Zombies- Odessey & Oracle: 2025 MONO RM (1968/2025) **** 

Elton John- Caribou (1974) ****

Pete Townshend- All The Best Cowboys Have Chinese Eyes (1982) ****

The Dukes Of Stratosphear- Psonic Psunspot (1987) ****

Max Romeo & The Upsetters- War Ina Babylon (1976) ****

The Everly Brothers- Beat 'N Soul (1965) ****

The Cult- Pure Cult: The Singles, 1984-1995 (2000) ****

The Everly Brothers- Two Yanks In England: Stereo (1966) ****

XTC- Wasp Star, Apple Venus Volume 2 (2000) ****

Buzzcocks- Singles Going Steady (1979) ****


• "Caribou" never had a chance after "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road," even with its two huge hits. I think it is a helluva lot better than its rep.

• Just picked up about 25 Everly Brothers records. So, I'll be hitting those for a few days.

• "Pure Cult" is a really fantastic set. I know it's the "singles," but it would be so much better if "Revolution," "Rain," "Edie (Ciao Baby)," and "Resurrection Joe" were replaced with "King Contrary Man," "Zap City," and "Automatic Blues." And the full intro to "Sun King" needs to be restored."

• Phil & Don, backed by most of The Hollies, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, with 8 of the 12 tracks written by L Ransford, the pseudonym of Clarke-Hicks-Nash, "Two Yanks In England" deserves a 60th anniversary 2 LP vinyl reissue featuring remastering and both stereo and mono mixes. Make this happen!

8/14/2026

The Womack Sisters- S/T (2026) ***

Jon Batiste- Black Mozart (2026) ****

Bob Marley & The Wailers- Uprising (1980) ****

The Harvey Averne Dozen- S/T (1969) ***1/2

King Crimson- Discipline: Steven Wilson Remix (1981/2022) ****

Adrian Belew- Inner Revolution (1992) ****

The B-52's- Ancient Culture: Mesopotamia Revisited, Disc 1 (1982/2026) ****

The Lemon Twigs- Look For Your Mind! (2026) ****

Aimee Mann- Whatever (1993) ****

Cheap Trick- S/T (1977) ****

Todd Rundgren- Red Bank, NJ: 8/12/2026 (2026) ****

 

 

 

• The Womack Sisters started off strong, then fizzled into another all style/no substance Daptone record.

• In a Belew mood after getting tickets to the BEAT tour, now with Terry Bozzio on board! 

• Really liked "Mesopotamia" when it was released and I hadn't thought about it in years. This new expanded set is terrific. The addition of the lost tracks to the original set is a plus. Normally I wouldn't care about a live disc, but I happened to be at the Roseland show that is included. Good souvenir.

• Wow! That Aimee Mann record sounded better than ever. It's been ages since I played it. Still love "Bachelor No. 2" more, but this is right up there. I also have a great Aimee/XTC story that I might share at the other place next week.

 

8/13/2026

Bob Marley & The Wailers- Confrontation (1983) **1/2

Peter Tosh- Equal Rights (1977) ****

King Crimson- In The Court Of The Crimson King (1969) ****

Robert Palmer- Pride (1983) ****

Bob Marley & The Wailers- Live! (1975) ***

Lou Reed- The Blue Mask (1982) ****

Etta James- Rocks The House (1963) ***1/2

The Beatles- Let It Be: Giles Martin Mix (1970/2021) ****

8/12/2026

The Beatles- A Hard Day's Night, Original Motion Picture Soundtrack: MONO RM (1964/2024) ****

The Critters- Younger Girl (1966) ***

The Kinks - Arthur, Or...:Kevin Gray Stereo Master (1969/2019) ***1/2

The Partridge Family- Album (1970) ***

8/11/2026

Gram Parsons- GP (1973) ****

Roy Ayers Ubiquity- Red Black & Green (1973) **** 

Can- Ege Bamyasi (1972) ***1/2

Andy Crofts- Melody Boy (2026) **1/2 

Robert Palmer- Secrets (1979) ****

Faces- Ooh La La: Kevin Gray Master (1973/2025)  ****

Generation X- S/T (1978) ****

Graham Parker- Howlin' Wind (1976) ***1/2

Cheap Trick- The Latest (2009) ****