9/20/2026

v/a- Stand And Give Praise, Trojan Roots Reggae: Disc One- Dread Out Deh (2010) ***

v/a- Tea & Symphony: The English Baroque Sound 1967-1974 (2007) ***1/2

James Booker- True: Live At Tipitina's, 4/25/78 (2023) ****

Eli Paperboy Reed- Getting There (2026) ***

Dave Edmunds- Closer To The Flame (1989) ****

Bob Dylan- Infidels (1983) ****

9/19/2026

The Lovin' Spoonful- Hums Of The Lovin' Spoonful: MONO (1966) ***1/2

John Coltrane- My Favorite Things: Kevin Gray MONO Master (1961/2022) ****

v/a- Louisiana Swamp Pop (1977) ***

Bob Marley & The Wailers- Babylon By Bus (1978) ***1/2

Tin Machine- S/T (1989) ****

Nicole Atkins- Drama (2026) ****

Thin Lizzy- Thunder & Lightning (1983) ***1/2

Eno- Another Green World (1975) ****

Chuck Berry- After School Session: Acoustic Sounds Remaster (1957/2026) ****

Hole - Celebrity Skin (1998) ***

Gyasi- Songs From The Holler (2026) ***

 

•I love "Celebrity Skin" and it would normally get an easy ***1/2-****.  But this new 180g reissue that was released on 9/18 sounds like crap. Buyer beware. The Chuck Berry, on the other hand, blew my mind.  

•Was not expecting an acoustic blues record from Gyasi. I went in knowing nothing about this new one and I was surprised but not disappointed. Worth your time.

9/18/2026

Queen- II, Side Black: 2026 Mix (1974/2026) ****

v/a- Ska Ba Dip: The Essential King Edwards (1989) ***1/2

Echo & The Bunnymen- Apples For Isaac (2026) ***1/2

Roger Taylor- Violence Insane In A Beautiful World (2026) **1/2

Susanna Hoffs- The List (2026) ***

Electric Light Orchestra- A New World Record (1976) ****

Nicole Atkins- Italian Ice (2020) **1/2

The Rumble- Ain't No Dying (2026) ****

Ultravox!- Rare Retro (2016) ****

Whitesnake- S/T (1987) ****

Raido Birdman- Radios Appear (1977) ****

 

• I think the new Echo & The Bunnymen has potential to be a keeper.

• The Susanna Hoffs played like a "musical bio," and I guess it was designed that way. But it wasn't very exciting on first pass. I'm not giving up on this one...yet.

• Okay, "Italian Ice" is exactly what kept me away from Nicole Atkins all these years. Going to stick with the new one and then try something else, maybe her debut.

• The Rumble is shaping up to be a fantastic New Orleans release.

• Didn't realize there was an Ultravox! "Island Years" box. This bonus disc is a killer. If you love the first three John Foxx records, this set of oddities and leftovers is fantastic. Live stuff, remixes, single mixes--it all plays so much differently than what you are familiar with.

• I have no guilty pleasures when it comes to music. I don't listen to music ironically. That said, Whitesnake's 1987 blockbuster is the best of its kind. 

 

9/17/2026

v/a- Tim Burgess & Bob Stanley Present- Tim Peaks: Songs For A Late Night Diner (2019) **1/2

Neil Young & The Chrome Hearts- Second Song (2026) *1/2

Nicole Atkins- Drama (2026) ****

Dion - Lovers Who Wander (1962) ***1/2

David Bowie- The Shel Talmy Recordings: 1965 (2026) ***

Daryl Johns- S/T (2024) ***

Nick Lowe- Party Of One (1990) ****

Nicole Atkins- Drama (2026) ****

The Kinks- Are The Village Green Preservation Society: Kevin Gray Stereo Master (1968/2018) ****

The Rolling Stones- Some Girls (1978) ****

Grand Funk- Shinin' On (1974) ***1/2

• "Second Song" is a good title, because that's when I had enough. I mean, JEEZ! Is he kidding with this?  I don't care if the next four songs are as good as "Harvest," the first two gave me the twitch. 

• I've had a problem with Nicole Atkins for years. I want to like her. Many of my friends do. But I've seen her live twice and she got under my skin both times. And I can't always deal with her style of singing, which often sounds like she is trying to belt out "The Sound Of Music" whether the song calls for it or not. Thankfully, she only resorts to that a few times on this new record and it's very effective when used sparingly. I really loved this first spin, I just hope it's not because it followed that Neil crap. 

• cmealha sent me a text with a link to a song by Daryl Johns and the note, "Do you know this guy? Reminds me of Utopia." Well, I listened to the whole record and it sure does remind me of Rundgren and Utopia...in spots. It's a little too lo-fi for my taste, making it sound more like early Lemon Twigs. Then, I found out he was the Twigs touring bassist for a while. Overall, a worthwhile spin, at least the first half.

• Okay, second time around and the Nicole Atkins held up strong. "Curtain Call" is a stunner!

• I've been wanting to revisit the Grand Funk record since watching the Billy Corgan/Todd Rundgren interview. Billy loved the record. It sounded better than I remembered.

 

 

9/16/2026

Buddy Miller- S/T (2026) ****

Taj Mahal & The Phantom Blues Band- Time (2026) ****

Bruce Springsteen- The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle (1973) ****

Charli XCX- Music, Fashion, Film (2026) ****

Queen II: Abbey Road HSM (1974/2015) ****

The John Sally Ride- Now Is Not A Great Time (2021) ****

Bee Gees- 1st: Kevin Gray Stereo Master (1967/2017) ****

Soul Asylum- Let Your Dim Light Shine (1995) ****


•Okay, I really enjoyed the Buddy Miller. It's a solid Buddy record. His voice is strong. I don't think the guests are in the way, instead add subtle dabs of color and harmony. And those "weepy"songs worked for me. Looking forward to another spin or two.

9/15/2026

The Congos- Congo Ashanti (1979) ****

The Rumble- Ain't No Dying (2026) ****

Creation Rebel- Close Encounters Of The Third World (1978) ***

Rush- Boston, 9/12/2026: Highlights (2026) ***1/2

Cheetah Chrome & The Ghetto Dogs- S/T (1987) ***1/2

The Creed Taylor Orchestra- Shock Music In Hi-Fi (1958) ****

Bob Dylan- Oh Mercy (1989) ****

Yes- Drama: Kevin Gray Master (1980/2016) ****

 

 

• "Heart Of The Congos" is a reggae essential and I play it often. But this was the first time I heard the follow-up, "Congo Ashanti." It's pretty damn great!

• New album from The Rumble is just as great as their last. Great New Orleans, Indian funk. 

• "Shock Music In Hi-Fi" legit scared me when I was a kid. It’s still pretty eerie. But now that I’m older and only mildly creeped out by it, I can appreciate the craft and imagination put into the making of it. Good stuff!

9/14/2026

The Rolling Stones- Now!: MONO (1965) **** 

Bob Dylan with The Band- Planet Waves (1974) ***1/2

Neil Young & Crazy Horse- Ragged Glory (1990) ***1/2

Dwight Twilley- Scuba Divers (1982) ****

The Beatles- A Hard Day's Night: Stereo RM (1964/2012) ****

The John Sally Ride- A New Set of Downs (2017) ****

Queen- A Day At The Races (1976) ****

Thin Lizzy- Bad Reputation (1977) ****

Dead Boys- We Have Come For Your Children (1978) ****