8/7/2026

John Lee Hooker- The Real Folk Blues (1966) ***

Allen Toussaint- Life, Love And Faith (1972) ****

Donna Summer- The Wanderer (1980) **1/2

The Rails-  Fair Warning (2014) ****

The Beatles- Help!: Stereo (1965) ****

Utopia- Deface The Music (1980) ****

The Beatles- Magical Mystery Tour: Stereo (1967) ****

Wet Leg- moisturizer (2025) ****

Faces- Long Player (1971) ***1/2

8/6/2026

Jimmy Witherspoon- Classics: 1950-1951 (2005) ***1/2

Del Shannon- Move It On Over (2011) ****

T. Rex- The Slider: Tony Visconti Remaster (1972/2020) ****

The Everly Brothers- Sing (1967) ****

Graham Parker & The Rumour- Squeezing Out Sparks (1979) ****

Ian Hunter- You're Never Alone With A Schizophrenic (1979) ***1/2

Stardust Five- S/T (2006) ****

Yes- S/T (1969) ****

Lou Reed- New Sensations (1984) ****

The Sorrows- You've Got What I Want: The Essential Sorrows, 1965-1967 (2010) ***

 

 

• There is a song on the Jimmy Witherspoon collection called "Once There Lived A Fool" that knocked me out. I was ready to make it a Song Of The Day, but YouTube only has a version from years later. It's a solid version, but if you could track down the version from 1951, it'd be worth your time.

• "New Sensations" is def top 5 Lou.

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8/5/2026

Linton Kwesi Johnson- Dread Beat And Blood (1978) ***1/2

Pete Townshend- Empty Glass (1980) ****

Stardust Five- S/T (2006) ****

Gang Of Four- Entertainment! (1979) ****

The Beatles- Revolver: 2022 Stereo Remix (1966/2022) ****

XTC - Go 2 (1978) ***1/2

XTC- White Music (1978) ***

The Keys- The Keys Album (1981) ***1/2

 

 

 

• The Stardust Five found me earlier this week. I knew nothing about this record, and I've been listening to Paul Kelly for a long time. This record is incredible. It's strange and beautiful, raucous at times, even soothing occasionally. Hard to describe. Listen to it, if you don't know it.

• "Revolver" is 60 years old today. SIXTY!

• For years I've avoided XTC's "Go 2" like the plague. I hated it the first time I heard it and would only occasionally throw "Meccanik Dancing" on a mixed tape. But a friend gave it some love on social media and I thought I'd go in for the first time in years. It's way better than I remembered. It's very herky-jerky, but enough of it is solid, making it official that there are NO bad XTC records.

• "Go 2" surprised me so much that "White Music," a record I always thought was better, didn't quite cut it tonight. That feeling may change down the line. But I do think it's time for an XTC revision on Popsurfing. 

 

8/4/2026

Olu Dara- In The World From Natchez To New York (1998)  **** 

The Rails- Australia (2015) ****

Burning Spear- Hail H.I.M. (1980) ***

Elvis Costello- My Aim Is True: Kevin Gray Master (1977/2001) ****

Free- Heartbreaker (1973) ****

iPod on Shuffle:

We All Fall In Love Sometimes- Elton John
It's For The Love The Petals Fall- Georgie Fame
Liquidize- Wet Leg
One Hundred Years From Now- The Byrds
East Of Asteroid- 801
To Love Somebody- James Carr
Baby What You Want Me To Do- John Cale
Something In 4/4 Time- Daryl Hall
Get That Gasoline Blues- NRBQ
Frank's Theme- Tom Waits
I Could Never Love Another (After Loving You)- The Temptations
Man Overboard- Ian Hunter
Stop Messin' Round- Fleetwood Mac
Water Song- Hot Tuna
Exposure- Peter Gabriel
Wasting My Time- Jimmy Page
Moving Up- Jason Falkner
Radio, Radio- Elvis Costello & The Attractions
I Have Decided To Join The Airforce- Bee Gees

• Elvis Costello just announced an October deluxe release of "My Aim Is True," featuring a newly remastered LP and CD, as well as a 5 CD set with demos, early takes, outtakes and live material. I'll go on record right now, that upcoming remaster will NOT come close to this Kevin Gray master. This record never sounded better.

8/3/2026

Lou Reed- S/T (1972) ****

The Anthony Paule Soul Orchestra- What Can We Do? (2026) **

v/a- Gulf Coast Grease: The Sandy Records Story Of Mobile, Alabama Vol.1(1996) **1/2

The Doobie Brothers- Takin' It To The Streets (1976) ***1/2

Twin Temple- God Is Dead (2023) ***1/2

v/a Jagged Time Lapse Volume One (2000) ****

Warren Zevon- Excitable Boy (1978) ****

Dr. John- Gris-Gris: Kevin Gray MONO Mix (1968/2018) ****

King Crimson- Beat (1982) ***1/2

The Hollies- Butterfly: MONO (1967) ****

The Hollies- For Certain Because: Stereo (1966) ***1/2

  

• Couldn't make it through three songs on that Anthony Paule record. "Soul Orchestra" is a misnomer. This is second rate blues with a horn section. And he isn't a very good singer either. 

• It's a shame that an amazing multi volume set of British psych like "Jagged Time Lapse" isn't an official release. Though actually, if it was official, it would most definitely be inferior, due to label big shots getting in the way. I love this stuff. Some of it gets weird, but none of it is boring. Here is a Volume One lagniappe for your sampling pleasure.

• The Kevin Gray MONO "Gris-Gris" is pretty amazing, but I think that record is best heard in stereo.

 

8/2/2026

v/a- Goodbye, Babylon: D1, Introduction (2003) ***1/2

Dusty Springfield- Dusty In Memphis: Kevin Gray Master (1969/2026) ****

Johnny Adams- Heart & Soul (1970) ****

Marvin Gaye- What's Going On: Kevin Gray Master (1971/2022) ****

Graham Gouldman- The Graham Gouldman Thing (1968) ****

Rush- Now Playing (2026) ****

Dave Davies- Hidden Treasures (2011) ***1/2

The Who- Who's Next: 1995 Jon Astley Remix (1971/1995/2012) ****

The Zombies- Greatest Hits In MONO (2017) ****

Faces- Ooh La la (1973) ****

XTC- Skylarking: Steven Wilson Remix (1986/2016) ****


 

• For your consideration- Johnny Adams' "Heart & Soul," one the great southern soul records of all time.

8/1/2026

The Grateful Dead- Reckoning (1981) ****

The Lovin' Spoonful- Everything Playing: MONO (1967) ***

The 3 Sounds- Moods (1960) ****

Peter Tosh- Legalize It (1976) ****

Rush- Hold Your Fire (1987) ****

Rainbow- Rising (1976) ***1/2

The Grateful Dead- Dead Set (1981) ***1/2

Rush- Moving Pictures: Side One (1981) ****

The Soft Boys- Underwater Moonlight (1980) ****

Flamin' Groovies- Shake Some Action (1976) ***

Michael Monroe- Outerstellar (2026) ****

• "Reckoning" is a great first play of the day. It's a record I imagine might even be enjoyed by those who aren't really Dead fans. Good way to celebrate JG's b'day.

• Just released on Sony Legacy, a 50th Anniversary gold edition of the Peter Tosh classic "Legalize It," and it's both excellent sounding and inexpensive. I don't like colored vinyl as a rule, but this gold LP is pretty snazzy.

• Speaking of possibly liking a record even if you're not a fan of the artist (see GD above), "Hold Your Fire" might be Rush's poppiest and most musical record. Maybe it suffers just a bit with the 80's production, but the songs are very accessible and the playing is great, of course. And Aimee Mann is on it!

• Here's a Rush lagniappe, my attempt at a mix of songs that might appeal to those who aren't fans of the band. It's here, if you dare.

• I think the "Shake Some Action" album might be a tad overrated.