2/27/25

Little Freddie King- Going Upstairs- ***1/2
Robert Fripp- Exposure (Blasts And Blasms: Sessions, Jams And Rehearsals)- ***
Honeybus- At Their Best- ****1/2

Charles Mingus- Blues & Roots- ***1/2
(One of my all time favorites. Just wasn't in the mood for it, I guess. It happens.)

The Wild Magnolias- They Call Us Wild- ***1/2
Creedence Clearwater Revival- S/T- ****1/2
Jules Shear- Healing Bones- ****
Galactic- Ruckus- ****

The Jam- The Gift- ***1/2
(Like the Mingus above, I love this record but it just wasn't working for me tonight. Though it's hard not to move during "Town Called Malice.")

Amyl & The Sniffers- Cartoon Darkness- ****

2/26/25

John Lennon- Plastic Ono Band (Ultimate Mix)- ****1/2
Rodney Crowell- S/T- ***1/2

Jah Stone- The Messiah- ****1/2
(First time. Excellent. Sly & Robbie, Ansel Collins, Tommy McCook. Amazing toasting, haunting backing vocals. Upbeat. Just great.)

Siouxsie & The Banshees- Juju-****
The La's- ****
Graduate- Acting My Age- ***1/2
Siouxsie & the Banshees- Hyaena- ***
The Dave Clark 5- DC 12 (Personal Playlist)- ***1/2
The Kinks- Are The Viilage Green Preservation Society (Kevin Gray MONO Master)- ****1/2

 

2/25/25

iPod on Shuffle:
Night People- The Tubes
Cross Your Fingers- The Black Crowes
Do You Have A Soul?- The Easybeats
If I Can't Have You- Bee Gees
Sail Away- Peter Frampton
Medicine Wheel- Aimee Mann
I Call It Pretty Music- Jon Cleary
I Went To Sleep- The Beach Boys
Afterglow- Flo & Eddie
She Called Up- Crowded House
Roger- Sparks
Without You- Badfinger
Searchin'- Harry Nilsson
Doodlin'- Ray Charles
I Believe- The Young Rascals
Death Or Glory- The Clash
Golden Goose- Todd Rundgren
Fortune Teller- The Who
Sincerely Yours- Carlton & The Shoes

George Harrison- Brainwashed- ****

Jeff Lynne's ELO- Alone In The Universe- *****
(Ten absolutely perfect pop songs.)

Blue Oyster Cult- Tyranny & Mutation- ****

Creedence Clearwater Revival- S/T- *****
(Everything that followed put them on the map for good. But this debut is nasty, even without the AM hits. John Fogerty needs to be mentioned while discussing great guitarists, for this album alone.)

The Turtles- Turtle Soup- ****
Blue Oyster Cult- Agents Of Fortune- ****1/2

Elvis Costello- Spike (Sal's Special Edition)- *****
(Nice work, if I do say so myself. Here it is, if you want to create the playlist:

This Town
Deep Dark Truthful Mirror
Veronica
Pads, Paws & Claws
God's Comic
Tramp The Dirt Down
You're No Good
Satellite
Miss Macbeth
Baby Plays Around
The Ugly Things
Point Of No Return
Last Boat Leaving
Stalin' Malone (Vocal Version)

Rush- Hold Your Fire- ****

2/24/25

John Coltrane- Giant Steps (MONO)- ****
Nara Leao- Dez Anos Depois- *** 1/2
Neil Young & Crazy Horse- Zuma- ***

Art- Supernatural Fairy Tales (MONO)- ****1/2
(What's good is really good! What isn't, really isn't. Still, I do enjoy this record.)

The Claypool Lennon Delirium- South Of Reality- ****
Todd Rundgren- Demos & Lost Albums (The Demos Disc)- ****
Sonny Sharrock Band- Seize The Rainbow- ****1/2
The Meters- Struttin'- ****1/2
The Who- By Numbers (Abbey Road HSM)-****1/2
Nino Tempo & April Stevens- All Strung Out- ****

2/23/25

Joe Higgs- Life Of Contradiction-****1/2
Aggrovators- Reggae Stones Dub (about half)- **1/2

Graduate- Acting My Age- ****
(Had no idea this existed before this weekend. Pleasantly surprised to say the least.)

Bryan Ferry - Olympia-*** 1/2
Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys- Grand Isle- *****
The English Beat- I Just Can't Stop It- ****1/2
Yes- Fragile (Steven Wilson Remix)- ****

Paul Weller- Fly On The Wall (LP 3)- *****
(All covers. Every one of them, excellent!)

Bag Of Soup (Jules Shear, Marshall Crenshaw, Graham Maby)- Live At Tramps, 9/16/92- ****1/2
(I posted this as a Weekend Mix in 2008, just two months into Burning Wood. Only five comments. Considering a repost.)

Charlie Rich- That's Rich- ****
NRBQ- Scraps- ****

Little Bob & The Lollipops- Nobody But You- *****
(This record kills me every time, but beware of imitations. It's been reissued with the same cover and title, but different tracks. Ideally, the original LP is the way to go. The CD doubles the tracks, with many you don't need, but at least the original is represented.) 

George McRae- Rock Your Baby- ****
(If only for "I Get Lifted." What a record.)

2/22/25

Milton Nascimento- Milton (1969)- ***
Sun Ra- We Travel The Spaceways- ***1/2
The Liminanas- Faded- ****
XTC- Oranges & Lemons- ****1/2
v/a- Where The Girls Are (Personal Playlist)- ****
Robert Palmer- Drive- ****1/2
Sly & The Family Stone- A Whole New Thing- ****1/2
The Beatles- Rubber Soul (U.K. Stereo)- ****1/2
Pete Townshend- P.T.I.G. (Personal Playlist)- ****
The Clash- The Palladium, NYC: 9/21/79-****

45s- *****
The B-52's- Give Me Back My Man (Version)
The Exciters- Do-Wah-Diddy
The Sapphires- Who Do You Love
Brenton Wood- The Oogum Boogum Song
Jefferson Starship- Jane
Alive And Kicking- Tighter Tighter
The Elton John Band- Philadelphia Freedom
Ratt- Round & Round
The Platters- With This Ring
Pure Prairie League- Amie
The Four Tops- When She Was My Girl
The Four Tops- Reach Out I'll Be There
DeBarge- Who's Holding Donna Now
The Cyrkle- Turn-Down Day
Andrew Gold- Lonely Boy
The Orlons- Everything
The Orlons- Once Upon A Time

2/21/25

Chuck Berry- Collected- ****
v/a- Rubaiyat: Elektra's 40th Anniversary (Highlights)- **1/2
Paul Weller- Fat Pop (Vol. 1)- ***1/2
Pink Floyd- 1968 Germin/Ation- *** 1/2
v/a- Chamber Pop Treasures (Highlights From The Butterboy Box)- ***
Queen- I (2024 Remix)- ****
Yes- Time & A Word- ***1/2
Charles Jenkins- Bungalow- **1/2
Squeeze- Sweets From A Stranger- ****
C.C. Adcock & The Lafayette Marquis- *****
Lil' Band O' Gold- The Promised Land- ****1/2

2/20/25

iPod On Shuffle:
Dog Shit- The Rolling Stones
Enjoy Yourself- The Specials
Oh No Not Susan- Electric Light Orchestra
So Sad About Us- The Who
The Big Ranch- Los Lobos
Didn't Want To Have To Do It- The Lovin' Spoonful
Valentine's Day- David Bowie
A Rose For Emily- The Zombies
Wide Eyed Girl- Eurythmics
Twist & Shout (2023 Stereo Mix)- The Beatles
Southern Girls- Cheap Trick
Just Like A Woman- Bob Dylan
Watch Her Move- Peter Wolf
Every Tongue Shall Tell- Horace Andy

Bob Marley & The Wailers- Best Of (Studio One)- ****
Marshall Crenshaw- S/T (With Bonus Tracks)- ****

Paul Weller- 22 Dreams- *****
(This hit the spot today.)

Be-Bop Deluxe- Axe Victim-****
(Two of my ten favorite guitar solos of all time are both on this album.)

Marianne Faithfull- Horses And High Heels- ***1/2
Public Enemy- Yo! Bum Rush The Show- ***1/2

Dyke & The Blazers- I Got A Message: Hollywood 1968-1970 (Record One)- ***1/2
(Every song is exactly the same. But it's such a badass groove, I don't mind hearing it ten times.)

The Beatles- Let It Be...Naked- ****1/2
The Jam- In The City- ****1/2

2/19/25

Marianne Faithfull- Before The Poison- ****1/2
(Wow. I don't think I have ever heard this record. Beautiful.)

Punkadelic- Run White Boy Run- **1/2
(I don't mind weird. I just don't like weird for the sake of weird, and I think Mike Dillon tries a bit too hard to be weird. This won't get a second play.)

Candi Staton- Back To My Roots- ***1/2
Icecream Hands- Sweeter Than The Radio- ***1/2
Patti Smith- Horses- ***1/2
The Jam- Extras- *****

Led Zeppelin- Copenhagen, 7/23/79 (select songs)- ****
(Page's playing is surprisingly clean and inspired, considering how much of a mess he was on the last tour in 1977. The solos in "Since I've Been Loving You" and "No Quarter" are fantastic. Good show and a better than average audience recording.)

The Wild Tchoupitoulas w/The Neville Brothers- New Orleans '77- ****1/2
(Just released from the Tipitina's Record Club. An amazing document of a rare performance.)

Rod Stewart- Almost Famous: Newcastle, 12/18/76- ****
(Recommended. Fun show. Band is great. Rod is in great voice. Excellent set list.)

2/18/25

John Lewis- Improvised Meditations & Excursions- ***1/2
The Band- Stage Fright (Todd Rundgren Mix)- ***1/2
Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys- Grand Isle- **** 1/2
Charles Jenkins- The City Gates- ***
The Marvelettes- S/T- ***1/2
Novos Baianos- Acabou Chorare- ****
Ultravox- Systems Of Romance- ****
Charles Jenkins & The Zhivagos- Blue Atlas- ***1/2
Howard Tate- Get It While You Can- *****
Joe Bataan- Singin' Some Soul- ****
Small Faces- S/T (Decca MONO)- ****1/2

2/17/25

Larry Young- Unity- ****1/2
Sullivan Fortner- Southern Nights (about half) - ***
Dr. John- Gris Gris (Kevin Gray MONO Master)- ****
Ken Boothe- Boothe Unlimited- ****
Steve Riley & The Mamou Playboys- Grand Isle- *****
Ike & Tina Turner- Greatest Hits- ****
Robert Palmer- Live At The Apollo- ****
Burning Spear- Rocking Time- ***1/2
'Til Tuesday- Everything's Different Now- ****
Charles Jenkins & The Zhivagos- Walk This Ocean- *****
Peter Wolf- Midnight Souvenirs- ****
Led Zeppelin- In Through The Out Door- ****1/2
The Black Crowes- The Southern Harmony & Musical Companion-*****

2/16/25

The Staple Singers- Faith & Grace (Highlights)- ****1/2
The Blind Boys Of Alabama- Atom Bomb- ****1/2
Harry Connick Jr.- Chanson Du Vieux Carre- ***1/2

The Altons- Heartache In Room 14 (five songs) - **1/2
(Typical Daptone release. All style, no substance.)

Iggy Pop- In Berlin (Personal Playlist)- ****

Steely Dan- Alive In America- ***1/2
(Worth it for Dennis Chambers' drumming on "Josie.")

Prince- The Dawn: Act 1: Come- ****1/2
Icecream Hands- No Weapon But Love- ****1/2
The Black Crowes- Happiness Bastards- ****
Sly & The Family Stone-- Fresh- ****

2/15/25

The Staple Singers- Come Go With Me (Highlights)- ****
Wilco- A.M.- ***1/2
Bettye Lavette- Child Of The Seventies- ***
Miles Davis- Miles Smiles- *** 1/2
Krasno/Moore Project- Book Of Queens- ****1/2
Electric Light Orchestra- Discovery- ****
The Who- WHO- ***1/2
'Til Tuesday- Welcome Home- ***1/2
The Mamas & The Papas- Personal Playlist- ****
The Clash- S/T (U.K.)- ****1/2
Fountains Of Wayne- Utopia Parkway- ****
Kiss- Dressed To Kill- ****
The Who- By Numbers- ****1/2

2/14/25

Marshall Allen- A New Dawn- ***1/2
(Pretty damn good for 101 years old!)

Sly & The Family Stone- There's A Riot Goin' On- ***1/2
Joao Donato- A Bad Donato- ****
Joe Ashlar, Stanton Moore & Skerik- Happy Organ Hour, Maple Leaf, 2/12/25 (First Set)- ****1/2

Ben Harper & The Blind Boys Of Alabama- There Will Be A Light- ****1/2
(Never been a Ben Harper fan, but I played this to death when it was released. I haven't heard it in years. Man, it still holds up.)

Kyle Roussel- Church Of New Orleans- ***

The Black Crowes- Shake Your Money Maker- ****
(The 30th anniversary vinyl remaster is crap, for those interested.)

Sly & The Family Stone- Sly Lives! ((aka The Burden of Black Genius)- *****
(I watched the film twice already. This soundtrack is so perfectly curated with hits, alternates and rarities, it feels like a new Sly record.)

Irma Thomas/Marcia Ball/Tracy Nelson- Sing It!- ***1/2
(I love half this record. The title track, written by the late, great David Egan, is coming with me when I die. But Tracy Nelson sabotages a few too many tracks.)

The Rumble- Stories From The Battlefield- ****1/2
Tony Dagradi, Joe Ashlar & John Vidacovich- Maple Leaf, 2/13/25 (First Set)- ****1/2

2/13/25

Dennis Coffey-Hot Coffee Collection- ****
Bob Dylan- Under The Red Sky- **
Buddy Guy- A Man & The Blues- ***1/2
Led Zeppelin- III- ****1/2
XTC- Rag 'N' Bone Buffet- ***1/2
Queen- News Of The World- ****
Jack White- No Name- ****1/2
Husker Du- Candy Apple Grey- ****
The Beatles- With The Beatles (U.K. MONO)- ****1/2
Robert Palmer- Rhythm & Blues- **1/2

2/12/25

Phil Manzanera- Diamond Head- ****
David Bowie- Rock 'n' Roll Star (Single LP Edition)- ****
The Beach Boys- Carl & The Passions- "So Tough"- ***1/2
TubeTop- Three Minute Hercules- ****1/2
Wings- Greatest- ***1/2

Prince- Come- ***1/2
(Without the history and baggage, this was a pretty fun spin 30 years after the fact.)

The Specials- More Specials- ****
The Black Crowes- Three Snakes & One Charm- ****1/2
AC/DC- Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (Australian Version)- ***1/2

2/11/25

Joao Donato- A Bad Donato- *****
(Wow! I was not expecting this. This is not your typical Brazilian/Tropicalia record. This is everything from Bacharach/David horn lines, Lalo Schifrin soundtracks, Isaac Hayes, swingin' 60's England and more. What a feast for the ears! Make this the first spin of your day.)

U-Roy- Dread In A Babylon- ****
Margie Perez- Love Is All (about half)- **
Savoy Brown- Getting To The Point- ***1/2

Robin Trower- Bridge Of Sighs (2024 Remix w/Alternates)- ****
(This record never sounded better.)

Moacir Santos- Coisas-****
Neil Young & Crazy Horse- Ragged Glory- *** 1/2
10cc- The Original Soundtrack- ****
Paul McCartney- Memory Almost Full- ****
Billy Joel- Personal Playlist- ****1/2
Osmar Milito- Viagem- ***

Hunter- Dreams Of Ordinary Men- ***1/2
(Produced by Todd Rundgren, this might as well have been the next Utopia record after 1985's "POV." Fun record.)

2/10/25

Wings- Back To The Egg- ****
(Terribly underrated.)

World Party- Egyptology-***1/2
(Not easy to top "Goodbye Jumbo," but "Bang" was a worthy follow-up. "Egyptology" would have been a worthy follow-up to "Bang" if it was about three songs shorter.)

Reckless Sleepers- Big Boss Sounds!- ***1/2
The Black Crowes- Wiser For The Time (Personal Edit)- ***
Sloan- Steady-****

The Slits- Cut- ****1/2
(I never get tired of this record. Nothing before or after sounds like it.)

Raspberries- Starting Over-****
The Soft Boys- Underwater Moonlight-****1/2

Todd Rundgren- Unpredictable At City Winery, 3/7/12- ****
(I was at three of the five City Winery shows on this run. They were all solid. Only just found out this show, which I've had a tape of for years, was officially released for streaming. Highly recommended. It's a loose show. Todd is relaxed. A lot of covers, some weird choices, but the band is tight and Todd is in good voice throughout.)

2/9/25

Mississippi Sheiks- Stop And Listen- ***1/2
(After really enjoying Dylan's "World Gone Wrong" last week, especially the track "Blood in My Eyes," I decided to go to the source. This is a great collection, perfect for a Sunday morning.)

Bonnie Raitt- Souls Alike- ****
(Many great records, especially early on and during the first part of her comeback. But this remains my favorite.)

The New Orleans Bingo! Show- Volume 1: Soft Emergencies- *** 1/2
(One of the greatest live acts I have ever seen in New Orleans. Records are solid, but pale in comparison to the perfomances. Good to hear this one, though. It's been awhile.)

Dr. John- Locked Down- ****1/2
(Dan Auerbach's finest hour.)

Badfinger- Personal Playlist- ****
David Ruffin- My Whole World Ended- ****

Jellyfish- Spilt Milk- ****1/2
(How good is the first Jellyfish album? It's so good that this follow-up, which is fantastic, just isn't as good.)

v/a- Rap For The Faint of Heart: A Classic Burning Wood Weekend Mix-*****
(This was posted on BW in December of 2018 and it went over surprisingly well.)

2/8/25

Miles Davis- Sketches of Spain- ****1/2
The Troy Andrews Quintet- The End Of The Beginning- ***
Som Imaginario- S/T (1970)- ***1/2
Preservation Brass- For Fat Man- ****
Dave Edmunds- Twangin'- ***1/2
Bob Dylan- Supper Club, 11/16/93 (Early Show)- ****
Jules & The Polar Bears- Wounds & Music: The Best Of...**1/2
The Who- S/T ("Impact")- ***1/2
Black Sabbath- Technical Ecstasy- ***1/2
AC/DC- Bon's Voyage (Personal Playlist)- ****1/2
The Rolling Stones- Sticky To Hackney (Personal Playlist)- ****1/2
The Replacements- Pleased To Meet Me- *****

2/7/25

Allen Toussaint- Southern Nights (2025 Rhino Reserve Remaster)- ****1/2
Duke Ellington & Ray Brown- This One's For Blanton- *** 1/2
Sandie Shaw- Hello Angel- (five or six songs)- **
The Crystallites- The Undertaker- ***
The Who- Thirty Years Of Maximum R&B (Highlights From The Box)- ****1/2
Joe Jackson- I'm The Man- ***1/2
The Smithereens- 11- ****1/2
David Bowie- Lodger- ****1/2
Prince- The Undertaker- ***
Ok Go w/Bonerama- You're Not Alone E.P.- ***1/2
Martha & The Vandellas- Watchout!- ****1/2
The Replacements- Boink!!- ****1/2
The Sex Pistols- Never Mind The Bollocks- *****
The Style Council- Complete Adventures- (Personal Playlist)- ***

2/6/25

Erasmo Carlos- Carlos, Erasmo- ***1/2
Desmond Dekker & The Aces- Intensified- ****
John Lee Hooker- Burnin' (MONO)- ***
Georgie Fame & The Harry South Big Band- Sound Venture (MONO)- ****
Duran Duran- Notorious- ***1/2
Joe Walsh- Analog Man- ****
Steve Miller Band- Wide River- **1/2

2/5/25

Arcadia- So Red The Rose- *** 1/2
Big Star- Radio City- ****
Taxi Gang w/Sly & Robbie- The Sting (three songs)-  **
The Iguanas- Plastic Silver 9 Volt Heart- ****
T. Rex- The Slider- ****
Elvis Costello- Almost Blue (Disc Two)- ***1/2
The Kinks - Arthur, Or...(Kevin Gray Stereo Master)- ****
The Kinks - Arthur, Or...(Bonus LP)-  ****1/2
Steve Miller Band- Personal Playlist- ****

2/4/25

Mark-Almond- Folk-Rock-Confusion (A BBJ Comp.)- ***
Del Shannon- Breaking Up With Del (Personal Playlist)- ***1/2
St. Vincent- Actor- ***1/2
Syd Barrett- Barrett- ***
Buddy Guy- Hold That Plane- ***1/2
Sonya Spence- In The Dark- ***1/2
The Black Crowes- Beacon Theater, 3/19/95-****

2/3/25

Milton Nascimento- Geraes- ****
Faces- Ooh La La (Kevin Gray Master)- ****1/2
Marianne Faithfull- Rich Kid Blues- ***
v/a- Decca Originals: The Freakbeat Scene- ***1/2
Paul McCartney- The 7" Singles (Personal Playlist)- ****
The Beatles- Second Album (1986 Allied Pressing)- ****
 

2/2/25

Wessell Anderson- Warmdaddy In the Garden Of Swing- ***
Rita Lee- Build Up- **1/2
Steve Winwood- Arc Of A Diver- ***1/2
Elton John- Tumbleweed Connection-****
Bobby Charles- S/T- ****
Todd Rundgren- Global- ***
Radiohead- OK Computer- ****
David Bowie- PNE Rehearsals, Vancouver: 2/2/76- ****
The Rolling Stones- Flowers (MONO)- ****
Motorhead- Lemmy Entertain You (Personal Playlist)- *****

2/1/25

Cartola- S/T- ***1/2
Tom Ze- Estudando o Samba- ****
Jon Cleary- Dyna-Mite- ****
Power Station- Living In Fear- ****
The Byrds- Younger Than Yesterday (Stereo)- ***1/2
Genesis- Wind & Wuthering (2008 Remix)- ****
David Bowie- Black Tie White Noise- ****
The Band- Live At Woodstock, 8/17/69- ***
Desmond Dekker & The Aces- Intensified- ****1/2
10cc- Look Hear?- ***
The Clash- Hits Back (Sides 1-4)- ****1/2

1/31/25

John Cale- POPtical Illusion- ***1/2
The 1957 Tail-Fin Fiasco- Are You Sure?- **1/2
Bill Bruford- Feels Good To Me- ****
Marianne Faithfull- Strange Weather- **
The Clash- S/T- ****1/2
The Rumble- Stories From The Battlefield- ****1/2
Robert Palmer- Honey- ****1/2
Public Enemy- Power To The People & The Beats: Greatest Hits- ****
The Jam- All Mod Cons- ****