5 /31/2026

Paul McCartney- The Boys Of Dungeon Lane (2026)- **** 
Sonny Rollins- Plus 4 (1956)- ***1/2

v/a- Spirit Of New Orleans- The Genius Of Dave Bartholomew 1992)- ****
(One of the greatest New Orleans collections out there. Here's a little six pack to pique your interest.)

(lagniappe)

Ry Cooder- Boomer's Story (1972)- ****
(There are few pieces of music as beautiful as "Maria Elena.")

Todd Rundgren- Runt. The Ballad Of Todd Rundgren (1971)- ****
(This record turns 55 years old today! That is nuts!)

The Byrds- Fifth Dimension (1966)- ****

The Greenberry Woods- It's All Good, Sugar... (2026)- ****
(Review coming soon.)

Bob Dylan w/The Band- Planet Waves (1974)- ***

The Reekers- Meet The Reekers (2007)- **
(This was new to me, found on a blog I subscribe to, so I trusted it. It's crazy! It spans 15 years or so, going from 60's garage rock, which was great, to Dickey Betts southern rock, which wasn't bad, to straight out bad rock and roll. Weird little comp.)

Lou Reed- New Sensations (1984)- ****
Paul McCartney- The 7" Singles: Today's Dozen (2022/2026)- ****
Paul McCartney- The Boys Of Dungeon Lane (2026)- ****

5/30/2026

Fripp & Eno- No Pussyfooting (1973)- ****
The Band- Academy Of Outtakes (2000)- ***1/2
Allman Brothers Band- Eat A Peach: Edit (1972)- ***1/2
Elvis Costello & The Attractions- Goodbye Cruel World (1984)- ***1/2
Rush- A Farewell To Kings (1977)- ****
Bleachers- everyone for ten minutes (2026)- ***
Galactic- Ruckus (2003)- ****
The Who- Live At Eden Project, 7/25/23 (2026)- ***
Sex Pistols- Never Mind The Bollocks...(1977)- ****
Soul Asylum- Let Your Dim Light Shine (1995)- ****

5/29/2026

Silver Birds Steel Orchestra- Festival Internationale, Lafayette: 4/26/2026 (2026)- **1/2
Fripp & Eno- Evening Star (1975)- ****

Neil Young- Mirror Ball (1995)- ***1/2
(Wow, this was much better than I remembered.)

Paul McCartney- The Boys From Dungeon Lane (2026)- ****
(Better frame of mind with this spin than yesterday's spin. I think this will get even better.)

The Move- Split Ends (1972)- ****
("Message From The Country" less the three goofy songs and with the five best singles of the era added. Genius! Now that's an edit.)

Electric Light Orchestra- Discovery (1979)- ****
The Beatles- Rubber Soul: U.S. MONO (1965)- ****

The Lemon Twigs- Look For Your Mind! (2026)- ****1/2
(Laying off this record for a bit and then coming back fresh made me love it even more. Really not a bad clam in the lot.)

Charlie Rich- That's Rich (1965)- ****
The Guess Who- Best Of...(1971)- ****
Elf- Trying To Burn the Sun (1975)- ***1/2
Paul McCartney- The Boys Of Dungeon Lane- ****

5/28/2026

Paul McCartney- The Boys Of Dungeon Lane (2026)- ***
Sally Baby's Silver Dollars- Festival Internationale, Lafayette: 4/24/2026 (2026)- ***1/2

Darryl Jenifer- Weather Channel (2026)- **
(Not what I expected or wanted from Bad Brains' guitarist. I lasted four songs.)

Kurt Vile- Philadelphia's Been Good To Me (2026)- **
(Lasted only three songs here.)

Blue Oyster Cult- Secret Treaties (1974)- ****
(AAAAAH! The best! Be gone, Kurt Vile!)

The Band- Personal Playlist (2026)- ****
Paul & Linda McCartney- Ram (1971)- ****

5/27/2026

Dr. Strangely Strange- Heavy Petting (1970)- ***1/2
Sonny Rollins- Freedom Suite (1958)- ****

Bob Evans- Goodnight, Bull Creek! (2009) - ***1/2
(Another suggestion from hpunch, really solid melodic pop. I refuse to call it power pop. There's more to it. Lots of familiar names, too- Brad Jones, Hans Rotenberry, Jim Hoke, Ken Coomer, & Will Kimbrough.)

Sonny Rollins- The Bridge (1962)- ***1/2
King Crimson- Discipline: Steven Wilson Remix (1981/2022)- ****
Neil Young- On The Beach (1974)- ****

Squeeze- Trixies (2026)- ***1/2
(I never give up on my musical heroes, and today it paid off. Still not loving a few songs, but there's more to love than I thought.)

Emerson, Lake & Palmer- Tarkus (1971)- ****

Fingerprintz- Beat Noir (1981)- ***1/2
(This was a much different sound, I think, than their first two. If memory serves, fans didn't really take to it. That's how I remember it. I think it still holds up.)

Detective- S/T (1977)- ****
(One of my faves back then, and I still love it now. Check out the playing on the song below. Love Jon Hyde on drums!)

Alice Cooper- School's Out (1972)- ****

5/26/2026

Sonny Rollins- Sonny Meets Hawk! (1963)- ****1/2
(I know most people reach for the obvious Sonny classics- "Saxophone Colossus," "Way Out West," "Volume 2," "Freedom Suite"- but I love his RCA years best, especially this, "The Bridge" and "Our Man In Jazz.")

Sonny Rollins- Our Man In Jazz (1963)- ****

Taj Mahal- Phantom Blues (1996)- ****
(A great, great record. The one below features Eric Clapton.)

 


Tom Newman-Fine Old Tom (1975)- ***
(Wacky, yet strangely appealing record from the leader of 60's psych band July, featuring Mike Oldfield, Fred Frith, Hughie Flint and Neil Innes. I wouldn't know where or how to begin describing what I just listened to, but I dug it.)

David Bowie- Space Oddity: Visconti 2019 Mix (1969/2019)- ***1/2
(Basically any "Visconti Mix" really just means more Visconti.)

The Beach Boys- Party! (1965)- ***
The Rolling Stones- Flowers: MONO (1967)- ****

Cheap Trick- Busted (1990)- ****
(An underrated classic, a few power ballads notwithstanding. But "Back N Blue" makes it all okay.)

Dead Boys- From the Sleaziest Catacombs: Live At CBGBs, 1977 (2026)- ***1/2
(Wish I could have been there. Great performance, but a mediocre capture.)

Sonny Rollins- Sonny Meets Hawk! (1963)- ****1/2

5/25/2026

Linton Kwesi Johnson- Bass Culture (1980)- ***1/2 
Jah Ruby- Dread Affairs (1977)- ****
Stevie Wonder- Fulfillingness' First Finale (1974)- ****
Bobby Womack- The Poet (1981)- ***1/2
King Crimson- Beat (1982)- ****
Genesis- Rock Theatre (1975)- ****
Jeff Lynne's ELO- Alone In The Universe (2015)- ****
Todd Rundgren- The Hermit Of Mink Hollow (1978)- ****
Paul McCartney- Tug Of War: 2015 Remix (1982/2015)- ****
Rancid-...And Out Come The Wolves (1995)- ****