5/4/2026

Del Jones' Postive Vibes - Court Is Closed (1973)- **
(Not a typo, the album cover says "postive." This is the first line of a user review on Discogs-
"STONE CLASSIC early 70's black, aural-Counter-Cult-statement using the form of dynamic Jammer FUNK... 'n I mean FUNK!" Well, I found nothing funky about it. Trippy and amateurish.)

Taj Mahal & The Phantom Blues Band- Time (2010/2026)- ****
Etta James- Tell Mama (1968)- ****

Jimmy Lewis- Totally Involved (1974)- ****
(Great southern soul. Jimmy is a screamer! And he's got some great raps, too.)

v/a-The Lemon Twigs: Inspiration (2026)- ***1/2
Graham Parker 12 Haunted Episodes (1995)- ***
Abba- Gold (1992)- ****
Clarence Reid- Running Water (1973)- ***

Gary Klebe- Out Loud (2026)- **1/2
(I like about a dozen songs by the Shoes. I never quite understood their cult status as legendary power poppers. The breathy vocals and sameness did little for me, though I do love the handful of songs I love. This solo outing from Klebe doesn't venture from the Shoes formula, which I guess might be a good thing for Shoes followers. But for me, it was a poppy blur for 40 minutes. And I really don't like how he sings. He's kinda clunky.)

The Who- A Quick One: True Stereo, Abbey Road HSM (1966/2022)- ****
The Skeletons- Waiting (1992)- ****

5/3/2026

Matteo Monico- Alfred Hitchcock: A Portrait In Piano (2025)- ****
Ian Carr-Belladonna (1972)- ***1/2

Rhetta Hughes- Re-Light My Fire (1969)-***1/2
(Didn't know Rhetta or this record, but it was a great spin. A real soulful beauty. Check it out, when you can.)

Steely Dan- Gaucho (1980)- ****
Graham Parker- Another Grey Area (1982)- ***1/2

Taj Mahal & The Phantom Blues Band- Time (2010/2026)- ****
Robert Walter, Eddie Roberts, Stanton Moore- The Breaks (2026)- ****
(Loved both of these. Burning Wood reviews on tap.)

Paul Weller- 22 Dreams: Demos & The Like (2008)- ****
New York Dolls- S/T (1973)- ****
The Jam- The Gift (1982)- ****
Gloria Jones- Come Go With Me (1966)- ****

 

5/2/2026

Jerry Garcia- Reflections (1976)- ****
(A Grateful Dead record in all but name. And a damn good one, too.)

 

Frank Sinatra- A Swingin' Affair! (1957)- ***1/2
Todd Rundgren- Nearly Human (1989)- ****
David Bowie- Reality (2003)- ****

Tin Machine- S/T (1989)- ****
(I will never not defend this record.)

Harry Connick Jr.- She (1995)- ****
(The inside of the CD book says "Harry Connick Jr. & His Funk Band" and that band includes George Porter Jr., Russell Batiste, Zig Modeliste and the Bonerama horns for starters. Not before or since has Harry sounded like this. I played this to death in 1995 and saw the tour, which was one of the most entertaining live shows I have ever seen.)

 

 

Soundgarden- Superunknown: Sal's Edit (1994/2025)- ****
Hole- Celebrity Skin: Sal's Edit (1998/2020)- ****

Aerosmith- Rocks (1976)-****
(The greatest rock album of all time. Really.)

Swag- Catch-All (2000)- ****
(The greatest power pop album of all time. Really.)

The Runaways- Waitin' For The Night (1977)- ***
(Cherie Currie is gone. Joan Jett takes over. An uncredited Sal Maida plays bass for the Stu Sutcliffe of the band, Vicki Blue. Fun record.)

5/1/2026

John Hammond- So Many Roads (1965)- ***1/2
(I'm reading Robbie Robertson's memoir "Testimony" and didn't realize all of the times I've had this record in my hands that his backing band was HUGE! Mike Bloomfield, Charlie Musselwhite, and Mark Helm, Eric Hudson and Jaime Robertson, aka, Levon, Garth and Robbie.)

The Meters- Trick Bag (1976)- ***1/2

I-Roy- Ten Commandments (1978)- ****
(I-Roy's masterpiece, versioning Marley's "Exodus" album in its entirety, with each song based on a commandment.)

Raw Spitt- S/T (1970)- **
(Charlie Whitehead aka Raw Spitt produced and arranged by Jerry Williams aka Swamp Dogg. I gave it four songs. It's just a whole lotta bland, conisdering those involved.)

Sister Nancy- One, Two (1982)- ***
(A reggae classic and a rare one at that, that finally got a reissue after years of original copies going for $500-$1000. I never warmed to her voice.)

Ringo Starr- Long Long Road (2026)- ***1/2

Los Hombres Calientes- Vol. 3 New Congo Square (2001)-  ****
(Starting with their 1998 debut, right through their final release in 2005, this New Orleans collective featuring Jason Marsalis, Irvin Mayfield, Headhunter Bill Summers and Victor Atkins, along with numerous special guests including Burning Spear, John Boutte, Cyril Neville and Shannon Powell, put out some of my favorite music. They were always a go to while in New Orleans, and the rare occasions tghey played New York City. I haven't listened to these records in some time, but it's Jazz Fest and so they came to mind. I strongly suggest starting at the beginning.)

The Claypool-Lennon Delirium- The Great Parrot-Ox And The Golden Egg Of Empathy (2026)- ****
(This is a great record. It would be even greater if the unfunny Claypool crap was edited out. It would also make the album a more user friendly 45 minutes.)

Percy "Thrills" Thrillington- Thrillington (1971/1977)- ***1/2
(I found this unlistenable 50 years ago. It's actually quite good. If you don't know it, it's an instrumental version of McCartney's "Ram," recorded around the same time, but shelved until 1977. The styles range from big band, easy listening, dancehall, and maybe even jazz, if you use your imagination. Really smart.)

10cc- Sheet Music (1974)-****
The La's- S/T (1990)- ****
Graham Parker- The Real Macaw (1983)- ****
(What a trifecta!)

4/30/2026

Catalyst-S/T (1972)- ***
(Funk and fusion out of Philly, with Odeon Pope and Alphonso Johnson. Not bad. Ended stronger than it began. I thought the tune below was groovy.)

Merry Clayton- Gimme Shelter (1970)- ***1/2
(This is a really good record!)

Neil Young- Tonight's The Night 50 (2025)- ***1/2
Dave Mason- Alone Together (1970)- ***
Cheap Trick- All Washed Up (2025)- ****

Tears For Fears- Personal Playlist (2023)- ****
(This band has fans, of course. They're popular, of course. Yet, it still feels like not enough people know anything beyond "Shout." Playlist below. And it's a damn good one, if I do say so myself.)

Tears For Fears Playlist

The Who- Who Are You (1978)- ****
(Underrated.)

4/29/2026

Alice Clark- S/T (1972)- ***1/2
St. Vincent- Actor (2009)- ****
Greazy Alice- As Time Goes By (2026)- **1/2
The Aerovons- Resurrection (1969)- ***1/2
The Stranglers- Black & White (1978)- ***1/2
Nine Inch Nails & Boys Noize- Nine Inch Noize (2026)- ****
The Scruffs- Wanna Meet The Scruffs? (1977)- ***1/2
Black Flag- The First Four Years (1988)- ***
Aerosmith- Draw The Line (1977)-****
Bonerama- So Much Love (2026)- ****

4/28/2026

Jorge Ben- A Tabua De Esmeralda (1974)- ****
(#6 on Rolling Stone's Top 100 Tropicalia albums list.)

Midnight Movers- Do It In The Road (1969)- **
(Third rate R&B. Album is named after The Beatles' track, which they cover, but sing "Why CAN'T we do it in the road." Bad Traffic cover, too.)

R.E.M.- Fables Of The Reconstruction (1985)- ***
Squeeze- Trixies (2026)- ***
Rickie Lee Jones- The Other Side Of Desire (2015)- ****

Gloria Jones- Come Go With Me (1966)-****
(Surprise hit of the day from Mrs. Marc Bolan!)

 

Li'l Queenie & The Percolators- Home (2007)- ****
The Left Banke- The History Of...(1985)- ***1/2
Joe Jackson- Hope & Fury (2026)- ****
The Slits- Cut (1979)- ****