The Techniques- Little Did You Know-****1/2
(Worked a record show in Garden City yesterday, so not much listening. I did find a cover to finally go with this record I picked up in Jamaica in 2023, so I am very happy. This record is sublime, just a perfect mix of ska, soul and doo wop.)
Eddy Arnold- The Best Of...****1/2
Rockpile- Seconds Of Pleasure- ****1/2
The Lijadu Sisters- Horizon Unlimited-****
Bob Marley & The Wailers- Rastaman Vibration- ***1/2
Donna Summer- Bad Girls (12" Mixes)-****
The Clash- London Calling-****1/2
Japanese Breakfast- For Melancholy Brunettes (& Sad Women)- ***
(Meh.)
Bob Dylan- One More Layer Of Skin: Studio Outtakes Vol. 6 (1983)-***1/2
The Dukes Of Stratosphear- 25 O'Clock-****1/2
R.E.M.- Murmur-****
Keith Richards- Talk Is Cheap-****1/2
J. Geils Band- Love Stinks- ***1/2
Jackie Mittoo- Macka Fat-***
Dennis Wilson- Pacific Ocean Blue-***
Neil Young- Oceanside Countryside-****
Lucy Dacus- Forever Is A Feeling-***1/2
(This is a really nice record. Second time around, I might give it four stars. It felt a bit too samey on first pass. Still, some truly strong songs here.)
Royal Fingerbowl- Greyhound Afternoons-***1/2
Cheap Trick- At Budokan: The Complete Concert- ***1/2
Bob Dylan- Where The Monkey Dances: Studio Outtakes Vol. 5 (1973-1981)-****
King Crimson- Beat- ****
The Only Ones- S/T-***1/2
The Darkness- Dreams On Toast- ****1/2
The Rolling Stones- Some Girls-****
David Bowie- A House Of Fear (Sigma Sound, 1974)-****
Paul McCartney- Ram- ****1/2
Rosa Renata- Encantacoes-****
Paul Weller- 66-****1/2
Aretha Franklin- Lady Soul-****
The Darkness- Dreams On Toast-****1/2
School Of Language- 45- ****
(The surprise of the day, courtesy of my friend John. This is Field Music, or actually just one of the Brewis brothers and their anti-Trump record. Fantastic fun, like "Parade"-era Prince with a touch of Queen dissing the orange creep.)
The Darkness- Dreams On Toast-****1/2
(Even better the second time around.)
Nicole Atkins- Mondo Amore-***1/2
Renata Rosa- Zunido da Mata- ****
(New discovery courtesy of pmac and his blog Kingston To Rio. Fantastic record. Beautiful and joyous Carnival sounds. This is her debut.)
Os Mutantes- A Divina Comedia Ou Ando Meio Desligado- ***1/2
Sister Nancy- One, Two-***1/2
Johnny Osbourne- Truths And Rights- ****1/2
Dwight Twilley- Scuba Divers (Blueprint Edition)-****
Todd Rundgren- The Birchmere, Alexandria: 2/4/03- ***1/2
Renata Rosa- Manto Dos Sonhos- ***1/2
(Much different than the debut. This one seems to cover a lot of different world music, from Indian raga to Italian funeral. Interesting spin. Enjoyed the debut more.)
Ian Hunter's Overnight Angels- ****1/2
Elvis Costello & The Attractions- Goodbye Cruel World-****
Rod Stewart- Never A Dull Moment- ****
Mikey Dread- Dread At The Controls-***1/2
Roy Wood- Music Book- ****
Utopia- Oops! Wrong Planet-****1/2
The Beatles- Second Album (MONO)- ****1/2
Adrian Belew- Inner Revolution-****
Al Stewart- Love Chronicles-***
Julian Cope- JC: Greatest Hits (Butterboy Comp)- ****
Todd Rundgren- Todd (Personal Edit)-****
The Soft Boys- Invisible Hits-***1/2
Daryl Hall/John Oates- Ooh Yeah!- ***1/2
Robert Palmer- Pressure Drop-****1/2
Nara Leao- Opiniao De Nara- ***
Nico- Chelsea Town Hall (Live)-***1/2
Weird Herald- Just Yesterday (about half) -**1/2
(Apparent lost psych-folk "gem" gets newly reissued. Meh. Like Moby Grape only not nearly as good.)
Bob Dylan- More Blood, More Tracks (Personal Playlist)- ****
The Cars- Heartbeat City-****
Todd Rundgren- The Ever Popular Tortured Artist Effect- ****
Cheap Trick- Next Position, Please- ****1/2
(Godd produces God!)
Rufus- S/T-***
Genesis- Trespass-****1/2
(The difference between the original LP and the remaster is mind-blowing. This record was never considered one of their best, and I think it's because the original record sounded like garbage. It's a whole new experience now.)
R.E.M.- Life's Rich Pageant-****
Nara Leao- Manha De Liberdade-***1/2
MPB-4- S/T (1968)- ***
Sting- Mercury Falling-****
Frankie Miller- High Life (Original Mix)-****1/2
Black Sabbath- Paranoid (Kevin Gray Master)- ****1/2
(Holy Moly! This new master is massive!)
Tom Waits- Rain Dogs-****1/2
The Rolling Stones- Stripped-*****
(A controversial opinion but, this is their BEST live album. And they have many.)
Nine Inch Nails- The Slip- ***1/2
Husker Du- Flip Your Wig-****
The Fleshtones/Los Straitjackets/Southern Culture On The Skids- Mondo Zombie Boogaloo-***1/2
The Move- Looking On-****
iPod on Shuffle:
L'Ouragon (The Hurricane)- BeauSoleil
Tomorrow Will Be Too Long- Jason Falkner
Long Away- Queen
Long As I Can See The Light- Creedence Clearwater Revival
Emerald Eyes- Jimmy Page
Ballroom Dancing- Paul McCartney
Everyday Is Sunshine- The Hollies
Undercover Of The Night- The Rolling Stones
Couldn't Believe Her- Gene Clark w/The Gosdin Brothers
Only You- NRBQ
Sons Of Slaves- Junior Delgado
Mick Ronson- 1976 Sessions-****
(I've heard songs from this over the years, but this is the first time I've heard it from top to bottom. This might be some of Ronno's best guitar playing. Pretty amazing.)
Horace Silver- The Jody Grind-***1/2
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Rendition Was In)- ****
Rex Garvin & The Mighty Cravers- I Gotta Go Now: 1961-1968-***
(Average garage soul and R&B. A few winners.)
Bob Marley & The Wailers- Kaya-****
Boz Scaggs- Silk Degrees (Kevin Gray Master)-****1/2
Chaka Khan- What Cha' Gonna Do For Me- ****1/2
(Her best solo record.)
Chris Price- Homesick-****
Cheap Trick- We're All Alright-***1/2
The Rubinoos- Party Of Two-****
(The Rubinoos with Todd Rundgren and Utopia, what could go wrong? Well, I didn't love it in 1983 and I haven't heard it since. It has aged well. Really nice stuff.)
John Lennon- Double Fantasy Stripped Down (John Tracks)-***
(Not sure if it's the mix, or if these songs didn't age well, but this was kinda meh.)
War- The World Is A Ghetto-****
The Damned- Damned Damned Damned-****1/2
The Heartbreakers- L.A.M.F.: The Found '77 Masters-****1/2
v/a-Another Saturday Night (Louisiana Jukebox Hits)- ****
Prince Lasha Quintet feat. Sonny Simmons- The Cry!- ****
Davy Graham- The First Recordings & The Guitar Player- **1/2
Gilberto Gil & Jorge Ben- Ogum Zango-****
(What an absolute blast!)
John Mayall & The Bluesbreakers- A Hard Road-***1/2
(When Peter Green shines, he really shines.)
Tito & Tarantula- ¡Brincamos! (almost half)- **
(This was doing nothing for me and I love their early records.)
Culture- International Herb-****
Amy Winehouse- Frank-***
Boz Scaggs- Down Two, Then Left-****
(This record didn't have a chance after "Silk Degrees," but it's damn good.)
Brian D'Addario- Till The Morning- ****1/2
Kasim Sulton- Kasim (1982)-****
Todd Rundgren- Arena- ****1/2
X-Ray Spex- Germfree Adolescents-****
Brian D'Addario- Till The Morning- ****1/2
Tommy Hoehn & Van Duren- Hailstone Holiday-****
Electric Light Orchestra- Eldorado-****
Brian D'Addario- Till The Morning- ****1/2
Cheap Trick- All Shook Up-***1/2
Blue Oyster Cult- Mirrors-****1/2
Pink Floyd- The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn- (MONO RM)- ****1/2
Cops 'N Robbers- A's & B's- ***1/2
Elvis Costello- King Of America- ****1/2
Suzanne Vega- Personal Playlist-****
Aretha Franklin- I Never Loved A Man...(MONO)- ****
The Youngbloods- S/T-****
Elvis Presley- Elvis Sings Guitar Man-****
Dorothy Berry- The Planetary Sides- ****
Ministry- The Squirrely Years Revisited- ***
(The original versions were all better.)
Cheap Trick- S/T (1977)- ****1/2
Rickie Lee Jones- Flying Cowboys-***1/2
Stories- About Us-****
Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers- Damn The Torpedoes- ****
Cheap Trick- Busted- ****
The Tubes- Young & Rich-****1/2
(It's been ages since I listened to this record. I forgot how much I loved it.)
v/a-Decca Originals: The Freakbeat Scene-***
v/a-Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues: Feel Like Going Home-***1/2
Maurice Brown & Soul'd U Out- Bowery Poetry Club, 6/30/07-***
Marcia Griffiths- Sweet & Nice-***1/2
801- Live-****1/2
Bad Brains- I Against I-****1/2
The Clarendonians- The Best Of...****1/2
(Another tremendous trifecta!)
The Rolling Stones- Goat's Head Soup-***1/2
AC/DC- High Voltage-****
Jimmy Clanton- The Best Of-****1/2
(Not actually a "Best Of," just an
album of great swamp pop recorded in 1964 that producer Bill Justis
thought was Clanton's best at that point. It's true!)
Cheap Trick- In Color- ****
Thelonious Monk- The Complete Black Lion & Vogue Recordings (Disc One)- ****
Joao Gilberto- Chege De Saudade-****
Roberta Flack- Softly With These Songs: The Best Of...- ***
Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros- Streetcore-****
The Jimi Hendrix Experience- Are You Experienced (U.S. Stereo)- ***1/2
Erykah Badu- Baduizm-***
Steven Wilson- The Overview- ***1/2
Queen- Crown Jewels: Remixes & More (1999 Bootleg)- **
Be-Bop Deluxe- Drastic Plastic (2020 Stereo Mix)-***1/2
NRBQ- Honest Dollar-***1/2
The Clovers- Dance Party-****
The Swan Silvertones- S/T- ****1/2
Mississippi John Hurt- Today!- ****1/2
John Coltrane- Ole (MONO)- ****1/2
(An amazing Sunday morning trifecta.)
Arthur Verocai- S/T-****
The Valentinos- Do It Right-****1/2
St. Vincent- Masseduction-****
Cheap Trick- Rockford-****1/2
Bob Mould- Here We Go Crazy- ****
Bob Dylan- Side Tracks (Personal Edit)- ****1/2
North Mississippi All-Stars- Electric Blue Watermelon-***1/2
Nine Inch Nails- The Downward Spiral (Personal Edit)- ****
v/a- That Thing You Do O.S.T.- ****
Steve Reich- Music For 18 Musicians-***1/2
Nels Cline- Consentrik Quartet (almost all of it)- **1/2
Byron Lee & The Dragonaires- Uptown Top Ranking-****
(Great fun!)
Bobby Charles- Chess Masters-***
Bad Brains- S/T-****1/2
The Beatles- Magical Mystery Tour (MONO)-****1/2
Ministry- Twitch-***
The John Sally Ride- Now Is Not A Great Time-****
(This record deserved more.)
Utopia-S/T (1982, Japanese Edtion)-****1/2
Dwight Twilley- BW' Twilley Mix-****
Harry Connick Jr. & Branford Marsalis- Occasion- ***1/2
The Invaders- Floating Around In The Sun 1970-1974 (about half)- **1/2
Little Richard- Get Down With It: The Okeh Sessions-***1/2
(The title track is without question, one of the Top Fove most exciting songs ever recorded. The moment when the band kicks in sends me over the moon!)
The Vapors- Wasp In A Jar-***1/2
(Good record. I don't think I'll play it a second time, but I didn't take it off either.)
Robyn Hitchcock- Shufflemania!- ***1/2
Bad Brains- Black Dots- ****1/2
Concrete Blonde- Walking In London-***1/2
Rush- Permanent Waves-****1/2
(Maturing is no longer minding that "Different Strings" fades out just as Alex Lifeson starts to rip an amazing solo.)
World Party- Best In Show (New Expanded Vinyl)- ****1/2
(A perfect Side Four.)
The Replacements- Boink!!!-****1/2
David Bowie- Young Americans (Half Speed Master)- ***1/2
The Soft Boys- A Can Of Bees-****
Queen- Made In Heaven-****
C.C. Adcock-S/T (aka House Rocker)- *****
Mick Fleetwood- The Visitor-****
(Some great stuff on this record.)
Jimmy Page & The Black Crowes- Live At The Greek (Disc One)- ***1/2
Cheap Trick- In Another World-****1/2
The Stranglers- Personal Playlist-****
The Dirtbombs- Ultraglide In Black-****
Abdullah Ibrahim- Water From An Ancient Well-****
(Title track is one of the most beautiful melodies ever written.)
Nara Leao- Nara (1967)- ****
Max Romeo & The Upsetters- War Ina Babylon- ***1/2
Lady Gaga- Mayhem-****
(I'm really digging this record. Needs an edit, maybe from 14 songs to 10, and then I think you'd have a really smart pop record, with influences ranging from Bowie and Nine Inch Nails to 70's disco and 80's new wave. Great stuff.)
Mike Farris- The Sound Of Muscle Shoals-**1/2
(A for effort, but ultimately the material is cliche-ridden and weak.)
daryl hall AND John FUCKING OATES- Bigger Than Both Of Us-****1/2
Nine Inch Nails- Broken + 7"- ****1/2
New York Dolls- 'Cause I Sez So-****
NRBQ- In:Frequencies-****
Tom Jobim- Matita Pere-****
The Isley Brothers- Givin' Back-***
Led Zeppelin- Physical Graffiti-****1/2
Hawkwind- X In Search of Space-***
Paul Weller- Wake Up The Nation Remixes (about five songs) - **
(Not to be confused with the anniversary remix of the album proper, this is a bonus disc with DJ remixes and it is every bit as horrible as I expected.)
NRBQ- All Hopped Up (Kevin Gray Master)-****1/2
(A few days after discovering that Kevin Gray mastered the reissue of the debut, I found out he worked his magic on this gem, as well. And it is just as stunning!)
NRBQ-S/T (Kevin Gray Master)- ****
Locksley- Don't Make Me Wait-****
The Beach Boys- Wild Honey (2017 Stereo Mix)-****
Clementina de Jesus- S/T- ****
Judy Mowatt- Black Woman- *****
George Porter Jr.- Porter's Pocket-**
(This was disappointing, though mercifully short. I love George to death, but this is just a collection of tired jams that sound bad and go nowhere. Anyone else and it's getting one star.)
Sandy Denny- Sandy-****1/2
Todd Rundgren w/The Davey Lane Band- Melbourne, 3/6/25-***1/2
Icecream Hands- Memory Lane Traffic Jam- ***1/2
(Might have gotten four stars if it was five songs shorter.)
The Turtles- The Battle of The Bands- ****1/2
(My favorite Turtles record.)
Byron Lee & The Dragonaires- The Midas Touch-***1/2
(First time. Byron Lee has too many records, and many are hit and miss. This is worth the time. Opening track is super hokey, but the album finds itself. Even a bit psychedelic at times. Fun spin.)
Locksley- Don't Make Me Wait-****
Lisa Loeb- Hits & Misses (Personal Playlist)- ****
Wilbur De Paris/Jimmy Witherspoon- New Orleans Blues- ****
v/a- The Robert Eichel Blues Hour- ****
v/a- WWOZ (Personal Playlist)- ***1/2
New York Dolls- Dancing Backward In High Heels- ***
Badfinger- No Dice-****
The Tubs- Cotton Crown- ***1/2
(If you told me this was an unreleased Husker Du record, I'd believe you. Pretty good stuff.)
v/a- Sounds From The Verve Hi-Fi-****1/2
Roy Ayers- Ubiquity- ***
Eydie Gorme y Trio Los Panchos- ****
The Isley Brothers- 3+3- ****1/2
Judy Mowatt- Black Woman- *****
(This record never fails to move me. Simply stunning in every way.)
Dion- Yo Frankie- ****
Travis- The Invisible Band (about half)- **1/2
The Beatles- Second Album (MONO)- *****
(First album I ever owned and I still love every second of it.)
Lady Gaga- Mayhem- ***1/2
(I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected to. There are no less than six excellent pop tunes here.)
The Rolling Stones- Undercover- ***1/2
The Isley Brothers- Get Into Something- ***1/2
(This is a really good album, but the opening track is so badass, everything that follows feels like a disappointment.)
Traveling Wilburys- Volume One- ****1/2
The Who- Meaty, Beaty, Big & Bouncy (Abbey Road HSM)- *****
Wes Montgomery- The Incredible Jazz Guitar Of...- ***
Nicholas Payton- Dear Louis-***1/2
Velvet Underground- 1969: Velvet Underground Live With Lou Reed (Record One)-***1/2
Dennis Bovell & The 4th Street Orchestra- Ah Who Seh? Go Deh!- ****1/2
Jah Stone- The Messiah- ****1/2
Faces- A Nod Is As Good As A Wink....****1/2
Neil Young- Oceanside Countryside- *****
(I did not expect to enjoy this as much as I did.)
The Lords Of The New Chruch- S/T-****1/2
Specimen- Wet Warm Cling Film Red Velvet-****
v/a- There's No Stopping Us Now: The Female Mods' Forgotten Story (Disc One)- ****
Roy Ayers- Stoned Soul Picnic- ****
Roy Ayers- Coffy- ****
Lee Dorsey- Ride Your Pony • Get Out Of My Life, Woman (Plus Bonus Tracks)- ****1/2
The Upsetters- Soulful I: The Jamaican Singles 1969-1970-***
Bob Mould- Here We Go Crazy- ****
Robert Johnson- Complete Masters- ***1/2
Damned- Damned Damned Damned- ****1/2
Gene Clark with The Gosdin Brothers- (Kevin Gray Stereo Cut)-****1/2
(This record gets better and better with age.)
Steel Pulse- Handsworth Revolution-****
Bruce Springsteen- Wrecking Ball- ***
(I love this record. One of his best. But I guess I just wasn't in the mood. It actually annoyed me.)
Nine Inch Nails- Pretty Hate Machine- ****1/2
Jurassic 5- Quality Control- ****
Bob Dylan- The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan- ****
The Scruffs- Wanna Meet The Scruffs?- ***1/2
Steve Miller Band- Number 5-***1/2
The Black Crowes- The Fillmore, 12/12/10-****1/2
(This is the first of a five night run, purported to be the last shows the band would ever play in America. Setlists were off the hook, with blocks of Beatles covers and Stones covers, as well as covering everyone from Gene Clark to Pink Floyd, acoustic arrangements, deep album tracks, etcetera. I've had these shows since 2010, but I didn't know where I had them! I just found them again on a lost hard drive and I plan on revisiting all five nights. So far, so good.)
Jurassic 5- S/T- ****1/2
(I forgot how much I love these guys. Chali 2na's voice is one of a kind.)
David Bowie- Earthling- ****
David Bowie- Low-****1/2
Fleetwood Mac- Tusk (Personal Edit)- ***1/2
Eagles Of Death Metal- Death By Sexy-***
Roxy Music- S/T-****
The Rolling Stones- Black & Blue- ****1/2
(Underrated, misunderstood, unfairly maligned.)
Johnny Thunders- So Alone-****1/2
Mud Boy & The Neutrons- Known Felons In Drag-****
Rainbow-Personal Playlist- ****1/2
Dub Syndicate- Echomania- (a little more than half)- **1/2
Liam Bailey- Zero Grace- ****1/2
Elvis Costello & The Imposters- Look Now-****
Dub Syndicate- Strike The Balance (four songs)- **
(Not getting this band at all.)
Continental Drifters- Drifted: In The Beginning & Beyond (Disc Two)- ***1/2
Motorhead- Overkill-****1/2
v/a- Excello Singles: 1952-1956- ****
v/a- Lundi Gras! (Personal Playlist)- ****
Louis Armstrong- The Hot Fives & Hot Sevens (Personal Playlist)- ****
Bob Dylan- Another Side Of...- ****
Bruce Springsteen- Darkness On The Edge Of Town- ****1/2
Steely Dan- Katy Lied (UHQR)- ***1/2
Small Faces- The Immediate Years (Disc One)- ****1/2
Paul Weller- Wake Up The Nation (10th Anniversary Remix)- ****
Todd Rundgren- Faithful (2024, 2 LP Audiophile RM)- *****
Faces- Ooh La La (Kevin Gray Master)- *****
The David Johansen Group- Live- ****
David Johansen- Live It Up!- ****1/2
The Who- A Quick One (True Stereo, Abbey Road HSM)- ****
Todd Rundgren- The Hermit Of Mink Hollow- ****1/2
David Johansen- In Style- ****
Queen- Hot Space- ***
Yabby You- One Love, One Heart- ***1/2
Thievery Corporation- Sounds From The Thievery Hi-Fi (about half)- ***
Aerosmith- Rocks- ****1/2
Galactic- From The Corner To The Block- ****1/2
New Radicals- Maybe You've Been Brainwashed, Too- ****1/2
Colin Hare- March Hare- ***1/2
Honeybus- At Their Best- ****
The Beckies- Demos (about half)- **1/2
Bomb Shelter- Human Rights- (four songs)- **
Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman & Howe- An Evening Of Yes Music...Plus- ***1/2
Motorhead- Ace Of Spades- *****
(My favorite Motorhead. Come on, get into it! At least this one record.)
Donna Summer- I Remember Yesterday- **
(Not even the brilliant "I Feel Love" could save this record.)
NRBQ- S/T (Kevin Gray Master) - *****
(One of the greatest debuts, and certainly one of the most unique. This reissue on Omnivore, with the genius Kevin Gray working the boards, makes this record sound better than ever.)
Dr. John- In The Right Place (2023 AP 45 RPM RM)-*****
(And speaking of sound, this pressing is one of the greatest sounding records I've ever heard.)
Jimi Hendrix Experience- Axis: Bold As Love (MONO)- ****1/2
(My favorite Jimi. But this is really Mitch Mitchell's show.)
Ike & Tina Turner- The Ike & Tina Turner Story (Disc One)- ****
