6/22/2026: Happy Birthday, Todd Rundgren

Todd Rundgren- Runt. The Ballad Of Todd Rundgren (1971) ****
Savoy Brown- Blue Matter (1969) ****
Todd Rundgren- Initiation: Side One (1975) ****
Haircut One Hundred- Boxing The Compass (2026) ***
Todd Rundgren- Liars (2004) ****
The Winkies- S/T (1975) ***
v/a- The Todd Rundgren Remix Project (2026) ***1/2
The Clash- S/T: U.S (1979) ****

The Lemon Twigs- Live a Fip & Radio Nova (2026) ****
(Was searching for some Rundgren stuff on YouTube and the sidebar--god bless it--showed two acoustic performances from their current Euro tour. Dial them up. They're fantastic.)

John Lennon- Gimme Some Truth: The Ultimate Mix (2020) ****

6/21/2026

v/a- Singin' Shoutin' Prayin': 16 Righteous Boppin' Bible Belters (2026) ***
(More hillbilly "boppin'" than gospel "beltin'." Still fun for a Sunday morning.)

Neu!- S/T (1972) ***1/2

Roy Brown- Good Rockin' Tonight: 1947-1960 (2017) ****
(The early stuff is out of control!)

Laura Nyro- Eli And The Thirteenth Confession (1968) ***

Mississippi Rail Company- Coal Black Train (2012) ****
(Yep, this is the real deal. It turns out I had two chances to see them live at the New Orleans Jazz Fest, but of course, had no idea who they were at the time.)

Shamarr Allen & The Underdawgs- True Orleans (2018) ***1/2
Jon Cleary & The Absolute Monster Gentlemen- Live At Maple Leaf Bar, 1/17/2026 (2026) ****
Pete Townshend/Ronnie Lane- Rough Mix: Abbey Road HSM (1977/2017) ****

The Rolling Stones- Beggars Banquet: U.K. MONO (1968) ****
(I haven't listened to "Salt Of The Earth" ever since Axl Rose ruined it. The record ends with "Factory Girl" in my house. But I could listen to Johnny Adams' version of "Salt Of The Earth" all day.)

Motorhead- On Parole: Steven Wilson Remix (1976/2026) ***1/2
(This is the best these recordings have ever sounded. Still, the band didn't really become Motorhead until "Fast" Eddie replaced Larry Wallis.)

Small Faces- S/T: Immediate, MONO (1967/2023) ****
(Nick Robbins MONO master is a monster!)

The Bobby Lees- Skin Suit (2020) ****

6/20/2026

Julie Driscoll- 1969 (1971) ***1/2

Mississippi Rail Company- Coal Black Train (2012) ****1/2
(Quite possibly the best thing I've heard all week. Gonna play it again to make sure.)

Steely Dan- The Lost Gaucho (1980/2022) ***1/2
(I had no idea this existed before this week, and it's apparently been a Dan holy grail for years. Clearly a bootleg, yet it's available on Amazon. Great sounding outtakes and alternates from "Gaucho.")

Amos Milburn- The Complete Aladdin Recordings: Disc Two (1994) ***1/2
Utopia- Oblivion (1983) ****

Graham Coxon- Castle Park (2011/2026) ***
(This started off strong, but fizzled out in the second half.)

King Crimson- Red: Steven Wilson Remix (1974/2024) ****
Olive Jones- For Mary (2026) ***1/2
Papa Mali- Do Your Thing (2007) ***
Steve Winwood- Ten: Personal Playlist (2025) ***1/2

6/19/2026

Jackie McLean- 'Bout Soul (1968) ***
John Coltrane- Ole (1961) ****
Chicago- Personal Playlist (2020) ****
Marc Bolan- Prehistoric (1995) **
New Age Doom feat. H.R.- Angels Against Angels (2026)- ***1/2
Ella Mae Morse- Rocks (2011) ***1/2
John Cale- Vintage Violence (1970) ****
Television- Marquee Moon (1977) ****

6/18/2026

Frankie Miller- High Life: Original Mix (1974/2011) ****
Dr. John- Ebbets Field, Denver: 9/25/74 (2026) ***1/2
Kenny Loggins- High Adventure (1982) ****
David Bowie- Station To Station: Half Speed Master (1976/2026) ****
David Bowie- Earthling (1997) ****
Paul McCartney- The 7" Singles: Today's Dozen (2022/2026) ***1/2
The Bobby Lees- New Self (2026) ***1/2
The Who- Who's Next: Record Plant Sessions (1971/2023) ***1/2
Queen- A Day At The Races (1977) ****

 

6/17/2026

The Band - Jubilation (1998) ***1/2
Paul McCartney- The Boys Of Dungeon Lane (2026) ****
The Claudettes- Garage Glamour (2026) ****
v/a- Sing Me Back Home: The New Orleans Social Club (2006) ***1/2
The Velvet Underground- White Light/White Heat: Kevin Gray MONO Master (1968/2019) ****
Cream- Wheels Of Fire: Phase Corrected (1968/2026) ***1/2
Rick Derringer- Guitars & Women (1979) ****
Cheap Trick- S/T (1997) ***1/2
Shaun Cassidy- Wasp (1980) ***1/2

6/16/2026

Seu Jorge- The Other Side (2026) ***1/2
(18 years in the making and finally released. This did not disappoint.)

Renaissance- Prologue (1972) ***1/2
Sparks- Kimono My House (1974) ****

The Claudettes- Garage Glamour (2026) ****
(Surprise of the week!)

Fischer-Z- Going Deaf For A Living (1980) ***
Rush- Signals (1982) ***1/2
Elvis Costello & The Attractions- Armed Forces (1979) ****

Blue Oyster Cult- Secret Treaties (1974) ****

(I think about June 16, 1981 every time I listen to Blue Oyster Cult, which is often because I love this band. But as each year passes, now 45 of them, the memories from that night in 1981 become foggier than the year before. But this is what I remember...I think.

It was late afternoon and I got on the D train at Sheepshead Bay Road with my friend Mike and my cousin Al and we rode to Times Square. Six or seven hours later, we got back on the D train at what might have been one in the morning or even possibly two in the morning to get back home from a concert that was a bit of a disaster, to say the least.

We arrived around 7:PM and waited until the doors opened at 8:00 for a 10:PM show and by midnight, we were still standing in this legendary space having heard not a note of music. Whatever the technical difficulties were, lights, sound, monitors, it just wasn’t happening. I found out years later that the show was being recorded for a radio broadcast and the recording truck went missing, not to mention there being some serious issues with stage lights and an untuned Steinway piano.

We were very excited about this night. One of our favorite bands, Blue Oyster Cult, was playing a club under their original moniker Soft White Underbelly and we got tickets! Yet six hours after leaving Sheepshead Bay, we only ended up hearing about 30 minutes worth of music, none of which I remember at all. We were falling asleep while standing up, and we just couldn't stand up any longer.

But I have that ticket stub and I still think Blue Öyster Cult deserves a hell of a lot more from the rock ‘n’ roll cognoscenti than being thought of as one hit or maybe two hit wonders. That run from their debut through "Fire Of Unknown Origin" covers a hell of a lot of ground. The band often gets pigeonholed as heavy metal, which I think is unfair and inaccurate. They are too good at too many things to be tossed aside as one thing.)

 

The Dukes Of Stratosphear- 25 O'Clock (1985) ****
 
The Who- Live At Leeds: Abbey Road HSM (1970/2016) ****
(I listened to this last week and my copy was a bit too noisy after years of abuse. I found a copy of the Half Speed Master for $15. No goodies. No inserts. But amazing sound. This will be the go-to version from here on out.)